Video control equipment for detecting pinfall at the game of bowling

• US 5,683,080 A
• Filed: 10/18/1995
• Issued: 11/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qubica
• Original Assignee: Qubica SRL
• Inventors: Vaioli, Roberto, Drusiani, Luca, Govoni, Emanuele
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pierce, William M.
• Application Number:
  US08/543,253
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 473/54, 473/55, 473/57, 473/58, 473/64, 473/68, 473/67, 473/69, 473/70, 473/71, 473/86, 473/101
• US Class Current: 473/69
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 5/04 Indicating devices

Abstract

Bowling lanes are equipped typically with first monitoring devices serving to verify the position of the pins and second monitoring devices designed to detect the passage of the balls, also a first control station connected both to the first and second monitoring devices and to the actuator of a machine for recovering and setting up the pins, in such a way that the game can be run and supervised according to a selected program and on the basis of the information received in signals returned by the two sets of monitoring devices; in the equipment disclosed, the first and second monitoring devices are incorporated into a single assembly together with a second control station interfaced with the program and connected to a communications network of which the first control station forms a part.

Claims

1. A system for controlling at least two adjacent bowling lanes, each lane having an approach end from which a bowling ball is delivered and a target end toward which the ball is directed at a set of pins, each lane having actuatable means for resetting the pins, the system comprising:

a first control station coupled to the actuatable means for resetting the pins;

a second control station coupled to a central control unit;

a video camera coupled to the second control station and having an angle of view which detects a position of the pins on each of the two adjacent lanes, the video camera positioned between the two adjacent lanes and providing a first signal coupled to the first control station, said first signal being an encoded signal derived from an image viewed by the camera, wherein the encoded signal represents a comparison in position of the pins on the two adjacent lanes between an initial position and a position after the delivery of the ball, said initial position representing a preprogrammed map of said pins on the lanes before delivery of said ball, said comparison in pin positions determining a computation of a bowling score of the two adjacent lanes; and

a monitoring means for detecting the passage of balls on the two adjacent lanes, the monitoring means positioned between the two adjacent lanes and providing a second signal coupled to the first control station, said monitoring means comprised of a combination of at least two photocells and at least two reference cells in alignment with each of said photocells, one said combination of cells directed across one of said two adjacent lanes and the other of said combination of cells directed across the other of said two adjacent lanes, wherein said video camera, said monitoring means, and said second control station comprises a single assembly mounted on a channel cover disposed between the two adjacent lanes.

2. A pin and a bowling ball monitoring assembly for monitoring two adjacent bowling lanes in an automated bowling system, each lane having an approach end from which said balls are delivered and a target end toward which the balls are directed at said pins, an actuatable means for resetting the pins and a first control station coupled to the actuatable means for resetting the pins, the assembly comprising:

a video camera having an angle of view which detects a position of the pins on each of two adjacent lanes, the video camera positioned between the two adjacent lanes and providing a first signal coupled to the first control station, said first signal being an encoded signal derived from an image viewed by the camera, wherein the encoded signal represents a comparison in position of the pins on the two adjacent lanes between an initial position and a position after the delivery of the ball, said initial position representing a preprogrammed map of said pins on the lanes before delivery of said ball, said comparison in pin positions determining a computation of a bowling score of the two adjacent lanes; and

a monitoring means for detecting the passage of balls on the two adjacent lanes, the monitoring means positioned between the two adjacent lanes and providing a second signal coupled to the first control station, said monitoring means comprised of a combination of at least two photocells and at least two reference cells in alignment with each of said photocells, one of said combinations of cells directed across one of said two adjacent lanes and the other of said combination of cells directed across the other of said two adjacent lanes, wherein the video camera, said second control station, and the monitoring means comprise a single assembly disposed on a channel cover between the two adjacent lanes.