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Sensing spatial movement

  • US 5,741,182 A
  • Filed: 06/17/1994
  • Issued: 04/21/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for providing and responding to electromagnetic radiation or other energy, comprisingmeans comprising a physical object that is moved spatially during operation of the apparatus,means comprising a physical object that is to remain substantially stationary during operation of the apparatus,one said physical object including means for providing the electromagnetic radiation or other energy;

  • andmeans for receiving and responding to said radiation or other energy;

    the apparatus being so constructed and arranged that at least one characteristic of the radiation or other energy as received by the responding means is responsive to spatial movement of said object that is moved;

    the means for providing the energy being included in the physical object that is moved;

    the energy providing means in the object that is moved comprising inertial means for modifying a characteristic of the energy;

    the inertial means comprising switching means;

    the apparatus including a video type of sport simulating game having a visual monitor and software that is responsive to .digital input, and wherein the object that is moved in the said apparatus comprises an elongate implement having the shape of an elongate implement that is swung in playing the sport simulated by the game;

    wherein the inertial means comprises centrifugal switching means having an activating member that is movable substantially along the axis of the implement;

    the energy providing means comprising infrared light emitting diodes;

    the energy from the elongate implement being provided by a combination of components and connections thereof in the implement substantially as follows;

    an inertial switch (S1) for sensing the player'"'"'s swing, comprising a small mass that is free to move in such a way as to operate the contacts of the switch (S1) when the bat is swung;

    pushbutton switches (S2-S9) serving as a keypad to allow the player to make menu selections and select other functions of the game;

    a configuration switch (S10) to set up the operation of the device to be compatible with a variety of baseball games, said configuration switch allowing the inertial switch to act in parallel with at least one of the standard pushbutton circuits to send a swing command to the game;

    a slide switch (S11) to set a player number one or player number two mode of operation;

    an IR encoder chip (U1) for scanning the pushbutton switches to determine whether a switch is closed, the encoder generating an output signal suitable for driving a LED, and the signal output being decoded by an IR remote receiver;

    an oscillator circuit comprising the combination of a crystal (X1) and capacitors (C4, C5) providing a clock circuit for the IR encoder chip;

    a MOSFET driver transistor (Q1) for controlling the drive current to the IR transmitter LEDs;

    infrared LEDs (D1, D2) for converting the drive current signals of the circuit to infrared light signals; and

    decoupling capacitors (C2, C3, C6) to minimize the effect of transients on the power supply;

    or by a substantially equivalent combination of components and connections.

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