Screen-less ballistic chronograph
First Claim
1. An apparatus for detecting passage of a ballistic object in three-dimensional space through a plurality of thin light sheets, said apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of photo projectors wherein each of said photo projector is mounted on a side of a housing and generates a projection of light in a form of a thin light sheet, wherein said photo projectors are oriented substantially parallel and do not overlap, wherein said projections of light are oriented substantially parallel and do not overlap;
one or more photo detectors for detecting a reflection of light generated by a ballistic object crossing the projections of light, wherein each said photo detector is mounted on said side of said housing and is positioned proximately to and oriented substantially unidirectional with one of said photo projectors, wherein the photo detector generates a data set indicating the detection of the reflection of light, wherein said ballistic object traverses substantially perpendicular to said projections of light and does not traverse substantially proximate to and in between said photo projectors and said photo detectors;
wherein said photo projectors and said projections of light are stationary in relation to said ballistic object;
one or more signal processors for receiving the data set from the photo detector, for generating velocity properties of the ballistic object, for distinguishing each said thin light sheet from each other said thin light sheet, and for analyzing the data set to determine direction of motion of the ballistic object;
a receiver connected to the signal processor via a connection, wherein the data set identifying order in which said thin light sheets were crossed by said ballistic object is generated and output; and
wherein the connection is a wireless connection.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for detecting a moving object as it passes through a light curtain generated by one or more emitters, by the means for detecting the light of the light curtain reflected by the passing object onto a photoelectric detector. The object sensing area is not constrained by mechanical means and is limited only by the light curtain shape. Velocity of the object is determined primarily by dividing the known distance between two or more parallel light curtains by the time of passage between the light curtains. Additional velocity measurement obtained from the known object length divided by the time of its passage through the light curtain allows verification of the primary velocity measurement. Direction of the object motion across the sensitive area is determined by implementing two or more uniquely identifiable, closely spaced parallel light curtains, and corresponding uniquely identifiable detectors.
22 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting passage of a ballistic object in three-dimensional space through a plurality of thin light sheets, said apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of photo projectors wherein each of said photo projector is mounted on a side of a housing and generates a projection of light in a form of a thin light sheet, wherein said photo projectors are oriented substantially parallel and do not overlap, wherein said projections of light are oriented substantially parallel and do not overlap; one or more photo detectors for detecting a reflection of light generated by a ballistic object crossing the projections of light, wherein each said photo detector is mounted on said side of said housing and is positioned proximately to and oriented substantially unidirectional with one of said photo projectors, wherein the photo detector generates a data set indicating the detection of the reflection of light, wherein said ballistic object traverses substantially perpendicular to said projections of light and does not traverse substantially proximate to and in between said photo projectors and said photo detectors; wherein said photo projectors and said projections of light are stationary in relation to said ballistic object; one or more signal processors for receiving the data set from the photo detector, for generating velocity properties of the ballistic object, for distinguishing each said thin light sheet from each other said thin light sheet, and for analyzing the data set to determine direction of motion of the ballistic object; a receiver connected to the signal processor via a connection, wherein the data set identifying order in which said thin light sheets were crossed by said ballistic object is generated and output; and wherein the connection is a wireless connection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A chronograph for measuring movement of a non-proximate ballistic projectile, said chronograph comprising:
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a plurality of photo projectors wherein each of said photo projector is mounted on a side of a housing and generates a projection of light in a form of a thin light sheet, wherein said photo projectors are oriented substantially parallel and do not overlap, wherein said projections of light are oriented substantially parallel and do not overlap; wherein a reflection of light is generated as a ballistic projectile passes through the form of a thin light sheet and can be detected by one or more photo detectors, and an electronics assembly, wherein said ballistic projectile traverses substantially perpendicular to said projections of light and does not traverse substantially proximate to and in between said photo projectors and said photo detectors, wherein each said photo detector is mounted on said side of said housing and is positioned proximately to and oriented substantially unidirectional with one of said photo projectors; wherein said photo projectors and said projections of light are stationary in relation to said ballistic projectile; wherein each said photo detector comprises a focusing lens and an optical bandpass filter responsive to the reflection of light, for measuring a data set created by said ballistic projectile passing through said form of a thin light sheet; wherein each said photo detector is connected to a signal processor, and the signal processor distinguishes each of said thin light sheets from each other of said thin light sheets, analyzes the data set to determine direction of motion of said ballistic object, and outputs the data set to a receiver that interfaces with the signal processor via an interface and identifies order in which said thin light sheets were crossed by said ballistic projectile; and wherein the interface is a wireless connection. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for detecting passage of an object through a plurality of sheets of light in space, comprising the steps of:
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projecting a plurality of sheets of light, in a direction crossing a path of an object, wherein said path is substantially perpendicular to said sheets of light, wherein said sheets of light are oriented substantially parallel and do not overlap; detecting reflected light from said object via one or more photo detectors; wherein said sheets of light are stationary in relation to said object; electronically amplifying one or more signals generated from detecting the reflected light; transmitting said signal(s) to a signal processor; receiving said signal(s) from the signal processor via a wireless connection; generating data that describes the path of the object; distinguishing each of said sheets of light from each other of said sheets of light using a distinguishing means; identifying order in which the sheets of light were crossed by the object, using the distinguishing means of the reflected light; analyzing the result using the signal processor to determine a direction of motion of said object; and transmitting the direction of motion of said object to a receiver for recording or display. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification