Paint ball sensor vest

• US 5,195,752 A
• Filed: 10/21/1991
• Issued: 03/23/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gary L. Reeves, John Ellis
• Original Assignee: Gary L. Reeves, John Ellis
• Inventors: Ellis, John, Reeves, Gary L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US07/779,904
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 273/374, 273/371, 273/454, 124/72, 124/73, 124/74, 124/76, 2/102
• US Class Current: 273/374
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/26 Teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying shooting games A63F9/02; light- or radiation-emitting guns F41A33/02; targets therefor F41J; responders, transponders for radar, sonar, lidar G01S13/767, G01S15/74, G01S17/74
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 5/04 Electric hit-indicating systems; Detecting hits by actuation of electric contacts or switches

Abstract

Disclosed is an impact-responsive vest having a piezoelectric layer sandwiched between other layers and connected by wire leads to a control module. The control module includes a programmable read-only memory having parameters identifying, through the amplitude of a signal impact, forces produced by paint ball impacts which are compared with impact signals from the vest. When a match is found, the compare circuit sends a signal to an audible alarm to alert the wearer that he or she has been hit by a paint ball. The control module is compact and is worn by the vest-user. Also disclosed is a remote reset module to provide a reset signal to the control module once the alarm has been activated.

Claims

1. A paint ball sensor vest comprising:

a vest means including a piezoelectric film means effective to provide a signal in response to an impact force;

a compact control module means connected to said vest means, said control module means being programmed to differentiate paint ball impacts from other impacts, and including alarm means to alert the wearer of the vest means of impacts by paint balls;

amplifier means connected to said piezoelectric film means by wire leads;

a micro controller means connected to said amplifier means, said micro controller means including an analog to digital converter means and a compare circuit means;

a programmable read-only memory means connected to said micro controller means, said memory means including parameters in terms of signal amplitude of paint ball impacts; and

audible alarm means responsive to a signal from said compare means in said micro controller means to produce an audible alarm when there is no match between the signal produced by the piezoelectric film means;

whereby

the wearer of the vest means is audibly alerted of a paint ball impact.

2. A paint ball sensor vest as in claim 1, said control module means further comprising:

a radio frequency receiver means;

a battery-operated power supply means;

a voltage converter means connected to said battery-operated power supply means;

a negative voltage regulator means connected between said voltage converter means and said micro controller means;

a positive voltage regulator means connected between said voltage converter means and said micro controller means, said amplifier means, said alarm means, said programmable read-only memory means, and said radio frequency receiver means; and

a low battery and LED circuit means connected to said alarm means;

said alarm means comprising a second amplifier means and a buzzer means;

said radio frequency receiver means being responsive to a remote reset module means to reset said control module means after activation of said alarm means.

3. A paint ball sensor vest as in claim 2, said remote reset module means comprising:

a second battery-operated power supply means connected to a low battery alarm LED circuit means and to a second positive voltage regulator means;

an ON/Off momentary switch means connected to said second positive voltage regulator means; and

a radio frequency transmitter means connected to said ON/OFF momentary switch means;

whereby

a reset signal can be sent from said radio frequency transmitter means to said radio frequency receiver means by closing said ON/OFF momentary switch means.

4. A control module means for a paint ball sensor vest comprising:

an amplifier means connected to said vest by wire leads to receive impact signals from said vest;

a micro controller means connected to said amplifier means to receive impact signals from said amplifier means;

said micro controller means including an analog to digital converter circuit means, a compare circuit means, and a low battery and LED circuit means;

a programmable read-only memory means connected to said micro controller means to provide signals having an amplitude range corresponding to impacts from paint balls;

said compare circuit means comparing the amplitude of the impact signals from said vest with said amplitude range signals from said memory;

a battery-operated power supply means to supply power to the several components of said control module means;

an audio alarm circuit means connected to said micro controller means for receiving a signal from said compare circuit means and from said low battery and LED circuit means; and

a radio frequency receiver means for receiving reset signals from a remote reset module means;

whereby

the control module means can identify and distinguish paint ball impacts from other impacts and thereby activate the alarm means only in response to paint ball impacts.

5. A control module means as in claim 4, further comprising:

a reset module means which includes a second battery-operated power supply means, a second low battery alarm LED circuit means connected to said second power supply means, a second positive voltage regulator means connected to said second power supply means, an ON/OFF momentary switch means connected to said second positive voltage regulator means, and a radio frequency transmitter means connected to said ON/OFF momentary switch means;

whereby

a reset signal can be sent from said reset module means to said control module means by momentarily activating said switch means.