Method for determining minefield effects in a simulated battlefield

• US 5,292,254 A
• Filed: 01/04/1993
• Issued: 03/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Dynamics C4 Systems Incorporated (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, Joseph R., Griffin, Craig T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHENG, JOE H
• Application Number:
  US08/000,076
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 434/11-27, 102/401-407, 102/410, 102/411, 102/335, 89/41.01, 340/384 R, 340/326, 340/385, 340/410, 340/411, 340/435, 446/400, 446/401, 446/405, 446/473, 364/423, 364/578, 273/311, 273/313, 273/439, 273/460
• US Class Current: 434/11
• 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

Abstract

A method for a minefield simulation includes a number of troops and vehicles each including a player detection device or vehicle detection device respectively. The player detection devices and vehicle detection devices determine and transmit their respective locations to a central computer. The central computer or player determines whether the player is within an activation radius of a mine in the minefield. The central computer or player has established a bit map of the minefield with indications of the exact placement of the mines within the minefield. If a player (troop or vehicle) is within the activation radius of a mine, the central computer or player records the identity of the expended mine in the minefield bit map by changing its indication from active to inactive. Either central computer or the player detection device may determine the effects of the expended mine upon the troop or vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for minefield simulation comprising the steps of:

determining by a player detection device a position of a player in a simulated battlefield;

determining by a central computer whether the player is with a particular activation radius of a simulated mine in the minefield simulation of the simulated battlefield;

recording by the central computer an identity of an expended mine in a minefield bit map, if the player is within the particular activation radius of the mine; and

determining by the player detection device the effects of the expended mine upon the player.

2. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is further included the step of entering into the player detection device a particular mine dispersion in the minefield.

3. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 2, wherein there is further included the step of initializing the minefield bit map according to an entered mine dispersion.

4. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is further included the step of determining whether the player is within the minefield boundaries.

5. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 4, wherein there is further included the step of retrieving by the player detection device the minefield bit map, if the player is within the minefield boundary.

6. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 5, wherein said step of recording includes the step of transmitting a message indicating the expended mine to a plurality of player detection devices.

7. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 6, wherein there is further included the steps of:

assessing damages inflicted upon the players including dismounted troops and vehicles; and

determining the damage to the dismounted troops and vehicles.

8. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 7, wherein said step of determining by the player detection device the effects of the expended mine includes the steps of:

disabling the weapon and mobility of the player, if a catastrophic kill was determined; and

triggering by the player detection device audio and visual queues.

9. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of determining by the player detection device the effects of the expended mine includes the steps of:

disabling the player'"'"'s weapon, if a fire power kill has been determined; and

triggering by the player detection device audio and visual queues.

10. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of determining by the player detection device the effects of the expended mine includes the steps of:

disabling the mobility of the player, if a mobility kill has been determined; and

triggering by the player detection device audio and visual queues.

11. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is further included the step of repeating the steps of determining by a player detection device a position of a player, determining by the player detection device whether the player is within the activation radius of a mine, recording by the central computer and determining by the player detection device the effects of the expended mine for each of a plurality of players including dismounted troops and vehicles.

12. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of recording includes the steps of:

setting by the player detection device to a first logic value locations in the minefield bit map corresponding to active mines;

setting by the player detection device to a second logic value all locations in the minefield bit map, except those locations with active mines; and

updating by the player detection device locations in the minefield bit map from the first logic value to the second logic value for expended mines.

13. A method for minefield simulation comprising the steps of:

determining by a central computer a position of a player in a simulated battlefield;

determining by the central computer whether the player is within a particular activation radius of a simulated mine in the minefield simulation of the simulated battlefield;

recording by the central computer an identity of an expended mine in a minefield bit map, if the player is within the particular activation radius of the mine; and

determining by the central computer the effects of the expended mine upon the player.

14. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 13, wherein there is further included the step of entering into the central computer a particular mine dispersion in the minefield.

15. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 14, wherein there is further included the step of initializing the minefield bit map according to an entered mine dispersion.

16. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 13, wherein the step of determining by central computer a position of a player includes the step of transmitting the determined position of the player to a player detection device.

17. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 16, wherein there is further included the step of determining whether the player is within the minefield boundaries.

18. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 17, wherein there is further included the step of retrieving by the central computer the minefield bit map, if the player is within the minefield boundary.

19. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 18, wherein there is further included the steps of:

assessing damages inflicted upon the players including dismounted troops and vehicles; and

determining the damage to the dismounted troops and vehicles.

20. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 19, wherein said step of determining by the central computer the effects of the expended mine includes the steps of:

disabling by the central computer the weapon and mobility of the player, if a catastrophic kill was determined; and

triggering by the central computer audio and visual queues.

21. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 19, wherein the step of determining by the central computer the effects of the expended mine includes the steps of:

disabling by the central computer the player'"'"'s weapon, if a fire power kill has been determined; and

triggering by the central computer audio and visual queues.

22. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 19, wherein the step of determining by the central computer the effects of the expended mine includes the steps of:

disabling by the central computer the mobility of the player, if a mobility kill has been determined; and

triggering by the central computer audio and visual queues.

23. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 13, wherein there is further included the step of repeating the steps of determining by a player detection device a position of a player, determining by a central computer whether the player is within the activation radius of a mine, recording by the central computer and determining by the central computer the effects of the expended mine for each of a plurality of players including dismounted troops and vehicles.

24. A method for minefield simulation as claimed in claim 13, wherein said step of recording includes the steps of:

setting by the central computer to a first logic value locations in the minefield bit map corresponding to active mines;

setting by the central computer to a second logic value all locations in the minefield bit map except those locations with active mines; and

updating by the central computer locations in the minefield bit map from the first logic value to the second logic value for expended mines.