Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63D—BOWLING GAMES, e.g. SKITTLES, BOCCE OR BOWLS; INSTALLATIONS THEREFOR; BAGATELLE OR SIMILAR GAMES; BILLIARDS
  • A63D1/00—Installations for bowling games, e.g. bowling-alleys or bocce courts
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63D—BOWLING GAMES, e.g. SKITTLES, BOCCE OR BOWLS; INSTALLATIONS THEREFOR; BAGATELLE OR SIMILAR GAMES; BILLIARDS
  • A63D3/00—Table bowling games; Miniature bowling-alleys; Bowling games
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63D—BOWLING GAMES, e.g. SKITTLES, BOCCE OR BOWLS; INSTALLATIONS THEREFOR; BAGATELLE OR SIMILAR GAMES; BILLIARDS
  • A63D5/00—Accessories for bowling-alleys or table alleys
  • A63D5/04—Indicating devices

Definitions

• Tenpin bowling is played on a wooden lane or one of synthetic material, according to the specifications of the American Bowling Club ABC/WIBC. 10 pins are positioned at one end of the lane while the player throws a ball from the other end in the attempt to knockdown as many pins as possible. Please refer to the ABC/WIBC specifications for the complete set of game rules, as this is merely a generic description. There are many types of games, which differ in the number of pins, shape, positions, score rules, shape and dimensions of the lanes, balls and pins; here are the most popular: 10 pin, 9 pin, candle pin, 5 pin, figure, duck pin, red pin.
• the wooden lane is rectangular, 19 meters long and 3 meters wide and the pins are positioned on top of it.
• the bowler throws the ball from the bowling deck: from the opposite end to where the pins are positioned.
• the bowler must not step over the foul line, which is 18 meters away from the pins.
• a bowler is said to have committed a foul if he steps over the foul line when throwing the ball.
• Hdcp is a bonus starting score assigned to a less expert player in order to make the game fair.
• the ball return (17) (23) is a mechanical device that returns the ball back to the same bowler so that he can make his next throw.
• the platform where the ball falls (21) is the lower part of the lane; its purpose is that of blocking and holding the ball thrown; it is set at a slant so that the ball, through the mere force of gravity, rolls towards the inlet of the ball return pit, through which the ball is returned to the beginning of the lane. It is situated at the opposite end of the lane compared to the deck where the ball is thrown.
• the mechanical pinsetter is an automatic system that puts the real pins knocked down back in place after each throw. Mechanical pinsetters channel, move, turn and therefore position the real pins in established positions exploiting mechanical systems.
• the lane area in which the pins are positioned by the mechanical pinsetters is marked specifically to point out the exact position of the pins.
• An animation is a sequence of static pictures that give the human eye the impression of moving objects. These pictures are sequentially projected against a screen at a speed of more than 25 pictures per second and differ from one another by slight movements in the objects contained within the pictures.
• the perspective view is the point in space from which we get the impression of depth of objects contained within a picture, when looking at a picture produced with the laws of perspective.
• the physical simulator is a computer that exploits the axioms, theorems and formulae of mechanics. It displays a perspective animation in real time on a screen. This animation has the fundamental feature of reproducing the behaviour of objects in the real world according to the laws of nature. This simulator receives information from the real world through sensors that measure the speed, position and mass of real objects.
• the holographic pinsetter is a physical simulator that gives human beings the illusion of the presence of pins. It simulates the behaviour and the interaction of the virtual objects with the real objects, such as the ball and the lane.
• the holographic pinsetter does not need all the mechanical parts, which make mechanical pinsetters the systems most susceptible to wear, slower, expensive, unstable, cumbersome, heavy and generally less efficient .
• the holographic screen is made of transparent material, which when hit by the light of a projector, diffuses the light semi-spherically, thus covering the light that crosses it. The effect perceived by the onlooker is that the pictures projected are seen on top of the real pictures produced by the light reflected by the bodies of the real objects.
• a reflecting screen reflects the light sent from a luminous source, such as a projector, but does not let the light through.
• the arrows (69) are drawn in the centre of the lane at a few meters from the foul line in certain positions and act as reference marks for the bowler. There are some black spots (47) on the lane that point out the exact position in which the pins are to be positioned.
• the visual angles of a video camera are the angles where all the objects within the two half-lines of the angle can be seen in the picture generated by the camera.
• Figure 1 Side-on view of a lane with mobile holographic pinsetter, where: 1. Video camera, 2. Speaker, 3. Video camera, 4. RF reader, 5 5. Projector, 6. Dolly, 7. Track attachment brackets, 8. Pinsetter control unit, 9. Pin deck, 10. Ball before the screen, 11. Ball after the screen, 12. Ball stopping cushion, 13. Ball outlet hole, 14. Weight sensor, 15. Track control and data acquisition unit, 16. Console, 17. ball return pit, 18. Bowler or player, 19. Screen, 20.
• Figure 2 Overhead view of a pair of lanes with mobile holographic pinsetter, where: 31. Photocell of the left-hand lane, 32. Photocell of the right-hand lane, 33. Track control and data acquisition unit, 34. Dolly driving motor, 35. Cable, 37. Ball
• Figure 3 Cross section view of a ball and detail of the dolly of the transport system, where: 51. Re-chargeable battery, 52. Control unit, 53. Gyroscopic sensor, 54. Connection cables, 55. Lights, 56.
• FIG. 4 Example animation: 71.
• Figure 5 Optical reaction of a holographic screen and a screen of normal translucent material, where: 81. Light source, 82. Holographic screen, 83. Projector, 84. Light beam, 85. Light beam after it has passed through the transparent screen, 86. Light emitted by the projector, 87. Light emitted by the projector after it has passed through the screen, 88. Light emitted by the projector, 89. External light, 90. Light emitted by the projector 5 after it has been refracted by a screen of normal translucent material, 91. Light of the external source after it has been refracted by a screen of normal translucent material .
• Figure 6 Screen with mobile bottom part: 101. Screen, 102. Projector, 103. Ball, 104. Screen on the lane, 105. End of lane, 10 106. View point of bowler, 107. Outlet hole, 108. Screen, 111. Flexible flap, 112. Rigid flap. 113. Lifting piston, 114. Fixed screen, 115. Flaps in stand-by, 116. Ball, 117. Lane, 118. Screen, 119. Mobile part of the screen, 120. Lane, 121. Curved lane
• the operator commands the control unit (15) (33) using a keyboard and instructs it to change the faulty lane.
• the control unit (15) (33) starts the motor (34) that moves the holographic pinsetter, commencing by moving the 0 dolly (40) (6) (66) to which elements (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (7) (8) (19) (24) (25) of the holographic pinsetter are connected.
• the control unit (15) (33) of the dolly starts to verify the position of the dolly (40) (6) (66) by reading the information sent to it by the position sensor (60), fitted on the tracks (63) (44) (77) .
• the 5 control unit (15) (33) counts the inputs sent from the sensor (60) and, considering that each lane has one, it is capable of deducing on which lane it is situated. Once it detects that the dolly has reached the position required, it stops sending the input that operates the motor (34) of the dolly (66) (40) (6) . 0 When reading the first and the last lane, the sensor receives a double input, considering that the reflex reflector (61) consists of two reflex reflectors separated by a small non-reflecting gap. In this way, the control unit (15) (33) realises whether it is at the end or the beginning of the tracks.
• control 5 unit (15) (33) sends an electrical signal to the control unit of the holographic pinsetter (8) (43) to instruct it to start the simulation.
• the above-mentioned transport system may not be installed and, if this is the case, each lane has a holographic pinsetter and the functions performed by the control unit (15) (33) 0 and described in this report, are carried out by control units (8) and (43) .
• This solution offers a few advantages: it is quicker, since there is no need to transport it to the lane required, in which case the costs are naturally higher.
• the projector (5) starts to display the animated sequence of the pins and the bowler (18) gets the impression that the pins are actually on the pin deck (9) .
• the control unit (8) (43) continuously receives the pictures sent from the camera (1) and exploits them to change the perspective view of the animated sequence sent to the projector (5) .
• the bowler (18) standing on the lane always has a perfect view of the pins, considering that it is that nearest to reality: this is achieved thanks to the fact that the perspective view of the projected picture is modified based on the position of the bowler's eyes.
• the control unit (8) (43) has a three-dimensional mathematical model of the position and direction of the lane, of all the sensors, of the screen and of all the objects involved in the simulation. It stores the dimensions and positions relative to all the parts making up a lane and their physical properties according to the ABC/WIBC specifications.
• the known properties of the balls for example, are the weight, the moment of inertia, the dimensions, the mass, the elasticity, the friction, the three- dimensional model, the positions and the directions in space.
• the pictures received from the video cameras (1) (3) are related mathematically to projections on a flat square surface, which corresponds to the three-dimensional model of the video cameras; through the identification in the projected pictures of at least 4 coplanar points known in the three-dimensional model, we can determine an unmistakeable association between the pictures and the three-dimensional model used in the simulation and therefore we can deduce the position, the direction and the inclination of the video cameras, of which we also know the optical characteristics, such as their visual angles.
• the 4 points are determined by finding the foul line (70), the arrows on the lane (69) and the edgings (49) of the lane or by arranging coloured spots (46) (48) on the edges of the lane at fixed and known distances/positions.
• the control unit (8) (43) also controls the portion of picture corresponding to the adjacent area around the foul line and can establish if the bowler steps over the foul line (70) while throwing the ball: in other words, if any significant chromatic variations are detected, the event is saved and taken into consideration when calculating the score displayed on the screen (19) and saved in the unit (15) and (8) .
• the chromatic variations must have a sufficiently long duration and be measured experimentally to be associated with the bowler's foot, otherwise they are associated with the ball passing the line as it is thrown.
• the bowler starts to throw the ball towards the pins, which are projected on the holographic screen (19) .
• the animated sequence produced takes into consideration some objects, such as the ball (11), which are set over the pins; where the animation takes place, space is left for the real objects, by not projecting the virtual objects.
• the RF reader (4) receives information sent to it in radio frequency by the ball (11) and this information is then sent from the RF reader (4) to the control unit of the pinsetter (8) (43) .
• the control unit (8) exploits the pictures sent from the camera (3) to determine when the ball has rolled passed, calculating its speed, its trajectory, its dimensions and its angular speed. These measurements can only be achieved on a picture if there is a three- dimensional model and its relation with the pictures of the camera. To obtain this relation, at least 4 known and coplanar points in the three-dimensional model must be identified on the two- dimensional pictures. To do this, the control unit (8) analyses the pictures and determines the gutters (50) (49) and the position of the 10 spots (47) that point out the position of the pins on the pin deck or 4 additional coloured spots (48) arranged on the edges of the lane at fixed and known distances.
• control unit (8) fails to identify the 4 optional coloured spots (48), it determines the 4 coplanar points with the 10 spots (47) and the edges of the lane (49) present on each lane.
• the angular speed for balls without gyroscopic sensors is determined by analysing the superficial movements of the ball, which can be enhanced for plain coloured balls by using at least 6 spots of different colours arranged on the ball surface and positioned so that at least one is always visible.
• the Spots are stuck to the surface of the ball and are crossed by 3 non-coinciding straight lines, arranged perpendicular to each other. The 3 straight lines meet in the geometrical centre of the ball.
• the control unit (8) receives all this information and processes it with the mathematical models of mechanics. It starts sending the signal that will show the simulation of the ball striking the pins to the projector (5) . As the ball reaches the pin deck (9) , the control unit (8) displays the pins colliding against the ball (72) (73) (74) (75) and starts to move them as if they were moving in reality.
• the pins are in actual fact projected by the projector on the screen that sets them on top of the objects behind the transparent screen.
• the real game is simulated by synchronising the real objects, which move behind the screen (the ball), with the objects projected on the screen by the projector (the pins) .
• the real ball strikes and moves the virtual pins just as if it would do if the pins were actually on the lane.
• This sensor will send the information to the control unit (15) (33) of the tracks (44) (63), which will then send this information to the control unit (8) (43) of the holographic pinsetter (figure 1) .
• These sensors (14) (26) weigh and measure the dimensions of bowling balls that do not have a radio frequency transmission system of the weight/dimensions (52) (58) (57), so that anybody having a standard ball can still play using the holographic pinsetter (figure 1) without loosing any realistic effects .
• the ball stopping cushion (12) is equipped with a movement sensor (27) that measures the quantity of motion absorbed each time it is hit by the ball.
• control unit (8) which is aware of the known, determined and constant physical parameters of the cushion (12) and is capable of calculating the weight of the ball that hit it. Considering however that the weight and dimensions of the ball are measured after the ball reaches the end of the lane (12) this information is registered by the control unit (8) and utilised the next time the bowler throws his ball again. We therefore assume that all bowlers tend to use balls of the same weight and dimensions.
• the system must have the list of bowlers and keep track of their score to be able to foresee whose turn it is to play and to be able to save the dynamic information of the balls used by each bowler; this information is entered either on the console (16) or the keyboard of the control unit (15) at the beginning of each game.
• the dimensions of the ball are also determined through a perspective calculation, using the pictures of the camera (3) and the three-dimensional model described previously. Later, the ball will be returned to the bowler by the ball return (17) and the control unit (8) will show the pins still standing. The bowler can make his next throw, which will cause the repetition of the events in the sequence just described.
• the part of holographic pinsetter made up of elements (8) (6) (7) (23) (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) is covered and concealed behind the false ceiling (22), which has a triangular shape and hides the equipment away from the bowler's sight (video cameras (1) (3), control unit (8) and transport tracks (7) etc.
• the screen (19) and the supports that connect it to the dolly (6) are transparent, the bowler doesn't really see them.
• the holographic screen (108) must remain a few meters away from the end of the lane and must remain suspended from the ground to leave enough room so that no interference is created with the ball (103) as it rolls along the lane. This distance from the pin set-up causes a perspective error that we can correct using the camera (1) that observes the bowler.
• This mobile part consists of reflecting flaps (119) that are. secured to the rigid screen (114) . Their special feature is that they are mobile (112) or flexible (115) and have the same properties as a screen.
• each flap has a piston (113) that is independently controlled by the control unit (8) .
• Another variant is that of projecting also the picture on the lane using an additional screen (104) . In this way the perspective error is reduced and the flaps eliminated (119) .
• a curved screen (121) is added at the end of the lane to improve the perspective view.
• the transparent screen (101) is placed above the pin deck instead of a few meters away from it, as in position (108) .
• the light (84) emitted by an external source (81) reaches the screen and passes through it without being reflected (85); in this way the screen does not reflect the light of objects that are not involved in the simulation.
• the light (86) sent from the projector (83) is diffused towards the observer, as can be seen in (87), so that the system can display objects that the observer perceives to be behind the screen. This realistic sensation is improved through a perspective correction of the objects projected, which is done in real time, considering that we identify the variations in position of the perspective point, which in our case is the bowler's eye.
• FIG. 5 shows that the light (88) (89) sent from the projector and the external sources, is refracted in all directions (90) (91) creating the undesired effects of normal transparent material.
• holographic screens prove useful if you wish to install the holographic pinsetter on a standard bowling lane, leaving the end part of the lane visible, while it proves useful to use opaque ones if you wish to hide everything beyond the screen.
• -Control unit (8) (43) This unit receives the pictures from the video cameras (1) (3) and determines the position in space of the video camera. It determines when the ball rolls past, detecting its speed, trajectory, dimensions and angular speed. It receives information from the RF-Tag reader (4) to read the dimensions and weight of the ball.
• -Projector (5) It receives the signal (24) from the control unit and projects it on the screen (19) giving the visual sensation of the pins and the ball.
• -Camera (1) It aims at the bowling deck and sends the pictures to the control unit, which determines the three-dimensional position of the eyes of the bowler. This enables an adjustment of the perspective view of the animated sequence so that the bowler always has a real view of the pin deck (9) .
• This camera determines whether the player steps over the foul line (20) . It does so by controlling significant changes in the chromatic range in the zone around the foul line.
• -Camera (3 ) It aims at the pin deck and the pictures sent are used by the control unit (8) to measure when the ball rolls past, its trajectory, dimensions, colour and speed of the ball (11). thrown by the bowler. This information is transmitted to the control unit in the form of pictures, which the latter then processes and converts into a format that can be used within the processes of the processing unit. The result obtained is a signal sent to the projector and utilised by the projector to display the simulated game sequence on the screen. To do this, the control unit knows the position in the three dimensions of the camera (3) . In the picture sent to it by the camera (1) , the control unit can determine the height, position and angle of the video camera (3) in space. This information is required to calculate the trajectory and speed of the ball throughout the game.
• This cushion can also be equipped with a movement sensor (27) (46) that measures the motion absorbed each time it is hit by the ball; the information is sent to the control unit (15) (33) via a cable. This information is required to deduce the mass of the ball from its speed, from its dimensions, from the mass of the cushion and its movement. The dimensions of the ball and the speed are measured by the pictures of the Camera (3) while the movement sensor (27) (46) is fitted on one end of the cushion and connected to the control unit (33) (15) .
• This sensor is an alternative solution to the weight sensor (14) (39) and is used to integrate or replace the RF- reader (4) . Its main purpose is that of measuring balls that are not equipped with RF-transmitter and gyroscopic sensor.
• -Weight sensor (14) (39) It is positioned under the slanted surface (21) or near the inlet hole (13) of the ball return; the sensor is used to weigh the ball. This sensor represents an alternative to the RF sensor (58), since it makes the same measurement.
• -Ball dimension measuring unit (26) The sensor is fitted at the beginning of the ball return pit and is used to measure the diameter of the ball. This sensor consists of an elastic cylinder, which when crossed by the ball, stretches a position sensor fitted on the outer surface of the elastic cylinder.
• This sensor sends an electrical input in proportion with the amount it stretches and that will correspond to the circumference of the ball. To be pointed out is that the dimensions of the diameter of the ball are also measured by the control unit of the holographic pinsetter via the picture of camera 1.
• -RFreader (4) This device receives the information transmitted by the ball (11) in radio frequency and sends it to the control unit (8) . This is repeated each time the ball passes under the screen (19) .
• -Speakers (2) These convert the electric signals created by the control unit into sounds that simulate the sounds created by the pins when they hit each other and when they collide with the ball and the lane. This is synchronised with the physical simulation of the game and, in other words, with what is seen on the screen.
• -Console (16) This is a keyboard that is used to send the codes of the keys pressed by the user to the control unit (8), which, based on the keys pressed, enables the user to enter, modify and cancel information.
• the ball contains a control unit (52), which transmits an unmistakable code in radio frequency (57) (58) that depends on the weight and dimensions of the ball.
• the control unit (52) sends a code to the rf-reader (4) as the ball (11) passes under the screen (19), then the control unit (8) converts the code into the real weight and dimensions of the ball. In this way, each time the ball rolls past, the control unit is capable of knowing with which weight and diameter the physical simulation of the game is to be constructed.
• the ball contains a gyroscopic sensor (53), which transmits the angular speed of the ball to the control unit (52) each time the ball passes under the screen; the control unit (52) then transmits this speed to the control unit (8) via a radio frequency transmitter (57) (58) .
• the control unit also triggers a lamp that is built-in the ball (55) (56) only when the ball is moving or better still only when the gyroscopic sensor (53) transmits a movement signal to the control unit (52) .
• the lamp is battery powered (51), which is again fitted inside the ball. This lamp is positioned so that it illuminates the outer surface of the ball from the inside, thus illuminating the actual ball as it rolls along the lane.
• the battery is re-charged using two contacts (59) arranged in the bottom of the finger holes, which all bowling balls have .
• -Movement tracks (63) (44) This structure is used to position the holographic pinsetter on the lane required.
• a motor (34) which is controlled by the control unit (33) (15), which in turn is controlled by the user, transports the system onto the lane chosen.
• the tracks are secured to the ceiling by rigid supports (62), making the structure static.
• the screen (19), the control unit (8), the camera (1), the camera (3), the RF reader (4) and the speakers (2) are fitted to the structure (68) of a dolly (66) (40) that runs along these tracks.
• the dolly (66) (40) is driven in both directions by a motor (34) by means of the cable (64) arranged at the end of the track that is operated by a control unit (33), which performs the commands given by the user.
• a position sensor (60) provides information on where the dolly is actually situated using some reflex reflectors (61) (67) positioned on the support brackets (62) of the tracks. This is needed to be able to stop the servomotor (34) of the dolly when it has reached the position required.
• -Foul photocells If the bowler steps over the foul line (20) , this is detected by the unit (8) that analyses the picture sent by camera (1) . Another method of detecting the foul is carried out by more expensive photocells.
• the control unit (33) (15) receives information from an infrared photocell (31) (32). This photocell, by means of a reflex reflector (41) (42), sends electrical inputs to the unit (33) (15) , which sends the information to the unit (8) (43) . If the duration of this electrical input is long enough, it means that the bowler has stepped over the foul line, otherwise it means that it is just the ball that has crossed the photocell.
• -Track control unit (33) (15) This unit receives commands from the user via the keyboard. The user commands the control unit (33) of the tracks (44) , informing them on which lane the mobile holographic pinsetter is to be positioned.
• This unit starts the motor (34) that moves the dolly (40) of the mobile unit, in the direction required.
• This command ends when the unit (33) receives information that the dolly (40) has reached the position required.
• Information on the position of the dolly is sent to the unit by the position sensor (60) installed on the dolly (66) (40) . This sensor
• (60) is an infrared photocell which, as the reflex reflectors
• This unit (33) receives information from the weight sensor (14), from the foul sensors (31) (32) and from the dimensional sensors (26) (39) of all the lanes and saves all the information and transmits it to the control unit of the holographic pinsetter (43) (8) .
• This unit (33) therefore has the task of receiving the data from the fixed sensors of which each lane is equipped with one for each type and that of sending the data to the mobile unit (43) (8) .
• the functions performed by this unit (33) (15) are carried out by unit (8) (43) .
• the connections to the weight sensors (14), to the foul sensors (31) (32) and to the dimensional sensors (26) are accomplished through unit (8) (43).
• the track system having the task of moving the holographic pinsetter onto the lane required is no longer of any use, considering that each lane has a dedicated and fixed holographic pinsetter.

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• Closed-Circuit Television Systems (AREA)

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• 2005
  • 2005-03-02 WO PCT/IT2005/000116 patent/WO2006092813A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2005-03-02 US US11/817,149 patent/US20090280916A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2005-03-02 EP EP05728655A patent/EP1879671A1/de not_active Withdrawn

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