GB2137516A - Automatic scoring arrangements or target (e.g. dart) boards - Google Patents

Abstract

A target board, e.g. a dartboard, has target sectors insulated from each other so that any sector hit by a projectile will tend to conduct an electrostatic discharge current due to the charge carried by the projectile relative to a potential applied to the board sectors via sensor resistors. The voltage drop across the latter is amplified and used to derive a score indication.

Description

SPECIFICATION Automatic score translator system in projectile games This invention relates to electronic detector circuits for target board sector identification wherein the board comprises composite material layers for which various examples have been provided in earlier patent applications of the same applicants (81 069 49, 81 167 68, 80 393 84, 80 353 20). The present example is intended to utilize static voltage potentials of the projectile by comparing them with pre-set voltage potentials of the surface material of the target board. A dart board will again be used for the

description.

When a dart traverses the space between the thrower's hand and the target board it acquires the electrical potential of the air and it may be even precharged with the potential of the human hand. If this potential were compared with another, different, potential at the moment of target sector impact, that sector could be identified. This can in fact be done by providing a conductive top layer within each board sector and connecting each top layer with a current sensor (resistor) by a separate wire. All sector top layers would of course be insulated from each other, and heldat earth potential through said wires and resistors. Before impact, a dart may carry a charge corresponding to a potential of several hundred volts.After impact that charge would have disappeared; clearly a current pulse flowing through the resistorwould coincide with a voltage pulse across the resistor, and this signal would be used for encoding a scoring number for purposes of displaying that number, for memorizing and processing, etc.

In rooms which are above ground level there is a natural voltage gradient to earth potential. If the dart board game room is in a basement or in the interior of a boat, such a gradient may be non-existent. In that case, it becomes necessary to create an artificial reference voltage, say 300 to six hundred volts.

The basic arrangement is illustrated in the drawings.

Figure 1 shows the electrically relevant components in a partial cross section of a conventional dart board.

Figure 2 gives an enlarged cross section of the board top surface layer.

Figure 3 is a block diagram of the simple circuitry required for producing the binary scoring number for each segment.

The following parts can be distinguished in Figure 1. The dartboard 1 a top layer2 made of easily pierceable, self-repairing and formstable sponge plastics. The limit lines between the various target sectors are made of flat wires 3 inserted into slots cut into the main board but partially protruding therefrom to a height about even with the top layer 2.

These wires are made from a tough, non-conductive material. Opposite each board sector, at the rear of board 1, a conductive terminal strip 5 is fastened.

The same connects the conductive top layer 2 by means of multistrand wire 4with an external circuit (Figure 3). In place of a wire, a cavity in the board may be filled with a material 4a which has similar penetrability and consistency as the main board but with the difference that it is also conductive. Such insert component 4a may for example be produced by mixing and pressing a fiberbased material together with carbon dust.

The detailed structure of the top layer is illustrated in Figure 2 wherein 2c is a thin layer of homogenous bonded metal powder or the like. Thin wire strands 4a are spread out and are in contact with the conductive layer2c. Attached to this layer is the sector layer2b which in turn may be bonded to a smooth, thin, insulating top layer2a. Contact pad 5 connects to a high-ohmic resistor 6which may have a small capacitor 7 across its terminals. A coupling capacitor 8 passes rapid voltage changes to a detector circuit (Figure 3) which essentially consists of a zener diode 9, a resistor 10, monostable vibrator 11 and a seven bit encoder circuit 12. This circuit group may also be integrated into a single packaged chip.The seven line data outputs of all the packages would be connected in parallel and be inputted to the electronic score display and processor units (not shown). The latter would be essentially identical with those illustrated and described with regard to their functions in our patent application 8035320 in Figure 5.

Instead of capactive coupling via capacitor 8, inductive coupling coils 9, 10 may be used. (Figure 1). By means of a switch SWthe level of the reference voltage may be changed.

In operation the system can be shown to be effective because of the following considerations: The top layer 2b is normally at the same potential as thatto which the earth connection is laid (normally0 volts). When a dart penetrates the top layer, the charge on the dart will be diffused instantly and conducted mainly to the capacitor 7. This charge is more slowly drained away by the high resistance 6.

The voltage pulse thus generated is passed on via capacitor 8 to the zener diode 9 whereby a good part of the pulse is clipped and applied to a monostable circuit 11 which produces a single.

This rectangulat pulse is now applied to a sevenbit encoder 12 which, for each sector position, contains the corresponding binary number for the sector score value. Obviously, there must be as many encoders 12 as there are distinct sector score values.

As already mentioned in the introduction, there the natural environmental potential is inadequate, or where humidity causes it to be reduced to near-zero volts, the scoring apparatus may be provided with a switch SW(Figure 1) so asto connect the reference voltage rail to a voltage supply (say minus 300 volts).

Voltages of this order can readily be produced by the power supply unit for operating the detector and display circuits.

CLAIMS 1. Automatic Score Translator System for Projectile Games consisting of a target board with several target sectors, projectiles at least partially consisting

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (13)

1. **WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

   SPECIFICATION Automatic score translator system in projectile games This invention relates to electronic detector circuits for target board sector identification wherein the board comprises composite material layers for which various examples have been provided in earlier patent applications of the same applicants (81 069 49, 81 167 68, 80 393 84, 80 353 20). The present example is intended to utilize static voltage potentials of the projectile by comparing them with pre-set voltage potentials of the surface material of the target board. A dart board will again be used for the

   description.

   When a dart traverses the space between the thrower's hand and the target board it acquires the electrical potential of the air and it may be even precharged with the potential of the human hand. If this potential were compared with another, different, potential at the moment of target sector impact, that sector could be identified. This can in fact be done by providing a conductive top layer within each board sector and connecting each top layer with a current sensor (resistor) by a separate wire. All sector top layers would of course be insulated from each other, and heldat earth potential through said wires and resistors. Before impact, a dart may carry a charge corresponding to a potential of several hundred volts.After impact that charge would have disappeared; clearly a current pulse flowing through the resistorwould coincide with a voltage pulse across the resistor, and this signal would be used for encoding a scoring number for purposes of displaying that number, for memorizing and processing, etc.

   In rooms which are above ground level there is a natural voltage gradient to earth potential. If the dart board game room is in a basement or in the interior of a boat, such a gradient may be non-existent. In that case, it becomes necessary to create an artificial reference voltage, say 300 to six hundred volts.

   The basic arrangement is illustrated in the drawings.

   Figure 1 shows the electrically relevant components in a partial cross section of a conventional dart board.

   Figure 2 gives an enlarged cross section of the board top surface layer.

   Figure 3 is a block diagram of the simple circuitry required for producing the binary scoring number for each segment.

   The following parts can be distinguished in Figure 1. The dartboard 1 a top layer2 made of easily pierceable, self-repairing and formstable sponge plastics. The limit lines between the various target sectors are made of flat wires 3 inserted into slots cut into the main board but partially protruding therefrom to a height about even with the top layer 2.

   These wires are made from a tough, non-conductive material. Opposite each board sector, at the rear of board 1, a conductive terminal strip 5 is fastened.

   The same connects the conductive top layer 2 by means of multistrand wire 4with an external circuit (Figure 3). In place of a wire, a cavity in the board may be filled with a material 4a which has similar penetrability and consistency as the main board but with the difference that it is also conductive. Such insert component 4a may for example be produced by mixing and pressing a fiberbased material together with carbon dust.

   The detailed structure of the top layer is illustrated in Figure 2 wherein 2c is a thin layer of homogenous bonded metal powder or the like. Thin wire strands 4a are spread out and are in contact with the conductive layer2c. Attached to this layer is the sector layer2b which in turn may be bonded to a smooth, thin, insulating top layer2a. Contact pad 5 connects to a high-ohmic resistor 6which may have a small capacitor 7 across its terminals. A coupling capacitor 8 passes rapid voltage changes to a detector circuit (Figure 3) which essentially consists of a zener diode 9, a resistor 10, monostable vibrator

   11 and a seven bit encoder circuit 12. This circuit group may also be integrated into a single packaged chip.The seven line data outputs of all the packages would be connected in parallel and be inputted to the electronic score display and processor units (not shown). The latter would be essentially identical with those illustrated and described with regard to their functions in our patent application 8035320 in Figure 5.

   Instead of capactive coupling via capacitor 8, inductive coupling coils 9, 10 may be used. (Figure 1). By means of a switch SWthe level of the reference voltage may be changed.

   In operation the system can be shown to be effective because of the following considerations: The top layer 2b is normally at the same potential as thatto which the earth connection is laid (normally0 volts). When a dart penetrates the top layer, the charge on the dart will be diffused instantly and conducted mainly to the capacitor 7. This charge is more slowly drained away by the high resistance 6.

   The voltage pulse thus generated is passed on via capacitor 8 to the zener diode 9 whereby a good part of the pulse is clipped and applied to a monostable circuit 11 which produces a single.

   This rectangulat pulse is now applied to a sevenbit encoder 12 which, for each sector position, contains the corresponding binary number for the sector score value. Obviously, there must be as many encoders 12 as there are distinct sector score values.

   As already mentioned in the introduction, there the natural environmental potential is inadequate, or where humidity causes it to be reduced to near-zero volts, the scoring apparatus may be provided with a switch SW(Figure 1) so asto connect the reference voltage rail to a voltage supply (say minus 300 volts).

   Voltages of this order can readily be produced by the power supply unit for operating the detector and display circuits.

   CLAIMS 1. Automatic Score Translator System for Projectile Games consisting of a target board with several target sectors, projectiles at least partially consisting

   of metallic parts, a detector circuit for each sector, and a visual display and data processor unit, signified by the utilisation of the static potential of the electric charge present on the projectile shortly before impacting one of the target sectors of the board, by relating said potential to a second poten tial with which each of the, from each other insulated, target sectors is charged in order to produce in the impacted target sector a sudden change of static potential while at the same time the remaining non-impacted sectors retain the said second potential.
2. 2. Automatic Score Translator System for Projectile Games as in claim 1, wherein a target board made of a conventional material is covered by a layer (2) made of an by projectiles easily penetrable, form-stable material which is conductive for electrical charges and held at a preset potential by connecting it with a source (o, V1, V2) via a high-resistance element (6).
3. 3. Automatic Score Translator System for Projectile Games as in claims 1 and 2 wherein a switch (SW) is provided enabling the second potential to be set to two or more alternative levels, to adapt to local potential fields of the game locality.
4. 4. Automatic Score Translator System as in claim 1 wherein the top layer (2) for each target sector consists of a sandwich structure comprising an external non-conductive layer (2a) with selfrepairing properties, a conductive layer (2b) and a thin layer of good conductivity (2c) with which multistrand wires (4b) are in contact.
5. 5. Automatic Score Translator System as in claims 1 to 4 wherein each boardsectortop layer (2) has a separate conductive link with a terminal (5) and wherein that link may either be a metallic wire (4b) passed through a hole (4) in the board (1), or an insert piece (4a) consisting of a material with properties similar to those of the board (1) but endowed with electric conductivity.
6. 6. Automatic Score Translator System as in claim 1 wherein the sector dividing lines on the board are made of non-conductive wires (3) to isolate neighbouring top layer (2) sectors.
7. 7. Automatic Score Translator System as in claim 6 wherein the target sector dividing lines are made of flat strips (3) of extruded carbon fiber.
8. 8. Automatic Score Translator System as in claim 6 wherein the non-conductive wires (3) are held in slots cut into the main board (1 ) surface.
9. 9. Automatic Score Translator System as in claim 1 wherein the coupling between a sector top layer (2b) and the electronic signal processor (Figure 3) is a pulse transformer (9,10).
10. 10. Automatic Score Translator System as in claim 9, wherein the primary (9) of the pulse transformer is connected to the reference voltage (0, V1, V2) via a diode (13) which is shunted by a resistor (14) in such a manner that a high discharge current can flow between the board top layer and the reference voltage terminal (SW) whereas the recharge current is held very small through the said resistor.
11. 11. Automatic Score Translator System as in claim 1 wherein the detector circuit consists of a monostable circuit (11) and an, for each target sector scoring value individual, encoder circuit (12).
12. 12. Automatic Score Translator System substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 3.
13. 13. Automatic Score Translator System for Projectile Games as in claims 1 to 12 signified by its combination with a display logic described in patent application 80 353 20 with reference to Figure 5 therein.