WO2005049154A2

WO2005049154A2 - Target device

Info

Publication number: WO2005049154A2
Application number: PCT/GB2004/004802
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jonathan Plache
Original assignee: Jonathan Plache
Priority date: 2003-11-18
Filing date: 2004-11-15
Publication date: 2005-06-02
Also published as: GB0326728D0; GB0611769D0; WO2005049154A3; GB2423725A

Abstract

A target device (1) has a target disc (2), with a printed circuit board (3) mounted centrally behind a transparent cover (4), rigidly connected to the target disc. The board incorporates control circuitry and an LED display (5), to display the status of the target. The disc and cover together are mounted via a resilient mounting (6) of elastomeric foam on base board (7), configured as a peripheral, lower scoring, secondary target. The base board itself is mounted on a wall (8) by a base mounting (9) the same as the mounting (6). Impact sensors (11,12,13), typically piezoelectric accelerometers, are respectively mounted on the target disc (2), the base board (7) and the wall. In use a player throws a ball at the target, and if the ball strikes the target disc, its sensor (11) will register a larger response than the other two sensors, whose response will be muted be the mountings. If the ball strikes the base board, sensor (12) will register the largest signal. If it strikes the wall or indeed if the player collides with the wall, the sensor (13) will register the largest signal. The target then sends to a scoring unit (21) a signal identifying the sort of strike detected.

Description

I

TARGET DEVICE

The present invention relates to a target device for use in a scoring game. Many targets are know, typically an archery target comprising a large straw body with a paper face set with concentric scoring rings. Rifle targets have similar paper scoring rings on some substrate able to be penetrated by a bullet. A dart board is similar to an archery target in enabling a thrown dart to embed in the board, but the scoring pattern is much more complex. All of these targets are used to award players scores in accordance with where their respective projectiles impact on the target.

Automatic scoring targets such as automatic scoring dart boards have been proposed. hi a team game targets can be arranged to change their scoring status, such as if one team is winning; targets can be captured progressively and become available to the other team to recapture. In such a game, it is important where scoring is to be automatic, to be able to discriminate between target strikes from one team or the other.

A firr her difficulty is discrimination between target strikes on the target per se and the background on which the target is mounted.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved target for a projectile game.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a target device comprising: • a target per se, • a substrate on which the target per se is mounted; • an energy absorbing mounting means of the target on the substrate; • a first impact sensor on the target per se; • a second impact sensor on the substrate; • means for receiving impact signals from the sensors, discriminating their strength and outputting a scoring signal according to whether the target per se was struck or not. The substrate may be a wall on which the target per se is mounted, whereby impacts on the wall close to the target are sensed, discriminated and not scored.

The target device may include a further target area around the main target per se, to provide a secondary scoring area, the further area having its own sensor and the discriminating means being adapted to output differential scoring signals.

The mounting means will typically be an elastomeric mounting, normally of foam material. Other mounting arrangements capable of dissipating some of the impact energy otherwise transmitted to or from the target can be used.

The first impact sensor can be augmented by beam break sensors, for instance where the target per se is provided inside an aperture in the substrate to which the target device is mounted. The advantage of such augmentation is that it enables other scoring data to be collected, such as projectile speed, estimated from the time elapsed between the time of beam breaking at the mouth and the detection of impact with the target per se.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a target device comprising: a target per se; an impact sensor on or associated with the target per se; a transmission receptor on or associated with the target per se; means for correlating impact sensing and transmission reception, and outputting a signal identifying a sensed impact and an identity of the received transmission, whereby the impact can be scored to the corresponding individual player or his team.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a player's transmitter adapted to transmit a collimated beam and be worn on a player's wrist, where the projectile is to be thrown by hand, or on a hand held projectile device where the projectile is to be mechanically thrown as by a tennis-ball propelling air gun for instance, whereby the target device's transmission receptor can identify the player aiming a projectile at the target and signal a score for the player if an impact is sensed.

To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a target device of the invention mounted on a wall via a base board; Figure 2 is a side view of the target device shown in Figure 2; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a player's wrist band for projecting a player identifying signal the target; Figure 4 is a front view of an altem ative target.

Referring to the drawings, a target device 1 has a sheet plastics material target disc 2, with a printed circuit board 3 mounted centrally behind a transparent cover 4, rigidly connected to the target disc. The board incorporates control circuitry and an LED display 5, to display the status of the target.

The disc and cover together are mounted via a resilient mounting 6 of elastomeric foam on base board 7, configured as a peripheral, lower scoring, secondary target. The base board itself is mounted on a wall 8 by a base mounting 9 the same as the mounting 6. Impact sensors 11,12,13, typically piezoelectric accelerometers, are respectively mounted on the target disc 2, the base board 7 and the wall.

The PCB 3 includes a photo-sensor 14. A player's wrist strap 15 has a laser transmitter 16 and circuitry 17 for modulating the laser to identify a particular player.

In use a player throws a ball at the target, and in so doing aims the laser beam at the target. This latter indicates to the target who threw the ball. If the ball strikes the target disc, its sensor 11 will register a larger response than the other two, whose response will be muted be the mountings. If the ball strikes the base board, sensor 12 will register the largest signal. If it strikes the wall or indeed if the player collides with the wall, the sensor 13 will register the largest signal. The target then sends to a scoring unit 21 a signal identifying the sort of strike detected and the identity of the scorer.

In an alternative shown in Figure 4, the target device comprises a base board 107, having a clown's face. The face has a large mouth 125 within which a target 102 per se is mounted. Paired photo transmitters 126 and receptors 127 are arranged around the mouth, to be broken by a projectile in target. By timing the time elapsed between the projectile breaking the beam and striking the target, the speed of the target can be assessed. A faster target is awarded a higher score than a lower one.

The invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above described embodiment. For instance, the actual score recorded in the scoring unit can take many forms in accordance with the rules of the game being played. The target may be controlled by the scoring unit to change status, from a scoring target for one team to a target for another team, whereby score achieved by an individual player's strike will change. A miss, i.e. a strike on the wall can be scored negative.

The apparatus can be configured to be aimed at and struck by a ball or by a hand of a player for instance. For such use, the target requires to be more robust.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A target device for mounting a target per se on a substrate comprising: • a target per se, • an energy absorbing mounting means of the target on the substrate; • a first impact sensor on the target per se; • a second impact sensor on the substrate; • means for receiving impact signals from the sensors, discriminating their strength and outputting a scoring signal according to whether the target per se was struck or not.

2. A target device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the device includes a substrate on which the target per se is mounted.

3. A target device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the energy absorbing mounting is adapted to mount the target on a wall.

4. A target device as claimed in Claim 1, Claim 2 or Claim 3, including a further target area providing a secondary scoring area around the target per se, the further area having its own sensor and the discriminating means being adapted to output differential scoring signals according to whether the target per se or the further target area was struck or not.

5. A target device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the mounting means is an elastomeric mounting, preferably of foam material.

6. A target device as claimed in any preceding claim, including one or more beam break sensors for augmenting in the action of the first impact sensor.

7. A target device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the target per se is provided inside an aperture in the substrate to which the target is mounted.

8. A target device comprising: • a target per se; • an impact sensor on or associated with the target per se; • a transmission receptor on or associated with the target per se; • means for correlating impact sensing and transmission reception, and outputting a signal identifying a sensed impact and an identity of the received transmission, whereby the impact can be scored to the corresponding individual player or his team.

9. A target device as claimed in Claim 8, the device including: • an energy absorbing mounting means of the target on a substrate; • a second impact sensor on the substrate; • means for receiving impact signals from the sensors, discriminating their strength and outputting a scoring signal according to whether the target per se was struck or not.

10. A target device as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the mounting means is an elastomeric mounting, preferably of foam material.

11. A target device as claimed in Claim 8, Claim 9 or Claim 10, wherein the device includes a substrate on which the target per se is mounted.

12. A target device as claimed in Claim 8, Claim 9 or Claim 10, wherein the energy absorbing mounting is adapted to mount the target on a wall.

13. A target device as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 12, including a further target area providing a secondary scoring area around the target per se, the further area having its own sensor and the discriminating means being adapted to output differential scoring signals according to whether the target per se or the further target area was struck or not.

14. A target device as claimed in one of Claims 8 to 13, including one or more beam break sensors for augmenting in the action of the first impact sensor.

15. A target device as claimed in Claim 14, wherein the target per se is provided inside an aperture in the substrate to which the target is mounted.

16. A player's transmitter for use in combination with the target device of any one of Claims 8 to 15, adapted to transmit a collimated beam, modulated to identify a particular player and be worn on a player's wrist, where the projectile is to be thrown by hand, whereby the target's transmission receptor can identify the player aiming a projectile at the target and signal a score for the player when an impact is sensed.

17. A player's transmitter for use in combination with the target device of any one of Claims 8 to 15, adapted to transmit a collimated beam, modulated to identify a particular player and adapted to be mounted on a hand held projectile device where the projectile is to be mechanically thrown, whereby the target's transmission receptor can identify the player aiming a projectile at the target and signal a score for the player when an impact is sensed.