US3888022A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Moving target screen
Assignee: United States Department of the Army
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Filing: 1974-06-04
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Granted: 1975-06-10
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Expires: 1994-06-04
Abstract
Abstract An electro-optical indoor training device which permits operators of one or more laser carrying weapons to aim at a realistic simulated target scene presented by a motion picture film projector. Each frame of the film contains a first portion representing a scene including at least one target area at which the laser beam of any given weapon should be directed and a second portion which is substantially opaque to laser radiation except for a transparent region thereof corresponding in location exactly to the location of the target area in the first portion of the film frame. Each weapon has a low power laser attached thereto which can be excited by actuating the weapon trigger and by automatic electronic delay, thereby firing the laser at previously determined time intervals; the laser beam, if properly aimed at preselected areas of the target scene on the projection screen, will be focused onto hit detection means, whereas an improperly aimed laser beam will impinge upon attempt detection means. Attempts and hits for all involved weapons are scored on an individual basis by electronic display means and electronic multiplexing means (when more than one weapon is to be fired) for synchronizing non-concurrent firing of the various weapons with film frame projection.
Inventors
- 👤 Herman I Pardes
- 👤 Joseph R Schwartz
- 👤 Frederick B Sherburne
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 07:11
CPC Classifications
F; F41; F41G; F41G3/00; F41G3/26; F41G3/2616; F41G3/2622; F41G3/2627
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
251 words
An electro-optical weapon firing training device comprising a film strip projector and viewing screen, at least one weapon on which is mounted a laser means to trigger a laser beam upon firing said weapon, a film strip, each frame of said film strip containing a first portion representing a scene including at least one target area at which the laser beam should be directed and a second portion which is substantially opaque to radiation from said laser except for at least one aperture region through which light from said projector can pass, the location of said aperture within said second portion being in the same relative position as the location of the target area in the first portion of said film strip, said projector including optical means for projecting each frame of said film strip onto said screen as two separate projected frame portions each having a scene portion and a bright spot whose location relative to the projected scene portion is the same as that of the aperture region relative to the first portion of said film frame, and including adjustable means for initially moving one projected frame portion on the screen relative to the other projected frame portion on the screen until the aperture region in the second projected frame portion is superimposed exactly on the corresponding target area in the scene portion of the other projected frame portion, and means responsive to correspondence between the position of the laser beam impingement upon said screen and said bright spot.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
251 words
An electro-optical weapon firing training device comprising a film strip projector and viewing screen, at least one weapon on which is mounted a laser means to trigger a laser beam upon firing said weapon, a film strip, each frame of said film strip containing a first portion representing a scene including at least one target area at which the laser beam should be directed and a second portion which is substantially opaque to radiation from said laser except for at least one aperture region through which light from said projector can pass, the location of said aperture within said second portion being in the same relative position as the location of the target area in the first portion of said film strip, said projector including optical means for projecting each frame of said film strip onto said screen as two separate projected frame portions each having a scene portion and a bright spot whose location relative to the projected scene portion is the same as that of the aperture region relative to the first portion of said film frame, and including adjustable means for initially moving one projected frame portion on the screen relative to the other projected frame portion on the screen until the aperture region in the second projected frame portion is superimposed exactly on the corresponding target area in the scene portion of the other projected frame portion, and means responsive to correspondence between the position of the laser beam impingement upon said screen and said bright spot.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
60 words
An electro-optical weapon firing training device according to claim 1 further including a hit detector moved into an operating position blocking that portion of the aperture gate of said projector which is juxtaposed to said second portion of a given frame of the film strip, whereby only the scene portion of said one projected frame is visible on the screen.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
An electro-optical weapon firing training device according to claim 2 wherein said hit detector is pulled out of said projector aperture gate during the aforesaid initial relative motion of the projected frames on the screen effected by said adjusting means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
An electro-optical weapon firing training device according to claim 2 wherein the laser radiation reflected only from that portion of the screen on which the target area of the projected scene appears will be imaged onto the transparent aperture region of said second portion of the film frame at the projected aperture gate and will impinge upon said hit detector.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
An electro-optical weapon firing training device according to claim 2 further including a wide-angle attempt detector positioned outside the projector optical system and responsive to laser energy reflected from the entire screen to register operator firing attempts.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
An electro-optical weapon firing training device according to claim 5 further including separate counting display means responsive to the output of the corresponding hit and attempt detectors.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
105 words
An electro-optical weapon firing training device according to claim 1 wherein a number of n laser-bearing weapons are used, each weapon having a trigger under control of the operator of the weapon, further including means for generating n synchronizing pulses of repetition rate equal to the projector frame rate, a weapon position decoder for each of said laser-bearing weapons, each decoder responding to one only of said clock pulses to provide a laser enable pulse to the laser of the corresponding weapon, the laser of said weapon producing a laser beam upon simultaneous receipt of said laser enable pulse and actuation of the weapon trigger.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
104 words
An electro-optical weapon firing training device according to claim 7 wherein said encoder includes a pulse expander for increasing the width of that clock pulse which occurs coincidentally with a hit pulse from the hit detector and said decoder includes a pulse width discriminator for deriving an output therefrom only in response to said clock pulse of expanded width, a light emitting diode mounted on each weapon and responding to the output from said pulse width discriminator to indicate to the operator of that weapon that the simulated target area on the screen has been hit by the laser beam mounted on that weapon.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3802099A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-06-09 | 1978-12-09 | 1979-06-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-06-09 | 1982-12-09 | 1983-06-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-06-09 | 1986-12-09 | 1987-06-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |