Video target response apparatus and method employing a standard video tape player and television receiver

A video stimulus-and-response apparatus, comprising:

• a video tape having stored signals corresponding to sequential images of at least one scene that includes at least one moving target having a detailed internal image, at least a portion of each target having a selected interlace fields removed to provide a respective distinctive periodic sequence of light pulses associated with that target when displayed, said light pulses being pulses of said detailed internal image of said moving target;
• a substantially unmodified standard video cassette player for playing said tape;
• a substantially unmodified standard television receiver connected for operation with the player to display said scene;
• a response module having no connection to or from, and no output to, and no components in common with, either the video cassette player or the television receiver;
• an electrooptical detector in the module;
• imaging means in the module for receiving and directing to the detector light from a limited portion of said a scene displayed by the receiver;
• sighting means, forming part of the module, to aid a user in pointing the imaging means to receive and direct light from a particular limited scene portion to the detector;
• electronic means, disposed within the module and responsive to the detector, for developing a detector output signal related to light directed to the detector;
• means, distinct from the video cassette player and the television receiver but responsive to the detector, for analyzing the detector output signal to detect the presence, in light directed to the detector, of said distinctive periodic sequence of pulses of the detailed internal image of said moving target, based upon absence of said selected interlace fields;
• trigger means for manipulation by a user in registering a particular scene portion for evaluation;
• and
• means, distinct from the video cassette player and the television receiver but responsive to the analyzing and trigger means, for communicating to a user whether a distinctive sequence is present in a registered scene portion, based upon absence of said selected interlace fields from the detailed internal image of said moving target.

A method for automatically distinguishing and identifying specific limited moving portions, containing detailed internal images, of a video game or video learning-system display, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining a video recording which carries video signals corresponding to scenes with limited moving portions that contain detailed internal images;
• said internal images having selected interlace fields removed to provide a distinctive sequence of pulses of said detailed internal images in said limited moving portions;
• then playing the video recording on a substantially standard video recording player to produce said game or learning-system display, including said scenes, and limited moving portions with distinctively pulsed detailed internal images therein, on a substantially standard television receiver;
• during said playing step, aiming at specific limited portions of the display an automatic optical receiving device that has no parts in common with the player or receiver, is not connected with the player or receiver, does not depend for its operation in said method upon providing an output signal of any kind to the player or receiver, and is disposed at a distance from the receiver;
• during said playing and aiming steps, automatically detecting, with the receiving device, said distinctive sequences of omitted video fields of detailed internal images in said specific limited moving portions of the display;
• and
• during said playing, aiming and detecting steps, automatically indicating, with the receiving device, when a distinctive sequence of omitted video fields of said detailed internal images in said specific limited moving portions is detected.

A method for automatically testing a person's ability to aim at, and to maintain aim at, a particular image that moves among other scene elements in a video game or video learning-system display;

• and for testing such ability irrespective of whether said other scene elements move;
• said method comprising the steps of:
• obtaining a video recording which carries video signals corresponding to scenes with a particular limited moving portion moving among other scene elements;
• said limited moving portion having selected interlace fields removed to provide a distinctive sequence of pulses of said limited moving portion;
• and said other scene elements not having said selected interlace fields removed, so that said other scene elements lack said distinctive sequence of pulses;
• then playing the video recording on a substantially standard video recording player to produce said game or learning-system display, including said scenes, and said distinctively pulsed limited moving portion therein, on a substantially standard television receiver;
• during said playing step, attempting to aim at a specific limited moving portion of the display, and attempting to maintain aim while said specific limited portion moves among said other scene elements, an automatic optical receiving device that has no parts in common with the player or receiver, is not connected with the player or receiver, does not depend for its operation in said method upon providing an output signal of any kind to the player or receiver, and is disposed at a distance from the receiver;
• during said playing and aiming steps, automatically detecting, with the receiving device, distinctive sequences of omitted video fields from said specific limited moving portion of the display;
• and
• during said playing, aiming and detecting steps, automatically indicating, with the receiving device, whether a distinctive sequence of omitted video fields from said specific moving portion is detected, to test whether said aiming is accurate irrespective of whether any of said other scene elements is moving or not.

A method for automatically testing a person's ability to aim at a particular image, having internal image details, that appears among other scene elements in a video game or video learning-system display;

• and for testing such ability irrespective of whether the internal images and the other scene elements have confusing similarities;
• said method comprising the steps of:
• obtaining a video recording which carries video signals corresponding to scenes with a limited portion that contains internal image details;
• said internal image details having selected interlace fields removed to provide a distinctive sequence of pulses of said internal image details from said limited portion;
• and said other scene elements not having said selected interlace fields removed, so that said other scene elements lack said distinctive sequence of pulses;
• then playing the video recording on a substantially standard video recording player to produce said game or learning-system display, including said scenes and said distinctively pulsed internal image details therein, on a substantially standard television receiver;
• during the playing step, attempting to aim at a specific limited internally-detailed portion of the display, notwithstanding any confusing similarities between said internal details and said other scene elements, an automatic optical receiving device that has no parts in common with the player or receiver, is not connected with the player or receiver, does not depend for its operation in said method upon providing an output signal of any kind to the player or receiver, and is disposed at a distance from the receiver;
• during the playing and aiming steps, automatically detecting, with the receiving device, distinctive sequences of omitted video fields from said specific limited internally-detailed portion of the display;
• and
• during the playing, aiming and detecting steps, automatically indicating, with the receiving device, whether a distinctive sequence of omitted video fields is detected from said specific internally-detailed portion is detected, irrespective of any confusing similarities between sad specific internally-detailed portion and said other scene elements.

A video recording, for use in automatically testing a person's ability to select and maintain aim at moving targets containing detailed internal images, in a video game or video learning-system display;

• said video recording being for use with a substantially standard video-recording player and substantially standard video-display unit, and comprising:
• a video recording medium for play on such substantially standard player to display images on such substantially standard display unit;
• video signals, impressed upon said medium, corresponding to scenes having internally-detailed moving targets, and having other scene elements;
• certain portions of said signals corresponding to said internally-detailed moving targets, and other portions of said signals corresponding to said other scene elements;
• said certain target-corresponding portions having selected interlace fields removed to provide a distinctive sequence of pulses of internal details of said moving targets;
• said other portions of said signals not having said selected interlace fields removed;
• and
• said signals being for playback on such a substantially standard-video recording player to produce, on such a substantially standard video display unit, said game or learning-system display, including said scenes and said certain internally-detailed moving targets therein, and also including said other scene elements therein;
• whereby said internally-detailed moving targets are optical-pulse self-coded for automatic detection by an automatic optical receiving device that has no parts in common with the player or display unit, is not connected with the player or display unit, does not depend for said automatic detection upon providing an output signal of any kind to the player or display unit, and is disposed at a distance from the display unit, irrespective of motion of said targets among said other scene elements and irrespective of whether said detailed internal images are confusingly similar to said other scene elements.