# US 8,570,499 B2 · Method for electronically determining the shooting position on a shooting target

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- Number: US 8,570,499 B2
- Document ID: US8570499B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/392,396
- Filed: 2010-08-24
- Published: 2012-08-02
- Granted: 2013-10-29
- Earliest claimed: 2009-08-25
- Assignees: Sius AG
- Applicants: Hansruedi Walti-Herter
- Inventors: Hansruedi Walti-Herter
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8570499B2

## CPC

- F41J 5/02: Photo-electric hit-detector systems {(comprising a light-emitting device for simulating the firing of a gun F41G3/2622; detecting by optical means G01V8/10)}
- G01V 8/20: using multiple transmitters or receivers
- F41J: TARGETS; TARGET RANGES; BULLET CATCHERS {(targets for shooting or hurling games A63F9/0204)}
- G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02)

## Abstract

Electronic shooting target having light sources and photo-electric light receivers forming an optical screen via crossing groups of optical paths. A projectile shot through the screen at least temporarily interrupts optical paths. An object is placed in a region of the optical screen and acoustic transducers are spaced from each other for detecting an acoustic wave generated from the object. An electronic evaluator determines a position of the projectile in the optical screen from photo-electric light receiver signals and/or a position of a projectile in the object based on delay times detected by the acoustic transducers of the acoustic wave generated by the projectile shot through the object. The arrangement, in the shooting direction, is structured so that a circular area definable within the optical screen is surrounded at least partially by an area of the object in which the acoustic wave is generated.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An arrangement for electronically determining a shooting position on a shooting target, the arrangement comprising:
light sources for transmitting light;
photo-electric light receivers, structured and arranged to detect the light transmitted by the light sources, being arranged to form optical paths between the light sources and the light receivers, the optical paths being formed into at least two inter-crossing groups to define an optical screen arranged generally perpendicular to a shooting direction, wherein at least one optical path of each of the inter-crossing groups is at least temporarily interruptible by a projectile passing through the optical screen;
at least one of a canvas-like or plate-like object arranged generally parallel to the optical screen;
multiple acoustic transducers being arranged at a distance from each other for detecting an acoustic wave generatable by a projectile when shot through the at least one canvas-like or plate-like object; and
an electronic evaluator structured and arranged to determine at least one of a pass-through position of the projectile in relation to the optical screen from signals received from the photo-electric light receivers and a pass-through position of a projectile in relation to the at least one canvas-like or plate-like object based on delay times detected by the multiple acoustic transducers of the acoustic wave generatable by the projectile being shot through the at least one canvas-like or plate-like object,
wherein the arrangement, in the shooting direction, is structured so that a circular area definable within the optical screen is surrounded at least partially by an area of the at least one canvas-like or plate-like object in which the acoustic wave is generatable.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least two inter-crossing groups of optical paths is exactly three inter-crossing groups of optical paths.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the area of the at least one canvas-like or plate-like object in which the acoustic wave is generatable is structured with an outer circular circumference having a center aligned with a center of the circular area in the shooting direction, and wherein the circular area has a diameter of at most two thirds a diameter of the outer circular circumference.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the diameter of the circular area is at most one half the diameter of the outer circular area.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the outer circular area of the at least one canvas-like or plate-like object is structured with a target opening having a center aligned, in the shooting direction, with the center of the outer circular circumference and with the center of the circular area.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the multiple acoustic transducers are arranged in the plane parallel to the optical screen, which is located at a distance smaller than 20 mm to the optical screen.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the light receivers comprise a plurality of individual photo-electric light receivers, such that an optical path is formed between each of the plurality of individual photo-electric light receivers with light received from one of the light sources.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a light source is associated with each of the at least two inter-crossing groups of optical paths in order to generate all of the optical paths of the inter-crossing group by emitting a continuous light screen.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the optical paths generated in each of the at least two inter-crossing groups are oriented in a diverging manner starting from the light source attributed to this group.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the light emitted by the light source is emitted as a continuous light screen.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the optical paths generated in each of the at least two inter-crossing groups are oriented to run in a same plane or have a distance of at most +/−3 mm with respect to a plane formed in the middle between the optical paths.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the optical paths generated in each of the at least two inter-crossing groups have the same length.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the optical paths is deflected via mirror surfaces or prisms.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the optical paths of each of the at least two inter-crossing groups have at least one of a smaller mutual distance and a smaller divergence in a middle area of each respective group than in edge areas of the respective groups.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the light receivers forming the optical paths for each of the at least two inter-crossing groups are arranged per group in such a way that their photo-electric-sensitive surfaces are arranged side by side in one or more rows.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the photo-electric-sensitive surfaces are each arranged side by side in a middle area of a respective group in a higher number of rows than in the edge areas of the group.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The arrangement according to claim 15, further comprising at least one of an optical diffuser and a lens arrangement for optically decreasing or cancelling out gaps present between individual photo-electric-sensitive surfaces.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a fan arrangement for acting upon at least one of photo-electric sensitive surfaces of the light receivers and light-active surfaces of the light sources with an air stream for avoiding an accumulation of dirt.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the light receivers and the electronic evaluator are structured and arranged so that a plurality of different brightness values are distinguishable for each light receiver in order to determine a pass-through position of the projectile through the optical screen.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The arrangement according to claim 19, wherein the electronic evaluator is structured and arranged for continuous self-calibration of the arrangement via determination of maximum and minimum brightness values occurring for each light receiver based on signals delivered by the light receivers at determined pass-through positions of the projectiles.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the electronic evaluator is structured and arranged for calibration of the arrangement via approaching defined pass-through positions in the optical screen with a projectile dummy or with an opaque body representing a shooting path respectively.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein signals of the light receivers are evaluatable at least 100,000 times per second.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The arrangement according to claim 22, wherein the electronic evaluator is structured and arranged to determine at least one of a speed, a shape and/or a thickness of the projectile by evaluating the signals delivered by the photo-electric light receivers during the passage of the projectile through the optical screen.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The arrangement according to claim 22, wherein signals of the light receivers are evaluatable at least 200,000 times per second.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the optical paths generated in each of the at least two inter-crossing groups are oriented to run in parallel planes arranged to be separated from each other by a distance of at most +/−3 mm with respect to a plane formed between the parallel planes.

### Claim 26 (depends on 1)

A shooting target, particularly shooting disc, comprising the arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one canvas-like or plate-like object, which is structured and arranged to form a substantially plane surface for shooting at with projectiles, comprises one of a rubber tissue, plastic foil, paper or carton.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The shooting target according to claim 26, wherein the at least one canvas-like or plate-like object has a round target opening in a central area, through which a projectile traveling in the shooting direction is passable without penetrating the at least one canvas-like or plate-like object, and wherein a position of the projectile passing through the round target opening is determinable based on signals delivered by the photo-electric light receivers when the projectile passes through the optical screen.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The shooting target according to claim 27, wherein the at least one canvas-like or plate-like object is arranged to surround the round target area, and a position of the projectile penetrating the at least one canvas-like or plate-like object is determinable from delay times detected by the acoustic transducers of an acoustic wave generated by the projectile penetrating the at least one canvas-like or plate-like object.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The shooting target according to claim 27, wherein a circular area coaxial with the round target area extends to at least an edge limit of the round target area.

### Claim 30 (depends on 26)

The shooting target according to claim 26, wherein, relative to the shooting direction, the acoustic transducers are arranged behind the at least one canvas-like or plate-like object and the optical screen is arranged one of in front of or behind the at least one canvas-like or plate-like object.

### Claim 31 (depends on 26)

The shooting target according to claim 26, wherein the optical paths of the optical screen are arranged to run diagonally at least one of in front of, behind and in a target plane and the light detectors are arranged above the light sources.