TARGET ACTUATOR SYSTEM

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to the field of firearm shooting ranges, and more particularly to a target carrier system with a target actuator system for presenting one or more targets to a trainee and for providing remote information responsive to the strikes to the target.

BACKGROUND

In range shooting, it is important to provide multiple different scenarios to train a soldier or law enforcement officer (“trainee”) to react properly in a number of different situations. Extensive training protects both the trainee and the public. A properly trained shooter will be able to quickly assess a situation and determine whether it is a shoot or no shoot situation. Most importantly, the trainee will have confidence in his or her ability to make accurate split-second decisions on whether or not to fire their weapon. A well-trained shooter should not fire too quickly, thereby risking shooting an innocent person. Likewise, a well-trained shooter should not hesitate too long before shooting an armed individual who is posing an imminent risk to the public or the police officer, etc.

Target equipment, such as target retrievers, are installed on the ranges to give versatility in training and ease in placing and returning a target. Target retrievers typically include a track and a target carrier in communication with a motor unit to move the target carrier relative to the trainee, thereby changing the distance between the target and the trainee. The retrievers may include a target actuator which can control when the target is presented to the shooter. For example, a target may be positioned in a neutral position parallel to the line of fire so that the shooter sees the edge of the target. The target may then be rotated 90 degrees so that the target is visible to the trainee. The trainee may have a given amount of time to shoot a given number of rounds in a given area, to score a number of points, etc. Likewise, a target may have an image disposed thereon of a person holding a cell phone or other item which does not pose a risk—with the goal of the test being that the trainee does not discharge their weapon.

One challenge with presenting a trainee with a target that is the same every time is that the trainee starts to anticipate the scenario. If the scenario is a shoot scenario, the trainee will anticipate shooting and begin shooting as soon as the target is displayed. Ideally, however, the trainee should be forced first to make the determination whether shooting was appropriate prior to discharging his or her weapon.

Alternatively, the trainee may be provided with an image showing a no shoot situation—such as a person holding a flashlight rather than a gun. If the trainee knows that the no shoot scenario will be shown, there is no challenge and the trainee does not improve at making the decision under high pressure situations. While shoot and no shoot images may be presented on two sides of the same target, it is often difficult to determine what shots were made in a proper shoot scenario and which were improperly made in a no shoot scenario unless everyone on the range is obtaining the shoot or no shoot scenario at the same time. This, however, can also create conditioning issues, as the trainee may simply rely on the other trainees and fire as soon as someone else fires. In actual situations, however, this can be catastrophic. A police officer's partner may be shooting at someone who poses a threat. If the police office is conditioned to fire upon hearing other officers fire, he or she may be more likely to fire at a person who is not posing a threat do to conditioning to fire when other officers fire.

One recent improvement in training is the use of targets that can detect not only that they have been struck, but also where they have been struck. The targets allow for real time analysis of the officers' shooting. Thus, for example, the target may be programmed to fall over, turn, etc., after the trainee has placed 3 shots in a predetermined area. Among other things, the present invention is designed to enhance the usability of such targets.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to target actuator systems and methods for presenting an image on a target and detecting strikes to the target while the image is displayed to the trainee. In one embodiment, the system may comprise a target carrier having a target actuator disposed thereon. The target actuator may enable 360 degrees or greater in rotational movement of the target.

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, the actuator may include a communications mechanism for transferring signals and/or electrical current between the target carrier and the target so that target carrier may obtain information from the target regarding whether the target has been struck and where the target has been struck.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the target actuator may actuate responsive to information received from the target. For example, once the trainee has reached a given number of points, the actuator may rotate the target into a non-presented position. Alternatively, the actuator may move the target to force the trainee to repeat a certain training exercise until it is completed properly.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the target carrier system may work with the target to determine when the target has been hit while the target actuator has placed the target in a no shoot scenario. That information can then be used to ensure that the trainee receives additional training to avoid shooting during a no shoot scenario.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a target may be provided with a mechanism for sensing the location at which a projectile pierces the target and an image may be projected onto the target. A processor may record and report information regarding the image that was projected on the target at the time the projectile impacted the target.

A method is also described herein to sense hits to a target, and to adjust the actions of the target in responsive to signals from the target. These may include, for example, rotating the target to stop the exercise, or changing an originally planned sequence to cause the trainee to repeat a portion of the training in which the trainee did not perform as desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The following drawings illustrate what are currently considered to be specific representative configurations for carrying out the invention and are not limiting as to embodiments which may be made in accordance with the present invention. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale relative to each other. Like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The drawings are illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims. The various elements of the invention accomplish various aspects and objects of the invention. Not every element of the invention can be clearly displayed in a single drawing, and as such not every drawing shows each element of the invention.

It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative systems embodying the principles of the present subject matter. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like, represent various processes which may be practiced manually, in analog, or may be substantially represented in computer readable medium and so executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cut-away view of a target made in accordance with the prior art in which the target is configured to be inserted into a stand;

FIG. 2 illustrates a first side of a target which may be used in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a second, opposing side of the target shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a side schematic view of a target carrier having a target actuator in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 shows a front view of a target carrier in accordance with one aspect. of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of an alternate embodiment of a target actuator; and

FIG. 7 shows a close-up view of the connector shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 shows an alternate embodiment of a target carrier, target actuator, and target;

FIG. 9 shows steps of a method of using the target carrier system in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 shows an alternate implementation of a target actuator and a target; and

FIGS. 11A and 11B show opposing sides of the target shown in FIG. 10.

It will be appreciated that the drawings are illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims. The embodiments shown accomplish various aspects and objects of the invention. It will be appreciated that it is not possible to clearly show each element and aspect of the present disclosure in a single figure, and as such, multiple figures are presented to separately illustrate the various details of different aspects of the invention in greater clarity. Similarly, not all configurations or embodiments described herein or covered by the appended claims will include all of the aspects of the present disclosure as discussed above.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following provides a detailed description of particular embodiments of the present invention. Reference will now be made to the drawings in which the various elements of the illustrated configurations will be given numerical designations and in which the invention will be discussed so as to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention. It is to be understood that the following description is only exemplary of the principles of the present invention and should not be viewed as narrowing the scope of the claims which follow, which claims define the full scope of the invention.

It will be appreciated that various aspects discussed in one drawing may be present and/or used in conjunction with an embodiment shown in another drawing, and each element shown in multiple drawings may be discussed only once. For example, in some cases, detailed description of well-known items or repeated description of substantially the same configurations may be omitted. The reason is to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art by avoiding the following description from being unnecessarily redundant. The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and these are not intended to limit the terms setting forth the scope of claims.

Reference in the specification to “one embodiment,” “one configuration,” “an embodiment,” or “a configuration” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment, etc. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places may not necessarily limit the inclusion of a particular element of the invention to a single embodiment, rather the element may be included in other or all embodiments discussed herein.

Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details may be provided, such as examples of products or manufacturing techniques that may be used, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that embodiments discussed in the disclosure may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations may not be shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.

Before the present invention is disclosed and described in detail, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to any particular structures, process steps, or materials discussed or disclosed herein, but is extended to include equivalents thereof as would be recognized by those of ordinarily skill in the relevant art. More specifically, the invention is defined by the terms set forth in the claims. It should also be understood that terminology contained herein is used for the purpose of describing particular aspects of the invention only and is not intended to limit the invention to the aspects or embodiments shown unless expressly indicated as such. Likewise, the discussion of any particular aspect of the invention is not to be understood as a requirement that such aspect is required to be present apart from an express inclusion of that aspect in the claims.

It should also be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, singular forms such as “a,” “an,” and “the” may include the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a bracket” may include an embodiment having one or more of such brackets, and reference to “the target plate” may include reference to one or more of such target plates.

As used herein, the term “substantially” refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result to function as indicated. For example, an object that is “substantially” enclosed would mean that the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context, such that enclosing nearly all of the length of a lumen would be substantially enclosed, even if the distal end of the structure enclosing the lumen had a slit or channel formed along a portion thereof. The use of “substantially” is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, structure which is “substantially free of” a bottom would either completely lack a bottom or so nearly completely lack a bottom that the effect would be effectively the same as if it completely lacked a bottom.

As used herein, the term “generally” refers to something that has characteristics of a quality without being exactly that quality. For example, a structure said to be generally vertical would be at least as vertical as horizontal, i.e. would extend 45 degrees or greater from horizontal. Likewise, something said to be generally circular may be rounded like an oval but need not have a consistent diameter in every direction.

As used herein, the term “about” is used to provide flexibility to a numerical range endpoint by providing that a given value may be “a little above” or “a little below” the endpoint while still accomplishing the function associated with the range.

As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member.

Concentrations, amounts, proportions, and other numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited. As an illustration, a numerical range of “about 1 to about 5” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited values of about 1 to about 5, but also include individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range are individual values such as 2, 3, and 4 and sub-ranges such as from 1-3, from 2-4, and from 3-5, etc., as well as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, individually. This same principle applies to ranges reciting only one numerical value as a minimum or a maximum. Furthermore, such an interpretation should apply regardless of the breadth of the range or the characteristics being described.

For a firmware, and/or software implementation of the target carrier system described herein, the methodologies may be implemented with modules (e.g., procedures, functions, and so on) that perform the functions described herein. Any machine readable medium tangibly embodying instructions can be used in implementing the methodologies described herein. For example, software codes and programs can be stored in a memory and executed by a processing unit. Memory can be implemented within the processing unit or may be external to the processing unit. As used herein the term “memory” refers to any type of long term, short term, volatile, nonvolatile, or other storage devices and is not to be limited to any particular type of memory or number of memories, or type of media upon which memory is stored.

In other firmware and/or software implementations, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or code on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Examples include computer-readable media encoded with a data structure and computer-readable media encoded with a computer program. Computer-readable media may take the form of an article of manufacturer. Computer-readable media includes physical computer storage media. A storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, flash memory, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

In addition to storage on computer readable medium, instructions and/or data may be provided as signals on transmission media included in a communication apparatus. For example, a communication apparatus may include a transceiver having signals indicative of instructions and data. The instructions and data are configured to cause one or more processors to implement the functions outlined in the claims. That is, the communication apparatus includes transmission media with signals indicative of information to perform disclosed functions. At a first time, the transmission media included in the communication apparatus may include a first portion of the information to perform the disclosed functions, while at a second time the transmission media included in the communication apparatus may include a second portion of the information to perform the disclosed functions.

It should be noted that the description set forth herein merely illustrates the principles of the present subject matter. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements that, although not explicitly described herein, embody the principles of the present subject matter and are included within its spirit and scope. Furthermore, all examples recited herein are principally intended expressly to be only to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor(s) to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.

The present disclosure generally relates to a system including a target carrier system having a target actuator which receives an electronic target, and which enables rotation of the target to either present or withdraw a target from being presented. The target carrier system may receive information from a target regarding whether the target has been hit and then adjust the target presentation based on that information.

The target actuator may also enable rotation of the target 360 degrees or more. As was noted in the background, during training a trainee may come to anticipate what will be shown and prejudge the situation. The rotation of the target in multiple directions prevents the trainee from being able to anticipate whether the next image shown will be a shoot or no shoot scenario—thereby forcing the trainee to undertake the necessary analysis each time.

Turning specifically to FIG. 1, there is shown a cut-away view of a target made in accordance with the prior art. Examples of such targets are discussed in detail in U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2016/0334195 A1 (application Ser. No. 15/151,664), which is hereby incorporated by reference. The target 10 may be formed with a plurality of conductive lines or layers 14, which may be grouped into a number of areas 20, 24, 28 around the target. The conductive lines or layers 14 may be disposed in communication with a plurality of contacts, 30, 32, 34, and 36.

When a bullet is fired through the target 10, the disruption (typically a short circuit) created by the bullet can be sensed by the conductive layers 14 and the location of the penetration can be determined. For example, if the bullet passes through the first area 20, the target can convey signals indicating that the trainee has hit the desired area. Likewise, the target can determine and send signals if the bullet passes through the second area 24 or the third area 28. The trainee may be provided with a feedback device—such as a video monitor which tells the trainee where the bullets are impacting the target 10 so that the trainee can improve his or her aim, or even an audio indication when a bullet hits the proper area or does not.

While the target shown in FIG. 1 is advantageous in helping the trainee to improve aim and provide real time information of where the target was impacted, simply presenting a target with a one image may create conditioning issues discussed above.

Turning now to FIGS. 2 and 3, there are shown views of opposing sides of a target built similar to the target in FIG. 1, with the difference being that the back side of the target (FIG. 3) presents a different scenario than the front side. Thus, in FIG. 2, the target 50 includes an image 52 of a person holding a weapon. (As with the normal presentation of the targets—the conductive lines are not readily visible, though the contacts 30, 32, 34 and 36 are visible near the top of the target). The image shown in FIG. 2 may represent a “shoot scenario.” In contrast, the back side of the target 50, as shown in FIG. 3, is provided with an image 54 of a person engaged in an activity which is not threatening, so a to present a “no shoot” scenario.

Turning now to FIG. 4, there is shown a side view of a target carrier 60 having a target actuator 64 and a motor unit 66 for rotating the target actuator 64 in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will be familiar with target retrievers used to train law enforcement and the like and the specific mechanics of by which they move a target toward and away from a shooter are discussed, for example, in U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2019/0212107 A1 (application Ser. No. 16/237,394), which is incorporated herein by reference.

The target actuator 64 may include a drive arm 68 and a clamp 72 attached to the drive arm, the clamp being configured to receive and retain a target 50. Disposed on the clamp 72 may be a slip ring 76 (which may sit on an actuator plate 80 attached to the drive arm 68.) The slip ring 76 may be disposed in communication with a plurality of contacts 84 disposed on the clamp 72 so as to engage the contacts (not shown in FIG. 4) on the target 50 when the target is held in place by the clamp 72. The contacts 84 may include a lead wire 82, connecting them to portions of the slip ring 72 to convey electrical signals.

A plurality of brush contacts 88 may be disposed on the target carrier 60 or otherwise suspended so that the drive arm 68 has at least 360 degrees of motion in one direction, and potentially the ability to rotate continually in either direction while the brush contacts 88 remain in contact with the slip ring 76 to thereby maintain communication between the target 50 and the target carrier 60. The rotation of the drive arm 68 is affected by the motor unit 66 and may include the use of gears, pullies, pistons etc., to ensure rotation of at least 360 degrees. The motor unit 66 may also include mechanisms for determining the position of the clamp so that the target carrier 60 knows what portion of the target 50 is being presented to the shooter.

The ability of the drive arm 68 to be rotated 360 degrees is advantageous to help prevent conditioning. A target actuator may be established with three set positions a neutral, center position would display the edge of the target, a rotation 90 degrees to the left would show one side of the target, and a rotation 90 degrees to the right would show the other side of the target. When a trainee works with such a system, however, the trainee could get conditioned that when the target rotates right, he or she will be presented with the shoot scenario and when the target rotates left, the no shoot scenario will be presented. Thus, before even seeing the image, the trainee knows whether or not to shoot.

By providing 360-degree rotation, however, this conditioning can be reduced or eliminated. When the target is rotated 90 degrees to the right to show a shoot scenario, the target can be returned to a neutral position by rotating the target 90 degrees to the left—or by rotating the target another 90 degrees to the right. If the target is rotated an additional 90 degrees to the right, the turning of the target prevents the reverse situation. A rotation to the right would then present the no shoot scenario and a rotation to the left would show the shoot scenario. By mixing up the rotational patterns of the target, it becomes less likely that the trainee will get conditioned to believe that rotation in one direction will be a shoot scenario and a rotation in the other direction will be a non-shoot scenario.

In use, the target carrier 60 may drive the target actuator 64 in either direction. This enables the target actuator 64 to hold the target 50 in the position shown in FIG. 4 where only the edge of the target is presented to the trainee. It also allows the target 50 to be rotated in one direction 90 degrees so one side of the target 50 (e.g. the “shoot” side shown in FIG. 2) is presented to the trainee, or rotated 90 degrees in the opposite direction so that the other side (e.g. the “no shoot” side shown in FIG. 3) is presented to the trainee.

The target carrier 60 may react to the information received from the target 50. For example, if the target 50 is turned to present the first side (FIG. 2) to the trainee, the target carrier may keep the target in place for a given amount of time, and then return it to the neutral position (by rotating in either direction). Alternatively, the target carrier 60 may receive signals indicating that the trainee has placed 3 rounds into the first target area and return the target 50 to a neutral position.

The target carrier 60 may have a processor and may also be programmed to take other actions. For example, if no round has been placed in the first target area (24 in FIG. 1) within 3 seconds of being presented to the shooter, the target carrier 60 could advance the target toward the trainee until three shots are placed in the first target area. Such a scenario may replicate a person with a weapon charging the trainee and place the trainee under additional stress. Alternatively, the target carrier 60 could be programmed to move away from the trainee, replicating a person retreating from the trainee and forcing the trainee to decide at what point it is no longer justified to discharge his or her weapon. The processor associated with the target carrier 60 may also be programmed to apply responses randomly so that one time the target “charges” at the trainee, while other times it “flees.” By repeatedly presenting the trainee with unexpected scenarios and having the trainee successfully process and react to the scenarios, the target carrier system helps the trainee to be more comfortable making such situations in real life situations and less prone to making a mistake due to panic.

Likewise, the actuator 64 could be provided with an optical encoder, a position sensor or other optical, mechanical, or electrical system which allows the target carrier 60 to determine the orientation of the clamp 72. This can indicate what face, if either, of the target 50 is being presented. Thus, for example, if the target carrier 60 determines that the second side (“no shoot” side shown in FIG. 3) is being presented to the trainee, the target carrier 60 may be responsive to any indication from the target 50 that it has been struck by a round. If target 50 indicates a strike, the target carrier knows that the trainee has shot an unarmed person. This may cause the target carrier 60 to turn the target 50 and return it to a start position—indicating that the trainee has failed the exercise. The system could also create a human perceptible alarm, such as a flashing red screen or a buzzer indicating that an innocent civilian has been shot. Additionally, or alternatively, the target carrier 60 could be programmed to repeat the exercise until the trainee can repeat it a number of times (e.g. 10 times) without another mistake.

Still yet another alternative scenario might be to deduct points for each improper shot. Thus, for example, 10 trainees could be put on the firing range. The targets 50 are selectively presented and the winning trainee is the first to place 20 rounds into the first target area 20 (FIG. 2), with the target being turned back to neutral and then either side presented, with the no shoot scenario remaining for some period of time and the shoot scenario turning each time three rounds have been placed in to the first area. Each round placed in the third area 28 (FIG. 2) may count as a negative 1, while each round fired into any area when the “no shoot” side of the target is presented may counted as a negative 10 points.

Placing trainees in a stressful situation in which they are forced to make critical decisions while adrenaline is flowing is good for training them to properly assess the situation before firing. In real life situations, a police officer or soldier is usually in a high stress situation when they are forced to make the decision to shoot or not shoot. By repeatedly training these individuals to make the decision properly under pressure, the police officers, soldiers and civilians are safer.

FIG. 5 shows a front view of a portion of the target actuator 64 in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure. The slip ring 76 is disposed about the drive arm 68 and in communication with the brush contacts 88 which may be attached to the target carrier (not shown) or some other structure. The slip ring 76 may be further disposed in communication with the contacts 84, which are mounted on or disposed along the clamp 72 so as to engage the contacts 30, 32, 34, and 36 on the target 50. It will be appreciated that the clamp 72 can use a variety of mechanisms for receiving and holding the target, such as, for example, a spring-loaded hinge 92, or other clamping mechanism, such as one or more wingnuts on a bolt, a cam system, etc.

By rotating the actuator arm 68, the target can be moved between exposure of neutral (i.e. the edge of the target is shown to the trainee), the first side (i.e. a target showing one image which will require the trainee to make a decision) and a second side (i.e. the target showing an image other than the image on the first side). It will be understood that both sides could show a common scenario as far as shoot or no shoot. For example, one side could be a person having a weapon in which they are exposed, and a shot can quickly be taken. On the other side, an armed perpetrator could be partially obscured (such as standing at least partially behind an innocent person). Thus, on one side the trainee would shoot quickly, while on the other side, he or she would have to be very careful with the shot so as to not harm the innocent person in the scenario. Also, the location of the point at which the target needs to be hit could be different on the two sides—with one requiring rounds impacting the target at one location and the other at a different location.

Turning now to FIG. 6, there is shown a side view of an alternate embodiment of the clamp 72 and contacts 84′. Rather than using individual contacts on the clamp 72 to engage contacts on the target, the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 shows a clip 86 which mounts on the top of the target. The clip 86 includes contacts which engage the contacts (not shown) on the target. The clip 86 may be disposed directly in electrical connection with the slip ring 76 of other rotatable conductor, or a receptacle 92 may be provided, which is connected electrically (i.e. by wires) to the slip ring, etc. The receptacle 92 can allow the clip 86 to be attached to the target 50 prior to mounting in the clamp 72, and then a plug 96 electrically connected to the clip 86 can be inserted into the receptacle.

A close-up view of the clip, an electrical cord 98 and the plug 96 is shown in FIG. 7. The clip 86 allows for easy mounting on the target and helps ensure that the contacts 84 remain in communication with the contacts on the target. This also reduces the exactness with which the target needs to be mounted in the clamp 72.

Turning now to FIG. 8, there is shown an alternate view of a target carrier system 60 disposed along a track 58 so the target carrier system can advance or retract the target relative to the trainee. It will be appreciated that the carriers shown in the other drawings may be disposed along a track as well.

The target carrier 60 includes the target actuator 64. The target actuator will typically include a motor 66 to rotate the drive arm 68 which is attached to the clamp 72. Rather than having a rotatable conductor such as the slip ring discussed above, the contacts 84 which engage the target 50 are contained in a cap or clip 86 which mounts on the target 50. The contacts 84 are engaged in the clip 86 and signals sensed from the target are conveyed via a transmitter, such as a transceiver 100, to a receiver, such as transceiver 104 on the target carrier 60. The target carrier 60 may also include a processor 108 which processes the signals received and then instructs actuation of the target actuator 64 in response to the signals received. Because power is not provided by the target carrier 60, the clip 86 may include a battery to provide current through the target 50. Signals received from the target are conveyed to the transceiver 108 on the target carrier 60 and the target actuator may be adjusted either to provide a predetermined scenario regarding which face(s) of the target are shown, or to provide a dynamic selection of scenarios in light of the signals received back from the target.

FIG. 9 shows steps of a method of using the target carrier system in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure. As part of a training exercise, a target may be presented to a trainee. As the trainee shoots at the target, or upon completion of that presentment of the target, the target carrier system may collect data from the target regarding the trainee's response to presentment of the target. This may include how many shots hit a desired portion of the target, how quickly rounds were placed in the desired area of the target, how many rounds hit other areas of the target, etc.

The target carrier system may then process the information received and either continue to run a predetermined scenario or change the orientation of the target based on the data collected from target. Thus, for example, the target carrier system may be programmed with a given routine. As long as the trainees fall within a given set of parameters as to accuracy and timing, the target carrier system may continue to run the preprogrammed routine. However, once a trainee's responses fall outside of the given set of parameters, the processor, etc., in the target carrier can change the actuation of the target carrier to address the data received from the target. For example, if a trainee improperly shoots during a no shoot scenario, the processor may adjust the program to provide the trainee with more time judging between shoot and no shoot scenarios (i.e. more turning of the target between the first side and the second side being exposed). This may mean that a side of the target is exposed for less time, as the focus is on the first second or two during which the shoot or no shoot decision is made, and less time focused on hitting the target in the correct location. This may include exposing the target briefly and immediately changing the target if it is struck by a bullet. Additional feed back could be provided to the shooter via a feed back mechanism such as a screen showing flashing red or a buzzer if the wrong decision was made.

FIG. 10 shows a side view of an alternate embodiment of a target carrier target carrier system 60. The target carrier system 60 may be disposed along a track 58 so the target carrier system can advance or retract the target relative to the trainee. It will be appreciated that the carriers shown in the other drawings may be disposed along a track as well.

The target carrier 60 may include a target actuator 64. The target actuator may include a motor 66 to rotate the drive arm 68 which may be attached to the clamp 72. Rather than having a rotatable conductor such as the slip ring discussed above, the contacts 84 which engage the target 50 may be contained in a cap or clip 86 which mounts on the target 50. The contacts 84 may be engaged in the clip 86 and signals sensed from the target are conveyed via a transmitter, such as a transceiver 100, to a receiver, such as transceiver 104 on the target carrier 60. The target carrier 60 may also include a processor 108 which processes the signals received and then instructs actuation of the target actuator 64 in response to the signals received. If power is not provided by the target carrier 60, the clip 86 may include a battery to provide current through the target 50. Signals received from the target may be conveyed to the transceiver 108 on the target carrier 60 and the target actuator may be adjusted either to provide a predetermined scenario regarding which face(s) of the target are shown, or to provide a dynamic selection of scenarios in light of the signals received back from the target.

The target carrier system 60 may further include a projector 120 which can project images onto the target 50. A deflector plate 124 may be positioned in front of the projector to prevent it from being struck by a bullet. As shown in FIGS. 11a and 11B, the target does not have to have an image disposed thereon at which the shooter fires. Rather, the target 50 may have a pattern drawn in conductive ink with is not visible or barely visible to the shooter. The projector 120 (FIG. 10) may project an image on the target 50. This allows numerous images to be presented which helps avoid conditioning. The conductive lines or layers 14 (which may be in the form of conductive ink) allows the system to determine if the shooter has hit the target while a given target was exposed.

It will be appreciated that the target 50 may be rotated into a position where it is parallel to the line of fire to indicate a non-active situation, or the target can simply be left in the presented position and the projector programmed to not display an image on the target. In other words, a motor unit for rotating the target would not be required. One advantage of such an approach is that no time is wasted on the physics of turning the target. The system can sense how quickly the trainee fires after a shoot scenario is presented. Additionally, the projector can be disposed in communication with a processor which is programmed to alter the scenario based on the trainee's reactions. Additionally, due to the use of the projector, the image of on the target seen by the trainee could be video rather than a static image. This more effectively allows the trainee to presented with grey area situations such as a scenario with a person holding a hostage. For example, the situation may be a not shoot when the kidnapper is partially disposed behind the person being kidnapped and is holding a knife to her throat. That situation can quickly become a shoot situation when the person being kidnapped breaks free and her kidnapper is exposed. The processor can receive information from the target which tells both how quickly the trainee reacted to the change in the scenario and how accurate the trainee's shooting was.

Additionally, it will be appreciated that the motor unit and the projector can be used to help decondition a shooter. If the shooter is conditioned to react a certain way when the target rotates with the edge toward the shooter rotating to the left, the trainee can be forced through a series of drills where the image presented is not what he or she would have expected. For example, if a shoot scenario has previously been shown on that side of the target 50, the projector can be used to turn the scenario into a no shoot scenario. This could be done, for example, by projecting a bystander adjacent an armed person. Thus, the projector can be used to project a complete scenario or to change a scenario by adding additional factors which must be considered. This can be used to “deprogram” someone who is relying on the rotation of a target rather than on the visual image presented.

It will also be appreciated that when using a projector, it is not necessary to turn the target 50. The projector could simply project images onto a target so that the motor unit 66 would be unnecessary. The processor 108, however, can be programmed to adapt to the configuration of the target carrier system and to provide a variety of static and dynamic shooting scenarios. By detecting the presence or absence of projectiles passing through the target 50 and/or the location at which they pass through, the processor can be used to provide dynamic scenarios which improve the shooting skills and the decision making of the trainee.

FIGS. 11A and 11B show front and back views respectively of the target 50. The conductive lines 14 (only some of which are marked) connected to the contacts 30, 32, 34, 36 convey the information to the processor to provide a record/indication of a bullet passing through the target 50 at a particular location. By simply using conductive ink on paper or cardboard (or even the targets discussed with respect to the other configurations), a relatively inexpensive target can be provided, thereby allowing officers to receive extensive training in different scenarios.

Thus, there is disclosed an improve target carrier system. It will be appreciated that modifications can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The appended claims are intended to cover such modifications.

TARGET ACTUATOR SYSTEM

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