Infrared toy viewing scope and games utilizing infrared radiation

Abstract

An infrared scope toy for observing a scene illuminated by infrared electromagnetic energy comprising an input focusing lens, an infrared sensor having an infrared sensitive surface and an output responsive to the infrared electromagnetic energy incident to the infrared sensitive surface, a display screen having a display surface and being operably connected to the output of the infrared sensor and capable of producing an image in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum which is similar to the infrared electromagnetic energy incident to the infrared sensitive surface of the infrared sensor. The infrared scope toy overcomes the problem of seeing in low or nonexistence visible light situations and provides a toy for children and others, which may be used in playing games.

1 . An infrared toy scope for converting infrared electromagnetic energy of an image to an image in the visible light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum comprising 
 an input focusing lens for focusing infrared electromagnetic energy of an image on an infrared sensor;    an infrared sensor having an infrared sensitive surface and being positioned so that at least a portion of the infrared electromagnetic energy of the image passing through the input focusing lens is incident to the infrared sensitive service, the infrared sensor having an electrical output responsive to the infrared electromagnetic energy of the image incident to the infrared sensitive surface;    a plurality of analog to digital converters for receiving the electrical output of the infrared sensor and converting the electrical output to digital information;    a central processing unit coupled to the analog to digital converters for receiving the electrical output of digital information from the analog to digital converters, the central processing unit being capable of processing the digital information from the analog to digital converters and producing an electrical output of digital image data;    an image display having an image display surface, the image display being operably connected to the electrical output of digital image data from the central processing unit and the image display surface being responsive to said digital image data for creating an image in the visible light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum similar to the infrared electromagnetic energy incident to the infrared sensitive surface of the infrared sensor.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , including an output focusing lens positioned in front of the image display surface for focusing the image on the image display surface for a user.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , including an infrared filter proximate the input focusing lens for attenuating non-infrared electromagnetic energy and inhibiting non-infrared electromagnetic energy from striking the infrared sensitive surface of the infrared sensor.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , including an infrared illumination source for illuminating an area so as to produce reflected infrared electromagnetic energy for entry into the input focusing lens and wherein at least a portion of the reflected infrared electromagnetic energy is focused onto the infrared sensitive surface of the infrared sensor.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , including a translucent filter of a predetermined color located proximate the output focusing lens for permitting only visible light of the predetermined color to pass through the filter so that only visible light of the predetermined color will be seen by the user when the user looks at the image display surface of the image display.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , including media containing image averaging instructions operably connected to the central processing unit for enabling the central processing unit to aggregate over time the electrical output of the digital information from the analog to digital converters.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the central processing unit is operably connected to the infrared illumination source for controlling the period during which the infrared illumination source is operating.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the infrared illumination source and the central processing unit are synchronized so that the central processing unit processes the output of digital information from the analog to digital converter only when the infrared illumination source is operating.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , including an alarm operably connected to the central processing unit, the alarm being activiated in response to a change of output of the analog to digital converters above a predetermined level.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , including a sensitivity control operably connected to infrared sensor and electrical output of the infrared sensor for adjusting the sensitivity of the infrared sensor.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , including 
 a brightness control operably connected to the image display for controlling the brightness of the image on the image on the image display surface.    
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , including 
 a contrast control operably connected to the image display for controlling the contrast of the image on the image display surface.    
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , including a second output focusing lens position with respect to the first focusing lens so that the image on the image display surface is simultaneously viewable in each eye of the user.  
   
   
       14 . A game comprising the steps of 
 illuminating a play area with infrared electromagnetic energy;    placing one or more play objects in the play area;    using the apparatus of  claim 1  to locate the play objects.    
   
   
       15 . The game of  claim 14 , including the step of 
 affixing an infrared beacon to one or more of the play objects.    
   
   
       16 . The game of  claim 15 , including the step of 
 affixing to one or more of the play objects an infrared reflector.    
   
   
       17 . The game of  claim 14 , including the step of 
 affixing to one or more of the play objects an infrared beacon.    
   
   
       18 . The game of  claim 14 , wherein one or more of the play objects is a human being.  
   
   
       19 . The game of  claim 15 , including the step of 
 intermittently transmitting infrared electromagnetic energy by one or more of the infrared beacons.    
   
   
       20 . The game of  claim 12 , including the step of 
 illuminating a play area with infrared illumination from one or more supplemental infrared sources to provide additional infrared illumination to the play area.