Portable, wireless electronic target devices, systems and methods

Abstract

Disclosed are targets devices and method of using the target devices for electronically determining the location of projectile impacts on the surface of a target. The impact location is determined in a number of ways, including by use of a plurality of accelerometers or piezo-vibration sensors to determine the impact area and transmit data relating to the impact to a remote receiver for real-time presentation to the shooter. The method enables the shooting position to be determined by means of relatively economical electronic systems and the shooting target is portable such that the shooter may bring the target to a plurality of firing ranges and locations to convey the same real-time reporting and benefits to the shooter. The shooting target may be set-up on a standard target stand to wirelessly relay shot impact information to a portable personal computing device to present real-time virtual impact data to the shooter. This data can then be stored and categorized given user-selected inputs and shared with other shooters in an online forum.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A target scoring device comprising:
 a frame having two or more base members, a support member and a locking mechanism about which the two or more base members and the support member rotate through a range of 180°;   a securement device which secures the frame in a configuration where the support member and the two or more base members are secured in an angular orientation from 0 to 180°;   an impenetrable target plate having a front surface, rear surface and side surface affixed to the support member on the rear surface;   a cross-member;   two or more shockwave sensors adjacent the rear surface of the target plate, wherein the two or more shockwave sensors detect a vibration signature from a propagation of a shockwave from a projectile strike on the front surface of the impenetrable target plate; and   a power source.   
     
     
         2 . The target scoring device of  claim 1  wherein the two or more vibration sensors are affixed to the rear surface of the target plate. 
     
     
         3 . The target scoring device of  claim 1  further comprising one or more of: a handle, a vertical support mount, a rear plate, an enclosure shield, and one or more additional cross-members. 
     
     
         4 . The target scoring device of  claim 1  further comprising a vibration isolation device positioned between the impenetrable target plate and the support member. 
     
     
         5 . The target scoring device of  claim 1  further comprising one or more of a transmitter, a receiver and a transceiver wherein the one or more transmitter, receiver and transceiver are in communication with the two or more shockwave sensors. 
     
     
         6 . The target scoring device of  claim 5  wherein the one or more transmitter and transceiver transmits data from the two or more vibration sensors to an electronic device wherein the electronic device processes data from the two or more vibration sensors to determine a position of the projectile strike on the front surface of the impenetrable target plate and presents a location on user interface. 
     
     
         7 . The target scoring device of  claim 1  further comprising a target overlay wherein the target overlay is positioned on at least a portion of the front surface of the impenetrable target plate. 
     
     
         8 . The target scoring device of  claim 1  wherein the impenetrable target plate comprises an impenetrable transparent material and further wherein the target scoring device comprises an electronic display positioned adjacent the rear surface of the impenetrable target plate. 
     
     
         9 . The target scoring device of  claim 1  further comprising an electric motor wherein the electric motor changes an orientation between the support member and the two or more base members between the angular orientation of from 0 to 180°. 
     
     
         10 . A target scoring system comprising:
 one or more target scoring devices comprising a frame having two or more base members, a support member and a locking mechanism about which the two or more base members and the support member rotate through a range of 180°, a securement device which secures the frame in a configuration where the support member and the two or more base members are secured in an angular orientation from 0 to 180°, an impenetrable target plate having a front surface, rear surface and side surface affixed to the support member on the rear surface, a cross-member, two or more shockwave sensors adjacent the rear surface of the target plate, wherein the two or more shockwave sensors detect a propagation of a shockwave from a projectile strike on the front surface of the impenetrable target plate, and a power source;   at least one electronic device in communication with the one or more target scoring devices.   
     
     
         11 . The target scoring system of  claim 10  wherein the system further comprises one or more of a transmitter, a receiver and a transceiver. 
     
     
         12 . The target scoring system of  claim 10  further comprising a base station in communication with the one or more target scoring devices. 
     
     
         13 . The target scoring system of  claim 10  wherein a processor converts data from the two or more shockwave sensors into a visual representation of a location of an impact location for a projectile on a display screen for the electronic device. 
     
     
         14 . The target scoring system of  claim 10  wherein the one or more target scoring devices and the at least one electronic device are in wireless communication. 
     
     
         15 . The target scoring system of  claim 14  further comprising at least one signal booster in communication with the one or more target scoring devices. 
     
     
         16 . A method of target scoring comprising:
 displaying on a user interface display, via a user computing device, a target;   receiving data acquired by a target scoring device comprising a projectile impact location wherein the projectile impact location is determined from an analyzed vibration signature of a projectile impact at the target scoring device; and   providing, via the user interface, an indicator of the projectile impact location.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising compiling data received from the target scoring device to determine one or more of: accuracy, overall score, ranking, shot number, and round. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising accepting a data input from a user wherein the data input comprises one or more of a weapon type, and an ammunition type. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising generating a representation of cumulative performance for the user. 
     
     
         20 . A target scoring apparatus comprising: a user computing device configured to:
 display on a user interface display, via a user computing device, a target;   receive data acquired by a target scoring device comprising a projectile impact location wherein the projectile impact location is determined from an analyzed vibration signature of a projectile impact at the target scoring device; and   provide, via the user interface, an indicator of the projectile impact location   
     
     
         21 . The target scoring apparatus of  claim 20  further comprising compiling data received from the target scoring device to determine one or more of: accuracy, overall score, ranking, shot number, and round. 
     
     
         22 . The target scoring apparatus of  claim 20  further comprising accepting a data input from a user wherein the data input comprises one or more of a weapon type, and an ammunition type. 
     
     
         23 . The target scoring apparatus of  claim 22  further comprising generating a representation of cumulative performance for the user. 
     
     
         24 . A machine readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:
 displaying on a user interface display, via a user computing device, a target;   receiving data acquired by a target scoring device comprising a projectile impact location wherein the projectile impact location is determined from an analyzed vibration signature of a projectile impact at the target scoring device; and   providing, via the user interface, an indicator of the projectile impact location.   
     
     
         25 . A target scoring device means comprising:
 a frame means having two or more base members means, a support member means and a means for locking about which the two or more base members means and the support member means rotate through a range of 180°;   a securement device means which secures the frame means in a configuration where the support member means and the two or more base members means are secured in an angular orientation from 0 to 180°;   an impenetrable target plate means having a front surface, rear surface and side surface affixed to the support member means on the rear surface;   a cross-member means;   two or more shockwave sensors means adjacent the rear surface of the target plate means, wherein the two or more shockwave sensors means are configurable to detect a vibration signature from a propagation of a shockwave from a projectile strike on the front surface of the impenetrable target plate means; and   a power source means.   
     
     
         26 . The target scoring device means of  claim 25  wherein the two or more vibration sensors means are affixed to the rear surface of the target plate means. 
     
     
         27 . The target scoring device means of  claim 25  further comprising one or more of: a handle means, a vertical support mount means, a rear plate means, an enclosure shield means, and one or more additional cross-members means. 
     
     
         28 . The target scoring device means of  claim 25  further comprising a vibration isolation device means positioned between the impenetrable target plate means and the support member means. 
     
     
         29 . The target scoring device means of  claim 25  further comprising one or more of a transmitter means, a receiver means and a transceiver means wherein the one or more transmitter means, receiver means and transceiver means are in communication with the two or more shockwave sensors means. 
     
     
         30 . The target scoring device means of  claim 29  wherein the one or more transmitter means and transceiver means is configurable to transmit data from the two or more vibration sensors means to an electronic device means wherein the electronic device means processes data from the two or more vibration sensors means to determine a position of the projectile strike on the front surface of the impenetrable target plate means and presents a location on user interface means. 
     
     
         31 . The target scoring means device of  claim 25  further comprising a target overlay means wherein the target overlay means is positioned on at least a portion of the front surface of the impenetrable target plate means. 
     
     
         32 . The target scoring device means of  claim 25  wherein the impenetrable target plate means comprises an impenetrable transparent material and further wherein the target scoring device means comprises an electronic display means positioned adjacent the rear surface of the impenetrable target plate means. 
     
     
         33 . The target scoring device means of  claim 25  further comprising an electric motor means wherein the electric motor means changes an orientation between the support member means and the two or more base members means between the angular orientation of from 0 to 180°. 
     
     
         34 . A target scoring system comprising:
 one or more target scoring device means comprising a frame means having two or more base member means, a support member means and a means for locking about which the two or more base members means and the support member means rotate through a range of 180°, a securement device means which secures the frame means in a configuration where the support member means and the two or more base member means are secured in an angular orientation from 0 to 180°, an impenetrable target plate means having a front surface, rear surface and side surface affixed to the support member means on the rear surface, a cross-member, two or more shockwave sensors means adjacent the rear surface of the target plate means, wherein the two or more shockwave sensor means detect a propagation of a shockwave from a projectile strike on the front surface of the impenetrable target plate means, and a power source means;   at least one electronic device means in communication with the one or more target scoring device means.   
     
     
         35 . The target scoring system of  claim 34  wherein the system further comprises one or more of a transmitter means, a receiver means and a transceiver means. 
     
     
         36 . The target scoring system of  claim 34  further comprising a base station means in communication with the one or more target scoring device means. 
     
     
         37 . The target scoring system of  claim 36  wherein a processor means converts data from the two or more shockwave sensor means into a visual representation of a location of an impact location for a projectile on a display screen means for the electronic device means. 
     
     
         38 . The target scoring system of  claim 36  wherein the one or more target scoring device means and the at least one electronic device means are in wireless communication. 
     
     
         39 . The target scoring system of  claim 38  further comprising at least one signal booster means in communication with the one or more target scoring device means.