The Commissioner of Patents

                                 and Trademarks


Has  received  an  application  for  a  patent for a new  and useful  invention.
The title and description of the invention are enclosed. The requirements of law
have  been  complied  with,  and it has been  determined  that a  patent  on the
invention shall be granted under the law.

Therefore, this

                              United States Patent


Grants to the person or persons having title to this patent the right to exclude
others from making,  using or selling the invention throughout the United States
of America for the term of seventeen years from the date of this patent, subject
to the payment of maintenance fees as provided by law.




               Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks

<PAGE>



United States Patent [19]

Stewart et al.

[54] AUTOMATED DART BOARD

[75] Inventors: Mark F. Stewart, St. Davids; Angelo
                A. Bonetta, Niagara on the Lake;
                Majinder S. Phull, Mississauga, all of
                Canada

[73] Assignee: High Flyte International Ltd.,
               Bermuda

[21] Appl. No.: 239,552
[22] Filed: May 9, 1994
[51] Int. Cl. 6 ...............F41J 3/00; F41J 5/04
[52] U.S. Cl...................273/374
[58] Feild of Search...........273/371, 372, 273/373, 374, 377
[56] References Cited

        U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

        2,592,429 4/1952  Kimmel et al. .
        3,101,198 8/1963  Williams .
        3,275,321 9/1966  Forest .
        3,454,276 7/1969  Brenker et al. .
        3,677,546 7/1972  Oetiker .
        3,705,725 12/1972 Thalmann...........273/373
        3,854,722 12/1974 Ohlund et al. .....273/373
        4,014,546 3/1977  Steinkamp .
        4,057,251 11/1977 Jones et al. .
        4,244,583 1/1981  Wood et al. .
        4,561,660 12/1985 Zammuto .
        4,586,716 5/1986  Brejcha et al. .
        4,651,998 3/1987  Holt et al. .
        4,706,962 11/1987 Michalski .
        4,852,888 8/1989  Ross et al. .

        FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

        2013904  10/1970  Germany .

[11] Patent Number: 5,486,007
[45] Date of Patent: Jan. 23, 1996

1532744 11/1978 United Kingdom .
2217618 11/1989 United Kingdom .

        OTHER PUBLICATIONS

D. T. .W Jenkins, "Project Arachnid Report on the Pre-University cource project.
1973", Document Reg. No. ESS/SS534, Dec. 1973, pp. 122-187.

Primary Examiner-William H. Grieb
Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Evenson, McKeown, Edwards & Lenahan

[57]                             ABSTRACT

A  target for  regulation grade  metal tipped darts has  a conductive rigid  web
made up of concentric rings intersecting spokes emanating from the second to the
innermost  ring.  The spokes  define  twenty  sectors,  while the rings define 4
segments  within each sector.  There are also two segments in the  innermost and
second to innermost rings. Conductive blocks, made up of an aluminum or zinc cup
having  contacts  protruding  from its bottom and  containing a rubberized  cork
insert,  fill in the  segments of the web.  Beneath  each cup is a silicon  foam
cushion cut away between the contacts and a pad on a printed circuit board.  The
pads are each  connected  to  circuitry  that  senses when a dart hits an insert
causing the  corresponding  cup to slide within the web and  contact a pad.  The
circuitry,  by way of a  piezoelectric  sensors,  also  determines if a dart has
impacted  on or near the  target  and  checks to see if the  target has polled a
segment that indicates a hit on the target,  failing which the target  indicates
that the dart  missed the  target.  The  circuitry  also  senses the  rotational
orientation of the target and sets the basic scores of the segments accordingly,
allowing the target to be periodically rotated to reposition segments in sectors
of heavy use to sectors of lighter use.

(DIAGRAM)


<PAGE>

                              The Commissioner of
                             Patents and Trademarks

Has received  an  application  for  a patent for  a  new  and useful  invention.
The title and description of the invention are enclosed. The requirements of law
have  been  complied  with,  and it has been  determined  that a  patent  on the
invention shall be granted under the law.

Therfore, this

                              Untied States Patent

Grants  to  the  person(s)  having  title  to this patent  the right  to exclude
others  from  making,  using,  offering  for  sale,  or  selling  the  invention
throughout  the United  States of America or importing  the  invention  into the
United States of America for the term set forth below, subject to the payment of
maintenance fees as provided by law.

If  this  application  was  filed  prior to  June  8,  1995,  the  term of  this
patent is the longer of seventeen years from the date of grant of this patent or
twenty years from the earliest  effective U.S.  filing date of the  application,
subject to an statutory extension.

If  this  application  was  filed on or after  June 8,  1995,  the term of  this
patent is twenty  years from the  earliest  effective  U.S.  filing  date of the
application, subject to any statutory extension.

Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks

Attest

<PAGE>

United States Patent [19]
Stewart et al.

[54] AUTOMATED DART BOARD

[75] Inventors: Mark F. Stewart, St. Davids; Angelo
                A. Bonetta, Niagara on the Lake;
                Majinder S. Phull, Mississauga, all of
                Canada

[73] Assignee: High Flyte International Ltd.,
               Hamilton, Bermuda

[21] Appl. No.:  514,254
[22] Filed: Aug. 11, 1995

        Related U.S. Application Data

[63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 239,552, May 9, 1994, Pat.
     No. 5,486,007.
[51] Int. Cl. 6 ...............F41J 3/00; F41J 5/04
[52] U.S. Cl...................273/374
[58] Feild of Search...........273/371, 372, 273/373, 374, 377
[56] References Cited

        U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

        2,592,429 4/1952  Kimmel et al. .....273/376
        3,101,198 8/1963  Williams ..........273/373
        3,275,321 9/1966  Forest ............273/373
        3,454,276 7/1969  Brenker et al. ....273/376
        3,677,546 7/1972  Oetiker ...........273/374
        3,705,725 12/1972 Thalmann...........273/373
        3,854,722 12/1974 Ohlund et al. .....273/373
        4,014,546 3/1977  Steinkamp .........273/373
        4,057,251 11/1977 Jones et al. ......273/376
        4,244,583 1/1981  Wood et al. .......273/373
        4,415,162 11/1983 Sheppard...........273/371
        4,561,660 12/1985 Zammuto ...........273/376
        4,586,716 5/1986  Brejcha et al. ....273/376
        4,651,998 3/1987  Holt et al. .......273/347
        4,706,962 11/1987 Michalski .........273/347
        4,852,888 8/1989  Ross et al. .......273/373


[11] Patent Number: 5,613,685
[45] Date of Patent: Mar. 25, 1997

5.193,817   3/1993 Pan.............273/376

                            FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

2361133   3/1978   France .
2013904   10/1970  Germany .
 644517   10/1950  United Kingdom .
1532744   11/1978  United Kingdom .
2130107   5/1984   United Kingdom .
2217618   11/1989  United Kingdom .

Primary Examiner-William H. Grieb
Attorney, Agent, or Firm- Evenson, McKeown, Edwards & Lenahan, P.L.L.C.


[57]                             ABSTRACT

A  target for  grade metal tipped  darts has a conductive  rigid web made  up of
concentric rings intersecting  spokes emanating from the second to the innermost
ring. The spokes define twenty sectors, while the rings define 4 segments within
each  sector.  There  are also two  segments  in the  innermost  and  second  to
innermost rings.  Conductive  blocks,  made up of an aluminum or zinc cup having
contacts  protruding  from its bottom and  containing a rubberized  cork insert,
fill in the segments of the web.  Beneath each cup is a silicon foam cushion cut
away  between the contacts and a pad on a printed  circuit  board.  The pads are
each  connected to circuitry  that senses when a dart hits an insert causing the
corresponding  cup to slide within the web and contact a pad. The circuitry,  by
way of a  piezoelectric  sensors,  also  determines if a dart has impacted on or
near the  target  and  checks to see if the  target  has  polled a segment  that
indicates a hit on the target,  failing which the target indicates that the dart
missed the target.  The circuitry also senses the rotational  orientation of the
target  and sets the basic  scores of the  segments  accordingly,  allowing  the
target to be periodically rotated to reposition segments in sectors of heavy use
to sectors of lighter use.

29 Claims, 14 Drawing Sheets

(DIAGRAM)