Patent ID: 6855921

Claim:
A portable speed measurement apparatus for determining and displaying speed characteristics of a body passing through a target zone, said measurement apparatus comprising: a radiant energy light beam generation means disposed in a first distinct housing, said generation means being configured to emit a plurality of substantially parallel beams of radiant energy through a bottom end thereof to thereby define said target zone between said parallel radiant energy beams; a radiant energy sensing means disposed in a second distinct housing, said second housing having a plurality of apertures in a top portion thereof, such apertures being relatively positioned on said top portion to correspond to respective emitted radiant energy beams when said second housing is placed in proper alignment with said first housing, said second housing further including light management means interposed between said radiant energy sensing means and respective said apertures, said light management means incorporating a fiber optic light pipe axially positioned adjacent to said radiant energy sensing means, said fiber optic light pipe having first and second opposed ends, said first end being approximately propinquant to said radiant energy sensing means, and said second end being distally disposed from said radiant energy sensing means, such that said fiber optic light pipe operably propagates radiant energy from said second ends to said first end, and additionally to said radiant energy sensing means, said fiber optic Light pipe having a relatively larger diameter than the diameter of the respective radiant energy sensing means, and said distal end of said fiber optic light pipe being spaced from the respective aperture, thereby forming a light reduction gap between the respective aperture in said second housing and said second distal end of said fiber optic light pipe, such that the emitted radiant energy beams passing through the respective apertures are received in and through said fiber optic light pipe and correspondingly transmitted to said radiant energy sensing means, said radiant energy sensing means operably generating output electrical signals upon perception of pre-determined radiant energy characteristics; and electrical signal analysis means operably coupled to said radiant energy sensing means and disposed within said second housing, said analysis means being programmed to compute such speed characteristics of the body passing through said target zone by comparing the timing of the generated electrical signals to the relative positions of respective radiant energy beams in said target zone, such speed characteristics being conveyed to a user via display means.