US 4,627,620 · Granted 1986-12-09
The 1986 Arcade Game That Taught Athletes to React Faster
Imagine a machine with lights that flash randomly around you, and you have to touch them as fast as you can. It measures how quick your reflexes are, times you, and even throws in fake signals to trick you—like a video game built to make you a sharper athlete.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers an electronic training device with randomly selected targets positioned around a player, combined with visual indicators, audio signals, and a timer that activates when a target is selected and stops when the player physically hits it. What's protected here is the specific system of combining random target selection, real and fake signals, automatic timing, and performance display to train reaction speed and accuracy.
Why it matters
This patent captures a core insight: you can train the human nervous system by forcing it to react to unpredictable stimuli under time pressure. That idea—turning reflex training into a quantifiable, game-like experience—became the blueprint for modern reaction trainers, arcade fitness games, and sports training equipment. The fake-signal feature is particularly clever because it forces genuine uncertainty, not rote memorization.
Real-world use
You'd encounter this as a standalone arcade machine at a gym or arcade, or as the core mechanic behind modern reaction-time games and sports training stations that measure how fast you can respond to random visual cues.
Original USPTO abstract
An electronic apparatus for improving skills in reflex, speed and accuracy of the player as well as for recreational purposes is disclosed in which multiple targets spread around the player are selected with random sequence by an electronic device. The selections of targets are indicated by the visual indicators as well as an audio alarm on the electronic device. When the targets are selected, a timer on the electronic device is activated and the elapsed time is indicated by a display on the electronic device. The timer is halted when the targets are hit by the player. The indicators are then disabled and the elapsed time which measures the performance of the player is indicated by the display on the electronic device. The speed of target selection preceded by fake target selections is provided to improve player's reflex.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 4,627,620
- Filing date
- 1984-12-26
- Grant date
- 1986-12-09
- Assignee
- Yang John P
- Inventor(s)
- YANG; JOHN P.
- CPC class
- A63B69/0053
Want to file your own patent?
If you're designing your own reaction-training game or fitness device, check IsItPatented to see what's already locked down in this space before you build your prototype.
Free patentability scan