Operations with instrumented game ball
First Claim
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1. A method, comprising:
- placing on an inductive charging device an athletic ball that comprises a battery, a shell having multiple layers including at least an outermost layer, a middle layer, and an innermost bladder layer, the outermost layer and the middle layer each extending integrally around the entire bladder layer, wherein either the middle layer or the bladder layer have a depression formed in a surface of the layer and a metallic coil set within the depression, and the bladder layer having a pocket holding the battery;
generating an electric or magnetic field, or both, with the inductive charging device;
receiving, by the metallic coil energy from the field or fields; and
charging the battery using the received energy.
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Abstract
This document provides a computer-implemented method that includes placing an athletic ball containing a battery on an inductive charging device; generating an electric or magnetic field, or both with the inductive charging device; receiving energy from the field or fields via a receptor located inside the athletic ball; and charging a battery inside the athletic ball using the received energy. This document also provides devices and methods for detecting events with an instrumented player-controllable game device, such as an event of a basketball or soccer ball passing through a goal.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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placing on an inductive charging device an athletic ball that comprises a battery, a shell having multiple layers including at least an outermost layer, a middle layer, and an innermost bladder layer, the outermost layer and the middle layer each extending integrally around the entire bladder layer, wherein either the middle layer or the bladder layer have a depression formed in a surface of the layer and a metallic coil set within the depression, and the bladder layer having a pocket holding the battery; generating an electric or magnetic field, or both, with the inductive charging device; receiving, by the metallic coil energy from the field or fields; and charging the battery using the received energy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An athletic game ball system, comprising:
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a shell constructed from multiple substantially spherical concentric layers including at least an outermost layer, a middle layer, and an innermost bladder layer, the outermost layer and the middle layer each extending integrally around the entire bladder layer, wherein either the middle layer or the bladder layer have a depression formed in a surface of the layer; one or more electronic sensors located within a pocket of the bladder; and one or more inductive electric secondary charging coils located within the depression and connected to provide electrical energy to one or more energy storage devices connected to supply power for operating the one or more sensors. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of constructing an instrumented athletic game ball, the method comprising:
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providing a ball bladder layer that is part of a shell of the game ball having a pocket; providing an electronic sensor package in the pocket; providing, outwardly of the ball bladder layer, a substantially spherical middle layer extending integrally around the entire bladder layer and having a depression formed in an outer surface of the middle layer; applying within the depression of the surface of the middle layer one or more inductive charging coils; connecting the one or more inductive charging coils to the electronic sensor package; and providing a substantially spherical outermost layer extending integrally around the entire middle layer. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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Specification