Method of operating screen baseball system

• US 10,166,482 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2016
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Realyagu Zone Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Realyagu Zone Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Seung-Jin, Kwon, Han-Jo, Kim, Hyoung-Gon
• Primary Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr., William H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leichliter, Chase
• Application Number:
  US15/080,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20160279526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 463421, 463422, 463450-453, 473421, 473422, 473450-453
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/40 Stationarily-arranged devices for projecting balls or other bodies golf cups with ball ejector means A63B57/405; traps for clay-pigeon targets F41J9/18
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball

Abstract

A method of operating a screen baseball system includes registering a personal rank of a user by a game management unit, displaying a pitching motion on a screen and starting a pitching action according to a selected pitch type, performing a simulation along a trajectory of a batted ball converted from batting detection data of a batter among users, and displaying an image on the screen by the game management unit, photographing a batting image of the batter and storing the batting image in a database by a game photographing unit such that the batting image is utilized for user training and character development programs, and transmitting simulation information and batting image data displayed, to a game shop, in which another user is positioned, in real time by a game server to play a game on line if the another user is positioned in a remote place.

Claims

1. A method of operating a screen baseball system, the method comprising:

(a) registering a personal rank of a user by a computer;

(b) displaying a pitching motion on a screen and starting a pitching action according to a selected pitch type;

(c) performing a simulation along a trajectory of a batted ball, which is obtained by receiving and converting batting detection data of a batter among users, and displaying an image on the screen by the computer;

(d) photographing a batting image of the batter and storing the batting image in a database by a camera such that the batting image is utilized for a user training program and a character development program; and

(e) transmitting simulation information and batting image data, which are displayed, to a game shop, in which another user is positioned, in real time by a game server to play a game on line if the another user is positioned in a remote place,

wherein the method includes monitoring and controlling steps (a) to (e), and the step (b) comprises previously storing an adjustment value for a specific pitch into an embedded memory device of a pitching machine section by considering that each shop has a different revolution of pitching machine and a different distance between the pitching machine and a batter box.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (a) comprises:

issuing a registration card having the personal rank and member subscription information of a user; and

registering the personal rank through a reader to read the registration card.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (a) comprises:

inputting the personal rank and member subscription information of the user using an application of a portable terminal; and

registering the personal rank together with the application through a short-range communication function of the portable terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (b) comprises selecting the pitch type through a keypad to prevent pitching information from leaking to an offense side.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (b) comprises selecting the pitch type through a joystick to prevent pitching information from leaking to an offense side.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (c) comprises:

detecting coordinate data of the batted ball as a plurality of front detection sensors are mounted at a position where a ballpark makes contact with an extension line of a base, and at a front or a rear of the position; and

detecting a strike ball, which fails to be batted, and a foul ball as a plurality of plane position sensors are positioned at left and right batter boxes and a catcher region.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (c) comprises manually adjusting a defensive position according to at least one of a batter characteristic, a runner situation, and a score situation by a defense side.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (c) comprises manually adjusting a runner motion according to at least one of a runner situation and a score situation by an offense side.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (c) comprises:

freely adjusting an appearance of a pitcher depending on a distance between the screen and the batter box by the computer; and

shielding light emitted from a rear surface of the screen with a blind, and coating a reflective material on a front surface of the screen.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (d) comprises transmitting the photographed batting image and reproducing the photographed batting image on a screen.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the simulation information and batting image data are transmitted through one of a wired communication network, a short-range communication network, and an Internet network.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (e) comprises:

inputting an available game schedule in an individual unit of a user or a team unit by the game server; and

providing the available game schedule to the another user in the remote place.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (c) comprises:

removing a shadow part from the trajectory of the batted ball and detecting change of a movement direction of the batted ball at a batting point as a camera sensor is mounted in a home plate region.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (d) comprises reproducing the photographed batting image on a screen.

15. A method of operating a screen baseball system, the method comprising:

(a) registering a personal rank of a user by a computer;

(b) displaying a pitching motion on a screen and starting a pitching action according to a selected pitch type;

(c) performing a simulation along a trajectory of a batted ball, which is obtained by receiving and converting batting detection data of a batter among users, and displaying an image on the screen by the computer;

(d) photographing a batting image of the batter and storing the batting image in a database by a camera such that the batting image is utilized for a user training program and a character development program; and

(e) transmitting simulation information and batting image data, which are displayed, to a game shop, in which another user is positioned, in real time by a game server to play a game on line if the another user is positioned in a remote place,

wherein the method includes monitoring and controlling steps (a) to (e), and wherein the step (c) comprises;

freely adjusting an appearance of a pitcher depending on a distance between the screen and a batter box by the computer; and

shielding light emitted from a rear surface of the screen with a blind, and coating a reflective material on a front surface of the screen.

16. A method of operating a screen baseball system, the method comprising:

(a) registering a personal rank of a user by a computer;

(b) displaying a pitching motion on a screen and starting a pitching action according to a selected pitch type;

(c) performing a simulation along a trajectory of a batted ball, which is obtained by receiving and converting batting detection data of a batter among users, and displaying an image on the screen by the computer;

(d) photographing a batting image of the batter and storing the batting image in a database by a camera such that the batting image is utilized for a user training program and a character development program; and

(e) transmitting simulation information and batting image data, which are displayed, to a game shop, in which another user is positioned, in real time by a game server to play a game on line if the another user is positioned in a remote place,

wherein the method includes monitoring and controlling steps (a) to (e), and wherein the step (c) comprises;

removing a shadow part from the trajectory of the batted ball and detecting change of a movement direction of the batted ball at a batting point as a camera sensor is mounted in a home plate region.