System and method for improving a basketball player's shooting including a tracking and control system for tracking, controlling and reporting statistics

• US 10,518,153 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shoot-A-Way Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Shoot-A-Way Incorporated
• Inventors: Joseph, John G., Geiser, Troy David, Abnett, Albert Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Aryanpour, Mitra
• Application Number:
  US14/984,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20160166907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 473433, 473422, 473447, 473431, 473432, 473479-481, 473467
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0034 during flight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0056 for statistical or strategic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2063/001 Targets or goals with ball-returning means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/025 on rollers or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2210/50 Size reducing arrangements for stowing or transport
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/802 Ultra-sound sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/89 Field sensors, e.g. radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/74 with powered illuminating means, e.g. lights
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0075 Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/002 Devices for dispensing balls, e.g. from a reservoir automatic teeing devices A63B57/0006; devices for projecting balls A63B69/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/02 for picking-up or collecting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/083 for basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0071 : for basketball
• 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: A63B 71/022 : Backstops, cages, enclosures or the like, e.g. for spectator protection, for arresting balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0616 : Means for conducting or scheduling competition, league, tournaments or rankings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 : Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/582 : adapted for simultaneous range and velocity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 : Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 : Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

A device for assisting a user during basketball practice is disclosed. The device includes an ejector that launches a basketball, a control system that detects and records shooting data and programs the ejector, and an interface that has a plurality of indicia and communicates with the control system. A report generator is included that generates a report on the shooting data. In exemplary embodiments, a tracking device may detect the location of the basketball and a sensor may detect if the basketball passes through the goal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assisting a user during basketball practice on a basketball playing surface having a basketball goal, the apparatus comprising:

a frame;

an ejector mounted to said frame and configured to launch at least one basketball toward each of a plurality of predetermined locations on said basketball playing surface;

a user interface connected to said frame, wherein said user interface comprises a rendering of the basketball playing surface, including a three-point line, and a plurality of selectable locations at spaced angular positions on the interface, adjacent to the rendering of the three-point line, wherein each one of said selectable locations mark a distinct location on said rendering corresponding to said predetermined locations on said basketball playing surface, and wherein each of said selectable locations are configured to be individually, directly, and sequentially actuated by physical touch from the user to create a first custom basketball practice arrangement;

a programmable control system in electronic communication with the ejector and the user interface, wherein said control system is configured to receive data representing the first custom basketball practice arrangement created by the user at the interface and command said ejector to launch at least one basketball in the direction(s) of each of said predetermined locations corresponding with selectable locations of the first custom basketball practice arrangement;

a detector associated with the basketball goal and in electronic communication with the control system, said detector configured to detect basketballs passing through the goal; and

a report generator in electronic communication with the control system and the detector, wherein said report generator is configured to generate and transmit a report comprising shooting data for each of said predetermined locations of said first custom basketball practice arrangement;

wherein said control system is adapted to end said first custom basketball practice arrangement and to monitor for subsequent actuation of said selectable locations at the user interface by the user to create a second custom basketball practice arrangement different from said first custom basketball practice arrangement;

wherein the shooting data comprises a shooting efficiency score for each of the predetermined locations of said first custom basketball practice arrangement.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the control system is configured to determine and record the distance the at least one basketball was ejected; and

the shooting data further comprises the distance the at least one basketball was ejected.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the control system is configured to determine and record information regarding the travel path of the at least one basketball; and

the shooting data further comprises the information regarding the travel path of the at least one basketball.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the report generator is configured to make the shooting data available on a website.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the report generator is configured to make the shooting data available on an application.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a remote control device in wireless communication with the control system configured to permit programming of the ejector from a remote location.

14. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:

said report comprises a second rendering of the basketball playing surface, including a second rendering of the three-point line; and

the shooting efficiency score for each of the predetermined locations is displayed on the second rendering of the basketball playing surface to correspond with the distance the at least one basketball was ejected such that the report is capable of displaying the shooting efficiency scores in front of or behind the rendering of the three-point line.

7. A system for assisting a user during basketball practice comprising:

a launcher configured to eject a series of basketballs to predetermined locations;

a housing for said launcher;

a user interface located on said housing and comprising a rendering of a basketball playing area, including a rendering of a three-point arc, and a plurality of selectable locations configured to be actuated individually and directly by physical touch of the user to create custom basketball shooting routines, wherein said selectable locations are located at spaced angular positions on or along said three-point arc;

a control device in electronic communication with said user interface, wherein said control device is configured to receive data representing a user created custom basketball shooting routine and command the launcher to eject the series of basketballs to each of the predetermined locations corresponding with the selectable locations actuated by the user in the user created custom basketball shooting routine;

a sensor associated with a basketball goal, wherein said sensor is configured to detect basketballs passing through the basketball goal; and

a calculation device in electronic communication with the tracking device and the sensor, wherein said calculation device is configured to receive data from said control device indicating the number of passes in the user created custom basketball shooting routine and data from the sensor indicting the number of made basketball shots during the time the launcher was commanded to launch basketballs as part of the user created custom basketball shooting routine and generate a report comprising shooting data.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein:

the shooting data comprises the predetermined locations of the user created custom basketball practice routine corresponding with the selectable locations touched at the user interface, the number of times a basketball was ejected as part of the user created custom basketball practice routine as commanded by the control device, and the number of successful basketball goals detected by the sensor Lduring the user created basketball practice routine.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a network connection device in communication with the calculation device and a network, the network connection device configured to receive and transmit the shooting data.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the calculation device is configured format the shooting data for display on a website.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the calculation device is configured to format the shooting data for display on an application installed on a connected device.

13. The system of claim 7 wherein:

the tracking device is configured to determine and record the distance each of the basketballs were ejected; and

the shooting data further comprises the distance each of the basketballs where ejected.

12. A basketball launching apparatus for assisting a user performing a basketball practice routine comprising:

a frame;

a rotatable ejector connected to said frame and capable of launching a plurality of basketballs in a user programmed sequence to a number of predetermined spaced angular locations along a basketball playing area;

an interface connected to said frame and comprising;

a panel comprising a rendering of a basketball playing surface comprising a rendering of a baseline, a key, and a three-point line;

a plurality of selectable locations at said panel, wherein each of said selectable locations are configured to be selected by a user through physical touch in a direct, individual, and sequential fashion;

at least one input receiver for receiving the user selection of the plurality of selectable locations which define a user created custom basketball practice routine;

a time delay selection area configured to permit the user to select a time delay between said passes of said user created custom basketball practice routine; and

a shots per location selection area configured to permit the user to select the number of basketballs to be passed to each of said predetermined locations in said user created custom basketball practice routine;

wherein said plurality of selectable locations are arranged in spaced angular positions at said interface along the rendering of the three-point line;

a controller in electronic communication with the interface and the ejector, wherein controller is configured to receive said user created custom basketball practice routine from the interface, determine which of the predetermined locations said basketball passes will be launched to by said ejector to perform the user created custom basketball practice routine, and command said ejector to launch the number of basketballs selected by the user at the shots per location selection area to each of said predetermined locations forming the user created custom basketball practice routine at intervals corresponding with the user selection made at the time delay selection area; and

a counter configured to determine the number shots which pass through the basketball hoop during the user created custom basketball practice routine; and

a calculation device in electronic communication with the interface and the counter, wherein said calculation device is configured to receive data from the counter regarding the number of basketballs passing through the basketball hoop during the user created custom basketball practice routine and data from the controller regarding the number of passes made during the user created custom basketball practice routine and calculate a user efficiency score for each of the predetermined locations forming the user created custom basketball practice routine.