Sports Game Apparatus And Method

• US 20080153634A1
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard Bruce Welch
• Original Assignee: Richard Bruce Welch
• Inventors: Welch, Richard Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 8,292,709 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/498
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0037 on a target surface or at impact on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/15 with identification means that can be read by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/00 Targets or goals for ball games golf cups A63B57/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/007 Target zones without opening defined on a substantially horizontal surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0015 for cricket
• 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 71/0669 Score-keepers or score display devices
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 5/056 Switch actuation by hit-generated mechanical vibration of the target body, e.g. using shock or vibration transducers
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 5/06 Acoustic hit-indicating systems, i.e. detecting of shock waves F41J5/056 takes precedence

Abstract

There is described an apparatus for a sports game involving movement of a projectile, the apparatus comprising impact sensors for detecting impacts by a player of the sport game or the projectile, the impact sensors being coupled to a processor operable to derive characteristic data for a projectile movement from impacts detected by two or more of the player impact sensors. By monitoring impacts, rather than the movement of the projectile through the air, the apparatus may be both inexpensive and easy to install.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a sport game involving movement of a projectile, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of impact sensors, each impact sensor being operable to detect impacts caused by at least one of a player of the sport game and a projectile;

a processor coupled to the plurality of impact sensors by a communications link, wherein the processor is operable to process readings by at least two of the impact sensors in order to derive data indicative of the movement of the projectile.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of impact sensors comprise a planar sensor.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the impact sensors comprises at least two conductive layers separated by a central layer which allows conduction between the conductive layers when compressed.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an RFID sensor operable to detect an RFID tag carried by a player of the sport game.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communications link comprises a wireless communication link.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the wireless communication link is operable to transfer data using the Bluetooth protocol.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to generate data for displaying a graphical representation of the trajectory of the projectile using readings from at least two impact sensors.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to process readings from at least two of the impact sensors to calculate speed information for the movement of the projectile.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to calculate input parameters for an automatic projectile delivery machine to enable reproduction of a projectile trajectory.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to calculate input parameters for a computer program to enable virtual reproduction of a projectile trajectory by the computer program.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sport game is cricket.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least two of the impact sensors comprise mats operable to be positioned on a cricket pitch.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, comprising a mat operable to define a cricket pitch having at least one impact sensor embedded therein.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the impact sensors is adapted for mounting on a conventional cricket bat.

15. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the impact sensors is adapted for mounting on a conventional cricket pad.

16. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the impact sensors is adapted for mounting to one or more cricket stumps.

17. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the impact sensors is adapted for mounting to a cricket nets frame.

18. A method of analysing the movement of a projectile during a sport game, the method comprising:

receiving sensor readings from a plurality of impact sensors, each sensor reading corresponding to an impact caused by at least one of a player of the sport game and a projectile; and

processing sensor readings from at least two of the impact sensors in order to derive data indicative of the movement of the projectile.

19. A method according claim 18, wherein the processing step comprises generating data for displaying a graphical representation of the trajectory of the projectile using readings from at least two impact sensors.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein the processing step comprises processing readings from at least two of the impact sensors to calculate speed information for the movement of the projectile.

21. A method according to claim 18, wherein the processing step comprises calculating input parameters for an automatic projectile delivery machine to enable reproduction of a projectile trajectory.

22. A method according to claim 18, wherein the processing step comprises calculating input parameters for a computer program to enable virtual reproduction of a projectile trajectory by the computer program.

23. A storage device storing instructions including instructions for programming a programmable processing apparatus to implement a method according to claim 18.

24. (canceled)