SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ANALYZING BOWLING BALL MOTION

• US 20080287204A1
• Filed: 01/09/2008
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Bowling Congress, Inc.
• Original Assignee: United States Bowling Congress, Inc.
• Inventors: Jaryszak, James E., Ridenour, Paul J., Stremmel, Neil B., Roloff, Robert V., Siefers, Nick A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,088,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/58
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 5/04 Indicating devices

Abstract

A system and method for graphically and statistically analyzing and predicting the motion of a bowling ball. In one embodiment, the system includes an automatic precision ball thrower, a computer aided tracking system (“C.A.T.S.”), and a computing device. Certain static properties of the bowling ball are recorded as independent variables. The automatic precision ball thrower is used to throw the bowling ball down the lane a number of times and the C.A.T.S. records various dynamic characteristics of its path. This data is received by the computing device which uses it to calculate a plurality of dependent variables associated with the path of the bowling ball. The computing device relates the independent variables to the dependent variables using multivariable regression analysis, yielding a set of equations which can be used to predict the dependent variables (or dynamic characteristics) of a second bowling ball given a set of independent variables (or static characteristics of the second bowling ball).

Claims

1. A method for analyzing and predicting the path of a bowling ball, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of physical characteristics of a first bowling ball, the plurality of physical characteristics including a ball surface roughness, lane coefficient of friction, an oil absorption rate, and a radius of gyration;

determining a plurality of dynamic attributes of the first bowling ball by

repeatedly throwing the first bowling ball down a bowling lane, and

monitoring the motion of the first bowling ball during each throw using a plurality of sensors, the monitoring including

monitoring a skid phase, a hook phase, and a back-end phase of the first bowling ball, and

determining a path of motion, spin rate, and velocity of the first bowling ball as it travels down the bowling lane;

determining a relationship between the plurality of physical characteristics of the first bowling ball and the plurality of dynamic attributes of the first bowling ball using a multivariable regression;

determining a plurality of physical characteristics of a second bowing ball; and

configuring a computer to accept the plurality of physical characteristics of the second bowling ball and to execute a program based on the relationship and to generate a predicted path of the second bowling ball based on the plurality of physical characteristics of the second bowling ball.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring further comprises:

determining the first bowling ball'"'"'s intended path at a first distance and at a second distance.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the monitoring further comprises:

determining the first bowling ball'"'"'s average path at the first distance and at the second distance.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the monitoring further comprises:

determining the first bowling ball'"'"'s decrease in velocity between a third distance and the first distance; and

determining the first bowling ball'"'"'s decrease in velocity between the third distance and the second distance.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring further comprises

determining the first bowling ball'"'"'s change of angle at the first distance and at the second distance.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the monitoring further comprises

determining a first transition point, a second transition point, a negative slope, a positive slope, a total angle, a total hook length, an angle per foot, a breakpoint, a first transition to breakpoint length, a breakpoint to second transition length, and a frictional efficiency.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein repeatedly throwing the first bowling ball down a bowling lane is accomplished using an automatic ball thrower.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising configuring the automatic ball thrower to throw a bowling ball a number of times with consistent rotational speed, rotational axis, angle of delivery, loft, and velocity.

9. A system for predicting the path of a first bowling ball, the system comprising:

a computer configured to accept a plurality of physical characteristics of the first bowling ball and to execute a program based on a predetermined relationship and to generate a predicted path of the first bowling ball based on the plurality of physical characteristics of the first bowling ball;

wherein the predetermined relationship is based on a regression analysis of a plurality of physical characteristics of a second bowling ball and a plurality of dynamic attributes of the second bowling ball,

the plurality of physical characteristics of the second bowling ball including a ball surface roughness, lane coefficient of friction, an oil absorption rate, and a radius of gyration;

the plurality of dynamic attributes of the second bowling ball determined by

repeatedly throwing the second bowling ball down a bowling lane using an automatic ball thrower, and

monitoring the motion of the second bowling ball during each throw using a plurality of sensors, the monitoring including monitoring a skid phase, a hook phase, and a back-end phase of the second bowling ball and determining a path of motion, spin rate, and velocity of the second bowling ball as it travels down the bowling lane.

10. A system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a robotic ball thrower; and

a computer aided tracking device.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the robotic ball thrower is configured to throw the first bowling ball in a repeatable manner, with consistent rotational speed, rotational axis, angle of delivery, loft, and velocity.

12. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the computer aided tracking device comprises a bowling lane and a number of sensors.

13. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the computer aided tracking device is configured to

determine the second bowling ball'"'"'s path, spin rate, velocity, launch angle, and entry angle for each throw;

and

determine an average bowling ball path, average velocity at a number of points along the average bowling ball path, average launch angle, and average entry angle, for a number of throws of the second bowling ball.

14. A method for analyzing and predicting the path of a bowling ball that is thrown down a bowling lane, the method comprising:

determining physical attributes of a bowling ball;

generating a first set of data comprised of the physical characteristics of the bowling ball;

throwing the bowling ball down the bowling lane a number of times;

determining dynamic attributes of the bowling ball as it travels down the lane using a number of sensors;

generating a second set of data based upon the characteristics of the bowling ball'"'"'s path;

determining a relationship between the first set of data and the second set of data; and

using the relationship to predict the path of a second bowling ball.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein an automatic precision ball thrower is used to throw the bowling ball down the lane in a repeatable manner.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the automatic precision ball thrower is configured to throw the bowling ball a number of times with consistent rotational speed, rotational axis, angle of delivery, loft, and velocity.

17. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first set of data includes an on-lane coefficient of friction, a dry lane coefficient of friction, an oil absorption rate, a radius of gyration, a surface roughness, a total differential, an intermediate differential, a spin time, a diameter, a room temperature, a side weight, an oil volume at 8 feet and 32 feet, a finger/thumb weight, a room humidity, a top weight, and a lane temperature.

18. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second set of data includes the bowling ball'"'"'s intended path at a first distance, intended path at a second distance, average path at the first distance, and average path at the second distance.

19. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second set of data includes the bowling ball'"'"'s decrease in velocity between a third distance and a first distance and decrease in velocity between the third distance and a second distance.

20. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second set of data includes the bowling ball'"'"'s change of angle at a first distance, change of angle at a second distance, an angle per foot, and a total angle.

21. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second set of data includes a first transition point, a second transition point, a breakpoint, a first transition to breakpoint length, and a breakpoint to second transition length.

22. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second set of data includes a negative slope, a positive slope, a total hook length, and a frictional efficiency.

23. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein a computing device uses multivariable regression analysis, with the first set of data as the independent variables and the second set of data as the dependent variables, to determine the relationship between the first set of data and the second set of data.

24. A system for predicting dynamic attributes of a first bowling ball, the system comprising a processor configured to:

receive physical attributes of the first bowling ball; and

generate the dynamic attributes of the first bowling ball by using a relationship between a second bowling ball'"'"'s physical and dynamic attributes.

25. A system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the physical attributes of the first bowling ball include an on-lane coefficient of friction, a dry lane coefficient of friction, an oil absorption rate, a radius of gyration, a surface roughness, a total differential, an intermediate differential, a spin time, a diameter, a room temperature, a side weight, an oil volume at 8 feet and 32 feet, a finger/thumb weight, a room humidity, a top weight, and a lane temperature.

26. A system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the dynamic attributes of the second bowling ball include the second bowling ball'"'"'s intended path at a first distance, intended path at a second distance, average path at the first distance, and average path at the second distance.

27. A system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the dynamic attributes of the second bowling ball include the second bowling ball'"'"'s decrease in velocity between a third distance and a first distance and decrease in velocity between the third distance and a second distance.

28. A system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the dynamic attributes of the second bowling ball include the second bowling ball'"'"'s change of angle at a first distance, change of angle at a second distance, an angle per foot, and a total angle.

29. A system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the dynamic attributes of the second bowling ball include a first transition point, a second transition point, a breakpoint, a first transition to breakpoint length, and a breakpoint to second transition length.

30. A system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the dynamic attributes of the second bowling ball include a negative slope, a positive slope, a total hook length, and a frictional efficiency.

31. A computer system for predicting the motion of a test bowling ball, the system comprising:

a programmed processor configured to receive input data regarding the physical characteristics of the test bowling ball, the physical characteristics including surface roughness, lane coefficient of friction, an oil absorption rate, and a radius of gyration,

the programmed processor including a path predicting module configured to generate a predicted path of the test bowling ball based on a relationship between

a predetermined plurality of dynamic attributes of one or more second bowling balls which are not the test bowling ball, and

a predetermined plurality of physical characteristics of the one or more second bowling balls which are not the test bowling ball;

wherein the relationship is a based on a regression analysis and is stored in a memory accessible by the programmed processor.

32. The system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the physical characteristics further include an on-lane coefficient of friction, a dry lane coefficient of friction, an oil absorption rate, a radius of gyration, a surface roughness, a total differential, an intermediate differential, a spin time, a diameter, a room temperature, a side weight, an oil volume at 8 feet and 32 feet, a finger/thumb weight, a room humidity, a top weight, and a lane temperature.

33. A system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the dynamic attributes of the second bowling ball include an average bowling ball path, average velocity at a number of points along the average bowling ball path, average launch angle, and average entry angle.