Off Court Tennis

• US 20100087278A1
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James J. Wynne, Jeffrey S. Braun
• Original Assignee: James J. Wynne, Jeffrey S. Braun
• Inventors: Wynne, James J., Braun, Jeffrey S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,771,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/467
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0613 Automatic net-fault detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0627 when used improperly, e.g. by giving a warning
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 61/00 Tennis nets or accessories for tennis or like games , e.g. volley-ball devices for holding or carrying balls A63B47/00; for table tennis A63B67/04
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration

Abstract

The present invention is an apparatus to provide a virtual tennis net that can be placed on any convenient surface having two movable poles each having a light source dependent thereon; at least two scanning mirrors; at least two retroflectors; at least two beam splitters; at least two photo-detectors; and an audible or visible signal device that is actuated in response to interruptions of light falling on said photo-detectors such that when a the light beam is interrupted by a tennis ball, the beam is momentarily blocked and the signal to the photo-detector is interrupted, providing a signal that is used to trigger a light or sound signal that indicates the ball did not pass over the virtual net.

Claims

1. An apparatus to provide a virtual tennis net that can be placed on any convenient surface comprising:

(a) two movable poles each having a light source dependent thereon;

(b) at least two scanning mirrors;

(c) at least two retro-reflectors;

(d) at least two beam splitters;

(e) at least two photo-detectors; and

(f) an audible or visible signal device that is actuated in response to interruptions of light falling on said photo-detectors.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light beams are provided by semiconductor diode lasers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light beams in each moveable pole are retro-reflected from retro-reflecting tape attached to said moveable poles.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the top of said virtual net is established by a retractable string or tape stretched from at or near the top of said first pole to the top of said second opposite pole.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the separation distance between said first movable pole and said second movable pole is adjustable so as to provide a standard width virtual tennis net or a narrow net width for the purpose of practicing particular tennis strokes for accuracy of placement.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light beams are visible in low ambient light.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the virtual net can be set up in front of a wall.