SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AN IMPACT LOCATION AND AMPLITUDE SENSOR

• US 20100198528A1
• Filed: 02/03/2009
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R0R3 Devices Inc., Soccer Matrix (UK) Limited
• Original Assignee: R0R3 Devices Inc.
• Inventors: McCauley, Jack J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,447,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/41
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0043 Systems for locating the point of impact on a specific surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0008 for batting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/808 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/89 Field sensors, e.g. radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/102 Boxing
• 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 69/002 for football American-football dummies A63B69/34
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/22 mounted on, or suspended from, a fixed support
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 Ball
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/14 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/22 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/28 takes precedence

Abstract

An impact location and amplitude sensory system is provided. Such an impact sensory system may be useful in conjunction with gaming, education, as a control and feedback mechanism for virtually any surface. One embodiment of the impact sensory system may include at least one sensor and a signal processor. The sensor(s) may couple to the object. Sensors may include any of microphones and accelerometers. The sensor(s) receive an impact wave from an impact to the object, either as a propagating acoustic wave or as a traverse phase shift in natural oscillation. The sensor(s) may generate an impact signal in response to the sensed impact wave. The signal processor may couple to the sensor(s). The signal processor may include a preamplifier, an impact triangulator, and an outputter. The impact triangulater may identify a location of the impact from the impact signals. The outputter may then output data regarding the location of the impact.

Claims

1. An impact sensory system, useful in conjunction with an object, the impact sensory system comprising:

at least one sensor configured to couple to the object, wherein the at least one sensor receives an impact wave from an impact to the object, and wherein the at least one sensor generates an impact signal in response to the sensed impact wave;

a signal processor configured to couple to the at least one sensor, wherein the signal processor further comprises;

at least one input configured to receive the impact signals from the at least one sensor;

a preamplifier configured to amplify the received impact signals;

an impact triangulater configured to identify a location of the impact from the impact signals; and

a data outputter configured to output data regarding the location of the impact.

2. The impact sensory system of claim 1, wherein the signal processor further comprises a signal amplitude calibrator, wherein the signal amplitude calibrator identifies force of the impact by referencing the impact signals with the location of the impact.

3. The impact sensory system of claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor includes microphones for sensing audio waves.

4. The impact sensory system of claim 3, wherein the impact triangulater uses a wave propagation model of the object to identify the location of the impact.

5. The impact sensory system of claim 4, wherein the impact triangulater uses latency of the impact signals from each of the at least one sensor to identify the location of the impact.

6. The impact sensory system of claim 3, wherein the signal processor further comprises a band pass filter for excluding resonant frequencies of the microphones from the impact signals.

7. The impact sensory system of claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor includes accelerometers for sensing object accelerations.

8. The impact sensory system of claim 7, wherein the signal processor further comprises a signal offset detector for measuring phase shifts from a natural frequency of the object, wherein the phase shifts result from the impact.

9. The impact sensory system of claim 8, wherein the impact triangulater uses the measured phase shift to identify the location of the impact.

10. The impact sensory system of claim 1, wherein the impact sensory system is integrated into a soccer response system, further comprising at least one sensory panel configured to from a ring, wherein each of the at least one sensory panel includes the at least one sensor for receiving an impact wave from an impact of a ball on said panel.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising identifying the force of the impact by referencing the impact signals with the location of the impact.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the sensing the impact wave includes sensing audio waves.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the triangulating the location of the impact uses a wave propagation model of the object to identify the location of the impact.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the triangulating the location of the impact uses latency of the impact signals from the locations of sensing the impact wave to identify the location of the impact.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising filtering out resonant frequencies from the impact signals.

17. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the sensing the impact wave includes sensing object accelerations.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising measuring phase shifts from a natural frequency of the object, wherein the phase shifts result from the impact.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the triangulating the location of the impact uses the measured phase shift to identify the location of the impact.

11. A method for sensing an impact, useful in conjunction with an impact sensory system and an object, the method comprising:

sensing an impact wave from an impact to the object;

generating at least one impact signal in response to the sensed impact wave;

amplifying the at least one impact signal;

triangulating the location of the impact from the at least one impact signal; and

outputting data regarding the location of the impact.