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• US 20110136603A1
• Filed: 12/07/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aviva Presser, Hemali Ajay Thakkar, Jessica Osemudiamen Matthews, Jessica Sara Lin, Julia Claire Silverman
• Original Assignee: Aviva Presser, Hemali Ajay Thakkar, Jessica Osemudiamen Matthews, Jessica Sara Lin, Julia Claire Silverman
• Inventors: Lin, Jessica Sara, Silverman, Julia Claire, Matthews, Jessica Osemudiamen, Thakkar, Hemali Ajay, Presser, Aviva
• Application Number:
  US12/592,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20110136603A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/570
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2039/006 pressurised
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/08 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/58 Measurement of force related parameters by electric or magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/06 with illuminating devices ; with reflective surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/08 recovering energy derived from swinging, rolling, pitching or like movements, e.g. from the vibrations of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/183 using impacting bodies high voltage generators in spark lighters F23Q
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/30 with mechanical input and electrical output, e.g. functioning as generators or sensors

Abstract

Our invention hybridizes ‘ball sports,’ including soccer, baseball, tennis, and etc., and devices converting mechanical energy (through impact or shaking) to produce power while playing or participating in sports. Modifications include embedding sensors into a ball to identify the degree of kicking or hitting, or utilize them in the context of other computer or AV-based games.

The energy-producing ball embeds the coiled-impact sensors and/or shake-to-charge technology, vibration, or other piezo-electric materials to convert the mechanical energy of kicking, hitting, or bouncing into electrical energy. The energy can be stored internally, internally on a removable device, externally, or in some hybrid. The ball can be a source of light, contain housings for light sources or battery-charging adapters, or plugged into other energy-collection/storage units. The stored energy within the ball can be used to charge batteries, power light sources, cell phones, radios, or other electrical products.

Claims

1. Any ball or sphere (hitherto designated ‘

Ball’

) designed for play or sport containing devices in its body or in its shell which can harvest impact, deformation, kinetic, piezoelectric, or induced energy.

2. Claim 1 where the Ball is (but not limited to) a soccer ball, volleyball, basketball, football, hockey puck, cricket ball, tennis ball, squash ball, racquet ball, or baseball. These objects may, but need not, be of the size regulated by professional or amateur game associations in the United States, Europe, or International agency.

3. Claims 1-2 where the energy generating or harvesting device is comprised of a conductive coil or coils with one or more magnets inside the coil (shake-to-charge technology).

4. Claim 1-2 where magnet(s) embedded in the Ball move through a coil(s) by the motion of the Ball, thereby generating power.

5. Claims 1-2 where the energy harvesting is completed by use of piezo-electric materials, on or contained in the Ball or surface of the Ball covering either all or part of the Ball.

6. Claims 1-2 where the energy is generated by the use of one or more eccentric rotors inside or attached to the Ball.

7. Claim 5 where the piezo-electric material capture impact or kinetic energy of contact with the Ball by a foot, hand, arm, head, knee, other body part, bat, hockey stick, lacrosse stick, racket, goal post, backboard and rim, or other sports implement, or the ground, walls, and other contact surfaces to generate power, or where the Ball is enabled with ‘

Crowd Farm’

technology (a specific application of the piezo-electric energy harvesting device).

8. Claim 1-7 where stored energy can be extracted via an outlet in the Ball.

9. Claim 1-7 where the energy produced is stored in a capacitor, capacitors, a supercapacitor, supercapacitors, a battery, or batteries, which can be internal to the Ball, attached externally, attached to the surface, or in multiple components comprising some or all of these options.

10. Claims 1-7 where the Ball surface contains a housing or housings for LEDs, P-LEDs, O-LEDs, electroluminescent polymers, fluorescent bulbs, or other electric light sources that are fed by the energy storage unit in or attached to the ball, or is the Ball in whole or in part is made up of light-emitting material.

11. Claims 1-7 where the Ball itself is made of material in whole or in part that lights up directly.

12. Claim 1-7 where the device storing the harvested energy is a removable internal battery or batteries, or if the battery or batteries are not removable.

13. Claim 1-7 where the voltage output is amplified or diminished by internal or external electronics.

14. Claim 1-7 where any computer or AV-based games may use this product/technology as a game product, console, or controller.

15. Claim 1-7 where any electronic or video games may use this product/technology as a game product, console, or controller.

16. Claim 1-7 with sensors embedded to measure and/or display kicking force.

17. Claim 1-7 to be used for measuring/improving performance by displaying how much force has come in contact with the sports ball, or for use of such information recreationally.

18. Claims 1-7 where the energy harvesting is exchangeable between the Ball and other Devices.

19. Claim 1-7 where the energy harvesting technology and product is a removable unit from the Ball.

20. Claim 1-7 where each component of the energy harvesting technology and product is reusable and replaceable within the removable unit.