BASKETBALL SENSING

• US 20140195019A1
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Thurman, Robert T., Krysiak, Kevin L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,159,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/91
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/182 Softball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/35 Spin
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/72 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0066 Rugby; American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0095 Volleyball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/02 Bladders
• 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: A63B 60/46 Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0071 : for basketball
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 : Sports

Abstract

An apparatus including a data acquisition device, a processing unit, a memory and an output device. The data acquisition device obtains at least one attribute of a shot of a basketball towards a basket. The at least one attribute is sensed by at least one sensor carried by the basketball or derived from signal output by the at least one sensor. The memory contains instructions to direct the processing unit to determine whether the shot is a made basket shot or a missed basketball shot by comparing the at least one attribute of the shot to one or more predetermined signature characteristics of a made basket. The output device presents output to a person based on the determination of whether the shot is a made basket shot or a missed basket shot.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a data acquisition device to obtain at least one attribute of a shot of a basketball towards a basket, the at least one attribute being sensed by at least one sensor carried by the basketball or derived from signal output by the at least one sensor;

a processing unit;

a memory containing instructions to direct the processing unit to determine whether the shot is a made basket shot or a missed basket shot by comparing the at least one attribute of the shot to one or more predetermined signature characteristics of a made basket; and

an output device to present output to a person based on the determination of whether the shot is a made basket shot or a missed basket shot.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises instructions to direct the processing unit to identify one or more predetermined signature characteristics of a made basket shot based upon signals received from the at least one sensor carried by the basketball during at least one made basket calibration shot.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one made basket calibration shot comprises at least one of a made bank shot, a made swish shot and a made rim shot.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one signature characteristic of a made basket shot comprises a characteristic of the basketball sensed by the at least one sensor as the basketball passes through a net of the basket.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one signature characteristic of a made basket shot comprises a sensed characteristic of the basketball sensed by the at least one sensor as the basketball passes through a lower half of the net.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one signature characteristic of a made basket shot comprises a characteristic of the basketball sensed by the at least on sensor as the basketball travels from the net to the ground.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one signature characteristic of a made basket shot comprises at least one sensed characteristic of the basketball sensed by the at least one sensor during a period of time consisting of a time that begins while the basketball is passing through a net of the basket.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one signature characteristic of a made basket shot comprises a sensed deceleration of the basketball within a predetermined range as the basketball is passing through a net of the basket.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one signature characteristic of a made basket shot comprises a plurality of sensed characteristics of the basketball in combination during the made basket shot.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of sensed characteristics of the basketball in combination comprises at least one of a spin of the basketball, a maximum height of a parabolic path of the basketball, a velocity of the basketball, and a distance traveled by the basketball until encountering resistance.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of sensed characteristics of the basketball during the made basket shot further comprises a sensed vibration of the basketball corresponding to impact of the basketball with a backboard of the basket.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensed characteristics of the basketball during the made basket shot further comprises a sensed vibration of the basketball corresponding to impact of the basketball with a rim of the basket.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of sensed characteristics of the basketball during the made basket shot further comprises a spin of the basketball during the made basket shot.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of sensed characteristics of the basketball during the made basket shot comprises a sensed vibration of the basketball corresponding to impact of the basketball with a rim of the basket.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the plurality of sensed characteristic of the basketball during the made basket shot further comprises a spin of the basketball during the made basket shot.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more predetermined signature characteristics of a made basket shot comprises at least one characteristic of the made basket as a function of time.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises instructions to direct the processing unit to calibrate and establish a directional coordinate system for the basket.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions to calibrate and establish directional coordinate system for the basket comprise instructions to calibrate and establish a baseline for an earth compass direction of the basket with respect to the basketball using a magnetometer carried by the basketball.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the instructions prompt a person to move the basketball in a direction of the basket from a free-throw line perpendicular to the free-throw line.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions prompt input of values as to a location of a current location the basketball with respect to a location of the basket.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions direct the processing unit to utilize a localized magnetic field in a basketball court containing the basket to calibrate and establish a directional coordinate system for the basket.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions direct the processing unit to utilize a global positioning system to calibrate and establish a directional coordinate system for the basket.