LOCATION AND EVENT TRACKING SYSTEM FOR GAMES OF SPORT
First Claim
1. A method for determining whether a player has scored a goal in a sporting activity, wherein 1) each of a plurality of players participating in the sporting activity has a remotely identifiable player tag associated therewith and 2) a game-play object that is manipulated within a field of play and used to score by being passed through a goal has a remotely identifiable object tag associated therewith, the method comprising:
- identifying the position in three-dimensional space of each of the players and the game-play object by means of their associated tags; and
using the identified positions of the players and the game-play object, evaluating proximity of the game-play object to the players to assess whether any of the players is in possession of the game-play object;
if no player is sufficiently close to the game-play object to be in possession of the game-play object, then determining whether the game-play object is in a goal zone region, the goal zone region comprising a predefined, limited region in space surrounding the goal, andif the game-play object is determined to be in the goal zone region, then determining whether the game-play object has been within an attempt zone, the attempt zone comprising a smaller predefined, limited region in space within the goal zone region and also surrounding the goal, andif the game-play object is determined to be in the goal zone and to have been within the attempt zone, then determining whether a goal has been made by evaluating whether the game-play object passed in order through a plurality of predefined discrete sub-regions before, at, and after the goal, which plurality of sub-regions are within the attempt zone, andif the game-play object has passed in order through the plurality of predefined discrete sub-regions before, at, and after the goal, then indicating that a score has been made.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A location-and-event-tracking system includes radio-enabled anchors and tags on a field of play, e.g., a basketball court. Tags are attached to players and to balls or other game-play objects. The system determines the location in space of each of the tags. For tags connected to game-play objects, the system evaluates proximity to players to assess possession of the game-play object. If the game-play-object tag is not sufficiently close to a player for the player to be in possession of the object, the position of the game-play object is evaluated to determine whether the game-pay object is in a goal zone region. If so and the game-play object has been within an attempt zone, i.e., a sub-zone within the goal zone region, then the system determines whether a goal has been made by evaluating whether the game-play object passed in order through a number of sub-regions before, at, and after the goal.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for determining whether a player has scored a goal in a sporting activity, wherein 1) each of a plurality of players participating in the sporting activity has a remotely identifiable player tag associated therewith and 2) a game-play object that is manipulated within a field of play and used to score by being passed through a goal has a remotely identifiable object tag associated therewith, the method comprising:
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identifying the position in three-dimensional space of each of the players and the game-play object by means of their associated tags; and using the identified positions of the players and the game-play object, evaluating proximity of the game-play object to the players to assess whether any of the players is in possession of the game-play object; if no player is sufficiently close to the game-play object to be in possession of the game-play object, then determining whether the game-play object is in a goal zone region, the goal zone region comprising a predefined, limited region in space surrounding the goal, and if the game-play object is determined to be in the goal zone region, then determining whether the game-play object has been within an attempt zone, the attempt zone comprising a smaller predefined, limited region in space within the goal zone region and also surrounding the goal, and if the game-play object is determined to be in the goal zone and to have been within the attempt zone, then determining whether a goal has been made by evaluating whether the game-play object passed in order through a plurality of predefined discrete sub-regions before, at, and after the goal, which plurality of sub-regions are within the attempt zone, and if the game-play object has passed in order through the plurality of predefined discrete sub-regions before, at, and after the goal, then indicating that a score has been made. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for tracking players and a game-play object on a field of play including at least one goal and for determining whether a score has been made, the system comprising:
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a plurality of player tags and an object tag; a plurality of sensors which are able to remotely detect the player tags and the object tag; and a computing device having a processor and non-transitory program instructions contained in computer memory thereof; wherein the non-transitory program instructions are configured to cause the processor to execute the steps comprising receiving data from the plurality of sensors; identifying from the received data the position in three-dimensional space of each of the players and the game-play object by means of their associated tags; and using the identified positions of the players and the game-play object, evaluating proximity of the game-play object to the players to assess whether any of the players is in possession of the game-play object; wherein if no player is sufficiently close to the game-play object to be in possession of the game-play object, then evaluating whether the game-play object is in a goal zone region, which goal zone region is a predefined, limited region in space surrounding the goal, and if the game-play object is determined to be in the goal zone region, then evaluating whether the game-play object has been within an attempt zone, which attempt zone is a smaller predefined, limited region in space within the goal zone region and also surrounding the goal, and if the game-play object is determined to be in the goal zone and to have been within the attempt zone, then determining whether a goal has been made by evaluating whether the game-play object passed in order through a plurality of predefined discrete sub-regions before, at, and after the goal, which plurality of sub-regions are within the attempt zone, and if the game-play object has passed in order through the plurality of predefined discrete sub-regions before, at, and after the goal, then indicating that a score has been made. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification