FOOTBALL SENSING
First Claim
1. A football sensing system comprising:
- an American-style football extending along a longitudinal axis and having a maximum transverse dimension defining a transverse axis, the football having a bladder and a cover about the bladder;
at least one accelerometer carried by the football between the bladder and the cover to sense acceleration of the football along at least a first axis, the accelerometer sized to sense a predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis, the accelerometer being positioned within the football in a first position with the first axis of the accelerometer angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the football, the accelerometer in the first position being capable of measuring acceleration values in a direction in line with or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the football that are greater than the predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A football sensing system may include an American-style football extending along a longitudinal axis and having a maximum transverse dimension defining a transverse axis and at least one accelerometer. The football has a bladder and a cover about the bladder. The accelerometer is carried by the football between the bladder and the cover to sense acceleration along at least a first axis. The accelerometer is sized to sense a predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis. The accelerometer is positioned within the football in a first position with the first axis of the accelerometer angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the football. The accelerometer in the first position is capable of measuring acceleration values in a direction in line with or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the football that are greater than the predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A football sensing system comprising:
-
an American-style football extending along a longitudinal axis and having a maximum transverse dimension defining a transverse axis, the football having a bladder and a cover about the bladder; at least one accelerometer carried by the football between the bladder and the cover to sense acceleration of the football along at least a first axis, the accelerometer sized to sense a predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis, the accelerometer being positioned within the football in a first position with the first axis of the accelerometer angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the football, the accelerometer in the first position being capable of measuring acceleration values in a direction in line with or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the football that are greater than the predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A football sensing system comprising:
-
an American-style football extending along a longitudinal axis and having a maximum transverse dimension defining a transverse axis; a gyroscope carried by the football; at least one accelerometer carried by the football to sense acceleration of the football along at least a first axis, the accelerometer sized to sense a predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis, the accelerometer being positioned within the football in a first position with the first axis of the accelerometer angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the football, the accelerometer in the first position being capable of measuring acceleration values in a direction in line with or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the football that are greater than the predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis; and a processor operably coupled to the first and second accelerometers, the processor configured to receive signals from the first and second accelerometers representing the acceleration of the football in the first and second directions, the processor configured to process the acceleration signals and the predetermined transverse distance to calculate a spin rate of the football about the longitudinal axis. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
-
-
20. A football sensing system comprising:
-
an American-style football extending along a longitudinal axis and having a maximum transverse dimension defining a transverse axis, the football having an outer surface; at least one accelerometer carried by the football to sense acceleration of the football along at least a first axis, the accelerometer sized to sense a predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis, the accelerometer being positioned within the football in a first position with the first axis of the accelerometer angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the football, the accelerometer in the first position being capable of measuring acceleration values in a direction in line with or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the football that are greater than the predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis, wherein the first axis along which acceleration of the football is sensed by the accelerometer extends in a plane parallel to a portion of the outer surface opposite the accelerometer.
-
Specification