DEVICE FOR DETECTING AND ASSESSING VIBRATIONS CAUSED BY SPORTING EQUIPMENT

• US 20180236333A1
• Filed: 02/21/2017
• Published: 08/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robosport Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Robosport Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Loduca, Salvatore
• Granted Patent: US 10,497,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0008 for batting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0661 arranged on the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0204 Standing on the feet
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/64 Frequency, e.g. of vibration oscillation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, devices, and methods for providing feedback regarding an impact between a sporting implement and a ball, an example system comprising a ring attachable to the sporting implement, the ring including a sensor for detecting vibrations caused by an impact between the sporting implement and the ball and determining whether a level of the vibrations is within a predetermined range, and a speaker within audible range of the player, the speaker configured to emit an audible tone in response to receiving a signal from the sensor indicating that the level of the vibrations is within the predetermined range.

Claims

1. A method of providing feedback regarding an impact between a sporting implement and a ball, the method comprising:

detecting, by a sensor included in a ring configured to be attached to the sporting implement, vibrations caused by an impact between the sporting implement and the ball;

determining whether the impact between the sporting implement and the ball corresponds to a clean hit based on the detected vibrations;

sending a signal, to a speaker, when it is determined that the impact between the sporting implement and the ball corresponds to a clean hit, to cause the speaker to emit an audible tone; and

emitting, by the speaker, the audible tone.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined range is a first predetermined range and the audible tone is a first audible tone, and the method further comprises:

determining whether the level of the vibrations is within a second predetermined range;

sending a signal, to the speaker, when the level of the vibrations is within the second predetermined range, to cause the speaker to emit a second audible tone; and

emitting, by the speaker, the second audible tone.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sporting implement is one of a baseball bat, softball bat, a golf club, a tennis racket, or a hockey stick.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the sensor, data regarding the detected vibrations, to a computing device;

analyzing, by the computing device, the data received from the sensor to determine analytics and statistics regarding the impact between the sporting implement and the ball; and

displaying, by the computing device, the analytics and statistics.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the analytics and statistics include a score related to the impact between the sporting implement and the ball.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the speaker is included in an earpiece worn by the player.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising calibrating the sensor based on the vibrations detected by the sensor.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether the impact between the sporting implement and the ball corresponds to a clean hit based on the detected vibrations includes determining whether a level of the vibrations is within a predetermined range.

8. A system for providing feedback regarding an impact between a sporting implement and a ball, the system comprising:

a ring configured to be attached to the sporting implement, the ring including a sensor configured to detect vibrations caused by an impact between the sporting implement and the ball;

a speaker; and

a computing device configured to;

receive data regarding the detected vibrations from the sensor,

determine whether the impact between the sporting implement and the ball corresponds to a clean hit based on the detected vibrations, and

when it is determined that the impact between the sporting implement and the ball corresponds to a clean hit, send a signal to the speaker to cause the speaker to emit an audible tone.

9. The system according to claim 22, wherein the predetermined range is a first predetermined range and the audible tone is a first audible tone, and the computing device is further configured to:

determine whether the level of vibrations is within a second predetermined range; and

when it is determined that the level of vibrations is within the second predetermined range, send a signal to the speaker to cause the speaker to emit a second audible tone.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the sporting implement is one of a baseball bat, softball bat, a golf club, a tennis racket, or a hockey stick.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

analyze the data regarding the detected vibrations received from the sensor to determine analytics and statistics regarding the impact between the sporting implement and the ball; and

display the analytics and statistics.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the analytics and statistics include a score related to the impact between the sporting implement and the ball.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the speaker is included in an earpiece worn by the player.

14. The system according to claim 8, wherein sensor is calibrated based on the detected vibrations.

22. The system according to claim 8, wherein determining whether the impact between the sporting implement and the ball corresponds to a clean hit based on the detected vibrations includes determining whether a level of the vibrations is within a predetermined range.

15. A ring for providing feedback regarding an impact between a sporting implement and a ball, the ring configured to be to the sporting implement and including a sensor configured to:

detect vibrations caused by an impact between the sporting implement and the ball;

determine whether the impact between the sporting implement and the ball corresponds to a clean hit based on the detected vibrations; and

when it is determined that the impact between the sporting implement and the ball corresponds to a clean hit, send a signal, to a speaker within audible range of the player, to cause the speaker to emit an audible tone.

16. The ring according to claim 23, wherein the predetermined range is a first predetermined range and the audible tone is a first audible tone, and the sensor is further configured to:

determine whether the level of the vibrations is within a second predetermined range; and

send a signal, to the speaker, to cause the speaker to emit a second audible tone when the level of the vibrations is determined to be within the second predetermined range.

17. The ring according to claim 15, wherein the sporting implement is one of a baseball bat, softball bat, a golf club, a tennis racket, or a hockey stick.

23. The ring according to claim 15, wherein determining whether the impact between the sporting implement and the ball corresponds to a clean hit based on the detected vibrations includes determining whether a level of the vibrations is within a predetermined range.

18-20. -20. (canceled)