System and apparatus for program controlled delivery of game balls
First Claim
1. Program controlled game ball delivery apparatus comprising:
- means for successively ejecting a plurality of game balls, including means for setting the trajectories of said balls; and
a controller including;
an input device for entering court and ball data signals for each of a plurality of balls, said input device including means displaying a tennis court diagram having a multiplicity of court locations distributed over said diagram corresponding to actual positions on a tennis court where an ejected ball would first hit for each of the different ball trajectories, and means for selecting one of said court locations for each ball and for developing electrical identifying data signals for the selected court location, said selecting and signal developing means including a multiplicity of separate manually operated switch means at said respective court locations,means for converting said court location and ball data signals for each ball to data signals for the corresponding ball trajectory,memory means for digitally storing data signals respectively associated with a sequence of balls,and means for operating said trajectory setting means in accordance with the trajectory data signals for each said ball so as to set a sequence of individual ball trajectories in accordance with said sequence of stored data signals,whereby the operator merely selects the ball type and a court location for each delivered ball to hit on an associated tennis court and the apparatus establishes the corresponding trajectory to deliver the ejected ball thereto.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ejector for a sequence of game balls has variable device for setting a different trajectory for each ball and for varying the time interval between each ball delivery. A controller includes an input device used by the tennis player or instructor to enter the court and ball data for each of a sequence of balls; a converter for changing the court and ball data to corresponding trajectory data used in setting the ball ejector; and a digital memory for storing the data for each ball. The controller is switched to a programming mode for setting up the court and ball data for the sequence of balls to be delivered and to an operating mode in which the balls are delivered in accordance with the set program.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. Program controlled game ball delivery apparatus comprising:
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means for successively ejecting a plurality of game balls, including means for setting the trajectories of said balls; and a controller including; an input device for entering court and ball data signals for each of a plurality of balls, said input device including means displaying a tennis court diagram having a multiplicity of court locations distributed over said diagram corresponding to actual positions on a tennis court where an ejected ball would first hit for each of the different ball trajectories, and means for selecting one of said court locations for each ball and for developing electrical identifying data signals for the selected court location, said selecting and signal developing means including a multiplicity of separate manually operated switch means at said respective court locations, means for converting said court location and ball data signals for each ball to data signals for the corresponding ball trajectory, memory means for digitally storing data signals respectively associated with a sequence of balls, and means for operating said trajectory setting means in accordance with the trajectory data signals for each said ball so as to set a sequence of individual ball trajectories in accordance with said sequence of stored data signals, whereby the operator merely selects the ball type and a court location for each delivered ball to hit on an associated tennis court and the apparatus establishes the corresponding trajectory to deliver the ejected ball thereto. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification