Electronic athletic equipment
First Claim
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1. An athletic instrument comprising:
- a surface including a predetermined area for striking a movable game element to impart motion thereto, the predetermined area being deemed as the intended location on the surface for striking the game element;
a multiple number of sensing means located at the periphery of the surface for detecting shock waves, caused when the game element strikes the surface, propagating along the surface;
means for differentiating respective moments at which the shock waves are initially detected by the respective sensing means;
means for signaling that the predetermined area has been struck if the respective moments at which the shock waves are initially detected by the respective sensing means fall within a reference time frame.
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Abstract
An electronic athletic instrument which measures the differences in time in which shock waves (or vibrations), caused by a movable game element hitting the instrument, are detected by different sensors, located on the periphery of the surface. By means of predetermined open window time periods and possible delays, as well as effecting different dimensional zones, this instrument is able to provide for instructive feedbacks to different players with different skill levels.
132 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An athletic instrument comprising:
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a surface including a predetermined area for striking a movable game element to impart motion thereto, the predetermined area being deemed as the intended location on the surface for striking the game element; a multiple number of sensing means located at the periphery of the surface for detecting shock waves, caused when the game element strikes the surface, propagating along the surface; means for differentiating respective moments at which the shock waves are initially detected by the respective sensing means; means for signaling that the predetermined area has been struck if the respective moments at which the shock waves are initially detected by the respective sensing means fall within a reference time frame. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of determining, in an athletic instrument having a surface for striking a movable game element so as to impart motion thereto, whether the movable game element has been optimally struck by the surface, comprising the steps of:
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designating a predetermined area on the surface as the ideal location with which to strike the movable game element; attaching a multiple number of sensing means at the periphery of the surface for detecting shock wave vibrations propagating along the surface; differentiating respective moments at which the shock wave vibrations are initially detected by the respective sensing means; ascertaining whether the respective moments at which the shock wave vibrations are initially detected by the respective sensing means fall within a reference time frame; and signalling the game element as having been struck by the predetermined area, if the reference time frame does encompass the respective initially detected moments. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A racquet comprising:
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a strung surface including a preferred predetermined area for striking a movable game element to impart optimal motion thereto; a plurality of sensing means located at the periphery of the surface for detecting shock waves, caused when the game element strikes the surface, propagating along the surface; means for differentiating respective moments at which the shock waves are initially detected by the respective sensing means; means for signaling that the predetermined area has been struck if the respective moments at which the shock waves are initially detected by the respective sensing means fall within a reference time frame. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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21. The racquet according to clam 20, wherein the sensing means comprises:
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at least a first pair of sensors located at opposite positions at the periphery of the surface along a longitudinal axis of the racquet; and at least a second pair of sensors located along an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis at opposite peripheral positions of the surface. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification