Electronic table tennis game

• US 5,566,936 A
• Filed: 02/08/1995
• Issued: 10/22/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joseph E. Newgarden Jr
• Original Assignee: Joseph E. Newgarden Jr
• Inventors: McDonald, Charles W., Newgarden, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Theatrice
• Application Number:
  US08/386,214
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 273/30, 273/29 R, 273/29 A, 273/327, 273/55 A, 273/371, 273/372, 273/373, 273/374, 482/84
• US Class Current: 473/475
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/004 Multiple detectors or sensors each defining a different zone
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2063/002 variable in size
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/00 Targets or goals for ball games golf cups A63B57/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/007 Target zones without opening defined on a substantially horizontal surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/04 Table games physically beneficial for the human body, modelled on outdoor sports, e.g. table tennis other table games A63F
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/40 Stationarily-arranged devices for projecting balls or other bodies golf cups with ball ejector means A63B57/405; traps for clay-pigeon targets F41J9/18

Abstract

A table tennis game is provided that can be used with an automatic table tennis ball serving device, the game including a plurality of sensors which can be arranged on the surface of the table to serve as targets, the sensors having means for detecting the impact of a table tennis ball. The game contains a programmable microcomputer connected to the sensors which converts the impact into a score, calculates the automatic server'"'"'s score, times the game, and displays the respective scores and elapsed time of play.

Claims

1. Table tennis apparatus for playing a game to be used by a human player on conventional table tennis table equipped with a centrally positioned table tennis net, comprising:

a table tennis ball serving device mounted to the table tennis table at one end thereof on one side of the table tennis net;

a plurality of movable and variably sized low profile sensors, randomly arranged on a surface of the table tennis table on the same side of the table tennis net as the table tennis serving ball serving device so as to provide predetermined randomly arranged targets for such human player striking a table tennis ball at an opposite end of said table tennis table from the table tennis ball serving device;

means within each sensor for converting the impact of a table tennis ball against each sensor into an electric impulse;

each sensor being connected to a microprocessor for integrating the functions of the game;

said microprocessor including means for preprogramming a score value for each sensor;

said microprocessor also including means for preprogramming an increment of time in which the human player must strike a sensor with a table tennis ball;

said microprocessor further including means for comparing the electrical impulse with the preprogrammed increment of time; and

said microprocessor additionally including means for calculating and displaying a digital score based on the comparison between the electrical impulse and the preprogrammed increment of time;

whereby an occurrence of an electrical impulse within the preprogrammed increment of time results in a digital score for the human player and no occurrence of the electrical impulse within the preprogrammed increment of time results in a digital score for the table tennis ball serving device.

2. Table tennis apparatus for playing a game to be used by a human player on a table tennis table equipped with a centrally positioned table tennis ball net, the apparatus comprising:

a robot table tennis ball serving device mounted to the table tennis table at one end thereof for serving balls to an opposite end of the table tennis table where a human player stands;

at least one movable low profile sensor, each such sensor capable of being placed at any desired location on a surface of such table tennis table which is on the same side of the table tennis net as the robot table tennis ball serving device so as to provide at least one predetermined randomly placed target for the human player when returning a table tennis ball from an opposite end of the table tennis table that is served by such robot table tennis ball serving device located at such one end of the table tennis table, each such sensor containing piezo film means for generating an electrical voltage upon an impact of a table tennis ball on each such sensor;

microprocessor means operably connected to each such sensor for integrating functions of said apparatus including means for preprogramming an assigned score value for each such sensor and means for preprogramming an increment of time;

means for comparing the electrical voltage from a table tennis ball impact on each such sensor with the preprogrammed increment of time of such microprocessor means; and

means for calculating and displaying a digital score based on the difference between the preprogrammed score value and the preprogrammed increment of time;

whereby the occurrence of an electrical voltage within the preprogrammed increment of time resulting in the assigned score value being displayed for the human player and the non-occurrence of all electrical voltage within the preprogrammed increment of time resulting in the assigned score value being displayed for the robot table tennis ball serving device.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein each sensor is an impact disc.

4. The invention of claim 3 and further comprising a piezo film sensor element bonded to a lower surface of a periphery of each impact disc, the piezo film sensor element constructed to generate an electrical impulse when an impact disc is struck by a table tennis ball.