Method and apparatus for interactive tennis practice
First Claim
1. An interactive tennis practice device, comprising:
- a ball machine for projecting onto a first half of a tennis court tennis balls to be struck by a tennis player;
a control device for controlling said ball machine to project the tennis balls in one of a plurality of predetermined practice drill patterns selectable by the tennis player, each practice drill pattern including a sequence of drill shots with each drill shot having a predetermined ball velocity, predetermined ball trajectory, and predetermined ball direction;
means for sensing a point of impact of each tennis ball anywhere on a second half of the tennis court opposite the first half after being struck by the tennis player; and
means for displaying on a video screen the location on the tennis court of the points of impact.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device and method for interactive tennis practice to improve a player'"'"'s skills and sense and record the player'"'"'s performance. One of a number of predetermined practice drill patterns are selected, a ball machine is controlled to project tennis balls onto a tennis court in the selected practice drill pattern, and the points of impact of the tennis balls after they have been struck by a player are sensed and displayed on a video screen. The player may select one of several predetermined target areas on the court for display on the video screen, and the sensed points of impact may be recorded for later retrieval. The ball machine may project tennis balls in timed response to the sensing of the impacts of balls struck by the player. Game play may be simulated by selecting one of a number of predetermined target areas on the tennis court, projecting a tennis ball to be struck by the player onto the court, sensing the impact of the tennis ball in the target area after it has been struck, controlling the ball machine to project another ball in timed response to the sensed impact, and projecting another ball each time an impact in the target area is sensed.
66 Citations
31 Claims
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1. An interactive tennis practice device, comprising:
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a ball machine for projecting onto a first half of a tennis court tennis balls to be struck by a tennis player; a control device for controlling said ball machine to project the tennis balls in one of a plurality of predetermined practice drill patterns selectable by the tennis player, each practice drill pattern including a sequence of drill shots with each drill shot having a predetermined ball velocity, predetermined ball trajectory, and predetermined ball direction; means for sensing a point of impact of each tennis ball anywhere on a second half of the tennis court opposite the first half after being struck by the tennis player; and means for displaying on a video screen the location on the tennis court of the points of impact. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An interactive tennis practice device, comprising:
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a ball machine for projecting onto a tennis court a plurality of tennis balls in series to be struck by a tennis player; means for sensing the point of impact of each of the tennis balls on the tennis court after being struck by the tennis player and means for transmitting a signal each time one of the impact points is sensed; and a control device for receiving the signals and for controlling said ball machine to project another tennis ball toward the tennis player in timed response to the receipt of one of the signals each time one of the signals is received.
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11. An interactive tennis practice device, comprising:
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a ball machine for projecting onto a tennis court a plurality of tennis balls in series to be struck by a tennis player; target means for permitting the tennis player to select one of a plurality of predetermined target areas within the confines of the tennis court; means for sensing the initial impact of each of the tennis balls in the target areas after being struck by the tennis player and for transmitting a signal each time one of the impact points is sensed; and a control device for receiving the signals and for controlling said ball machine to project another tennis ball toward the tennis player in timed response to the receipt of one of the signals each time one of the signals is received. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method of interactively practicing tennis skills, comprising the steps of:
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selecting one of a plurality of predetermined practice drill patterns, each practice drill pattern including a sequence of drill shots with each drill shot having a predetermined ball velocity, a predetermined ball trajectory, and a predetermined ball direction; controlling a ball machine to project tennis balls onto a tennis court to be struck by a tennis player in said selected predetermined practice drill pattern; sensing points of impact of the tennis balls anywhere on one-half of the tennis court after being struck by the tennis player; and displaying on a video screen the location on the tennis court of said sensed points of impact. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of interactively practicing tennis skills, comprising the steps of:
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projecting onto a tennis court with a ball machine one of a plurality of tennis balls to be struck by a tennis player; sensing the impact of the tennis ball on the tennis court after being struck by the tennis player and transmitting a signal when the impact is sensed; receiving said transmitted signal and controlling a ball machine to project another tennis ball in timed response to the receipt of said transmitted signal; and repeating said steps of sensing, transmitting, receiving, and controlling each time one of the plurality of tennis balls impacts on the tennis court after being struck by the tennis player.
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20. A method of interactively practicing tennis skills comprising the steps of:
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selecting one of a plurality of predetermined target areas within the confines of a tennis court; projecting onto a tennis court with a ball machine one of a plurality of tennis balls to be struck by a tennis player; sensing the impact of the tennis ball in said selected target area after being struck by the tennis player and transmitting a signal when the impact is sensed; receiving said transmitted signal and controlling a ball machine to project another tennis ball in timed response to the receipt of said transmitted signal; and repeating said steps of sensing, transmitting, receiving, and controlling each time one of the plurality of tennis balls impacts in said selected target area after being struck by the tennis player. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. An interactive tennis practice device, comprising:
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a ball machine for projecting onto a tennis court tennis balls to be struck by a tennis player; means for sensing a point of impact of each tennis ball on the tennis court after being struck by the tennis player; means for displaying on a video screen the location on the tennis court of the impact points; and means for recording the impact points and for later retrieving the record of the impact points.
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23. An interactive tennis practice device, comprising:
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a ball machine for projecting onto a tennis court tennis balls to be struck by a player; means for sensing a point of impact of each tennis ball on the tennis court after being struck by the tennis player; means for displaying on a video screen the location on the tennis court of the impact points; and means for permitting the tennis player to select and display on the video screen one of a plurality of predetermined target areas within the confines of the tennis court. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. An interactive tennis practice device, comprising:
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a ball machine for projecting onto a tennis court tennis balls to be struck by a tennis player; means for sensing a point of impact of the tennis balls on the tennis court after being struck by the tennis player; means for displaying on a video screen the location on the tennis court of the impact points; and means for receiving electronic communications from a remote location including predetermined drill patterns for said control device.
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28. A method of interactively practicing tennis skills, comprising the steps of:
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selecting one of a plurality of predetermined practice drill patterns; controlling a ball machine to project tennis balls onto a tennis court in said selected predetermined practice drill pattern to be struck by a tennis player; sensing points of impact of each tennis ball after being struck by the tennis player; displaying on a video screen the location on the tennis court of the impact points; and designating one of a plurality of predetermined target areas within the confines of the tennis court and displaying said designated target area on the video screen. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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Specification