Miniature sports radar speed measuring device
First Claim
1. A ball speed measuring device for providing a measurement of the speed of a ball being caught in a web of a ball glove worn by a person catching the ball, the device comprising:
- a transmitter/receiver including at least one antenna element generally directable toward an approaching ball being caught by said person and a radiation generating circuit having an output connected to the at least one antenna element to radiate therefrom a signal generated by the radiation generating circuit;
a securement configured to support at least said antenna element of the device on the web of the glove with said antenna element directed through the web toward the approaching ball when the glove is positioned for catching the approaching ball by said person;
the transmitter/receiver further including a receiver circuit connected to receive from said antenna element and through the web a portion of said radiated signal reflected from the approaching ball and including a signal processor configured to derive from the received reflected signal the speed of the approaching ball; and
an output element connected to the receiver circuit and operable to produce a ball speed indication signal indicating the derived speed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sensor is provided for measuring the speed of a moving sports object, for example a ball such as a baseball or softball. The sensor is operable over a short range and is preferably mounted in close proximity to the path of the moving object. For measuring the speed of a ball, the sensor is preferably mounted on or in a ball glove or is otherwise mounted on the forearm of a person catching or otherwise receiving or interacting with the ball, for example, by wearing the sensor on such person'"'"'s wrist. The sensor measures the speed of a ball about to be caught, for example, and displays the speed of the ball to the catching player. The sensor of the preferred embodiment utilizes CW Doppler radar in the form of a microwave radio frequency transmitter and receiver that has a single-transistor integrated antenna/oscillator. A simple, low cost unit having a low radiation and low energy consumption transmitter, receiver and signal processor, is provided.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A ball speed measuring device for providing a measurement of the speed of a ball being caught in a web of a ball glove worn by a person catching the ball, the device comprising:
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a transmitter/receiver including at least one antenna element generally directable toward an approaching ball being caught by said person and a radiation generating circuit having an output connected to the at least one antenna element to radiate therefrom a signal generated by the radiation generating circuit; a securement configured to support at least said antenna element of the device on the web of the glove with said antenna element directed through the web toward the approaching ball when the glove is positioned for catching the approaching ball by said person; the transmitter/receiver further including a receiver circuit connected to receive from said antenna element and through the web a portion of said radiated signal reflected from the approaching ball and including a signal processor configured to derive from the received reflected signal the speed of the approaching ball; and an output element connected to the receiver circuit and operable to produce a ball speed indication signal indicating the derived speed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A ball speed measuring device for providing a measurement of the speed of a ball being caught by a user of the device, the device comprising:
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a transmitter/receiver including; at least one antenna element generally directable toward an approaching ball being caught by said user, a radiation generating circuit having an output connected to the at least one antenna element to radiate therefrom a signal generated by the radiation generating circuit; and a receiver circuit connected to receive from said antenna element a portion of said radiated signal reflected from the approaching ball, the receiver circuit including a signal processor configured to derive from the received reflected signal the speed of the approaching ball, the transmitter/receiver is operable to radiate and receive energy in a form and at a level that will produce effective ball speed detection when the approaching ball is moving in a range that is within ten feet of the device and that will produce ineffective ball speed detection when the approaching ball is more than ten feet from the device; a securement configured to support at least said antenna element of the device on the forearm of the user with said antenna element directed toward the approaching ball when the user is catching the approaching ball; and an output element connected to the receiver circuit and operable to produce a ball speed indication signal indicating the derived speed. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of determining the speed of a moving ball when the ball is approaching a person catching the ball in a web of a ball glove, the method comprising the steps of:
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securing, on the back of the web of the glove, a self-contained battery-powered device that includes a transmitter/receiver that includes at least one antenna element, a radiation generating circuit having an output connected to the at least one antenna element;
a receiver circuit connected to said antenna element and including a signal processor, and an output element connected to the receiver circuit;directing the antenna element generally toward an approaching ball and radiating therefrom, through the web and at the approaching ball, a signal generated by the radiation generating circuit; reflecting the radiated signal from the moving ball and back through the web of the glove; receiving through the web of the glove a portion of said radiated signal reflected from the approaching ball and processing the received reflected signal to derive therefrom the speed of the approaching ball; and producing a ball speed indication signal with the output element. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification