Miniature sports radar speed measuring device

• US 6,378,367 B1
• Filed: 04/17/2000
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sports Sensors, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sports Sensors, Inc.
• Inventors: Dilz, Albert E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): KWOK, HELEN C
• Application Number:
  US09/550,735
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 734/88, 736/57, 731/67, 735/142.7, 273/371, 273/378, 473/415, 473/180, 473/190, 473/192, 473/198, 473/199, 473/458, 473/451, 473/455, 342/115, 342/104, 342/99
• US Class Current: 73/488
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0034 during flight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/182 Softball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/46 Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3632 Clubs or attachments on clubs, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence; clubs for swinging exercises in general A63B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/38 for tennis A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/00 Games or sports accessories not covered in groups A63B1/00 - A63B69/00 starting appliances A63K3/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/14 for the hands, e.g. baseball, boxing or golfing gloves archer's finger tabs F41B5/1473
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 5/14 Details of bows; Accessories for arc shooting sighting devices for bows F41G1/467
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 27/00 Accessories; Details or attachments not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/583 using transmission of continuous unmodulated waves, amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated waves and based upon the Doppler effect resulting from movement of targets
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 : Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/032 : Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/04 : Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/35 : Details of non-pulse systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/352 : Receivers

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, for example, of a ball about to be caught 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. In use, the unit is situated so as to place a transmit/receive antenna close to or in the line of motion of the object. Such an antenna, so positioned, may be separated from the unit and connected through a transmission line. The sensor is useful for other speed measurements in sports applications. Bat speed is measured by placing the antenna in and near the top of a batting tee, with the circuitry in the base of the tee. Martial arts measurements of punch and kick speed are made with the antenna in a target pad held by a coach or trainer. Paint ball gun marker velocity can be calibrated with a sensor antenna on the gun barrel.

Claims

1. A method of measuring the speed of a moving sports object comprising the steps of:

providing a self-contained battery powered device that includes a transmitter/receiver, at least one antenna element, a transmission line connecting the at least one antenna element to the transmitter/receiver, a signal processor having an input connected to the transmitter/receiver, and an output annunciator having an input connected to the signal processor,

positioning the at least one antenna element in close proximity to the path of the moving object;

generating a Doppler signal proportional to the speed of the object by producing an RF signal with the transmitter/receiver, transmitting the RF signal to the antenna element and radiating the RF signal from the antenna element along the path of the moving object, reflecting the RF signal from the object, receiving the reflected signal with the antenna element, transmitting the reflected signal from the antenna element to the transmitter/receiver, and detecting the Doppler signal from the reflected signal with the transmitter/receiver;

processing the detected Doppler signal with the signal processor and producing therefrom a digital representation of the speed of the object; and

outputting the digital representation of the speed of the object with the annunciator.

2. The method of claim 1 for measuring the speed of a marker shot from a paint ball gun having a barrel wherein:

the positioning step includes the step of providing a paint ball gun locating at the at least one antenna element adjacent to the barrel thereof proximate the path of markers shot from the barrel;

the locating step includes fixing the transmitter/receiver, processor and annunciator to the gun with the transmission line extending from the antenna element to the transmitter/receiver;

wherein, when a marker is shot from the gun, the speed of the marker leaving the barrel is output by producing an RF signal with the transmitter/receiver, transmitting the RF signal along the transmission line to the antenna element on the barrel and radiating the RF signal from the antenna element at the barrel along the path of the markers leaving the barrel, reflecting the RF signal from the marker, receiving the reflected signal with the antenna element at the barrel, transmitting the reflected signal from the antenna element along the transmission line to the transmitter/receiver, detecting the Doppler signal from the reflected signal with the transmitter/receiver, processing the detected Doppler signal with the signal processor and producing therefrom a digital representation of the speed of the marker leaving the barrel, and outputting the digital representation of the speed with the annunciator.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

locating the transmitter/receiver, processor and annunciator remote from at least one antenna element with the transmission line extending therebetween;

the transmitting of the RF signal including transmitting the produced RF signal along the transmission line to the antenna element and the transmitting of the received reflected signal along the transmission line to the transmitter/receiver.

4. A method of measuring the speed of a marker shot from a paint ball gun having a barrel, the method comprising:

providing a transmitter/receiver, at least one antenna element connected to the transmitter/receiver, a signal processor having a processor input connected to the transmitter/receiver, and a visual display having a display input connected to the signal processor;

positioning the at least one antenna element adjacent to the barrel of a paint ball gun in close proximity to the path of markers shot from the barrel;

when a marker is shot from the gun, displaying on the display a digital representation of the speed of the marker leaving the barrel by producing an RF signal with the transmitter/receiver, transmitting the RF signal via the antenna element and radiating the RF signal from the antenna element adjacent the barrel along the path of the marker leaving the barrel, reflecting the RF signal from the marker from the barrel, the reflected RF signal containing a Doppler signal related to the speed of the marker moving away from the barrel, receiving the reflected signal with the antenna element adjacent the barrel, communicating the reflected signal from the antenna element to the transmitter/receiver, detecting the Doppler signal from the reflected signal with the transmitter/receiver, processing the detected Doppler signal with the signal processor and in response thereto outputting a digital representation of the speed of the marker leaving the barrel on the display.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

adjusting the paintball gun in response to the detected Doppler signal.