Sports game system

• US 6,709,351 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takeshi Hori
• Original Assignee: Takeshi Hori
• Inventors: Hori, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hughes, S. Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAPRON, AARON J
• Application Number:
  US09/772,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20010056000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 473/453, 473/451, 473/455, 273/440, 273/454, 273/448, 273/459-461, 463/3-4
• US Class Current: 473/455
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0034 during flight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0043 Systems for locating the point of impact on a specific surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0008 for batting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/05 Image processing for measuring physical parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/808 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/89 Field sensors, e.g. radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/74 with powered illuminating means, e.g. lights
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/002 Devices for dispensing balls, e.g. from a reservoir automatic teeing devices A63B57/0006; devices for projecting balls A63B69/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/025 Installations continuously collecting balls from the playing areas, e.g. by gravity, with conveyor belts
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/00 Targets or goals for ball games golf cups A63B57/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/002 for football American-football dummies A63B69/34
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0053 Apparatus generating random stimulus signals for reaction-time training involving a substantial physical effort
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/022 Backstops, cages, enclosures or the like, e.g. for spectator protection, for arresting balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0669 : Score-keepers or score display devices

Abstract

A sports game system for using a ball such as baseball, soccer, cricket, tennis, etc., has two first and second separated area sensors for measuring speed and location of the ball hit or kicked by a player, monitor TVs for displaying at least speed and location of the ball, and a controller for controlling the area sensors and the multi-monitor TV, whereby the player can feel as if he were enjoying a real game.

Claims

1. A sports game system in which a player uses a ball, comprising:

first and second area sensors for measuring speed of a ball at a moment when the ball goes through the sensors, each of said area sensors being a one-direction area sensor having only one-direction vertical sensor lines arranged at a predetermined pitch, said first and second area sensors being disposed at a predetermined distance;

first and second cameras arranged to capture still photos of the ball as the ball passes through said first and second area sensors, respectively, to identify location of the ball therein; and

first and second image processors operatively connected respectively to said first and second area sensors and said first and second cameras for detecting speed and location of the ball passing through the area sensors or detecting speed, location and flying distance of the ball hit by a player based on image information of the still photos obtained by the cameras, respectively, said first and second image processors being operatively connected to each other, and

a monitor unit which is connected to one of said first and second image processors and on which obtained data are displayed.

2. A sports game system according to claim 1, wherein one of said first and second image processors has a function to identify which balls the player could hit well and which balls the player missed or could not hit well.

3. A sports game system according to claim 1, further comprising a TV monitor for displaying a motion of a life-size image of a ball feeding person who feeds the ball to a player and a ball feeding machine for feeding the ball synchronizing the motion of the ball feeding person, the TV monitor being provided adjacent the ball feeding machine.

4. A sports game system according to claim 3, wherein said TV monitor displays an image picture of the motion of said ball feeding person through an image processor which has a digital memory for storing an image picture from a video CD.

5. A sports game system according to claim 4, wherein said TV monitor comprises a multiple number of video monitors disposed vertically to show a life-size image of said ball feeding person without a gap between the monitors.

6. A sports game system according to claim 3, wherein said ball feeding machine has an adjustment means for adjusting a feeding position of the ball to the player in accordance with a signal from a ball position determining device for determining a position of the ball desired by the player.

7. A sports game system according to claim 1, further comprising a printer for printing out players'"'"'result data.

8. A sports game system according to claim 1, wherein controller has a card reader/writer for reading and writing various data on the card.

9. A sports game system according to claim 1, wherein a monitor is provided adjacent the ball feeding machine for displaying at least one of speed, direction or flying distance of the ball hit by the player and speed, or direction of the ball pitched by the ball feeding machine.

10. A sports game system, comprising:

first and second area sensors, each of the area sensors producing only vertically arranged, one-directional sensor lines arranged at a predetermined pitch, the first and second sensors being arranged at a predetermined distance from one another;

first and second cameras positioned to capture first and second still photos of an area of said first and second area sensors, respectively; and

first and second image processors operatively connected to one another and also respectively to said first and second area sensors and said first and second cameras so that when a respective one of the first and second area sensors detects a ball passing therethrough, the corresponding image processor causes the corresponding camera to capture a still photo of the ball as the ball passes through the corresponding area sensor, the first and second processors being further structured to calculate a speed and direction of the ball as the ball travels toward a player based on a location of the ball in the first and second still photos, a time lapse between the first and second still photos, and the predetermined distance between the first and second area sensors.

11. The sports game system of claim 10, wherein the first and second processors are further constructed and arranged to calculate a speed, direction, and flying distance of the ball after being hit by the player.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a monitor unit which is connected to one of said first and second image processors so that the monitor unit displays data related to the speed and direction of the ball.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a monitor unit which is connected to one of said first and second image processors so that the monitor unit displays data related to the speed and direction of the ball as the ball travels toward the player, as well as speed, direction, and flying distance of the ball after being hit by the player.