Sensing home plate

• US 8,043,175 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sung-Jen Chen
• Original Assignee: Sung-Jen Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Sung-Jen
• Primary Examiner(s): Aryanpour; Mitra
• Application Number:
  US12/709,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20110183786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 473/453, 473/422, 473454-456, 473/421, 473/468, 473/499, 473/500, 463/2, 463/3, 434/247
• US Class Current: 473/500
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0006 for pitching
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0627 when used improperly, e.g. by giving a warning
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration

Abstract

A sensing home plate, structurally assembled from a home plate main body, and a sensing device disposed therein. The sensing device is assembled from a power supply circuit, a signal transmitting circuit, a fine tuning circuit, a signal receiving circuit, and an acousto-optic circuit. The signal transmitting circuit transmits signals, and forms a sensing area on the upper side of the home plate main body. When a baseball passes through or contacts the sensing area causing interference therewith, then a signal is received by the signal receiving circuit, and the acousto-optic circuit emits sound and light as a means to indicate such. The present invention can thus be used in the sport of baseball to accurately determine whether or not the ball pitched by the pitcher is a strike (good pitch) or ball (bad pitch), thereby assisting the chief umpire in making decisions, and reducing judgmental errors.

Claims

1. A sensing home plate, comprising:

a home plate main body, having a standard shape of home plate used in baseball, and an appropriate thickness;

a sensing device, installed in an interior of the home plate main body, the sensing device forming a sensing area defining a strike zone with adjustable range size on an upper side of the home plate main body from wireless signals, so that if a baseball passes through or contacts the sensing area causing interference therewith, then the sensing device uses sound and light emitting devices which indicate the baseball is in the strike zone;

the sensing home plate accurately determining whether the baseball is a strike (good pitch) or ball (bad pitch), thereby assisting a chief umpire in making decisions, and reducing judgmental errors;

wherein the sensing device comprises;

a power supply circuit, the power supply circuit provides the power required for the sensing device system to operate;

a signal transmitting circuit, used to transmit signals, forming the sensing area on the upper side of the home plate main body;

a fine tuning circuit, used to adjust the width, upper height and lower height of the sensing area to form a strike zone;

a signal receiving circuit, used to receive interference signals from the sensing area, whereby when a baseball passes through or contacts the sensing area from an incoming ball direction causing interference therewith, then a signal is received by the signal receiving circuit and transmitted to an acousto-optic circuit; and

the acousto-optic circuit, comprising a sound producing unit, and

a light-emitting unit, whereby as soon as the receiving circuit receives an interference signal caused by the baseball passing through or contacting the sensing area, then the acousto-optic circuit emits sound and light to indicate whether the baseball is in the strike zone.

2. The sensing home plate according to claim 1, wherein the power supply circuit uses replaceable batteries concealed in the interior of the home plate main body, or conducting wires are used that enable electrical connection with an exterior alternating current supply.

3. The sensing home plate according to claim 1, wherein the fine tuning circuit uses a wired device to achieve adjustment function, or uses a wireless control device to achieve adjustment function.

4. The sensing home plate according to claim 1, wherein the sound producing device is singly used, or the light emitting device is singly used to indicate strikes (good pitches) or balls (bad pitches).

5. The sensing home plate according to claim 1, wherein both the sound producing device and the light emitting device are simultaneously used to indicate strikes (good pitches) or balls (bad pitches).