System and method for improving a basketball player's shooting

• US 8,206,246 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2009
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shoot-A-Way Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Shoot-A-Way Incorporated
• Inventors: Joseph, John G., Geiser, Troy David
• Primary Examiner(s): Aryanpour, Mitra
• Application Number:
  US12/420,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20100261557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 473/422, 473431-433, 473/447, 473479-481
• US Class Current: 473/433
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2063/001 Targets or goals with ball-returning means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• 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 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0075 Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0071 for basketball
• 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: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

A system and method for improving a player'"'"'s efficiency in shooting by providing a player with various shooting challenge routines at which a player makes either a total number of shots or a total number shots in a row. Statistics regarding the player'"'"'s performance are stored, printed and/or evaluated and the player can use the information to improve his or her efficiency at one or more of the plurality of different locations where the player shoots the basketball.

Claims

1. A system for improving a player'"'"'s efficiency in shooting a basketball toward a basketball hoop on a basketball backboard associated with a basketball playing area, said system comprising:

a basketball ejector for ejecting basketballs to a plurality of predetermined different locations on the basketball playing area, said basketball ejector comprising a ball ejector coupled to a motor for driving said basketball ejector;

a sensor associated with said basketball hoop for sensing when a basketball goes through said basketball hoop;

an interface having a plurality of buttons arranged to generally correspond to the plurality of predetermined different locations on the basketball playing area, said plurality of predetermined different locations being different angular shooting positions on the basketball playing area at which said basketball elector is adapted to throw basketballs on the basketball playing area, said plurality of buttons being spaced angularly on said interface, with each one of said plurality of buttons corresponding to one of said different angular shooting positions, respectively; and

a controller coupled to said interface, said motor, said basketball ejector and said sensor;

said interface further comprising;

at least one shots button for programming said controller with a number of shots to be made or number of shots to be made in a row during a predetermined shooting challenge, said predetermined shooting challenge comprising at least one of a total number of shots made at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations challenge or a total number of shots made in a row at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations challenge;

at least one shooting challenge button for selecting said at least one of said total number of shots made at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations challenge or said total number of shots made in a row at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations challenge;

said controller being programmed in response to a user selecting or actuating;

a first one of said plurality of buttons corresponding to a first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations, by selecting at least one second one of said plurality of buttons corresponding to at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations;

said at least one shots button to program said number of shots to be made or number of shots to be made in a row during said predetermined shooting challenge;

said at least one shooting challenge button to select at least one of said total number of shots made at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations challenge or said total number of shots made in a row at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations challenge;

after said programming of said controller using said interface, said controller causes said basketball ejector to eject or pass basketballs to a player located at said first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations for said predetermined shooting challenge, and after said predetermined shooting challenge is met by said player either making said number of shots to be made or making said number of shots to be made in a row, as sensed by said sensor sensing a shot basketball passing through said basketball hoop, said controller energizes said basketball ejector to cause said basketball ejector to cease ejecting or passing basketballs to said first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations where said predetermined shooting challenge was met and further energizes said motor to pivot or move said ball ejector and energize said basketball elector to cause basketballs to be elected or passed to said at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations, whereupon said player may again perform the predetermined shooting challenge at said at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations;

said first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations and said at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations on said basketball playing area corresponding to said first one of said plurality of buttons and said second one of said plurality of buttons, respectively, on said interface that were actuated or selected.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said predetermined shooting challenge is said total number of made shots challenge and said controller causes said basketball ejector to eject basketballs to the player at said at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations only after said player makes a predetermined number of total shots at said first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 wherein said controller causes said basketball ejector to delay ejecting a basketball to said at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations a predetermined delay time when the player has made said predetermined number of total shots less one.

4. The system as recited in claim 3 wherein said predetermined delay time is at least 1 second.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said predetermined shooting challenge is a total number of made shots in a row challenge and said controller causes said basketball ejector to eject a predetermined number of balls to the player at said at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations only after said player has made a predetermined number of shots in a row at said first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations, said interface further comprising a total number of made shots made in a row button for selecting said total number of shots made in a row challenge.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said user interface comprises a shooting challenge button for each of said total number of made shots at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations challenge and said total number of made shots in a row at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations challenge.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said system comprises at least one storage device coupled to said controller for storing data associated with the player'"'"'s performance during said predetermined shooting challenge, said controller further comprising a shooting efficiency calculator for calculating the player'"'"'s shooting efficiency during said predetermined shooting challenge using said data.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said system comprises at least one storage device coupled to said controller for storing data associated with the player'"'"'s performance during said predetermined shooting challenge, said controller further comprising a shooting efficiency calculator for calculating the player'"'"'s shooting efficiency using said data.

9. The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said shooting efficiency calculator calculates said player'"'"'s shooting efficiency for each of said first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations and said at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations.

10. The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said shooting efficiency calculator calculates said player'"'"'s cumulative shooting efficiency for each of said first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations and said at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations over the player'"'"'s cumulative total number of attempts for each of said first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations and said at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations.

11. The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said shooting efficiency calculator calculates the player'"'"'s cumulative shooting efficiency at each of said plurality of different locations for all attempts the player has made at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations.

12. The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said system comprises a printer for printing said player'"'"'s shooting efficiency.

13. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein said printer prints a ticket of said player'"'"'s shooting efficiency.

14. The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said player'"'"'s shooting efficiency comprises a completion percentage calculated by the total number of shots the player has made over the total number of shots the player has attempted during said predetermined shooting challenge.

15. The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said player'"'"'s shooting efficiency comprises a completion percentage calculated by the total number of shots the player has made over the total number of shots the player has attempted during all times said player performed said predetermined shooting challenge.

16. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of buttons are arranged in an arc on said interface.

17. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said interface further comprises a delay button for selecting the delay time, with each of said plurality of buttons, said at least one shots button, said at least one shooting challenge button and said delay button being visible on the interface to the user.

18. A method for improving a player'"'"'s efficiency in shooting a basketball toward a basketball hoop on a basketball backboard associated with a basketball playing area, said method comprising the steps of:

actuating a first button and at least one second button on an interface to select a plurality of predetermined different locations on the basketball playing area at which basketballs will be thrown during a predetermined shooting challenge, said predetermined shooting challenge comprising at least one of a total number of shots made at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations challenge or a total number of shots made in a row at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations challenge, said plurality of predetermined different locations being a plurality of different angular shooting positions on the basketball playing area at which a basketball ejector is adapted to throw basketballs on the basketball playing area, said first button and said at least one second button being selected from a plurality of buttons spaced angularly on said interface and corresponding to said plurality of different angular shooting positions, respectively, on the basketball playing area;

actuating at least one shots button on said interface for programming a controller with a number of shots during a predetermined shooting challenge; and

actuating at least one shooting challenge button on said interface to select at least one of said at least one of a total number of shots made at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations challenge or said total number of shots made in a row at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations challenge;

said controller being programmed in response to said actuating steps and after said programming of said controller, said controller causes said basketball ejector to eject or pass basketballs to a player located at a first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations for said predetermined shooting challenge selected, and after said predetermined shooting challenge is met by said player making a made number of basketball shots that a sensor senses as having passed through said basketball hoop, said controller causes said basketball ejector to cease ejecting or passing basketballs to said first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations and to pivot or move said basketball ejector to a different position to change a direction of ejected or passed basketballs from said first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations where said predetermined shooting challenge was met to a second position in order to cause said basketball ejector to eject or pass basketballs to said at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations, whereupon said player may again perform the predetermined shooting challenge at said at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations;

said first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations and said at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations being different angular positions on said basketball playing area that correspond to different angular positions of said first button and said at least one second button on said interface;

calculating shooting efficiency statistics for each of said first of said plurality of predetermined different locations said at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations;

storing said shooting efficiency statistics onto at least one computer for evaluation and use by the player or other users; and

using said interface to program said controller to perform said predetermined shooting challenge at an improvement location selected in response to said shooting efficiency statistics in order to try to improve the player'"'"'s shooting ability.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein said predetermined shooting challenge is a total number of made shots challenge, said method further comprising the step of:

causing said basketball ejector to eject a second predetermined number of basketballs to the player located at said at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations for the same predetermined shooting challenge only after said player makes a predetermined number of total shots at said first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein said ejecting step comprises the step of:

delaying ejecting of the basketball to be shot during a predetermined shooting challenge to said at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations a predetermined delay time when the player has made said predetermined number of total shots less one.

21. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said predetermined delay time is at least 1 second.

22. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein said predetermined shooting challenge is a total number of shots made in a row challenge, said method further comprising the step of:

causing said basketball ejector to eject a predetermined number of balls to the player located at said at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations only after said player has made a predetermined number of shots in a row at said first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations.

23. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein said method comprises the step of:

providing a user interface for selecting said predetermined shooting challenge;

wherein said predetermined shooting challenge is at least one of a total number of made shots challenge at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations or a total number of made shots in a row challenge at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations.

24. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein said method comprises the steps of:

providing at least one storage device for storing data associated with the player'"'"'s performance during said predetermined shooting challenge;

calculating the player'"'"'s shooting efficiency at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations.

25. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein said method comprises the step of:

enabling the player to store data associated with the player'"'"'s performance and calculate the player'"'"'s shooting efficiency for said predetermined shooting challenge using said data.

26. The method as recited in claim 25 wherein said method further comprises the step of:

calculating the player'"'"'s shooting efficiency at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations for said predetermined shooting challenge.

27. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein said method further comprises the step of:

calculating the player'"'"'s cumulative shooting efficiency at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations for a cumulative number of attempts that the player has made at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations.

28. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein said method further comprises the step of:

providing a printer for printing said player'"'"'s shooting efficiency.

29. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein said method further comprises the step of:

printing a ticket of said player'"'"'s shooting efficiency.

30. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein said player'"'"'s shooting efficiency comprises a completion percentage calculated by the total number of shots the player has made over the total number of shots the player has attempted during said predetermined shooting challenge.

31. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein said player'"'"'s shooting efficiency comprises a completion percentage calculated by the total number of shots the player has made over the total number of shots the player has attempted during all times said player performed said predetermined shooting challenge.

32. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein said method further comprises the step of:

enabling a user to select S number of shots and N number of positions at which the player will shoot at least one basketball;

repeating said throwing, sensing and causing steps until the player has shot S number of shots at each of N number of positions, wherein said S is at least one of a total number of shots made at each of said N number of positions or a total number of shots made in a row at each of said N number of positions.

33. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein said method further comprises the step of:

determining the player'"'"'s shooting efficiency for at least one of said plurality of predetermined different locations.

34. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein said method further comprises the step of:

determining the player'"'"'s shooting efficiency for at least one of said plurality of predetermined different locations.

35. The method as recited in claim 34 wherein said method further comprises the step of:

comparing the player'"'"'s shooting efficiency determined in said determining step to a desired shooting efficiency and identifying at least one improvement location where the player needs to improve his shooting efficiency;

throwing a plurality of basketballs toward said at least one improvement location so that the player can improve his shooting efficiency at said at least one improvement location.

36. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein said shooting efficiency calculator calculates said shooting efficiency statistics comprising the player'"'"'s cumulative efficiency for each of said plurality of predetermined different locations for all shots taken by the player at said plurality of predetermined different locations for use by at least one of said coach or player.

37. A system for improving a player'"'"'s efficiency in shooting a basketball toward a basketball hoop on a basketball backboard associated with a basketball playing area, said system comprising:

a basketball ejector for ejecting basketballs to a plurality of predetermined different locations on the basketball playing area, said basketball ejector comprising a ball ejector coupled to a motor for driving said ball ejector;

a sensor associated with said basketball hoop for sensing when a basketball goes through said basketball hoop;

a shooter efficiency calculator for calculating shooting efficiency statistics of the player at each of said plurality of predetermined different locations;

an interface having a plurality of buttons or indicia arranged in spaced angular positions on a face of the interface to generally correspond to the plurality of predetermined different locations that are angularly spaced on the basketball playing area, said plurality of buttons or indicia being used to select said plurality of predetermined different locations at which one or more basketballs will be ejected, said plurality of predetermined different locations being different angular shooting locations on the basketball playing area at which said basketball ejector may throw said basketball on the basketball playing area, said plurality of buttons being spaced on said interface and each of said plurality of buttons corresponding to one of said different angular shooting locations;

a storage device for storing said shooting efficiency statistics; and

a controller coupled to said motor, said interface, said storage device, shooting efficiency calculator, said basketball ejector and said sensor, said interface further comprising at least one shots button for programming said controller with a number of shots during a predetermined shooting challenge;

said controller being programmed to cause said basketball ejector to eject basketballs to a first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations corresponding to a first one of said plurality of buttons that were actuated and to at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations corresponding to at least one second one of said plurality of buttons that were actuated;

said controller causing said basketball ejector to eject balls to a player located at said first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations for said predetermined shooting challenge, and after said predetermined shooting challenge is met by said player either shooting or making said number of shots that said sensor senses passing through said basketball hoop said controller energizes said motor to cause said ball ejector to pivot or move to a different position to change a direction of ejected balls from a first direction toward said first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations to a second direction toward said at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations after said predetermined shooting challenge is met at said first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations;

said shooting efficiency calculator calculating said shooting efficiency statistics of the player at each of the plurality of predetermined different locations for a plurality of training sessions during which the player used the system, said shooting efficiency statistics being stored on at least one computer for use by the player or a coach, said player or said coach using said interface to program said system so that said controller energizes said basketball ejector to pivot or move to eject or pass balls toward an improvement location in response to the shooting efficiency statistics.

38. The method as recited in claim 37 wherein said plurality of buttons for selecting the plurality of predetermined different locations are arranged in an arc on said interface.

39. The system as recited in claim 37 wherein said interface further comprises a delay button for selecting the delay time, with each of said plurality of buttons, said at least one shots button, an at least one shooting challenge button and said delay button being visible on the interface to the user.