Sports game apparatus and method

• US 8,292,709 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard Bruce Welch
• Original Assignee: Richard Bruce Welch
• Inventors: Welch, Richard Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US11/875,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20080153634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 463 1- 9, 463/20, 463/23, 463/25, 463 30- 32, 463/34, 463 36- 37, 463 40- 43, 463 46- 47, 463/50, 463/53, 463/56, 273/108.1, 273/108.3, 273/108.4, 273/118.R, 273/150, 273/244, 273/244.1, 273/247, 273/259, 273/317.1, 273/317.3, 273/317.4, 273/317.5, 273/317.6, 273/359, 273/406, 273/440.1, 273460-461, 340/323.R, 340/323.B, 377 4- 5, 446/415, 473/451, 473/468, 473498-499, 473/504, 473564-565, 473/598, 473/600, 473/FOR.102, 473/FOR.135, 473/FOR.169, 473/FOR.192
• US Class Current: 463/7
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0037 on a target surface or at impact on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/15 with identification means that can be read by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/00 Targets or goals for ball games golf cups A63B57/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/007 Target zones without opening defined on a substantially horizontal surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0015 for cricket
• 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 71/0669 Score-keepers or score display devices
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 5/056 Switch actuation by hit-generated mechanical vibration of the target body, e.g. using shock or vibration transducers
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 5/06 Acoustic hit-indicating systems, i.e. detecting of shock waves F41J5/056 takes precedence

Abstract

There is described an apparatus for a sports game involving movement of a projectile, the apparatus comprising impact sensors for detecting impacts by a player of the sport game or the projectile, the impact sensors being coupled to a processor operable to derive characteristic data for a projectile movement from impacts detected by two or more of the player impact sensors. By monitoring impacts, rather than the movement of the projectile through the air, the apparatus may be both inexpensive and easy to install.

Claims

1. An apparatus for playing a sport game in which a bowler situated at a bowling location delivers a ball to a batter situated at a batting location, the apparatus comprising:

a first impact sensor disposed at the bowling location and operable to provide first impact data relating to the time and position on the first impact sensor of an impact caused by the bowler contacting the first impact sensor;

a plurality of additional impact sensors positioned in proximity to the sport game, each additional impact sensor being operable to provide second impact data relating to the time and position on the additional impact sensor of an impact caused by the ball on the additional impact sensor; and

a processor coupled to the first impact sensor and to the plurality of additional impact sensors by a communications link, wherein the processor is operable to;

determine a ball delivery position on the basis of the first impact data from the first impact sensor; and

derive data indicative of the movement of the ball on the basis of the determined ball delivery position and the second impact data from at least one of the additional impact sensors.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the impact sensors comprises a planar sensor.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said at least one impact sensor comprises at least two conductive layers separated by a central layer which allows conduction between the conductive layers when compressed.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an RFID sensor operable to detect an RFID tag carried by a player.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communications link comprises a wireless communication link.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the wireless communication link is operable to transfer data using a bluetooth protocol.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to generate data for displaying a graphical representation of the trajectory of the ball using impact data from at least two impact sensors.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to process impact data from at least two of the impact sensors to calculate speed information for the movement of the ball.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to calculate input parameters for an automatic ball delivery machine to enable reproduction of a ball trajectory.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to calculate input parameters for a computer program to enable virtual reproduction of a ball trajectory by the computer program.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sport game is cricket.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least two of the impact sensors comprise mats operable to be positioned on a cricket pitch.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, comprising a mat operable to define a cricket pitch having at least one impact sensor embedded therein.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the additional impact sensors is mounted on a conventional cricket bat.

15. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the additional impact sensors is mounted on a conventional cricket pad.

16. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the additional impact sensors is mounted to one or more cricket stumps.

17. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the additional impact sensors is mounted to a cricket nets frame.

18. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of additional sensors includes a second impact sensor disposed between the bowling and the batting locations.

19. A method of analyzing the movement of a ball during a sport game in which a bowler situated at a bowling location delivers a ball to a batter situated at a batting location, the method comprising:

receiving first impact data from a first impact sensor disposed at the bowling location and operable to provide impact data relating to the time and position on the impact sensor of an impact caused by the bowler contacting the first impact sensor;

receiving second impact data from one or more of a plurality of additional impact sensors, each additional impact sensor being operable to provide impact data relating to the time and position on the impact sensor of an impact caused by the ball on the additional one or more impact sensors;

processing the first impact data from the first impact sensor to determine a ball delivery position; and

processing the second impact data from at least one of the additional impact sensors to derive data indicative of the movement of the ball on the basis of the determined ball delivery position and the second impact data from said at least one of the additional impact sensors.

20. A method according claim 19, wherein the processing step comprises generating data for displaying a graphical representation of the trajectory of the ball using impact data from the first impact sensor and at least one of the additional impact sensors.

21. A method according to claim 19, wherein the processing step comprises processing impact data from at least two of the impact sensors to calculate speed information for the movement of the ball.

22. A method according to claim 19, wherein the processing step comprises calculating input parameters for an automatic ball delivery machine to enable reproduction of a ball trajectory.

23. A method according to claim 19, wherein the processing step comprises calculating input parameters for a computer program to enable virtual reproduction of a ball trajectory by the computer program.

24. A method according claim 19, wherein the plurality of additional impact sensors includes a second impact sensor disposed between the bowling and the batting locations.

25. A non-transitory storage device storing instructions including instructions for programming a programmable processing apparatus to implement a method of analyzing the movement of a ball during a sport game in which a bowler situated at a bowling location delivers a ball to a batter situated at a batting location, the method comprising:

receiving first impact data from a first impact sensor disposed at the bowling location and operable to provide impact data relating to the time and position on the impact sensor of an impact caused by the bowler contacting the first impact sensor;

receiving second impact data from one or more of a plurality of additional impact sensors, each additional impact sensor being operable to provide impact data relating to the time and position on the impact sensor of an impact caused by the ball on the additional one or more impact sensors;

processing the first impact data from the first impact sensor to determine a ball delivery position; and

processing the second impact data from at least one of the additional impact sensors to derive data indicative of the movement of the ball on the basis of the determined ball delivery position and the second impact data.