Baseball strike zone detection radar

• US 8,591,356 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Walker, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Assistant Examiner(s): MYHR, JUSTIN L
• Application Number:
  US12/964,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20120146291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 473454-456
• US Class Current: 473/456
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0006 for pitching
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/89 Field sensors, e.g. radar systems
• 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 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for facilitating baseball strike zone detection. In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a method includes transmitting radar pulses by a phased-array of transmitting antennas in a radar beam pattern, detecting reflected radar pulses of the transmitted radar pulses at multiple receiving antennas, calculating multiple positions of a projectile based on detecting the reflected radar pulses, determining whether an incursion through a three-dimensional strike zone characterized by batter-specific settings has occurred based on the multiple positions, and providing an indication of the incursion determination for presentation to a user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a plurality of radar pulses by a phased-array of transmitting antennas in a radar beam pattern;

detecting at each of a plurality of receiving antennas, reflected radar pulses of the transmitted radar pulses;

calculating, using a processor, a plurality of positions for each projection of a projectile based on detecting the reflected radar pulses;

determining whether an incursion through a three-dimensional strike zone has occurred based on the plurality of positions, wherein the three-dimensional strike zone is based on batter-specific settings; and

providing an indication of the incursion determination for presentation to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the plurality of positions for each projection of the projectile comprises, for each position of the projectile:

stopping one or more of a plurality of counters when a reflected radar pulse is detected, each of the plurality of counters associated with one of the plurality of receiving antennas and the counters having a corresponding counter value;

determining whether at least three of the plurality of counters have stopped; and

calculating a position of the projectile based on the counter values of at least three stopped counters.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein calculating the position of the projectile comprises triangulating the position using the counter values, wherein each of the counter values corresponds to a time taken for one of the transmitted radar pulses to travel to the projectile and be detected as one of the reflected pulses at the receiving antenna associated with the counter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the incursion through the three-dimensional strike zone has occurred based on the plurality of positions, wherein the three-dimensional strike zone is based on batter-specific settings, comprises:

detecting at least one timeout after a series of successful detections;

extrapolating a trajectory of the projectile based on the plurality of positions;

using the batter-specific settings to determine a three-dimensional strike zone; and

determining whether the extrapolated trajectory traverses the three-dimensional strike zone.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein extrapolating the trajectory comprises performing a least-squares calculation using the plurality of positions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the indication of the incursion determination for presentation comprises communicating the incursion indication to a remote device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the incursion determination is presented to the user as a message, the message having one or more of the following message types:

text, audio, or video.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a phased-array of transmitting antennas configured to transmit a radar beam pattern;

a plurality of receiving antennas positioned apart from each other at different locations, each receiving antenna comprising a mixer;

a pulse generator having an output coupled to the phased-array of transmitting antennas and coupled to the mixers of the receiving antennas;

a plurality of counters, each counter corresponding to one of the plurality of receiving antennas, each counter comprising a reset input and a stop counter input, the reset input coupled to the pulse generator and the stop counter input coupled to the mixer of the corresponding one of the receiving antennas; and

a processor operable to;

receive a plurality of counter values from the counters after at least three of the plurality of counters have stopped;

calculate a plurality of positions for each projection of the projectile based on the counter values;

determine whether an incursion through a three-dimensional strike zone has occurred based on two or more positions, wherein the three-dimensional strike zone is based on batter-specific settings; and

provide an indication of the incursion determination for presentation to a user.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further operable to calculate the position of the projectile by triangulating the position using the counter values, wherein each of the counter values corresponds to a time taken for a transmitted radar pulse to travel to the projectile and be detected as a reflected pulse at the receiving antenna corresponding to the counter.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further operable to determine whether the incursion through the three-dimensional strike zone has occurred based on the one or more positions, wherein the three-dimensional strike zone is based on batter-specific settings, by:

detecting at least one timeout after a series of successful detections;

extrapolating a trajectory of the projectile based on the two or more positions;

using the batter-specific settings to determine a three-dimensional strike zone; and

determining whether the extrapolated trajectory traverses the three-dimensional strike zone.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operable to extrapolate the trajectory by performing a least-squares calculation using the two or more positions.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further operable to provide the indication of the incursion determination for presentation by communicating the incursion indication to a remote device.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further operable to present the incursion determination to the user as a message, the message having one or more of the following message types:

text, audio, or video.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a transceiver coupled to the processor for communicating at least one of the one or more positions or the incursion determination to a remote device.

15. An apparatus comprising:

means for transmitting a plurality of radar pulses by a phased-array of transmitting antennas in a radar beam pattern;

means for detecting at each of a plurality of receiving antennas, reflected radar pulses of the transmitted radar pulses;

means for calculating a plurality of positions for each projection of a projectile based on detecting the reflected radar pulses;

means for determining whether an incursion through a three-dimensional strike zone has occurred based on the plurality of positions, wherein the three-dimensional strike zone is based on batter-specific settings; and

means for providing an indication of the incursion determination for presentation to a user.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for calculating the plurality of positions for each projection of the projectile comprises, for each position of the projectile:

means for stopping one or more of a plurality of counters when a reflected radar pulse is detected, each of the plurality of counters associated with one of the plurality of receiving antennas and the counters having a corresponding counter value;

means for determining whether at least three of the plurality of counters have stopped; and

means for calculating a position of the projectile based on the counter values of at least three stopped counters.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for calculating the position of the projectile comprises means for triangulating the position using the counter values, wherein each of the counter values corresponds to a time taken for one of the transmitted radar pulses to travel to the projectile and be detected as one of the reflected pulses at the receiving antenna associated with the counter.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for determining whether the incursion through the three-dimensional strike zone has occurred based on the plurality of positions, wherein the three-dimensional strike zone is based on batter-specific settings, comprises:

means for detecting at least one timeout after a series of successful detections;

means for extrapolating a trajectory of the projectile based on the plurality of positions;

means for using the batter-specific settings to determine a three-dimensional strike zone; and

means for determining whether the extrapolated trajectory traverses the three-dimensional strike zone.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for extrapolating the trajectory comprises means for performing a least-squares calculation using the plurality of positions.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for providing the indication of the incursion determination for presentation comprises means for communicating the incursion indication to a remote device.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the incursion determination is presented to the user as a message, the message having one or more of the following message types:

text, audio, or video.