System, method and processor-readable medium for wirelessly tracking basketball shots

• US 9,474,953 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbourne Athletics Incorporated (Airborne Athletics)
• Original Assignee: Jason Duke
• Inventors: Duke, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Deodhar, Omkar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Wei
• Application Number:
  US14/498,822
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 473/447, 473/450, 473/472, 473/476, 473/480
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0663 worn on the wrist, e.g. wrist bands
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/62 Time or time measurement used for time reference, time stamp, master time or clock signal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/64 Frequency, e.g. of vibration oscillation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/72 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/801 Contact switches
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/802 Ultra-sound sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• 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 24/0075 Means for generating exercise programs or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/083 for basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/00 Training appliances or apparatus for special sports training of parachutists B64D23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0071 for basketball
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a wireless basketball shot tracking system, method and processor-readable medium that allows a basketball player to train shooting from different locations and/or with different styles as instructed by a hands-free-portable electronic device, and to track the results by a shot detector placed on the backboard or hoop. The shot detector is in wireless communication with the hands-free-portable electronic device. The electronic device stores whether shots are made or missed from the various shooting locations or styles, and provides real-time shooting percentages of basketball players during basketball shooting sessions. The electronic device interfaces with external devices via a wired or wireless communications port for uploading or downloading program updates or shooting session data.

Claims

1. A wireless basketball shot tracking system for tracking real time shooting data of basketball shooting sessions, said wireless basketball shot tracking system comprising:

a hands-free-portable electronic device comprising;

a processor, memory, and an RF receiver;

a power source;

a user interface for providing sensory indications to a user;

a shot detector in wireless communication with said hands-free-portage electronic device, said shot detector including a power source, an RF transmitter, and at least one of a vibration sensor, an activator, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic motion sensor and a motion detector, wherein said shot detector is mountable to a basketball backboard, hoop, net or combination thereof;

wherein

said hands-free-portable electronic device memory comprises an executable set of instructions to cause the hands-free-portable electronic device to perform the operations of;

a) obtaining a specific basketball shooting style or location from which to carry out a shot, by either reading information from the memory pertaining to said specific shooting style or location or by randomly generating said specific shooting style or location;

b) providing a sensory indication via the user interface corresponding to said specific shooting style or location;

c) receiving a signal from the shot detector, containing information indicating whether the shot has been made or missed;

d) storing said information indicating whether the shot has been made or missed, in association with said specific shooting style or location;

e) repeating steps (a) through (d) a plurality of times, to provide a sequence of basketball shooting style or location sensory indications via the user interface that the user can follow as a training guide.

2. The wireless basketball shot tracking system of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a display, and wherein the sensory indication corresponding to the specific shooting style or location comprises a visual indication provided on the display.

3. The wireless basketball shot tracking system of claim 2, wherein the display operatively depicts at least part of a basketball court, and the sensory indication corresponding to the specific shooting style or location comprises a mark on said at least part of a basketball court.

4. The wireless basketball shot tracking system of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a sound emitter, and wherein the sensory indication corresponding to the specific shooting style or location comprises an audible indication provided by the sound emitter.

5. The wireless basketball shot racking system of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a haptic actuator, and wherein the sensory indication corresponding to the specific shooting style or location comprises a tactile indication provided by the haptic actuator.

6. The wireless basketball shot tracking system of claim 1, wherein said hands-free-portable electronic device user interface is operable by the user to provide an input to the hands-free-portable electronic device processor.

7. The wireless basketball shot tracking system of claim 1, wherein said hands-free-portable electronic device further includes a communications port for transmitting and/or receiving digital information to and/or from an external electronic device.

8. The wireless basketball shot tracking system of claim 7, wherein said hands-free-portable electronic device memory further comprises an executable set of instructions to cause the hands-free-portable electronic device to perform the operation of transmitting stored information indicating whether a plurality of shots have been made or missed, and their associated specific shooting style or location, via said communications port.

9. The wireless basketball shot tracking system of claim 1, wherein said activator comprises an elongated paddle having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end pivotably connected to a main body of said shot detector.

10. The wireless basketball shot tracking system of claim 9, wherein said shot detector is configured to be situated on said hoop such that said paddle extends along a horizontal plane within a central region of said hoop and said paddle distal end is arranged in said central region.

11. The wireless basketball shot tracking system of claim 1, wherein said shot detector comprises at least one vibration sensor and an activator, and wherein said hands-free-portable electronic device memory comprises an executable set of instructions to cause the hands-free-portable electronic device to perform the operations of:

receiving a signal from the shot detector indicating a vibration has been detected by at least one vibration sensor;

starting a predetermined time counter;

storing information indicating the shot has been missed, in association with said specific style or location, in the event that the predetermined time counter expires without having received a signal from the shot detector indicating the activator has made a positive detection.

12. The wireless basketball shot tracking system of claim 1, further including a telescoping pole having a tip, said tip removably engaging with said shot detector to elevate said shot detector from the ground to attach said shot detector to said hoop.

13. The wireless basketball shot tracking system of claim 1, wherein said hands-free-portable electronic device memory comprises an executable set of instructions corresponding to a program mode for storing a plurality of programs and a plurality of basketball shooting styles or locations, each of said plurality of programs associated with one or more of said plurality of basketball shooting styles or locations.

14. The wireless basketball shot tracking system of claim 1, wherein said hands-free-portable electronic device further comprises an executable set of instructions corresponding to a play mode for providing real time shot data to a user via said user interface, said real time shot data including percentages or ratios of made and/or missed basketball shots.

15. The wireless basketball shot tracking system of claim 1, wherein said hands-free-portable electronic device memory further comprises an executable set of instructions to cause the hands-free-portable electronic device to perform the operations of:

f) receiving a user input from said user interface; and

g) in dependence of said user input, switching between an operational mode in which step a) is carried out by randomly generating said specific shooting style or location, and an operational mode in which step a) is carried out by reading information from the memory pertaining to said specific shooting style or location, said information being comprised in a predefined shooting style or location sequence stored in said memory.

16. The wireless basketball shot tracking system of claim 1, wherein said hands-free-portable electronic device is at least one of a smartphone, a portable media player, a PDA, an electronic device that is wearable on a body part of a user, and any combination thereof.

17. A wireless basketball shot tracking method, carried out by a hands-free-portable electronic device comprising a processor, memory, an RF receiver, a power source, and a user interface for providing sensory indications to a user, said method comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining a specific basketball shooting style or location from which to carry out a shot, by either reading information from said memory pertaining to said specific shooting style or location or by randomly selecting a specific shooting style or location from a set of different shooting styles or locations stored in said memory;

b) providing a sensory indication via said user interface corresponding to said specific shooting style or location;

c) receiving a signal from a shot detector via said RF receiver, said signal containing information indicating whether the shot has been made or missed;

d) storing said information indicating whether the shot has been made or missed, in association with said specific shooting style or location;

e) repeating steps (a) through (d) a plurality of times, to provide a sequence of basketball shooting style or location sensory indications via the user interface that the user can follow as a training guide.

18. The wireless basketball shot tracking method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

f) detecting a user input on said user interface; and

g) in dependence of said user input, switching between an operational mode in which step a) is carried out by randomly selecting said specific shooting style or location, and an operational mode in which step a) is carried out by reading information from said memory pertaining to said specific shooting style or location, said information being comprised in a predefined shooting style or location sequence stored in said memory.

19. A non-transitory processor-readable medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by an electronic processor, cause the processor to carry out the operations of:

a) obtaining a specific basketball shooting style or location from which to carry out a shot, by either reading information from a memory pertaining to said specific shooting style or location or by randomly selecting a specific shooting style or location from a set of different shooting style or locations stored in a memory;

b) providing a sensory indication via a user interface corresponding to said specific shooting style or location;

c) receiving a signal from a shot detector via an RF receiver, said signal containing information indicating whether the shot has been made or missed;

d) storing said information indicating whether the shot has been made or missed, in association with said specific shooting style or location;

e) repeating steps (a) through (d) a plurality of times, to provide a sequence of basketball shooting style or location sensory indications via the user interface that the user can follow as a training guide.

20. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising processor-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by an electronic processor, cause the processor to carry out the operations of:

f) detecting a user input on said user interface; and

g) in dependence of said user input, switching between an operational mode in which step a) is carried out by randomly selecting said specific shooting style or location, and an operational mode in which step a) is carried out by reading information from said memory pertaining to said specific shooting style or location, said information being comprised in a predefined shooting style or location sequence stored in said memory.