Force-sensing net
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising in combination:
- (a) a net that has an aperture and that includes one or more cords, which one or more cords(i) are stretchable,(ii) are electrically conductive,(iii) have an electrical resistance that varies depending on the extent to which the one or more cords are stretched, and(iv) are positioned such that the one or more cords stretch when a ball passes through the aperture;
(b) at least one sensor for measuring the electrical resistance; and
(c) at least one processor for performing a computation that includes(i) calculating a duration of a time period, which period starts when the electrical resistance exceeds a baseline plus a first amount and ends when the electrical resistance is less than the baseline minus a second amount, and(ii) calculating, based at least in part on the duration of the time period, the translational kinetic energy of the ball that passes through the aperture.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In exemplary implementations of this invention, a basketball net or flat net measures the translational kinetic energy of a ball that passes through an aperture in the net or impacts the net. The net includes one or more electrically conductive cords, which have a resistance that varies depending on the degree to which the cord is stretched. From sensor measurements, a processor determines: (a) instantaneous rate of change of resistance, and (b) duration of a time period that begins when resistance exceeds a baseline (with hysteresis). In the case of a basketball net, a processor may calculate the translational kinetic energy of the ball as equal to a sum of two terms. The first term is inversely proportional to the square of the duration; the second is proportional to the square of the integral of the instantaneous rate of change of resistance over the time period.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising in combination:
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(a) a net that has an aperture and that includes one or more cords, which one or more cords (i) are stretchable, (ii) are electrically conductive, (iii) have an electrical resistance that varies depending on the extent to which the one or more cords are stretched, and (iv) are positioned such that the one or more cords stretch when a ball passes through the aperture; (b) at least one sensor for measuring the electrical resistance; and (c) at least one processor for performing a computation that includes (i) calculating a duration of a time period, which period starts when the electrical resistance exceeds a baseline plus a first amount and ends when the electrical resistance is less than the baseline minus a second amount, and (ii) calculating, based at least in part on the duration of the time period, the translational kinetic energy of the ball that passes through the aperture. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of estimating translational kinetic energy of a ball passing through an aperture in a net, which net includes one or more cords that are stretchable, electrically conductive and have an electrical resistance that varies depending on the extent to which one or more cords are stretched, which method comprises, in combination:
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(a) measuring the electrical resistance by at least one sensor; and (b) performing a computation by at least one processor, which computation includes (i) calculating a duration of a time period, which period starts when the electrical resistance exceeds a baseline plus a first amount and ends when the electrical resistance is less than the baseline minus a second amount, and (ii) calculating, based at least in part on the duration of the time period, the translational kinetic energy of the ball that passes through the aperture in the net, wherein the one or more cords are positioned such that the one or more cords stretch when the ball passes through the aperture. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification