Basketball sensing apparatus

• US 9,844,704 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Thurman, Robert T., Krysiak, Kevin L., Proeber, David J., Wagner, Allen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr., William H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leichliter, Chase
• Application Number:
  US14/205,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20140222177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 473415
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/14 Lacrosse
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/182 Softball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/35 Spin
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/72 Temperature
• 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 2243/0025 Football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0066 Rugby; American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0095 Volleyball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/02 Bladders
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/06 : with illuminating devices ; with reflective surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/46 : Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/002 : Games using balls, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0071 : for basketball
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 : Sports

Abstract

An apparatus includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium to direct a processor to: receive signals indicating a made basketball shot or a missed basketball shot of a basketball by a person during a basketball shooting session, receive signals indicating a location from which each made basketball shot is made, and determine and output a user cumulative score for the person for the basketball shooting session, the cumulative score being based upon the location of each made basketball shot.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium to direct a processor to;

receive signals indicating a made basketball shot or a missed basketball shot of a basketball by a person during a timed basketball shooting session, wherein the received signals indicating a made basketball shot originate from a sensor carried by the basketball;

receive signals indicating a location from which each made basketball shot is made; and

determine and output a user cumulative score for the person for the basketball shooting session, the cumulative score being based upon the location of each made basketball shot, wherein the user cumulative score is an ongoing user cumulative score determined and outputted after each made basketball shot; and

facilitate a virtual game by determining and outputting an ongoing virtual cumulative score for a virtual opponent during the shooting session, the virtual ongoing cumulative score for the virtual opponent being based upon time during the timed basketball shooting session of the person.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is further to direct the processor to adjust scoring by the virtual opponent in response to signals authorizing redemption of experience points.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is further to direct the processor to award the experience points in response to and based upon one or more criteria selected from a group of criteria consisting of:

completion of a game;

winning a timed game, number of won timed games, winning percentage of timed games, satisfying a predefined achievement level, free-throw percentage, high score, made shot streaks, time duration of training, winning a game of horse/around the world and a purchase.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the virtual cumulative score for the virtual opponent is a function of a game clock and is based at least upon a predefined scoring rate for the virtual opponent.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the predefined scoring rate is selected from a group of scoring rates consisting of:

a linear scoring rate;

a non-linear convergent scoring rate in which the processor drives scoring by the virtual opponent to stay close to scoring of the person;

non-linear divergent scoring rate in which the processor drives scoring by the virtual opponent to stay lower or higher than the scoring of the person;

game flow scoring rate in which the processor drives scoring by the virtual opponent based upon scoring momentum of the person; and

random event scoring rate in which random generated simulated game event temporarily adjusts an ongoing scoring rate of the virtual opponent.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the predefined scoring rate is selected from the group consisting of being based upon a scoring rate of a person from a prior completed virtual game, being based upon a scoring rate of a person from a prior completed virtual game by the person, and being based upon a scoring rate of a person from a prior completed virtual game by another person using the apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the predefined scoring rate is based upon a scoring rate of team for a prior completed real-world game.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the predefined scoring rate is based upon a scoring rate of a team for a prior completed real-world game of an organized basketball team selected from a group of levels consisting of:

high school, college, and professional.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, the non-transitory computer-readable medium is further to direct the processor to adjust the predefined scoring rate based upon a skill level of the person.

10. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the predefined scoring rate is based upon a statistic of a plurality scoring rates from a plurality of prior completed real-world games of an organized basketball team selected from a group of levels consisting of:

high school, college, and professional.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the virtual ongoing cumulative score for the virtual opponent is based upon time during the timed basketball shooting session of the person and a stored scoring time profile.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is further to direct the processor to output an indicator based at least upon of a relationship of the ongoing user cumulative score of the person to the ongoing virtual cumulative score of the virtual opponent during the virtual game.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the indicator comprises a visible indicator.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the indicator comprises an audible indicator.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is further to direct an audio device to output audio based upon at least one of made basketball shots by the person, missed basketball shots by the person, made basketball shots by the virtual opponent, missed basketball shots by the virtual opponent and a relationship between the ongoing user cumulative score and the ongoing virtual opponent cumulative score, the audio selected from a group of audio consisting of:

fan cheering, fan heckling, game commentary, and make-miss sound effects.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is further to direct the processor to:

receive signals indicating a missed basketball shot attempt by a person during a timed basketball shooting session;

receive signals indicating a location for each missed basketball shot attempt; and

adjust the user cumulative score based upon a variability of the locations for the missed basketball shot attempts and made basketball shots.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is further to direct the processor to output a requested shooting location to the person doing the shooting session.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is further to award experience points to the person in response to making a basket from the requested shooting location.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the received signals indicating the location from which each made basketball shot is made originate from at least one sensor carried by the basketball.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the received signals indicating a made basketball shot originate from a user.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indicated location of each basketball shot produces the same increase in score.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indicated location of each basketball shot produces one of a different scoring increases based upon the location of each made basketball shot.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signals indicating a made basketball shot or a missed basketball shot of a basketball by the person during the basketball shooting session do not directly indicate a made shot or a missed basketball shot and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is further to direct the processor to utilize the signals to determine whether a shot attempt is the made basketball shot or the missed basketball shot of the basketball by the person during the basketball shooting session based upon the received signals.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the received signals indicating a made basketball shot or a missed basketball shot of a basketball by the person during the basketball shooting session comprise signals from the sensor that comprises an accelerometer carried by the basketball and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is further to direct the processor to compare a trace derived from the signals to a signature trace of a made basketball shot to determine whether a shot attempt is the made basketball shot or the missed basketball shot of the basketball by the person during the basketball shooting session based upon the received signals.

25. An apparatus comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium to direct a processor to;

receive signals indicating a made basketball shot or a missed basketball shot of a basketball by a person during a timed basketball shooting session, wherein the received signals indicating a made basketball shot originate from a mechanical device coupled to a basket;

receive signals indicating a location from which each made basketball shot is made;

determine and output a user cumulative score for the person for the basketball shooting session, the cumulative score being based upon the location of each made basketball shot, wherein the user cumulative score is an ongoing user cumulative score determined and outputted after each made basketball shot; and

facilitate a virtual game by determining and outputting an ongoing virtual cumulative score for a virtual opponent during the shooting session, the virtual ongoing cumulative score for the virtual opponent being based upon time during the timed basketball shooting session of the person.

26. An apparatus comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium to direct a processor to;

receive signals indicating a made basketball shot or a missed basketball shot of a basketball by a person during a timed basketball shooting session, wherein the received signals indicating a made basketball shot originate from one or more cameras or optical sensors;

receive signals indicating a location from which each made basketball shot is made;

determine and output a user cumulative score for the person for the basketball shooting session, the cumulative score being based upon the location of each made basketball shot, wherein the user cumulative score is an ongoing user cumulative score determined and outputted after each made basketball shot; and

facilitate a virtual game by determining and outputting an ongoing virtual cumulative score for a virtual opponent during the shooting session, the virtual ongoing cumulative score for the virtual opponent being based upon time during the timed basketball shooting session of the person.