Instrumented sports paraphernalia system

• US 9,889,344 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2017
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Maxwell Monari, Lawrence Scott Monari
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Maxwell Monari, Lawrence Scott Monari
• Inventors: Monari, Lawrence Maxwell, Monari, Lawrence Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Kennedy, Joshua T
• Application Number:
  US15/595,654
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• Field of Search: 73700-756, 73 81
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/56 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/00 Hollow inflatable balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/02 Bladders
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/04 Closures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/085 Closures
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/002 with special configuration, e.g. non-spherical discs for throwing A63B65/10
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/004 electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/008 Devices for measuring or verifying ball characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 17/005 using a sensor contacting the exterior surface, e.g. for measuring deformation

Abstract

A system for measuring and displaying the pressure of conventional American-style footballs in real time to game officials and spectators continuously. The value of the football'"'"'s pressure is measured by physical contact with a Durometer and calculated using a CPU configured with software. Game officials may view the football'"'"'s pressure locally. A transceiver device continuously transmits the value of the football'"'"'s pressure, ID, time and date to remote receivers where game officials and spectators may continuously monitor the football'"'"'s pressure remotely.

Claims

1. A system for measuring the air pressure of a prior art conventional American-style football comprising a bladder and a cover-liner, comprising:

a test stand made of rigid material and having a bearing surface configured for rigidly mounting, aligning, and restraining a football;

a pressure transducer device rigidly mounted and aligned in said test stand adjacent to said bearing surface, comprising

a mechanical plunger having a pre-determined cross-sectional area configured for continuously contacting and exerting pressure on a football'"'"'s cover-liner and for receiving equal and opposite pressure from a football'"'"'s cover-liner to continuously sense a value of a football'"'"'s pressure, and

a CPU with software configured for calculating the value of the football'"'"'s pressure;

a pressure readout device mounted in said test stand and configured for receiving the value of a football'"'"'s pressure from said pressure transducer device, comprising a pressure readout display configured for continuously displaying the value of a football'"'"'s pressure received from said pressure transducer device, and

at least one transceiver device configured for continuously receiving the value of the football'"'"'s pressure from said CPU as well as receiving a football'"'"'s ID, a time and date, wherein the transceiver device continuously transmits the value of the football'"'"'s pressure, ID, time and date to remote receivers where game officials and spectators may continuously monitor a football'"'"'s pressure.

2. Said system of claim 1 wherein said test stand is further comprised of:

said bearing surface having a smooth cylindrical bore for mounting and aligning the cover-liner of the football to said test stand, and

a threaded cylindrical bore for mounting and aligning said pressure transducer device and for adjusting said pressure transducer device pressure perpendicular to the cover-liner of the football mounted in said smooth cylindrical bore.

3. Said system of claim 1 wherein said pressure transducer device is a digital Durometer wherein said digital Durometer is configured with a threaded cylindrical barrel for adjusting the pressure of said digital Durometer on the cover-liner of the football.

4. Said transceiver device of claim 1 wherein said transceiver device is further configured for receiving control commands from game officials for regulating the flow of data to the spectators.

5. A method for measuring the air pressure of a prior art conventional American-style football in real time wherein the football is comprised of a bladder and a cover-liner, comprising:

a. rigidly mounting and aligning and restraining the football in a test stand made of rigid material by gripping the surface of its cover-liner,

b. pressing on the surface of the cover-liner with a pressure transducer device deployed outside the football adjacent to said bearing surface and rigidly mounted and aligned on said test stand, wherein said test stand comprises a mechanical plunger having a pre-determined cross-sectional area configured for continuously contacting and exerting pressure on a football'"'"'s cover-liner and for receiving equal and opposite pressure from a football'"'"'s cover-liner to continuously sense a value of a football'"'"'s pressure and a CPU with software configured for calculating the value of a football'"'"'s pressure,

c. displaying the value of the air pressure of the football on a pressure readout device mounted in said test stand and configured for receiving the value of a football'"'"'s pressure from said pressure transducer device, comprising

a pressure readout display configured for continuously displaying the value of a football'"'"'s pressure received from said pressure transducer device, and

wherein at least one transceiver device configured for continuously receiving the value of the football'"'"'s pressure from said CPU as well as receiving a football'"'"'s ID, time and date,

wherein the transceiver device continuously transmits the value of the football'"'"'s pressure, ID, time and date to remote receivers where game officials and spectators may continuously monitor a football'"'"'s pressure.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said pressure transducer device is a digital Durometer.