Basketball sensing apparatus

• US 9,901,801 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• 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:
  US14/205,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20140200692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 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 American football A63B2243/007
• 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 first signals indicating a made basketball shot or a missed basketball shot by a first person during a first basketball shooting session, receive second signals indicating a made basketball shot or a missed basketball shot by a second person during a second basketball shooting session, track a number of made basketball shots by the first person and the second person, and output an indicator of a relationship of the number of made basketball shots by the first person to the number of made basketball shots by the second person at least after each made shot by of the second person while the second person is partaking in the second basketball shooting session producing the second signals.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

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

receive first signals indicating a made basketball shot or a missed basketball shot by a first person during a first basketball shooting session;

receive second signals indicating a made basketball shot or a missed basketball shot by a second person during a second basketball shooting session, wherein the first signals are received from at least one sensor carried by a first basketball being shot by the first person and wherein the second signals are received from at least one sensor carried by a second basketball being shot by the second person;

track a number of made basketball shots by the first person and the second person; and

output, to the second person, an indicator of a relationship of the number of made basketball shots by the first person to the number of made basketball shots by the second person at least after each made shot by the second person while the second person is partaking in the second basketball shooting session producing the second signals, wherein the first shooting session and the second shooting session occur at different locations on different basketball hoops.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises a visible indicator on a display screen.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises a visible indicator on a basketball being shot by the second person.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indicator indicates the relationship between the number of made basketball shots by the second person and the number of made basketball shots by the first person at a corresponding points in time during the first basketball shooting session and the second basketball shooting session.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a light emitter, the light emitter producing the visible indicator, wherein the light emitter is configured to be supported to provide for viewing while the second person is partaking in the second basketball shooting session.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises an audible indicator.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first basketball shooting session and the second basketball shooting session occur simultaneous in real time.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further directs the processor to output a second indicator of the number of made basketball shots by the second person to number of made basketball shots by the first person at least after each made shot by the first person while the first person is partaKing in the first basketball shooting session producing the first signals.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the indicator comprises an audible indicator.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second basketball shooting session begins after completion of the first basketball shooting session and wherein the indicator indicates a relationship between the number of made basketball shots by the second person and the number of made basketball shots by the first person at corresponding points in time during the first basketball shooting session and the second basketball shooting session.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the corresponding points in time are selected from a group of corresponding points in time consisting of:

corresponding points of elapsed time during the first basketball shooting session and the second basketball shooting session; and

completion of a corresponding number of shot attempts during the first basketball shooting session and the second basketball shooting session.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is further to direct the processing unit to output audible comments to the second person based upon at least one of the relationship and consecutive made basketball shots by either the first person or the second person.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is to store shot by shot shooting results of the first person, wherein the second basketball shooting session by the second person is later than the first basketball shooting session by the first person.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indicator is the number of made basketball shots by the first person and the number of made basketball shots by the second person.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is further to direct the processor to receive signals indicating locations from which made basketball shots by the first person and made basketball shots by the second person are made and to determine a first score of the first person and a second score of the second person after each completed shot, wherein the first score and the second score are based upon the locations from which basketball shots are made, wherein made shots from different locations by the first person differently impact the first score and wherein made shots at different locations by the second person differently impact the second score.

16. 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 second person and the relationship, the audio selected from a group of audio consisting of:

fan cheering, fan heckling, and game commentary.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indication indicates which of the first person and the second person is leading in a competition between the first person and the second person.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first shooting session starts at a first time and wherein second shooting session starts at a second time after the first time and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is to direct the processor to automatically output of the indicator of the relationship of the number of made basketball shots by the first person to the number of made basketball shots by the second person at predetermined corresponding points in time during the first shooting session and the second shooting session, such predetermined corresponding points in time occurring prior to an end of the first shooting session and an end of the second shooting session.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first shooting session occurs at a first at least partial basketball court on the first basketball hoop and wherein the second shooting session occurs at a second at least partial basketball court on a second basketball hoop, different than the first at least partial basketball court, the apparatus further comprising:

a first transmitter at the first at least partial basketball court to transmit the first signals;

a second transmitter at the second at least partial basketball court to transmit the second signals;

a first transceiver at the first at least partial basketball court to receive the second signals or a result based upon the second signals;

a second transceiver at the second at least partial basketball court to receive the first signals or a result based on the first signals;

a first output at the first at least partial basketball court to present the indicator; and

a second output at the second at least partial basketball court to present the indicator.

20. An apparatus comprising:

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

receive first signals indicating a made basketball shot or a missed basketball shot by a first person during a first basketball shooting session;

receive second signals indicating a made basketball shot or a missed basketball shot by a second person during a second basketball shooting session, wherein the first signals are received from at least one sensor carried by a first basketball being shot by the first person and wherein the second signals are received from at least one sensor carried by a second basketball being shot by the second person;

track a number of made basketball shots by the first person and the second person; and

output, to the second person, an indicator of a relationship of the number of made basketball shots by the first person to the number of made basketball shots by the second person at least after each made shot by the second person while the second person is partaking in the second basketball shooting session producing the second signals, wherein the indicator comprises a visible indicator on a basketball being shot by the second person; and

wherein the first shooting session and the second shooting session occur at different locations on different basketball hoops.

21. An apparatus comprising:

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

receive first signals indicating a made basketball shot or a missed basketball shot by a first person during a first basketball shooting session;

receive second signals indicating a made basketball shot or a missed basketball shot by a second person during a second basketball shooting session, wherein the first signals are received from at least one sensor carried by a first basketball being shot by the first person and wherein the second signals are received from at least one sensor carried by a second basketball being shot by the second person;

track a number of made basketball shots by the first person and the second person; and

output, to the second person, an indicator of a relationship of the number of made basketball shots by the first person to the number of made basketball shots by the second person at least after each made shot by the second person while the second person is partaking in the second basketball shooting session producing the second signals, wherein the second basketball shooting session begins after completion of the first basketball shooting session, wherein the indicator indicates a relationship between the number of made basketball shots by the second person and the number of made basketball shots by the first person at corresponding points in time during the first basketball shooting session and the second basketball shooting session, and wherein the first shooting session and the second shooting session occur at different locations on different basketball hoops.