System and method for improving a basketball player's shooting by transmitting shooting statistics to an electronic device

• US 10,675,523 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shoot-A-Way Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Shoot-A-Way Incorporated
• Inventors: Joseph, John G., Geiser, Troy David
• Primary Examiner(s): Aryanpour, Mitra
• Application Number:
  US15/200,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20160310814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 473422, 473433, 473447, 473431, 473432, 473479-481, 473467
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0028 Tracking the path of an object, e.g. a ball inside a soccer pitch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0034 during flight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0037 on a target surface or at impact on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0056 for statistical or strategic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0093 the load of the exercise apparatus being controlled by performance parameters, e.g. distance or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2063/001 Targets or goals with ball-returning means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0204 Standing on the feet
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/802 Ultra-sound sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• 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 24/0087 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/02 for picking-up or collecting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0071 for basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/40 Stationarily-arranged devices for projecting balls or other bodies golf cups with ball ejector means A63B57/405; traps for clay-pigeon targets F41J9/18
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 : Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/522 : using transmissions of interrupted pulse modulated waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/66 : Radar-tracking systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 : Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 : Sports

Abstract

An ejector launches a series of basketballs to various locations selected by a user via an interface having a number of individually selectable indicia arranged in a spaced angular pattern thereon corresponding to shooting locations on a basketball playing area. A sensor counts the number of ejected basketballs and made shots. A computer calculates shooting statistics data which is transmitted to a database via a network connection device. The database is configured to store the shooting statistics data and transmit it to an electronic device.

Claims

1. A system for assisting a user to improve his or her basketball skills by generating shooting statistics data for display on an electronic device, comprising:

a frame;

an ejector mounted to said frame and configured to launch a series of basketballs in a user-programmed set to actual locations on an actual basketball playing area;

a user interface mounted to said frame and in electronic communication with said ejector, said user interface including a rendering of a basketball playing surface, said user interface comprising a plurality of individually selectable input locations arranged about said rendering of said basketball playing surface, wherein the selectable locations correspond with said actual shooting locations on said actual basketball playing area, wherein said user interface is configured to receive a user made selection of one or more of the plurality of selectable locations through direct, physical touches of individual ones of said selectable input locations on the rendering of said basketball playing surface on said user interface, in a set of touches made by the user, whereby the user interface is configured to program the ejector to launch one or more basketballs to actual locations on said actual basketball playing area following receipt of said user set of touches, wherein said actual locations said basketballs are passed to correspond with the selectable input locations about the rendering on the user interface touched by the user in said set of touches;

at least one sensor configured to count the number of made shots for each of said actual locations;

at least one computer in electronic communication with the user interface and the at least one sensor, wherein said computer is configured to track the number of ejected basketballs passed to each of said actual locations, receive data from the at least one sensor regarding the number of made shots for each of said actual locations, and calculate the basketball shots made or missed statistics data for each of said actual locations of said user programmed set of basketball passes;

a database configured to receive and store said statistics data; and

a network connection device adapted to facilitate communication of the shooting statistics data between said at least one computer, said database, and said electronic device;

wherein said shooting statistics are used to generate a visual depiction of said statistics data adapted to be displayed on a display screen of said electronic device;

wherein said visual depiction comprises numerical percentages indicating the percentage of shots made, wherein each said numerical percentages are displayed on said display screen at positions at a second rendering of the basketball playing surface corresponding to each of said selected locations in the user programmed set of basketball passes, wherein said second rendering of the basketball playing surface corresponds to said actual basketball playing area.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the visual depiction comprises a comparison of at least one of the user'"'"'s shooting statistics data to the corresponding shooting statistics data for at least one other user.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein:

the database comprises a roster of players.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein:

said comparison is made between the user and one or more other users listed in the roster of players.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the visual depiction comprises cumulative shooting statistics data for the user recorded over multiple sessions.

6. A system for assisting a user to improve his or her basketball skills by generating shooting statistics data for display on an electronic device, comprising:

an ejector configured to launch a series of basketballs;

an interface connected to said ejector and comprising a plurality of individually and directly actuatable input locations at the interface for programming the ejector, said actuatable locations arranged in a spaced angular pattern on or about a first rendering of a three-point arc such that the actuatable input locations correspond with actual shooting locations on a basketball playing area, and wherein said actuatable input locations are configured to be individually and directly actuated by the user through physical touches of said actuatable input locations, wherein said interface is configured to receive user input representing the actuation of one or more of said actuatable input locations, and said interface is configured to program the ejector to launch said basketballs to said shooting locations corresponding to the actuatable locations actuated by the user;

at least one sensor configured to count the number of made shots and ejected basketballs;

a computer in communication with the interface and the sensor configured to calculate the shooting statistics data for each shooting location corresponding to the actuatable locations touched by the user; and

a report generator configured to receive and store the shooting statistics data, generate a report visually depicting said shooting statistics, and provide said report for display on the electronic device;

wherein said visual depiction comprises a shooting efficiency percentage displayed at a second rendering of the three-point arc, which corresponds with the first rendering of the three-point arc, such that each shooting efficiency percentage is displayed at each location at the second rendering corresponding with the actual shooting locations the basketballs were ejected to in accordance with the actuatable locations touched by the user at the interface.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein:

said visual depiction comprises a comparison of at least one of the user'"'"'s shooting statistics data to the corresponding shooting statistics data for at least one other user.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein:

the electronic storage device comprises a roster of players.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein:

said comparison is made between the user and one or more additional users assigned to the roster of players.

10. A system for assisting a user to improve his or her basketball skills by generating shooting statistics data for display on a smartphone, comprising:

a pivotal basketball launcher for ejecting basketballs during a user challenge session;

a housing at least partially surrounding said basketball launcher and configured to pivot therewith;

one or more sensors associated with said launcher and a basketball goal for counting the number of ejected basketballs during said challenge session to each location and the number of made basketball shots that passed through said goal, thereby generating shooting statistics data by location;

a user interface located on said housing,

said user interface having a plurality of individually selectable input locations arranged in a spaced angular pattern on said interface along a first rendering of a three-point arc corresponding to shooting locations on an actual basketball playing area, wherein said user interface is configured to receive user input representing the physical touch of one or more of the selectable input locations by the user and program the basketball launcher to launch a predetermined number of basketballs to each of the shooting locations on the actual basketball playing area corresponding to the selectable locations touched by the user for the user challenge session;

a computer processor in electronic communication with said one or more sensors for calculating the shooting statistics data for the user challenge session;

an electronic storage device in communication with said computer processor and configured to store said shooting statistics data; and

a report generator adapted to generate a visual display of said shooting statistics data for the user challenge session for display on said smartphone;

wherein said visual display comprises a shooting efficiency for each location displayed in a percentage format at a second rendering of the three-point arc such that each shooting efficiency percentage is displayed at a location along said three-point arc to correspond with the individually selectable input locations touched by the user at the user interface to create the user challenge session.