Athletic ball telemetry apparatus and method of use thereof

• US 20060105857A1
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David A. Stark
• Original Assignee: David A. Stark
• Inventors: Stark, David A.
• Application Number:
  US10/990,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20060105857A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/353
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0053 for locating an object, e.g. a lost ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements

Abstract

An athletic ball includes a receiver, a processor, a transmitter, a power source and/or a multiplexing signal relay. The athletic ball receives GPS signal date from earth-orbiting satellites in order to determine the location of the ball. An output device is utilized to display the ball location and/or provide analytical data pertaining to movement of the athletic ball.

Claims

1. An athletic ball comprising:

a receiver, said receiver configured to receive GPS signal data;

a microprocessor, said microprocessor configured to triangulate received GPS signal data and determine ball position; and

a transmitter, said transmitter configured to transmit said ball position to an output device.

2. The athletic ball of claim 1, further comprising a power source.

3. The athletic ball of claim 2, wherein the power source is a battery.

4. The athletic ball of claim 1, wherein the output device is a portable electronic device having a graphical display.

5. The athletic ball of claim 4, wherein the portable electronic device includes capability for showing computed location of the ball on a graphical map.

6. The athletic ball of claim 4, wherein the portable electronic device includes capability for transmitting signals to the ball.

7. The athletic ball of claim 1, wherein the ball is a golf ball having a dimpled exterior surface.

8. An athletic ball comprising:

a multiplexing signal relay, said relay configured to receive signals simultaneously broadcast by a plurality of earth-orbiting satellites and communicate the received satellite signals to a position-processing output device.

9. The athletic ball of claim 8, further comprising a power source.

10. The athletic ball of claim 9, wherein the power source is a battery.

11. The athletic ball of claim 8, wherein the position-processing output device is a handheld computer having a graphical display.

12. The athletic ball of claim 11, wherein the handheld computer includes capability for computing and graphically mapping a location of the ball.

13. The athletic ball of claim 11, wherein the handheld computer includes capability for transmitting at least one signal to the ball.

14. The athletic ball of claim 8, further comprising a movement sensor.

15. The athletic ball of claim 14, wherein the movement sensor is a piezoelectric sensor.

16. The athletic ball of claim 8, wherein the ball is a golf ball having a dimpled exterior surface.

17. A method for determining the telemetry of an athletic ball, said method comprising:

providing an athletic ball having a GPS receiver, a microprocessor, and a transmitter;

receiving satellite signal data into the receiver included within the ball;

processing the received data to compute the position of the ball; and

transmitting the computed ball location to an output device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing an athletic ball having a power source.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting a signal from the output device to the athletic ball.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the output device is a portable electronic device having capability to graphically display the location of the ball.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising tracking the ball while playing a game of golf.