Concept for making goal decisions by means of magnetic fields

• US 20080085790A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cairos Technologies Ag
• Original Assignee: Cairos Technologies Ag
• Inventors: Englert, Walter
• Granted Patent: US 8,057,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/470
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0037 on a target surface or at impact on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/08 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/83 characterised by the position of the sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/89 Field sensors, e.g. radar systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/00 Targets or goals for ball games golf cups A63B57/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/004 Goals of the type used for football, handball, hockey or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/081 the magnetic field is produced by the objects or geological structures characterised by the method of magnetic field measurement G01R33/00

Abstract

A method for deciding whether a movable object has been brought through a goal having a goal area defined by the goal, an internal magnetic field being measurable, within the goal area or in parallel with the goal area, which is larger than an external magnetic field present outside the goal area, the method including a step of generating the internal magnetic field within the goal, a step of providing information about a magnetic field experienced by the movable object, and a step of evaluating the information about the magnetic field to provide a goal statement by means of a detection that the movable object has passed through the internal magnetic field.

Claims

1. A device for generating a magnetic field within a goal having a bounded goal area which is defined by the goal, and through which a movable object must be brought so as to achieve a goal, the device being configured to generate, within the goal area or in parallel with the goal area, an internal magnetic field larger than an external magnetic field present outside the goal area.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, the goal having four demarcations, and the device comprising:

a first area comprising a ferromagnetic material and being associated with a first demarcation;

a second area comprising a ferromagnetic material and being associated with a second demarcation; and

a third area comprising a ferromagnetic material and being associated with a third demarcation.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, the device further comprising:

a coil associated with the first, second or third areas, the coil and the first, second and third areas being arranged such that closed magnetic field lines result which have portions located within the goal area or in parallel with the goal area, and the remaining portions of which are guided through the first, second and third areas.

4. The device as claimed in claim 2, the first area corresponding to a first side post, the second area corresponding to a second side post, and the third area corresponding to the crossbar, or the first area corresponding to a side post, the second area corresponding to the crossbar, and the third area corresponding to a goal line on which the goal is located.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the goal comprises hollow side posts and a hollow crossbar, and ferromagnetic cores being arranged within at least one side post and the crossbar.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, a rod comprising a ferromagnetic material being buried underneath the goal line.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, a ferromagnetic material being deposited on at least one of the side posts and the crossbar.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, a ferromagnetic material of the first, second and third areas being arranged in a continuous manner in each case, and the first, second and third areas together forming a U shape.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, the first demarcation corresponding to a first side post, the second demarcation corresponding to a second side post, the third demarcation corresponding to the crossbar, and the fourth demarcation corresponding to the goal line, and the first, second and third areas of the device being located in a plane parallel to the goal plane behind the goal line.

10. The device as claimed in claim 3, the device further comprising a generator for generating coil activation signals.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10, the generator for generating coil activation signals being configured to generate the coil activation signals with different intensities.

12. The device as claimed in claim 2, the device including a permanent magnet.

13. A device for determining whether a movable object has been brought through a goal having a goal area defined by the goal, an internal magnetic field being measurable within the goal area or in parallel with the goal area, the internal magnetic field being larger than an external magnetic field extending outside the goal area, the device comprising:

a provider for providing information about a magnetic field experienced by the movable object; and

an evaluator for evaluating the information about the magnetic field so as to provide a goal statement, the evaluator being configured to detect that the movable object has passed through the internal magnetic field.

14. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the provider is configured to provide information about a time curve of the magnetic field, which further comprises a detector for detecting an additional condition, the additional condition differing from the internal magnetic field;

and wherein the evaluator is configured to evaluate the time curve together with the additional condition.

15. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the provider is configured to provide an indication, by means of the additional condition, as to the side from which the movable object has approached the goal.

16. The device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the provider is configured to detect force and/or motion ratios of the movable object.

17. The device as claimed in claim 13, the provider being located within the movable object.

18. The device as claimed in claim 17, the provider comprising a magnetic field sensor.

19. The device as claimed in claim 18, the magnetic field sensor of the provider being a three-dimensional magnetic field sensor.

20. The device as claimed in claim 17, the evaluator being, located within the movable object.

21. The device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the evaluator is not located within the movable object, and wherein the provider may be coupled to the evaluator.

22. The device as claimed in claim 21, the evaluator further comprising a receiver for receiving a sequence of magnetic-field measured values from the movable object.

23. The device as claimed in claim 22, the receiver being a radio receiver.

24. The device as claimed in claim 13, the evaluator being configured to provide the goal statement by means of a derivation of the time curve of the magnetic field with respect to time.

25. The device as claimed in claim 24, wherein the derivation of the time curve of the magnetic field with respect to time d═

B═

/dt approximately equals zero at the moment the goal line is crossed.

26. The device as claimed in claim 14, the additional condition of the evaluator being a Doppler frequency which occurs due to the movable object moving toward or away from the evaluator.

27. The device as claimed in claim 13, the evaluator being configured to obtain the goal statement by comparing the measured values of the sequence of measured values with values determined in advance.

28. A method for generating a magnetic field within a goal having a bounded goal area which is defined by the goal and through which a movable object is to be brought to achieve a goal, comprising a step of generating an internal magnetic field larger than an external magnetic field present outside the goal area.

29. A method of determining whether a movable object has been brought through a goal having a goal area defined by the goal, an internal magnetic field being measurable, within the goal area or in parallel with the goal area, which is larger than an external magnetic field present outside the goal area, the method comprising:

providing information about a magnetic field experienced by the movable object; and

evaluating the information about the magnetic field to provide a goal statement by means of a detection that the movable object has passed through the internal magnetic field.

30. A method for deciding whether a movable object has been brought through a goal having a goal area defined by the goal, an internal magnetic field being measurable, within the goal area or in parallel with the goal area, which is larger than an external magnetic field present outside the goal area, the method comprising:

generating the internal magnetic field within the goal;

providing information about a magnetic field experienced by the movable object; and

evaluating the information about the magnetic field to provide a goal statement by means of a detection that the movable object has passed through the internal magnetic field.

31. A computer program having a program code for performing the method for generating a magnetic field within a goal having a bounded goal area which is defined by the goal and through which a movable object is to be brought to achieve a goal, comprising a step of generating an internal magnetic field larger than an external magnetic field present outside the goal area,

when the computer program runs on a computer or a microcontroller.

32. A computer program having a program code for performing the method of determining whether a movable object has been brought through a goal having a goal area defined by the goal, an internal magnetic field being measurable, within the goal area or in parallel with the goal area, which is larger than an external magnetic field present outside the goal area, the method comprising:

providing information about a magnetic field experienced by the movable object; and

evaluating the information about the magnetic field to provide a goal statement by means of a detection that the movable object has passed through the internal magnetic field,

when the computer program runs on a computer or a microcontroller.

33. A computer program having a program code for performing the method for deciding whether a movable object has been brought through a goal having a goal area defined by the goal, an internal magnetic field being measurable, within the goal area or in parallel with the goal area, which is larger than an external magnetic field present outside the goal area, the method comprising:

generating the internal magnetic field within the goal;

providing information about a magnetic field experienced by the movable object; and

evaluating the information about the magnetic field to provide a goal statement by means of a detection that the movable object has passed through the internal magnetic field,

when the computer program runs on a computer or a microcontroller.