SPORT PERFORMANCE SYSTEM WITH BALL SENSING

• US 20140135956A1
• Filed: 11/04/2013
• Published: 05/15/2014
• 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., Gaff, Bradley L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,656,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/91
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0034 during flight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/62 Time or time measurement used for time reference, time stamp, master time or clock signal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/002 for football American-football dummies A63B69/34
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 10/65 Entertainment or amusement; Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 20/20 relating to the thing itself
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 40/10 Detection; Monitoring

Abstract

A player training apparatus for use with a portable performance system. The portable performance system includes a processor, a memory and a display. The training apparatus includes an American-style football, at least one sensor coupled to the football, at least one transmitter coupled to the football and operably coupled to the sensor, and a non-transient computer-readable medium containing code. The code directs the processor to: retrieve a football instructional package from the memory regarding an act with the football; display the football instructional package on the display; instruct the player to perform the act with the football; receive input pertaining to motion of the football; store information related to the input into the memory; and display information relating to the input.

Claims

1. A player training apparatus for use with a portable performance system including a processor, a memory and a display, the training apparatus comprising:

an American-style football;

at least one sensor coupled to the football;

at least one transmitter coupled to the football and operably coupled to the sensor; and

a non-transient computer-readable medium containing code to direct the processor to;

retrieve a football instructional package from the memory regarding an act with the football;

display the football instructional package on the display;

instruct the player to perform the act with the football;

receive input pertaining to motion of the football;

store information related to the input into the memory; and

display information relating to the input.

2. The training apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code further directs the processor to compare the received input with previously stored information regarding similar football acts.

3. The training apparatus of claim 2, wherein the previously stored information is information from prior acts by the player with the football.

4. The training apparatus of claim 2, wherein the previously stored information is information relating to prior football acts performed by a celebrity.

5. The training apparatus of claim 1, wherein the act with the football is selected from the group consisting of a punt, a pass, a field goal kick, and a kick-off.

6. The training apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code directs the processor to derive at least one football motion parameter from the input pertaining to the motion of the football.

7. The training apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one football motion parameter is selected from the group consisting of football speed, football launch angle, spiral efficiency, spin about a non-longitudinal axis, spin about a longitudinal axis of the football, direction of the football, trajectory, passing release time, distance, and combinations thereof.

8. The training apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one football motion parameter is selected from a series of events resulting from the act and selected from the group consisting of snap to pass release time, snap to catch time, snap to pass release time, snap to punt time, snap to kick time, punt to catch time, punt to impact with ground time and combinations thereof.

9. The training apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code directs the processor to receive input relating to at least one environmental parameter.

10. The training apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one environmental parameter is selected from the group of environmental parameters consisting of:

air temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, air density, altitude, wind speed, wind direction and combinations thereof.

11. The training apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one environmental parameter is a hypothetical input.

12. The training apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one environmental parameter is sensed.

13. The training apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code further directs the processor to supply the input pertaining to motion of the football to a video game.

14. The training apparatus of claim 13, wherein the video game is within the player training apparatus.

15. The training apparatus of claim 13, wherein the video game is remote from the player training apparatus.

16. The training apparatus of claim 13, wherein the display of the video game is altered by the input.

17. The training apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code is further configured to direct the processing unit to generate control signals for an auditory source such that the auditory source produces sound based upon the control signals.

18. The training apparatus of claim 17, wherein the control signals causing auditory source to produce an alert sound at a predefined time following signals indicating a snap of the football.

19. The training apparatus of claim 17, wherein the control signals causing the auditory source to produce alert sounds at a predefined frequency following signals indicating a snap of the football, and wherein the control signals for an auditory source are terminated upon signals indicating one of the passing, the punting and the kicking of the football.

20. The training apparatus of claim 17, wherein the auditory source is positioned on, within, or remote from, the football.

21. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the code is further configured to direct a processor to:

store each determined football motion parameter; and

present a graph of the stored football motion parameters.

22. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the code is further configured to direct a processor to:

compare the determined football motion parameter to a predefined threshold value; and

present a suggestion based upon the comparison

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-transient computer-readable medium contains code to direct the processor to analyze the input pertaining to motion of the football and to output instructions to the player to perform based upon an analysis of the input.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-transient computer-readable medium contains code to direct the processor to access a database of ideal mechanics for the act with the football and wherein the instruction comprises outputting the ideal mechanics for the act with the football.