FOOTBALL SENSING

• US 20150182810A1
• Filed: 03/11/2015
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2009
• 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., Garrett, Frank Jr., Fisher, Mark W., Hare, Daniel E., Betzold, David, Proeber, David J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,636,550 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2220/44 Angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/72 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/02 Bladders
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/002 with special configuration, e.g. non-spherical discs for throwing A63B65/10
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/004 electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration

Abstract

A football sensing system including an American-style football extending along a longitudinal axis and having a maximum transverse dimension defining a transverse axis and at least one accelerometer carried by the football to sense acceleration of the football along at least a first axis. The accelerometer is sized to sense a predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis. The accelerometer is positioned within the football in a first position with the first axis of the accelerometer angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the football. The accelerometer in the first position is capable of measuring acceleration values in a direction in line with or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the football that are greater than the predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis.

Claims

1. A football sensing system comprising:

an American-style football extending along a longitudinal axis and having a maximum transverse dimension defining a transverse axis;

at least one accelerometer carried by the football to sense acceleration of the football along at least a first axis, the accelerometer sized to sense a predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis, the accelerometer being positioned within the football in a first position with the first axis of the accelerometer angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the football, the accelerometer in the first position being capable of measuring acceleration values in a direction in line with or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the football that are greater than the predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis.

2. The football sensing system of claim 1, wherein the first axis of the accelerometer is angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the football within the range of 15 to 75 degrees.

3. The football sensing system of claim 1, wherein the at least one accelerometer senses acceleration of the football along first, second and third axes.

4. The football sensing system of claim 3, wherein the at least one accelerometer is spaced apart from the longitudinal axis such that the at least one accelerometer can measure centripedal acceleration of the football.

5. The football sensing system of claim 4, further including a processor operably coupled to the at least one accelerometer, wherein the centripedal acceleration measurements of the football can processed by the processor to calculate the spin rate of the football with respect to the longitudinal axis of the football.

6. The football sensing system of claim 5, wherein the at least one accelerometer is at least the first accelerometer in the first position, and a second accelerometer in a second position, and wherein the first and second positions are spaced apart from the longitudinal axis on the football in substantially opposite directions.

7. The football sensing system of claim 6, wherein the second accelerometer can measure centripedal acceleration of the football in a second direction in line with or parallel to the transverse axis, and wherein the acceleration readings of the second accelerometer can processed by the processor to calculate the spin rate of the football with respect to the longitudinal axis of the football.

8. The football sensing system of claim 7, wherein the first and second positions are spaced apart by a predetermined fixed transverse distance, and wherein the fixed transverse distance is configured to be used by the processor to accurately calculate the spin rate of the football about the longitudinal axis.

9. The football sensing system of claim 6, wherein the acceleration measurements of the first and second accelerometers in the direction in line with or parallel to the longitudinal axis can processed by the processor to calculate the spiral efficiency of the football about the longitudinal axis when the football is thrown.

10. The football sensing system of claim 6, wherein the second accelerometer is positioned in a second position and is configured to sense acceleration of the football along first, second and third axes, and wherein the first axis of the second accelerometer in the second position is angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the football within the range of 15 to 75 degrees.

11. The football sensing system of claim 3, further including a processor operably coupled to the at least one accelerometer, wherein the transverse axis of the football extends along a transverse plane, wherein at least one accelerometer is spaced apart from the transverse plane such that the at least one accelerometer can measure acceleration of the football in a direction that is parallel to the transverse plane, and wherein the acceleration measurements of the at least one accelerometer in the direction parallel to the transverse plane can processed by the processor to calculate the end-over-end spin rate of the football with respect to the transverse plane.

12. The football sensing system of claim 11, wherein the at least one accelerometer is at least the first accelerometer in the first position, and a second accelerometer in a second position, wherein the first and second positions are spaced apart from, and on opposite sides of, the transverse plane, wherein the second accelerometer can measure acceleration in a second direction parallel to the transverse plane, and wherein the acceleration measurements of the first and second accelerometers can processed by the processor to calculate the end-over-end spin rate of the football with respect to the transverse plane.

13. The football sensing system of claim 12, wherein the first and second positions are spaced apart by a predetermined fixed longitudinal distance, and wherein the fixed longitudinal distance is configured to be used by the processor to accurately calculate the end-over-end spin rate of the football about the transverse plane.

14. A football sensing system comprising:

an American-style football extending along a longitudinal axis and having a maximum transverse dimension defining a transverse axis extending along a transverse plane;

at least first and second accelerometers carried by the football to sense acceleration of the football in at least one axis, the first and second accelerometers positioned on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis and spaced apart by a predetermined transverse distance, the first and second accelerometers configured to measure the centripedal acceleration of the football in first and second directions parallel to or in line with the transverse plane,

a processor operably coupled to the first and second accelerometers, the processor configured to receive signals from the first and second accelerometers representing the acceleration of the football in the first and second directions, the processor configured to process the acceleration signals and the predetermined transverse distance to calculate a spin rate of the football about the longitudinal axis.

15. The football sensing system of claim 14, wherein the first and second accelerometers are each three-axes accelerometers, wherein the first and second accelerometers are configured to measure the acceleration of the football in a third direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the processor is configured to receive signals from the first and second accelerometers representing the acceleration of the football in the third direction, and wherein the processor is configured to process the acceleration signals to calculate a spiral efficiency about the longitudinal axis when the football is thrown.

16. The football sensing system of claim 15, wherein the first and second accelerometers are spaced apart from the transverse plane such that the first and second accelerometers can measure acceleration of the football in third and fourth directions that are parallel to the transverse plane, and wherein the acceleration measurements of the first and second accelerometers in the third and fourth directions can processed by the processor to calculate the end-over-end spin rate of the football with respect to the transverse plane.

17. A football sensing system comprising:

an American-style football extending along a longitudinal axis and having a maximum transverse dimension defining a transverse axis;

at least a first accelerometer carried by the football to sense acceleration of the football in at least one axis, the first accelerometer spaced apart from the longitudinal axis by a predetermined transverse distance, the first accelerometer configured to measure the acceleration of the football in a first direction parallel to the longitudinal axis,

a processor operably coupled to the first accelerometer, the processor configured to receive signals from the first accelerometer representing the acceleration of the football in the first direction, the processor configured to process the acceleration signals to calculate a spiral efficiency about the longitudinal axis when the football is thrown or kicked.