Apparatus and System for Automatic Collection and Delivery of Spherical Game Elements

• US 20150328503A1
• Filed: 07/24/2015
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Foxtenn Bgreen, S.L.
• Original Assignee: Foxtenn Bgreen, S.L.
• Inventors: Vilar, Javier Simon, Minguez, Fernando Gonzalez
• Granted Patent: US 9,561,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2047/022 Autonomous machines which find their own way around the playing surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/021 for picking-up automatically, e.g. by apparatus moving over the playing surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0009 for handicapped persons

Abstract

A collection apparatus including an autonomous power supply means and an image acquisition means for acquiring image sequences of at least one area of surveillance is disclosed. The collection apparatus may further include control means connected to the image acquisition means for receiving and processing the acquired sequences of images, to detect the presence and position of said game elements, and to send a control command to move the collection apparatus to collect a detected spherical game element. The collection apparatus also includes interaction means for interacting with a player to deliver a previously collected spherical game element to the player and a delivery device controlled by the control means to perform the delivery. An automatic collection system is also disclosed that uses two collection apparatuses, operating in a complementary and/or synchronized way to collect and deliver a spherical element to a player, on request by the player.

Claims

1. A movable apparatus for the automatic collection and controlled individual delivery of spherical game elements in a surveillance area having a gaming area, wherein the one or more game elements may be a ball such as a tennis ball, the apparatus comprising:

an autonomous power supply means;

image acquisition means for acquiring image sequences of at least one area of surveillance;

control means connected to the image acquisition means for receiving the acquired image sequences, the control means operable to process at least part of the image sequences to detect the presence and position of at least one spherical game element in the area of surveillance, operable to send a control command to move the movable apparatus to the position of said at least one detected spherical game element, and operable to instruct the movable apparatus to collect said at least one detected spherical game element;

interaction means for interacting with a player to perform a controlled and individual delivery of a previously collected spherical game element to said player; and

delivery means controlled by said control means operable to perform said controlled and individual delivery of a previously collected spherical game element to said player.

2. A movable apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the interaction means include:

a recognition system for recognizing and interpreting user commands selected from the group consisting of speech, gestures, or a combination thereof; and

an audio system to selectively emit sounds, phrases, and/or music, selectable by means of said control means based on the operating status of the movable apparatus.

3. A moveable apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said delivery means comprises a throwing or launching element for throwing or launching the spherical game element.

4. A system for the automatic collection and controlled individual delivery of spherical game elements in a surveillance area having a gaming area, wherein the one or more game elements may be a ball such as a tennis ball, the system comprising:

an opto-electric detection and acquisition device adapted to acquire image sequences or detect data about the surveillance area;

a first movable automatic spherical game element collection apparatus;

a second movable automatic spherical game element collection apparatus in communication with the first movable automatic spherical game element collection apparatus; and

first control means for analyzing and processing said image sequences or data to identify the presence of at least one spherical game element in said surveillance area and for sending control commands to one or both of the first and second movable automatic spherical game element collection apparatuses so that the apparatuses operate in one or both of a complimentary and synchronous manner to collect the one or more spherical game elements,

wherein each of said first and second movable automatic spherical game element collection apparatuses comprises;

an autonomous power supply means;

image acquisition device for acquiring image sequences of at least one area of surveillance;

second control means connected to the image acquisition device for receiving the acquired sequences of images, for processing at least part of the sequences of images to detect the presence and position of at least one spherical game element in the surveillance area, for sending a control command to move the apparatus to the position of said at least one detected spherical game element, and for instructing the apparatus to collect the detected spherical game element;

interaction means for interacting with a player to perform a controlled and individual delivery of a previously collected spherical game element to said player; and

a delivery device controlled by said control means to perform said controlled and individual delivery of a previously collected spherical game element to a said player.

5. A system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said image acquisition device of said first and second movable automatic spherical game element collection apparatuses comprise at least one image acquisition device selected from the group consisting of a CCD camera and a video camera, and wherein the first and second movable automatic spherical game element collection apparatuses are arranged to cover different areas of the gaming area in a complimentary manner.

6. A system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said opto-electric detection and acquisition device comprises a fixed camera directed at the gaming area communicating visual information collected thereby to the first control means, wherein said image acquisition device of the first and second movable automatic spherical game element collection apparatuses include at least one mobile camera and communicate visual information therefrom to said second control means, and wherein one of said at least one mobile camera is rotatable and programmed to acquire player movements.

7. A system as set forth in claim 4, wherein the first control means includes a first electronic system separate from the spherical game element collection apparatuses and the second control means include a second electronic system carried by one of said apparatuses, and wherein the first electronic system and the second electronic system are communicably interrelated via wireless communication.

8. A system as set forth in claim 7, wherein at least one of said electronic systems includes a memory where historical data concerning the operation of the system as a whole are registered, including images and statistical information.