SPORTS APPARATUS AND METHODS INCLUDING TRACKING ADDITIVES

• US 20180311562A1
• Filed: 05/01/2017
• Published: 11/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Moyerman, Stephanie, Hall, James Brian, Lathrop, Braxton
• Granted Patent: US 10,675,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/24 Ice hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/08 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/14 Curling stone; Shuffleboard; Similar sliding games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0026 for ice-hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration

Abstract

Illustrative examples of a sports apparatus and methods for manufacturing a sports apparatus for sensing a scoring event, including but not limited to hockey pucks. In some examples, the sports apparatus includes a body formed of a substrate material and an additive embedded in the substrate material. The additive may be used by a sensor array to locate the position of the sports apparatus in relation to a sports goal. Example additives include an electronic object or a doping material.

Claims

1. A sports apparatus for sensing a scoring event, the apparatus comprising:

a body formed of a substrate material; and

an additive embedded in the substrate material, the additive used by a sensor array to locate the position of the sports apparatus in relation to a sports goal, wherein the additive comprises at least one of an electronic object or a doping material.

2. The sports apparatus of claim 1, wherein the additive is the electronic object and wherein the body is formed of a first substrate and a second substrate.

3. The sports apparatus of claim 2, wherein the electronic object is a non-powered passive electronic object.

4. The sports apparatus of claim 2 wherein the electronic object is an active powered electronic object.

5. The sports apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first substrate is formed having a first surface opposite a second surface, and a circumferential outer surface extending from the first surface to the second surface, the first surface having a recess that is configured to accommodate the electronic object and the second substrate therein, and wherein the electronic object is located between the first substrate and the second substrate.

6. The sports apparatus of claim 5, wherein the recess comprises a first diameter at a first location along a longitudinal axis of the apparatus, and a second diameter at a second location along the longitudinal axis of the apparatus, wherein the first diameter is smaller than the second diameter, and wherein the first location is located closer to the first surface than the second location.

7. The sports apparatus of claim 5, wherein the recess comprises a first cross-section at a first location along a longitudinal axis of the apparatus, and a second cross-section at a second location along the longitudinal axis of the apparatus, wherein the first cross-section is different in size, shape, or orientation than the second cross-section.

8. The sports apparatus of claim 5, wherein the recess comprises first and second cross-sectional areas defined along a plane orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the apparatus, wherein the recess comprises a first cross-sectional area at a first region along the longitudinal axis of the apparatus, and a second cross-sectional area at a second region along the longitudinal axis of the apparatus, wherein the first cross-sectional area is smaller than the second cross-sectional area, and wherein the first region is located more distal from a base of the recess than the second region.

9. The sports apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second substrate has a stepped cylindrical form comprising a first portion and a second portion along a longitudinal axis of the apparatus, the second portion arranged closer to the electronic object than the first portion, and wherein the second portion has a larger cross-sectional area than the first portion.

10. The sports apparatus of claim 1, wherein the additive is the doping material, and wherein the doping material induces a specified magnetic moment within the sports apparatus, wherein the specified magnetic moment is adapted to be used for tracking location and orientation of the sports apparatus.

11. The sports apparatus of claim 10, wherein the doping material comprises at least one of:

a manganite material, a ferrous material, a rare earth magnetic material, or a combination thereof.

12. The sports apparatus of claim 10, wherein the doping material is in powder form.

13. The sports apparatus of claim 10, wherein the doping material forms less than 1% of the body of the sports apparatus.

14. The sports apparatus of claim 10, wherein a Curie temperature of the doping material is less than a bake temperature of the body.

15. The sports apparatus of claim 10, wherein the doping material comprises an induced magnetism having a characteristic dipole moment that permits the location of the sports apparatus to be determined by the sensor array.

16. A method of manufacturing a sports apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a substrate material;

receiving an additive comprising at least one of an electronic object or a doping material, wherein the additive is used by a sensor array to locate the position of the sports apparatus in relation to a sports goal; and

forming the substrate material into a body of the sports apparatus with the additive embedded therein.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the additive is the electronic object, and wherein receiving the substrate material comprises receiving a first substrate and a second substrate, and wherein forming the substrate material into the body of the sports apparatus comprises forming the first substrate to have a substantially cylindrical shape including a first surface opposite a second surface along a longitudinal axis of the apparatus, and a circumferential outer surface extending from the first surface to the second surface, and forming a recess into the first surface, the recess arranged to accommodate the electronic object and at least a of the second substrate therein.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising inserting the electronic object and the second substrate into the recess formed in the first substrate, wherein forming the substrate material into a body of the sports apparatus comprises molding the second substrate while the second substrate is located in the recess of the first substrate, to lock the second substrate into the first substrate to retain the electronic object within the sports apparatus.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising distributing the doping material into the substrate material, and wherein forming the substrate material comprises molding the substrate material by compressing the substrate material.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising distributing the doping material into the substrate material, and wherein forming the substrate material comprises molding the substrate material by heating and compressing the substrate material.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising generating a magnetic field and exposing the sports apparatus to the magnetic field to induce a specific magnetic moment within the sports apparatus, and wherein the specific magnetic moment is adapted to be used for determining at least one or both of location and orientation of the sports apparatus.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

reducing a heat applied to the substrate material during the molding to allow the sports apparatus to cool; and

exposing the sports apparatus to a magnetic field.

23. At least one machine-readable medium including instructions for manufacturing a sports apparatus that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive information about a presence of a substrate material and a presence of and an additive in a mold;

cause the mold to close, upon receiving information that the substrate material and the additive are in the mold, wherein the mold is shaped to produce a body of a sports apparatus, and the additive comprises at least one of an electronic object or a doping material, wherein the additive is used by a sensor array to locate the position of the sports apparatus in relation to a sports goal;

cause the mold to compress and heat the substrate material, upon determination that the mold is closed, to form the substrate material into the body of the sports apparatus; and

initiate, upon a determination that the sports apparatus has been formed, cooling of the sports apparatus.

24. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 23, wherein the additive comprises the electronic object, and wherein the instructions to receive information about a presence of a substrate material includes to receive information about the presence of a first substrate and a second substrate, including information that the additive is located between the first substrate and the second substrate.

25. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 23, wherein the additive comprises the doping material, and the doping material is capable of exhibiting a specified magnetic moment within the sports apparatus to track location and orientation of the sports apparatus.