Method and apparatus for training a human by feedback enhanced learning

• US 4,565,527 A
• Filed: 12/18/1984
• Issued: 01/21/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Barry L. Burchett
• Original Assignee: Barry L. Burchett
• Inventors: Burchett, Barry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Skogquist, Harland S.
• Application Number:
  US06/683,047
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 73/DIG. 11, 273/1.5 A, 273/25, 273/371, 273/DIG. 27, 434/247, 434/248, 434/249, 434/251, 434/258
• US Class Current: 434/248
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0071 for basketball

Abstract

A sensing frame is positioned so that a basketball will pass through a rectangular shaped opening in the sensing frame when a free throw shooter shoots the basketball towards a goal. The sensing frame has a beam of light directed across it above the top of the desired path of the basketball for the basketball to enter the goal and a second beam of light directed across it below the desired path of the basketball to enter the goal. If either of these beams of light is broken, different alarm signals indicate to the shooter whether the path of the basketball is high or low. The sensing frame is adjustable both vertically and about a horizontal axis to enable the desired positioning of the sensing frame relative to the shooter.

Claims

1. A method of improving the learning of a motor skill by identifying a specific, critical parameter of the motor skill of a shooter shooting a basketball along a desired flight path to a basketball goal in which proprioception provides the primary feedback and then enhancing the specificity of this available feedback including:

determining when the specific, critical parameter of the motor skill is satisfactory and not satisfactory with artificial sensors having no contact with the basketball during its movement along the desired flight path;

positioning the artificial sensors and any frame supporting the artificial sensors so that they are not in the field of vision of the shooter when the shooter views the basketball goal to shoot the basketball to the basketball goal and in accordance with the desired flight path as determined by having the shooter shoot the basketball along the desired flight path to the basketball goal;

relaying information by nonproprioceptive channels to the brain from the artificial sensors in accordance with whether the specific, critical parameter of the motor skill of shooting the basketball along the desired flight path to the basketball goal is satisfactory or not satisfactory;

and the relayed information from the artificial sensors including automatically producing a first signal without contact with the basketball when the basketball has moved above the desired flight path by at least a first selected amount at a first selected distance from where the basketball is shot so that the specific, critical parameter of the motor skill is not satisfactory with the first selected distance being substantially prior to the high point of the desired flight path and being such that the velocity of the basketball has a minimum effect on the desired flight path and automatically producing a second signal, different from the first signal, without contact with the basketball when the basketball has moved below the desired flight path by at least a second selected amount at a second selected distance from where the basketball is shot with the second selected distance being substantially prior to the high point of the desired flight path and being such that the velocity of the basketball has a minimum effect on the desired flight path.

2. The method according to claim 1 including:

positioning first signaling means as one of the artificial sensors the first selected amount above the desired flight path at the first selected distance to produce the first signal when the basketball is above the desired flight path by at least the first selected amount at the first selected distance;

positioning second signaling means as another of the artificial sensors the second selected amount below the desired flight path at the second selected distance to produce the second signal when the basketball is below the desired flight path by at least the second selected amount at the second selected distance;

and positioning each of the first signaling means and the second signaling means so that none of the first signaling means, the second signaling means, or any frame on which the first signaling means and the second signaling means are mounted is viewed by the shooter when the shooter views the basketball goal to shoot the basketball to the basketball goal.

3. A method of training a human of any height to shoot a basketball along a desired flight path to a basketball goal while the human looks at the basketball goal including:

determining the desired flight path for the basketball by having the human shoot the basketball along the desired flight path to the basketball goal;

automatically indicating to the human shooting the basketball when the basketball is above the desired flight path by at least a first selected amount at a first selected distance from where the basketball is shot with the first selected distance being substantially prior to the high point of the desired flight path and being such that the velocity of the basketball has a minimum effect on the desired flight path and without any contact with the basketball;

and automatically indicating to the human shooting the basketball when the basketball is below the desired flight path by at least a second selected amount at a second selected distance from where the basketball is shot with the second selected distance being substantially prior to the high point of the desired flight path and being such that the velocity of the basketball has a minimum effect on the desired flight path and without any contact with the basketball.

4. The method according to claim 3 including:

automatically producing a first signal without contact with the basketball to indicate when the shot basketball is above the desired flight path by at least the first selected amount at the first selected distance;

and automatically producing a second signal, different from the first signal, without contact with the basketball to indicate when the shot basketball is below the desired flight path by at least the second selected amount at the second selected distance.

5. The method according to claim 4 including:

positioning first signaling means the first selected amount above the desired flight path at the first selected distance to produce the first signal;

positioning second signaling means the second selected amount below the desired flight path at the second selected distance to produce the second signal;

and positioning each of the first signaling means and the second signaling means so that none of the first signaling means, the second signaling means, or any frame on which the first signaling means and the second signaling means are mounted is within the field of vision of the shooter when the shooter views the basketball goal to shoot the basketball to the basketball goal.

6. An apparatus for training a human of any height to shoot a basketball along a desired flight path to a basketball goal while looking at the basketball goal by indicating when the shot basketball moves above or below the desired flight path including:

first sensing means disposed a first selected amount from the desired flight path at a first selected distance from where the basketball is shot by the shooter with the first selected distance being substantially prior to the high point of the desired flight path and closer to the shooter than to the high point of the desired flight path;

first signaling means to produce a first signal when said first sensing means senses without contact with the shot basketball that the shot basketball is at least the first selected amount above the desired flight path at the first selected distance from where the basketball is shot;

second sensing means disposed a second selected amount below the desired flight path at a second selected distance from where the basketball is shot by the shooter with the second selected distance being substantially prior to the high point of the desired flight path and closer to the shooter than to the high point of the desired flight path;

second signaling means to produce a second signal, different from the first signal, when said second sensing means senses without contact with the shot basketball that the shot basketball is at least the second selected amount below the desired flight path at the second selected distance from where the basketball is shot;

and means to position said first sensing means and said second sensing means out of the field of vision of the shooter when the shooter looks at the basketball goal to shoot the basketball to the basketball goal so that they are not within the field of vision of the shooter when the shooter looks at the basketball goal to shoot the basketball to the basketball goal.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 including support means to support said first sensing means and said second sensing means.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 in which said support means includes:

first support means supported on the floor or the like on which the human stands to shoot the basketball;

and second support means adjustably supported on said first support means, said second support means supporting said first sensing means and said second sensing means, said second support means being positioned so that none of said second support means, said first sensing means, and said second sensing means is within the field of vision of the shooter when the shooter views the basketball goal to shoot the basketball to the basketball goal.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 in which:

said second support means includes means defining an opening larger than the basketball to be shot, said defining means supporting said first sensing means and said second sensing means in spaced relation to each other, said defining means being positioned so that none of said defining means, said first sensing means, and said second sensing means is within the field of vision of the shooter when the shooter views the basketball goal to shoot the basketball to the basketball goal;

said first sensing means includes;

means to produce a beam of light across said opening; and

means to produce a signal when the beam of light is broken by the basketball passing through said opening to activate said first signaling means;

and said second sensing means includes;

means to produce a beam of light across said opening and substantially parallel to the beam of light produced by said beam producing means of said first sensing means;

and means to produce a signal when the beam of light is broken by the basketball passing through said opening to activate said second signaling means.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 in which said positioning means includes means to mount said defining means on said first support means for both vertical movement and pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal axis so that said defining means may be positioned substantially perpendicular to the desired flight path.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 in which:

said first support means includes a pair of substantially vertical poles;

each of said poles has a pair of substantially vertical slots formed in diametrical portions thereof;

and said mounting means includes;

first means attached to said defining means and extending into said vertical slots in one of said poles;

second means attached to said defining means and extending into said vertical slots in the other of said poles;

each of said first means and said second means being pivotally mounted in said vertical slots to enable pivoting of said defining means about a substantially horizontal axis so that said defining means may be disposed substantially perpendicular to the desired flight path of the basketball;

each of said first means and said second means being vertically movable in said vertical slots to dispose said defining means at various vertical positions;

and means to lock said first means and said second means in any position to which said first means and said second means are moved along said vertical slots in said poles and to which said defining means is pivoted by pivoting of said first means and said second means.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 including means to hold said defining means in the position to which it is pivoted when said locking means is rendered effective.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9 in which said positioning means includes means to mount said defining means on said first support means for both vertical movement and pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal axis so that said defining means may be positioned at a selected angle to the desired flight path.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 in which:

said first support means includes a pair of substantially vertical poles;

each of said poles has a pair of substantially vertical slots formed in diametrical portions thereof;

and said mounting means includes;

first means attached to said defining means and extending into said vertical slots in one of said poles;

second means attached to said defining means and extending into said vertical slots in the other of said poles;

each of said first means and said second means being pivotally mounted in said vertical slots to enable pivoting of said defining means about a substantially horizontal axis so that said defining means may be disposed at a selected angle to the desired flight path of the basketball;

each of said first means and said second means being vertically movable in said vertical slots to dispose said defining means at various vertical positions;

and means to lock said first means and said second means in any position to which said first means and said second means are moved along said vertical slots in said poles and to which said defining means is pivoted by pivoting of said first means and said second means.

15. The apparatus according to claim 8 in which said second support means includes means defining an opening larger than the basketball to be shot, said defining means supporting said first sensing means and said second sensing means in spaced relation to each other, said defining means being positioned so that none of said defining means, said first sensing means, and said second sensing means is within the field of vision of the shooter when the shooter views the basketball goal to shoot the basketball to the basketball goal.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 in which:

said first support means includes vertically disposed means;

and said positioning means includes means to mount said defining means on said vertically disposed means for both vertical movement of said defining means along said vertically disposed means and pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal axis so that said defining means is positioned out of the field of vision of the shooter when the shooter looks at the basketball goal to shoot the basketball to the basketball goal while having said defining means at a selected angle to the desired flight path.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15 in which said positioning means includes means to mount said defining means on said first support means for both vertical movement and pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal axis so that said defining means may be positioned at a selected angle to the desired flight path.

18. The apparatus according to claim 8 in which:

said first sensing means includes;

means to produce a beam of light; and

means to produce a signal when the beam of light is broken to activate said first signaling means;

and said second sensing means includes;

means to produce a beam of light; and

means to produce a signal when the beam of light is broken to activate said second signaling means.

19. The apparatus according to claim 7 in which:

said first sensing means includes;

means to produce a beam of light; and

means to produce a signal when the beam of light is broken to activate said first signaling means;

and said second sensing means includes;

means to produce a beam of light; and

means to produce a signal when the beam of light is broken to activate said second signaling means.

20. The apparatus according to claim 6 in which:

said first sensing means includes;

means to produce a beam of light;

and means to produce a signal when the beam of light is broken to activate said first signaling means;

and said second sensing means includes;

means to produce a beam of light;

and means to produce a signal when the beam of light is broken to activate said second signaling means.