Miniature sports radar speed measuring device

• US 6,898,971 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sports Sensors, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sports Sensors, Inc.
• Inventors: Dilz, Albert E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwok, Helen
• Application Number:
  US10/740,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20040159153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 734/88, 736/57, 731/67, 735/142.7, 273/371, 273/378, 473/415, 473/180, 473190-192, 473198-199, 473/451, 473/455, 342/99, 342/104, 342/115
• US Class Current: 73/488
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0034 during flight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/182 Softball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/46 Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3632 Clubs or attachments on clubs, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence; clubs for swinging exercises in general A63B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/38 for tennis A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/00 Games or sports accessories not covered in groups A63B1/00 - A63B69/00 starting appliances A63K3/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/14 for the hands, e.g. baseball, boxing or golfing gloves archer's finger tabs F41B5/1473
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 5/14 Details of bows; Accessories for arc shooting sighting devices for bows F41G1/467
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 27/00 Accessories; Details or attachments not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/583 using transmission of continuous unmodulated waves, amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated waves and based upon the Doppler effect resulting from movement of targets
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 : Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/032 : Constructional details for solid-state radar subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/04 : Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/35 : Details of non-pulse systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/352 : Receivers

Abstract

A sensor is provided for measuring the speed of a moving sport object, for example, from a gun, bow or other implement, such as a bullet or paint ball or arrow. The sensor is operable over a short range and is preferably mounted in close proximity to the path of the moving object preferably utilizes CW Doppler radar of a microwave radio frequency. In use, the unit is situated so as to place a transmit/receive antenna close to or in the line of motion of the object. Such an antenna, so positioned, may be separated from the unit and connected through a transmission line. The remote display/annunciator can also or in the alternative be separated and located remote from the transmitter/receiver and connected by a cable or a wireless link. The sensor is useful for other speed measurements in sports applications, such as for measurement of bat speed, golf club head speed or the speed of another racket, club or bat type implement, or to measure punch or kick speed in martial arts.

Claims

1. A method of measuring a speed of a moving sport object comprising the steps of:

providing a battery powered device that includes a transmitter/receiver, at least one antenna element, a signal processor having an input connected to the transmitter/receiver, and an output annunciator having an input in communication with the signal processor, the annunciator being located remote from the antenna element;

positioning the at least one antenna element in line with a path of the moving object the speed of which is to be measured;

locating the transmitter/receiver, processor and annunciator remote from at least one antenna element;

generating a Doppler signal proportional to the speed of the object by producing an RE signal with the transmitter/receiver, transmitting the RF signal from the transmitter/receiver to the antenna element and radiating the RF signal from the antenna element along the path of the moving object, reflecting the RF signal from the object, receiving the reflected signal with the antenna element, transmitting the reflected signal from the antenna element to the transmitter/receiver, and detecting the Doppler signal from the reflected signal with the transmitter/receiver;

processing the detected Doppler signal with the signal processor and producing therefrom a digital representation of the speed of the object; and

outputting the digital representation of the speed of the object with the annunciator.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

providing a transmission line connecting the at least one antenna element to the transmitter/receiver which is located remote from the antenna element; and

said transmitting the RF from the transmitter/receiver signal to the antenna element and said transmitting of the reflected RF signal from the antenna element to the transmitter/receiver.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising a wireless communications link connecting the processor with the annunciator.

4. The method of claim 1 for measuring a speed of a swinging sport implement wherein:

the positioning step includes a step of providing a post adjacent a person swinging a sport object propelling implement, the post having a free end having the at least one antenna element secured thereto, and positioning the free end in an approximate path of the implement to be swung by the person;

the locating step includes fixing the transmitter/receiver, processor and annunciator away from the free end of the post with a transmission line extending from the antenna element to the transmitter/receiver;

wherein, when the person swings the implement, the speed of the swinging implement is output by producing an RF signal with the transmitter/receiver, transmitting the RF signal along the transmission line and the post to the antenna element at the free end of the post and radiating the RE signal from the antenna element at the free end of the post along a path of the swinging implement, reflecting the RE signal from the implement, receiving the reflected signal with the antenna element at the free end of the post, transmitting the reflected signal from the antenna element along the transmission line to the transmitter/receiver, detecting the Doppler signal from the reflected signal with the transmitter/receiver, processing the detected Doppler signal with the signal processor and producing therefrom a digital representation of the speed of the object, and outputting the digital representation of the speed of the swinging implement with the annunciator.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the implement is a baseball bat and the person is a batter swinging the baseball bat.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the implement is a golf club and the person is a golfer swinging the golf club.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the positioning step providing a tee that includes a base having the post upstanding vertically from the base with the free end thereof configured to support a ball thereon in the approximate path of the implement to be swung by the person; and

the locating step includes fixing the transmitter/receiver and processor on the base.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the output annunciator is a digital display; and

the locating step includes providing the digital display on the base.

9. The method of claim 1 for measuring a speed of a baseball wherein:

the positioning step includes a step of providing a glove positionable with the at least one antenna element secured thereto in the approximate path of a ball to be caught by a person using the glove.

10. The method of claim 1 for measuring a speed of body movements of a martial arts trainee wherein:

the positioning step includes the step of providing a target pad having the at least one antenna element secured thereto, and positioning the pad in the approximate path of punches or kicks by the trainee;

the locating step includes fixing the transmitter/receiver, processor and annunciator away from the pad with a transmission line extending from the antenna element to the transmitter/receiver;

wherein, when the trainee punches or kicks the pad, the speed of a hand or foot of the trainee striking the pad is output by producing an RF signal with the transmitter/receiver, transmitting the RE signal along the transmission line to the antenna element on the pad and radiating the RE signal from the antenna element at the pad along the path of the punches or kicks, reflecting the RE signal from the hand or foot of the trainee, receiving the reflected signal with the antenna element at the pad, transmitting the reflected signal from the antenna element along the transmission line to the transmitter/receiver, detecting the Doppler signal from the reflected signal with the transmitter/receiver, processing the detected Doppler signal with the signal processor and producing therefrom a digital representation of the speed of the hand or foot striking the pad, and outputting the digital representation of the speed with the annunciator.

11. The method of claim 1 for measuring a speed of a marker shot from a paint ball gun wherein:

the positioning step includes a step of providing a paint ball gun locating at least one antenna element adjacent to a barrel thereof proximate a path of markers shot from the barrel;

the locating step includes fixing the transmitter/receiver, processor and annunciator to the gun with a transmission line extending from the antenna element to the transmitter/receiver;

wherein, when the marker is shot from the gun, the speed of the marker leaving the barrel is output by producing an RF signal with the transmitter/receiver, transmitting the RF signal along the transmission line to the antenna element on the barrel and radiating the RE signal from the antenna element at the barrel along the path of the markers leaving the barrel, reflecting the RF signal from the marker, receiving the reflected signal with the antenna element at the barrel, transmitting the reflected signal from the antenna element along the transmission line to the transmitter/receiver, detecting the Doppler signal from the reflected signal with the transmitter/receiver, processing the detected Doppler signal with the signal processor and producing therefrom a digital representation of the speed of the marker leaving the barrel, and outputting the digital representation of the speed with the annunciator.

12. A tee comprising:

a vertically upstanding post having a free end configured to support a ball thereon in an approximate path of a bat to be swung by a person;

at least one antenna element located on the post in close proximity to the free end thereof;

a transmitter/receiver located remote from the free end of the post and operable to transmit and receive a continuous RF signal and to detect a Doppler signal therefrom;

a transmission line extending along the post and connecting the at least one antenna element to the transmitter/receiver;

a signal processor remote from the free end of the post and having an input connected to the transmitter/receiver and operable to produce a digital signal in response to the detected Doppler signal; and

an output annunciator remote from the free end of the post and having an input connected to the signal processor.

13. A method of measuring a speed of body movements of a martial arts trainee comprising the steps of:

providing a target pad having at least one antenna element secured thereto, and positioning the target pad in an approximate path of punches or kicks by the trainee;

providing a transmitter/receiver connected to the at least one antenna element, a signal processor having an input connected to the transmitter/receiver, and a digital display having an input connected to the signal processor; and

when the trainee punches or kicks the pad, displaying the speed of a hand or foot of the trainee striking the pad on the display by producing an RF signal with the transmitter/receiver, transmitting the RE signal to the antenna element on the pad and radiating the RE signal from the antenna element along the path of the punches or kicks, reflecting the RE signal from a hand or foot of the trainee that is striking the pad, receiving the reflected signal with the antenna element on the pad, transmitting the reflected signal from the antenna element to the transmitter/receiver, detecting a Doppler signal from the reflected signal with the transmitter/receiver, processing the detected Doppler signal with the signal processor and in response thereto displaying a numerical representation of the punch or kick speed on the display.

14. A method of measuring a speed of a sport object comprising the steps of:

providing a transmitter/receiver, at least one antenna element connected to the transmitter/receiver, a signal processor having a processor input connected to the transmitter/receiver, and a visual display having a display input connected to the signal processor;

positioning the at least one antenna element on a device from which the object is shot and forward thereof in close proximity to a path of the object;

when the object is shot from the device, displaying on the display a digital representation of the speed of the object leaving the device by producing an RF signal with the transmitter/receiver, transmitting the RE signal via the antenna element and radiating the RE signal from the antenna element adjacent the device along the path of the object, reflecting the RF signal from the object, the reflected RF signal containing a Doppler signal related to the speed of the object moving from the device, receiving the reflected signal with the antenna element adjacent the device, communicating the reflected signal from the antenna element to the transmitter/receiver, detecting the Doppler signal from the reflected signal with the transmitter/receiver, processing the detected Doppler signal with the signal processor and in response thereto outputting a digital representation of the speed of the object leaving the device on the display.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the object is a marker shot from a paint ball gun and wherein:

the positioning includes positioning the at least one antenna element adjacent to a barrel of the paint ball gun in close proximity to a path of markers shot from the barrel; and

when a marker is shot from the gun, displaying on the display a digital representation of the speed of the marker leaving the barrel by producing an RF signal with the transmitter/receiver, transmitting the RF signal via the antenna element and radiating the RF signal from the antenna element adjacent the barrel along the path of the marker leaving the barrel, reflecting the RF signal from the marker from the barrel, the reflected RF signal containing a Doppler signal related to the speed of the marker moving away from the barrel, receiving the reflected signal with the antenna element adjacent the barrel, communicating the reflected signal from the antenna element to the transmitter/receiver, detecting the Doppler signal from the reflected signal with the transmitter/receiver, processing the detected Doppler signal with the signal processor and in response thereto outputting a digital representation of the speed of the marker leaving the barrel on the display.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

adjusting a marker velocity of the paint ball gun in response to the detected Doppler signal.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the object is an arrow shot from a bow and wherein:

the positioning includes positioning the at least one antenna element on the bow and forward thereof in close proximity to a path of arrows shot from the bow;

when an arrow is shot from the bow, displaying on the display a digital representation of the speed of the arrow leaving the bow by producing an RF signal with the transmitter/receiver, transmitting the RE signal via the antenna element and radiating the RE signal from the antenna element adjacent the bow along the path of the arrow, reflecting the RE signal from the arrow from the bow, the reflected RE signal containing a Doppler signal related to the speed of the arrow moving from the bow, receiving the reflected signal with the antenna element adjacent the bow, communicating the reflected signal from the antenna element to the transmitter/receiver, detecting the Doppler signal from the reflected signal with the transmitter/receiver, processing the detected Doppler signal with the signal processor and in response thereto outputting a digital representation of the speed of the arrow leaving the bow on the display.