System and method for localizing sports equipment

• US 7,649,467 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2004
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eyeon Trust BV
• Original Assignee: Eyeon Trust BV
• Inventors: Blom, George Johannes Ferdinandus, Schimmer, Martijn
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, JACK K
• Application Number:
  US10/552,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20060261945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• Field of Search: 340/568.6, 340/573.4
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/24 Ice hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• 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 2243/0025 Football American football A63B2243/007
• 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 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/003 Bistatic radar systems; Multistatic radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/0209 Systems with very large relative bandwidth, i.e. larger than 10 %, e.g. baseband, pulse, carrier-free, ultrawideband
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00

Abstract

When playing a sport it is generally difficult to localize (exactly) an accessory requirement for that sport at a determined point in time. The localizing of sports equipment may however be desired in particular situations, for instance to track down lost articles of sports equipment, or to be able to apply the rules of a sport in efficient manner. The invention therefore relates to a system for localizing sports equipment. The invention also relates to a method for localizing sports equipment using such a system.

Claims

1. A system for localizing articles of sports equipment, comprising:

means for generating an electromagnetic energy field within the Ultra-Wideband (UWB), wherein the electromagnetic energy field is formed by one or more pulse streams,

at least one article of sport equipment provided with at least one disrupting means for locally disrupting the electromagnetic energy field,

detecting means for detecting the local disruption of the electromagnetic energy field, and

a control unit coupled to the detecting means for localizing the article of sports equipment on the basis of the detected local disruption,

wherein the means for generating the electromagnetic energy field are adapted to transmit pulse beams of a plurality of pulse streams, wherein each pulse beam comprises nine pulse streams oriented at least substantially parallel to each other.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each disrupting means is adapted to disrupt the electromagnetic energy field in a manner that distinguishes it from other disrupting means in the system.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the disrupting means is adapted to reflect the pulse streams.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the disrupting means is adapted to influence the pulse streams.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the disrupting means is formed by a chip.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the disrupting means is formed by a coating.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system is provided with visual means communicating with the control unit for displaying the location of the detected article of sports equipment.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the communication between the control unit and the visual means takes place wirelessly via electromagnetic radiation.

9. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the communication between the control unit and the visual means takes place wirelessly via pulse streams.

10. A method for localizing sports equipment, comprising the steps of:

A) generating an electromagnetic energy field within the Ultra-Wideband (UWB), wherein the electromagnetic energy field is formed by multiple pulse beams, wherein each pulse beam comprises nine pulse streams oriented at least substantially parallel to each other,

B) placing in the electromagnetic energy field at least one article of sports equipment, provided with at least one disrupting means for locally disrupting the electromagnetic energy field,

C) detecting the local disruption of the electromagnetic energy field, and

D) localizing the article of sports equipment on the basis of the detected local disruption.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the method is provided with a step E) comprising of visualizing the location of the article of sports equipment after localizing the article of sports equipment on the basis of the detected local disruption as according to step D).