Trajectory detection and feedback system

• US 9,283,431 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2012
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pillar Vision Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Pillar Vision Incorporated
• Inventors: Marty, Alan W., Edwards, Thomas A., McGhee, Ridge
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Application Number:
  US13/693,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20130095959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0003 Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0084 Exercising apparatus with means for competitions, e.g. virtual races
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 55/00 Bags for golf clubs; Stands for golf clubs for use on the course; Wheeled carriers specially adapted for golf bags
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0071 for basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3614 using electro-magnetic, magnetic or ultrasonic radiation emitted, reflected or interrupted by the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/38 for tennis A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training

Abstract

A disclosed device provides a trajectory detection and feedback system. The system is capable of detecting one or more moving objects in free flight, analyzing a trajectory of each object and providing immediate feedback information to a human that has launched the object into flight, and/or one or more observers in the area. In a particular embodiment, a non-intrusive machine vision system that remotely detects trajectories of moving objects may be used to evaluate trajectory parameters for a basketball shot at a basketball hoop by a player. The feedback information, such as a trajectory entry angle into the basketball hoop and/or an entry velocity into the hoop for the shot, may be output to the player in an auditory format using a sound projection device. The system may be operable to be set-up and to operate in a substantially autonomous manner.

Claims

1. A basketball training system comprising:

a backboard;

a basketball hoop;

a playing area in which the basketball hoop is located for permitting a human to launch a basketball toward the basketball hoop from the playing area during a basketball shot by the human;

one or more bounding structures arranged around at least a portion of a perimeter of the playing area, the one or more bounding structures for blocking the basketball from leaving the playing area and defining a boundary of the playing area such that a width of the playing area is less than a width of a standard basketball court;

a rotation mechanism for rotating the backboard and the basketball hoop;

an input device configured to receive at least one user input for selecting at least one orientation for the backboard during at least one basketball shot, wherein the rotation mechanism is configured to rotate the backboard based on the user input such that the backboard is moved to the selected orientation; and

a trajectory analysis and feedback device comprising;

one or more sensors for recording sensor data used to characterize a trajectory of the basketball shot by the human;

a logic device designed or configured to i) receive the sensor data, ii) generate trajectory parameters that characterize one or more states of the basketball along its trajectory and iii) generate feedback information using the trajectory parameters; and

one or more feedback output mechanisms for providing the feedback information to the human wherein the feedback information is related to one or more of the following trajectory parameters;

     1) an angle of the trajectory relative to a plane of the basketball hoop when the basketball is proximate to the basketball hoop or

     2) a point on the trajectory relative to a fixed point within the plane of the basketball hoop when the basketball is proximate to the basketball hoop.

2. The basketball training system of claim 1, wherein one of the bounding structures comprises netting.

3. The basketball training system of claim 1, wherein one of the bounding structures comprises a rigid wall.

4. The basketball training system of claim 1, wherein one of the bounding structures comprises a curtain.

5. The basketball training system of claim 1, wherein the bounding structure includes an impact absorbing material.

6. The basketball training system of claim 1, wherein the width of the playing area is slightly larger than a width of a lane of a standard basketball court.

7. The basketball training system of claim 1, wherein the rotation mechanism is configured to provide rotation via an axis of rotation that passes through a center of the basketball hoop.

8. The basketball training system of claim 1, further comprising:

a mechanism for adjusting a height of the basketball hoop relative to the playing area.

9. The basketball training system of claim 1, further comprising:

a basketball return device.

10. The basketball training system of claim 9, wherein the basketball return device is a passive device that does not add momentum to the basketball.

11. The basketball training system of claim 9, wherein the basketball return device is an active device that provides momentum to the basketball.

12. The basketball training system of claim 9, wherein the basketball return device comprises netting coupled to the one or more bounding structures.

13. The basketball training system of claim 12, wherein the netting is further coupled to an active basketball return device and the height of the netting is below a bottom of the backboard.

14. The basketball training system of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication interface for connecting to one or more of a local area network or a remote area network.

15. The basketball training system of claim 1, wherein the trajectory analysis and feedback device is configured to determine when a basketball passes through the basketball hoop.

16. The basketball training system of claim 1, wherein the basketball training system is configured to direct a player to one or more different locations on the player area to initiate a shot.

17. The basketball training system of claim 1, wherein the trajectory analysis and feedback device is configured to determine a location on the playing area at which a player is located at a particular time.

18. The basketball training system of claim 1, wherein the basketball training system is configured to generate a shooting program comprising a plurality of shots at one or more locations on the playing area.

19. The basketball training system of claim 18, wherein the basketball training system is configured to display results of a competition between two players executing the shooting program.

20. The basketball training system of claim 19, wherein a first player executes the shooting program in the basketball training system and wherein a second player executes the shooting program in a second basketball training system, separate from the basketball training system, while the first player is executing the shooting program.

21. The basketball training system of claim 1, wherein the basketball training system is configured to receive information generated in a second basketball training system, separate from the basketball training system.

22. The basketball training system of claim 21, wherein the basketball training system is located in a first facility and the second basketball training system is located in a second facility.

23. The basketball training system of claim 1, wherein the basketball hoop is a non-solid hoop.

24. The basketball training system of claim 23, wherein the non-solid hoop is projected into a player'"'"'s field of vision using a head-mounted display.

25. The basketball training system of claim 1, wherein one or more sensors include a video capture device and wherein the sensor data includes video frame data.

26. The basketball training system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include an accelerometer and wherein the sensor data includes accelerometer data.

27. The basketball training system of claim 26, wherein the accelerometer is worn by the human.

28. The basketball training system of claim 26, wherein the accelerometer is integrated into the basketball.

29. The basketball training system of claim 1, wherein the logic device is configured to account for a changing orientation of the backboard when generating the trajectory parameters and the feedback information.

30. The basketball training system of claim 1, wherein the rotation device is configured rotate the backboard and the basketball hoop such that a position of the basketball hoop in space remains constant.

31. The basketball training system of claim 1, wherein the one or more bounding structures include a first bounding structure and a second boundary structure, wherein the playing area is between the first and second boundary structures, and wherein the width is from the first bounding structure to the second boundary structure and is less than 14 feet.

32. The basketball training system of claim 31, wherein the first bounding structure is parallel to the second boundary structure.

33. The basketball training system of claim 1, wherein the one or more bounding structures include a first bounding structure and a second boundary structure, and wherein the first and second boundary structures extend away from the backboard on opposite sides of a free throw lane for the basketball hoop.

34. A basketball training method comprising:

sensing, via one or more sensors, a basketball launched by a human from a playing area toward a basketball hoop mounted to a backboard during a basketball shot by the human;

blocking the basketball from leaving the playing area via one or more bounding structures arranged around at least a portion of a perimeter of the playing area, the one or more bounding structures defining a boundary of the playing area such that a width of the playing area is less than a width of a standard basketball court;

rotating the backboard and the basketball hoop;

receiving, via an input device, at least one user input for selecting at least one orientation for the backboard during at least one basketball shot, wherein the rotating is based on the user input such that the backboard is moved to the selected orientation;

receiving sensor data from the sensor;

generating, based on the sensor data, trajectory parameters that characterize one or more states of the basketball along its trajectory during the basketball shot;

generating feedback information using the trajectory parameters; and

providing the feedback information via one or more output mechanisms to the human, wherein the feedback information is related to one or more of the following trajectory parameters;

     1) an angle of the trajectory relative to a plane of the basketball hoop when the basketball is proximate to the basketball hoop or

     2) a point on the trajectory relative to a fixed point within the plane of the basketball hoop when the basketball is proximate to the basketball hoop.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising accounting for a changing orientation of the backboard when generating the trajectory parameters and the feedback information, wherein the changing orientation results from the rotating.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the rotating is performed such that a position of the basketball hoop in space remains constant.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the one or more bounding structures include a first bounding structure and a second boundary structure, wherein the playing area is between the first and second boundary structures, and wherein the width is from the first bounding structure to the second boundary structure and is less than 14 feet.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein the one or more bounding structures include a first bounding structure and a second boundary structure, and wherein the first and second boundary structures extend away from the backboard on opposite sides of a free throw lane for the basketball hoop.