Ball including one or more sensors to improve pitching performance

• US 9,808,692 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2015
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aidan Conner Frye, Isaac Brady Frye, Jeffrey Kyle Greenwalt, Jeffrey Neal Frye, Richard Joseph Finn, Thomas Jay Nace
• Original Assignee: Aidan Conner Frye, Isaac Brady Frye, Jeffrey Kyle Greenwalt, Jeffrey Neal Frye, Richard Joseph Finn, Thomas Jay Nace
• Inventors: Greenwalt, Jeffrey Kyle, Frye, Jeffrey Neal, Finn, Richard Joseph, Nace, Thomas Jay, Frye, Aidan Conner, Frye, Isaac Brady
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Jason
• Application Number:
  US14/730,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20160354665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2037/125 stitchings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/0006 for pitching
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0658 Position or arrangement of display
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0204 Standing on the feet
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/24 Angular displacement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/35 Spin
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/44 Angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/51 Force
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/56 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• 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 2243/0025 Football American football A63B2243/007
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0054 : Bowling, i.e. ten-pin bowling
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0066 : Rugby; American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 : American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/12 : Special coverings , i.e. outer layer material balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball covers A63B37/0023
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 39/08 : made of two halves
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/004 : electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/06 : with illuminating devices ; with reflective surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 : for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 : Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 : Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 : Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

A ball, and in particular a baseball or softball, including one or more sensors such as accelerometers and/or inertial measurement units, and systems and methods using the same to improve a pitcher'"'"'s pitching performance are described herein. In some embodiments, the ball may include one or more inertial measurement units and/or accelerometers capable of monitoring motion of the ball while it is thrown. Various types of pitches may be selected, and in response to the inertial measurement unit(s) and/or accelerometer(s) detecting certain parameters corresponding to a selected pitch, one or more indicators may be caused to perform an action. For example, one or more illuminating elements located on the ball may turn a first color in response to detecting parameters corresponding to the selected pitch.

Claims

1. A ball, comprising:

an inner spherical portion comprising;

at least one inertial measurement unit;

at least one processor; and

communications circuitry;

an outer spherical portion that surrounds the inner spherical portion;

a first cover portion and a second cover portion;

at least one pressure sensor located beneath at least one of;

the first cover portion and the second cover portion; and

a plurality of stitches that join the first cover portion and the second cover portion together such that the first cover portion and the second cover portion surround the outer spherical portion, wherein;

the at least one processor is operable to capture an output from the at least one inertial measurement unit in response to an absence of pressure being detected by the at least one pressure sensor.

2. The ball of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one indicator.

3. The ball of claim 2, wherein the at least one indicator comprises at least one of:

at least one illuminating element;

at least one transmitter; and

at least one audio producing element.

4. The ball of claim 2, wherein the at least one indicator comprises at least one illuminating element located proximate to at least one of the plurality of stitches.

5. The ball of claim 4, wherein the at least one processor causes the at least one illuminating element to:

turn a first color in response to the at least one inertial measurement unit detecting a first value; and

turn a second color in response to the at least one inertial measurement unit not detecting the first value.

6. The ball of claim 5, wherein the first value comprises at least one of:

a predefined first number of rotations of the ball;

a predefined first amount of horizontal displacement of the ball from an axis of rotation; and

a predefined first amount of vertical displacement of the ball from the axis of rotation.

7. The ball of claim 4, wherein:

a seam is formed along where the first cover portion and the second cover portion are joined together; and

the at least one illuminating element is located along the seam.

8. The ball of claim 4, wherein the at least one illuminating element comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes.

9. The ball of claim 1, wherein the ball is a baseball, the baseball having:

a mass between 5.00 and 5.25 ounces; and

a diameter between 2.875 and 3.000 inches.

10. The ball of claim 1, wherein the ball is a softball, the softball having:

a mass between 5.875 and 7.000 ounces; and

a diameter between 3.45 and 3.86 inches.

11. The ball of claim 1, wherein the first cover portion and the second cover portion are each shaped in a figure-eight pattern such that, when joined together, the first cover portion and the second cover portion cover the outer spherical portion.

12. The ball of claim 1, wherein the inner spherical portion further comprises:

at least one accelerometer operable to measure a velocity of the ball when thrown.

13. The ball of claim 12, further comprising:

at least one illuminating element, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the at least one illuminating element to turn a first color in response to;

the at least one inertial measurement unit detecting that the ball has rotated at least a predefined number of times; and

the at least one accelerometer has detected that the ball has been thrown at least a predefined velocity.

14. The ball of claim 1, wherein:

the communications circuitry is operable to receive a selection of a pitch that the ball will be thrown as; and

the at least one processor is configured to monitor an output of the at least one inertial measurement unit to determine when a threshold value for a predefined number of rotations of the ball is exceeded, the predefined number of rotations corresponding to the selected pitch.

15. The ball of claim 14, further comprising:

at least one illuminating element, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to;

cause, in response to determining the at least one inertial measurement unit has detected the predefined number of rotations for the selected pitch, the at least one illuminating element to turn a first color.

16. A ball comprising:

an inner spherical portion comprising at least one inertial measurement unit and at least one processor;

a first cover portion and a second cover portion each shaped in a substantially figure-eight pattern to cover the inner spherical portion;

a plurality of stitches that holds the first cover portion and the second cover portion together, wherein the plurality of stitches is formed from a stitching material that, at least in part, comprises an illuminating material, such that the plurality of stitches are operable to;

turn a first color in response to detection of a predefined value by the at least one inertial measurement unit; and

turn a second color in response to the predefined value not being detected by the at least one inertial measurement unit; and

at least one pressure sensor located beneath at least one of;

the first cover portion and the second cover portion, wherein the at least one processor is operable to;

capture an output from the at least one inertial measurement unit in response to an absence of pressure being detected by the at least one pressure sensor.

17. The ball of claim 16, further comprising at least one of:

at least one transmitter; and

at least one audio producing element.

18. The ball of claim 16, wherein the ball is one of:

a baseball; and

a softball.

19. The ball of claim 16, wherein:

the first color indicates that the ball has been thrown correctly; and

the second color indicates that the ball has been thrown incorrectly.

20. The ball of claim 16, wherein

the inner spherical portion is made of at least one of:

rubber, a wounded thread, yarn, and a plastic.

21. The ball of claim 16, wherein the inner spherical portion is operable to protect the at least one inertial measurement unit and the at least one processor from damage when the ball is thrown.

22. The ball of claim 16, wherein:

the predefined value comprises a spin rate of the ball for a type of pitch that the ball is being thrown as; and

the at least one inertial measurement unit monitors the spin rate of the ball as it is being thrown.

23. The ball of claim 16, wherein the first cover portion and the second cover portion are formed of one of:

an animal hide and a synthetic hide, such that the ball has a same feel as one of a baseball and a softball.

24. A ball, comprising:

an inner spherical portion comprising;

at least one inertial measurement unit;

at least one processor; and

communications circuitry;

an outer spherical portion that surrounds the inner spherical portion;

a first cover portion comprising a first illuminating element, the first illuminating element being shaped in a first figure-eight pattern;

a second cover portion comprising a second illuminating element, the second illuminating element being shaped in a second figure-eight pattern; and

a plurality of stitches that join the first cover portion and the second cover portions portion together such that the first cover portion and the second cover portion surround the outer spherical portion; and

further comprising;

at least one pressure sensor located beneath at least one of;

the first cover portion and the second cover portion, wherein the at least one processor is operable to capture an output from the at least one inertial measurement unit in response to an absence of pressure being detected by the at least one pressure sensor.

25. The ball of claim 24, wherein the first cover portion is shaped in a third figure eight pattern and the second cover portion is shaped in a fourth figure-eight pattern such that, when joined together, the first cover portion and the second cover portion cover the outer spherical portion.

26. The ball of claim 24, further comprising:

a first protection cover located on an outer surface of the first cover portion; and

a second protection cover located on an outer surface of the second cover portion, wherein the first protection cover and the second protection cover encase the first illuminating element and the second illuminating element.

27. The ball of claim 24, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the first illuminating element to turn a first color in response to:

the at least one inertial measurement unit detecting that the ball has rotated at least a predefined number of times; and

the at least one accelerometer has detected that the ball has been thrown at least a predefined velocity.

28. The ball of claim 24, wherein the inner spherical portion further comprises at least one accelerometer, the at least one processor is configured to cause the second illuminating element to turn a second color in response to:

the at least one inertial measurement unit detecting that the ball has rotated at least a predefined number of times; and

the at least one accelerometer has detected that the ball has been thrown at least a predefined velocity.

29. The ball of claim 24, wherein the inner spherical portion further comprises at least one accelerometer, the at least one processor is configured to cause the first illuminating element and the second illuminating element to turn a first color in response to:

the at least one inertial measurement unit detecting that the ball has rotated at least a predefined number of times; and

the at least one accelerometer has detected that the ball has been thrown at least a predefined velocity.

30. The ball of claim 29, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the first illuminating element and the second illuminating element to turn a second color in response to:

the at least one inertial measurement unit not detecting that the ball has rotated at least a predefined number of times; and

the at least one accelerometer has detected that the ball has not been thrown at least a predefined velocity.

31. The ball of claim 24, further comprising at least one of:

a transmitter; and

an audio producing element.

32. The ball of claim 24, wherein the inner spherical portion further comprises at least one accelerometer, the at least one accelerometer is capable of being used to determine a release point of the ball in response to the absence being detected.