Sports training machine

• US 9,914,035 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2017
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbourne Athletics Incorporated (Airborne Athletics)
• Original Assignee: Airbourne Athletics Incorporated (Airborne Athletics)
• Inventors: Campbell, Douglas Brad, Campbell, Jeffrey Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): HARPER, TRAMAR YONG
• Application Number:
  US15/599,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20170252626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0068 Comparison to target or threshold, previous performance or not real time comparison to other individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0093 the load of the exercise apparatus being controlled by performance parameters, e.g. distance or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/025 on rollers or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/801 Contact switches
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/802 Ultra-sound sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/093 Height
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/062 used as a control parameter for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/30 blood pressure A63B2230/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/42 rate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/436 partial O2 value
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/75 calorie expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0087 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/002 Devices for dispensing balls, e.g. from a reservoir automatic teeing devices A63B57/0006; devices for projecting balls A63B69/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/02 for picking-up or collecting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0071 for basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/40 Stationarily-arranged devices for projecting balls or other bodies golf cups with ball ejector means A63B57/405; traps for clay-pigeon targets F41J9/18
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/409 with pneumatic ball- or body-propelling means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/022 : Backstops, cages, enclosures or the like, e.g. for spectator protection, for arresting balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user

Abstract

A basketball training apparatus includes a shot completion sensor, a condition sensor, and a computer. The shot completion sensor determines whether a shot goes through a basketball hoop. The condition sensor senses a physical condition of a basketball shooter. The computer is in communication with the shot completion sensor and the condition sensor, and has a processor for calculating shot completion percentage as a function of the physical condition.

Claims

1. A basketball training system comprising:

a ball collector;

a motorized ball returner connected to the ball collector for receiving balls from the ball collector, the motorized ball returner having a pivot motor for rotating the motorized ball returner to return the balls to a basketball shooter at a plurality of shot locations;

a shot completion sensor for sensing when a shot goes through a basketball hoop;

a heart rate monitor for sensing a heart rate of the basketball shooter;

a computer in communication with the motorized ball returner and the shot completion sensor, the computer being programmed to;

control the motorized ball returner to deliver the balls to the basketball shooter at the plurality of shot locations;

calculate shot completion percentage of the basketball shooter; and

provide an output of the calculated shot completion percentage; and

a user interface device in communication with the computer and having a touch screen display for displaying the calculated shot completion percentage as a function of the sensed heart rate of the basketball shooter to provide the shooter with quantitative feedback regarding why the shooter is shooting either well or poorly.

2. The basketball training system of claim 1,

wherein the computer is in communication with the heart rate monitor for receiving the sensed heart rate of the basketball shooter.

3. The basketball training system of claim 1,

wherein the touch screen display is configured to receive user input commands to control operation of the computer.

4. The basketball training system of claim 3,

wherein the computer is programmed to control operation of the motorized ball returner responsive to the user input commands.

5. The basketball training system of claim 1,

wherein the output of the calculated shot completion percentage comprises an output of the calculated shot completion percentage as a function of shot location.

6. The basketball training system of claim 1,

wherein the computer is programmed to control operation of the motorized ball returner based on the sensed heart rate of the basketball shooter.

7. The basketball training system of claim 1,

wherein the user interface device comprises a smart phone.

8. The basketball training system of claim 1,

wherein the user interface device communicates wirelessly with the computer.

9. The basketball training system of claim 1,

wherein the shot completion sensor communicates wirelessly with the computer.

10. The basketball training system of claim 1,

wherein the heart rate monitor communicates wirelessly with the computer.

11. The basketball training system of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of shot locations comprise a plurality of angularly spaced shot locations;

and

wherein the computer is programmed to control the pivot motor of the motorized ball returner to rotate the motorized ball returner to deliver the balls to the basketball shooter at the plurality of angularly spaced shot locations.

12. The basketball training system of claim 1,

wherein the ball collector comprises a net system having a top opening and a bottom opening;

and

wherein the motorized ball returner comprises a basketball returner for receiving basketballs from the bottom opening of the net system and returning the basketballs to the basketball shooter.

13. The basketball training system of claim 12,

wherein the net system is sized to collect balls from shots completed and shots missed.