Ball Tracking and Method of Tracking Ball Location During Play

Abstract

A football tracking system used for locating real-time location of a football during play is disclosed. The system includes a tracking chip embedded in the football and a sensor network including a plurality of sensors positioned along at least the sidelines and the goal lines. The chip transmits the location of the football to the sensor network and one or more sensors receive the location of the football. A handheld device is held by one or more referees and the device is adapted to receive the location of the football along with the location of a sensor. A display screen on the device displays the real-time location of the football for enabling the referee to officiate the game.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to the field of football location tracking systems during a play. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel tracking system deployed in a playing field for tracking the location of a ball such as football during play. The system includes a tracking chip embedded in the football and a sensor network positioned along the sidelines and goal lines. A reading device is held by one or more referees and displays the real-time location of the football in the field. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices, and methods of manufacture.

BACKGROUND

By way of background, in different games including a game like American football, determination of the exact location of the ball such as a football during play is important. Location of the ball can significantly impact the outcome of the game. Accurate ball placement affects various aspects of the game, such as whether a player is in or out of bounds, the spot where the ball carrier was tackled, and whether a team has scored. A small error in ball placement can lead to significant consequences, including potential changes in the score or the possession of the ball.

In all the games, referees make determinations and judgements of the location of the ball during play. Referees commonly rely on their judgement and observations to estimate the spot where a particular event occurred. This includes marking where a player went out of bounds, where the ball was spotted, or where a tackle took place. To address the challenges of human judgment, video reviews and recordings are commonly used which are captured by the video monitoring systems. Referees review video footage of specific plays to verify or challenge their initial rulings. However, video reviews may include inconsistencies in camera angles, which can make it difficult to assess the exact spot. Additionally, subjective human opinions are still involved in making determinations based on video footage, leading to the potential for bias or discrepancies. Another common issue is the obstructed view that referees may have due to players or equipment on the field. This obstruction can make it challenging to observe and accurately mark the position of the ball or the events of the game. Constantly spending time reviewing replays to determine the spot of a ball can take up too much game time. Videos and images do not provide real-time data which requires referees to infer location of the ball.

Therefore, there exists a long felt need in the art for a tracking system that provides real-time and precise data regarding the football's location on the field. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for a football tracking system that minimizes disputes and controversies in games by providing clear and objective data about location of the football. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for a novel tracking system for ball-based sports that enables referees to make decisions in real-time, without the need for lengthy video reviews or time-consuming discussions. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for a football tracking system that reduces the likelihood of human errors in officiating games, ensuring a high level of accuracy. Furthermore, there is a long felt need in the art for a tracking system that uses tracking systems, sensors, and display devices for displaying the location of the football in a field. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved football tracking system that saves time and effort when identifying the spot of a ball during any football game.

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a football tracking system. The tracking system accurately determines the real-time location of a football on a field without any human judgement. The system features a small and lightweight tracking chip securely embedded within the football, a sensor network consisting of multiple sensors positioned along the sidelines and goal lines of the playing field, the sensors are adapted to communicate in real-time with the tracking chip to receive location of the football across the playing field. A handheld location reading device is adapted to display the location of the football as determined by the sensor network and tracking chip. The location reading device includes a display screen to display the real-time location of the football. The system can be used for any ball game for tracking location of the ball.

In this manner, the football tracking and analytics system of the present invention accomplish all of the forgoing objectives and provide users with a system that provides real-time and precise data regarding the football's location on the field. The system helps referees make informed decisions about crucial aspects of the game, such as ball placement, first downs, touchdowns, and out-of-bounds rulings. The system minimizes disputes and controversies in games by providing clear and objective data about the location of the football. The system can be adapted to various sports, and not be limited to American football, and offers the flexibility to configure for different field sizes and sports-specific rules.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a football tracking system. The tracking system is used for accurately determining the location of a football on a playing field. The system further comprising a small and lightweight tracking chip securely embedded within the football, a sensor network consisting of multiple sensors positioned along the sidelines and goal lines of the playing field, the sensors are adapted to communicate in real-time with the tracking chip, providing continuous location tracking of the football across the playing field, a portable location reading device adapted to display the location of the football as determined by the sensor network and tracking chip. The location reading device includes a display screen to display the real-time location of the football. An LED is included in the reading device for illumination upon detection of a spot such as out-of-bounds by the system.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, a ball tracking and analytics system for locating the location of a football on a playing field is disclosed. The system includes a small and lightweight tracking chip securely embedded within the football, a sensor network consisting of multiple sensors strategically positioned along the sidelines and goal lines of the playing field, the sensors are embedded either in the ground or positioned above the field (i.e., over the boundaries of the playing surface), a handheld location reading device for displaying the instantaneous location of the football. The sensor network includes six similar sensors for each yard along both the sidelines and the goal lines, wherein each sensor includes a unique identifier. Each sensor is configured to transmit the football location, unique identifier, and the location of the sensor along with a timestamp to the reading device for display on the display screen of the reading device.

In yet another embodiment, the tracking chip for use in the ball tracking system is embedded in the football and includes a positioning module for detecting the location of the football, a timer unit for synchronization and time-stamping of data, facilitating accurate determination of event timing and data updates, a power source for powering the chip, a plurality of sensor interfaces for converting the location information into digital data for further processing, and a memory storage for storing firmware, configuration data, and temporary data buffers.

In yet another embodiment, a method for tracking the location of a football within a playing field is described. The method comprising the steps of receiving, from a chip embedded in the football, an RFID signal encoded with location information of the football. The signal is received by one or more sensors positioned along sidelines or goal lines of the playing field. Decoding, by a sensor, location information from the RFID signal, and appending the received location with the unique identifier of the sensor and the location information of the sensor. Transmitting, by the server, the football location, and the appended information to a reading device. Finally, displaying the received location information on the display screen of the reading device.

In another aspect of the present invention, the ball tracking system is used in the playing field/court or game field/surface of any game including a Cricket field, a billiard table, a Dodgeball court, a Downball field, a Fistball court, a Fives field, a Flickerball court, a Floorball court, a Futsal field, a Rugby field, a Tennis court, a Volleyball court, a Basketball court, a football field, a soccer field, and a Polo field.

Numerous benefits and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains upon reading and understanding of the following detailed specification.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the football tracking system of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed structure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram showing the functional components of the tracking chip embedded in the football or any other for location tracking in accordance with the disclosed structure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a functional block diagram of a sensor of the sensor network used for working in conjunction with both the tracking chip and the reading device in accordance with the disclosed structure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow chart depicting a process of providing football location information to the reading device using the ball tracking system of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed structure; and

FIG. 5 illustrates another flow chart depicting a process of determining location of the football passing through a sideline or goal line in accordance with the disclosed structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.

As noted above, there is a long felt need in the art for a tracking system that provides real-time and precise data regarding the football's location on the field. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for a football tracking system that minimizes disputes and controversies in games by providing clear and objective data about location of the football. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for a novel tracking system for ball-based sports that enables referees to make decisions in real-time, without the need for lengthy video reviews or time-consuming discussions. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for a football tracking system that reduces the likelihood of human errors in officiating games, ensuring a high level of accuracy. Furthermore, there is a long felt need in the art for a tracking system that uses tracking systems, sensors and display devices for displaying the location of the football in a field. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved football tracking system that saves time and effort when identifying the spot of a ball during any football game.

The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is a method for tracking the location of a football within a playing field. The method includes the steps of receiving, from a chip embedded in the football, an RFID signal encoded with location information of the football. The signal is received by one or more sensors positioned along sidelines or goal lines of the playing field. Decoding, by a sensor, location information from the RFID signal, and appending the received location with the unique identifier of the sensor and the location information of the sensor. Transmitting, by the server, the football location, and the appended information to a reading device. Finally, displaying the received location information on the display screen of the reading device.

Referring initially to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the football tracking system of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed structure. The ball tracking system 100 is a tracking system designed to accurately spot the location of a football on a playing field, primarily used in American football. The system 100 can be used with other sports that involve a ball. The system 100 provides an objective and more precise game by minimizing discrepancies in ball placement, making it easier for officials to determine the correct position of the ball and ensuring a more accurate representation of the game's events. More specifically, the system 100 includes a small and lightweight tracking chip 102 embedded or implanted inside a football 104. The chip 102 is designed to be durable and resistant to the physical stresses of the game, such as temperatures, tackles, kicks, and impacts.

A sensor network 106 including a plurality of sensors 108 is strategically placed on the sidelines 110 and goal lines 112 of the playing field. The sensors 108 can be embedded in the ground or alternatively can be positioned above the field (i.e., over the boundaries of the playing surface) depending on the requirements the authorities and design of the ground. The sensor network 106 is adapted to communicate with the tracking chip 102 in real-time to track and receive the location of the football 104 as described later in the disclosure. A plurality of sensors is installed for every yard along the sidelines and in the preferred embodiment, six sensors are installed for each yard. Similarly, a plurality of sensors can be installed for every yard along the goal lines.

A portable location reading device 114 is included in the tracking system 100 for reading and displaying the instant location of the football 104 which is detected by the combination of the sensor network 106 and the tracking chip 102. The device 114 is preferably carried by one or more of referees, linesmen, line judges, back judges, field judges and side judges whose primary responsibilities are to monitor play including the position of the football. The device 114 is a handheld device and includes a display screen 116 for displaying the location of the football 104 during the play of the game. In one embodiment, the location may include yard information of the position of the football 104 along with distance from the sidelines 110 and the goal lines 112. The device 114 enables the referee to make more accurate decisions regarding the ball's placement, first downs, touchdowns, out-of-bounds rulings, and more. The location of the football 104 can be displayed in real-time on the display screen 116 or alternatively can be displayed when the activation button 118 is pressed by the referee such as at an important instant during the play. In case of a foul or a spot or any other important moment in the game detected by the system 100, an LED indicator 120 of the reading device 114 is automatically illuminated by the system 100.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram showing the functional components of the tracking chip 102 embedded in the football or any other for location tracking in accordance with the disclosed structure. The tracking chip 102 can be in the form of one or more integrated chips and may include a wireless communication module 202. The wireless communication module 202 is used for transmitting the real-time location to the sensor network 106. The module 202 may use wireless technologies such as RFID, Bluetooth, Zigbee, LoRa (Long Range), or Wi-Fi, depending on the range and data transfer rate requirements for transmitting information to the sensor network 106.

A positioning module 204 is used for detecting the location of the football 104. The positioning module 204 may use RFID or GPS technology for detecting the location. Preferably, RFID is used and the module 204 is adapted to send and receive RFID signals using the wireless communication module 202. The chip 102 is configured to synchronize time-stamp data along with the location data of the football 104 and therefore, includes a timer unit 206. The timer unit 206 enables the referees to accurately determine the timing of various events and data updates.

A power source 208 in the form of a battery, preferably, a lithium-ion battery or a supercapacitor is included in the chip 102 for providing power for functioning of the chip 102. In some embodiments, the power source 208 can be solar powered to automatically recharge the power source 208 using solar energy. For sending the location information in digital signals to the sensor network 106, sensor interfaces 210 in the form of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are included in the chip 102. The sensor interface 210 converts the location information into digital data for further processing by the system 100 for display on the reading device 114.

In some embodiments, the chip 102 may include flash or any other type of memory 212 for storing firmware, configuration data, and temporary data buffers. The temporary data buffers are used for temporarily storing location and time-stamp data to be used as a backup in case of a power failure. In some embodiments, the chip 102 may store location data along with time stamps for last five or ten minutes of the play. In another embodiment, a pair of chips 102 are mounted in opposing ends of the football to indicate when an end of the football has advanced to a particular position or location.

FIG. 3 illustrates a functional block diagram of a sensor of the sensor network used for working in conjunction with both the tracking chip 102 and the reading device 114 in accordance with the disclosed structure. The sensor 302 (which is one of the plurality of sensors 108 of the sensor network 106) includes a wireless module 304 for receiving wireless signals from the tracking chip 102. The wireless module 304 is in the form of a transceiver and transmits the location information of the chip 102 to the reading device 114. A RFID reader or GPS reader 306 is used for retrieving location information from the RFID encoded information to ascertain location of the football 104. A plurality of other sensors 308 are included in the sensor 302 for monitoring orientation, speed, and other parameters of the football 104. Other sensors 308 may include an accelerometer to provide additional information about the ball's movement and orientation. Data memory 310 is included in the sensor 302 to temporarily store location and time stamp data and to keep a log of events for maintaining data integrity. The data memory 310 can be in the form of any volatile or non-volatile memory.

It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that each sensor includes a sensor housing for protecting the sensor from physical damage, impacts, weather elements, and more. Further, the housing provides longevity and functionality in various playing conditions. Each sensor of the sensor network 106 has a unique identifier which is used for uniquely identifying the sensor.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow chart depicting a process of providing football location information to the reading device using the ball tracking system of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed structure. Initially, the sensor receives an RFID signal encoded with location information of the football from the tracking chip (Step 402). Then, the sensor decodes the location information and appends the received location with the unique identifier of the sensor and the location information of the sensor (Step 404). The location information of the sensor can be in the form of yard distance from the center or any of the goalpost of the playing field. Thereafter, the football location and the appended information are transmitted to the reading device 114 by the sensor (Step 406). The transmission can be done using RFID signal or any other wireless communication channel supported by both the reading device 114 and the sensor network 106. Finally, the received location information is displayed on the display screen of the reading device to enable a referee to make an accurate and informed decision about the play (Step 408).

FIG. 5 illustrates another flow chart depicting a process of determining the location of the football passing through a sideline, goal line, or yard marker, in accordance with the disclosed structure. Each sensor is configured to transmit RFID signals in the playing field such that the RFID signals of one or more sensors are picked up by the tracking chip (Step 502). Then, the football location is received by one or more sensors from the chip whose signals are picked up by the chip (Step 504). The sensor whose location is nearest to the location of the chip is automatically selected by the sensor network 106 to transmit the location and other information as described earlier to the reading device 114 for monitoring by a referee (Step 506). Finally, the selected sensor transmits the location information, timestamp, and sensor identifier to the reading device (Step 508). Similarly, when the ball 104 crosses a goal line, the sensors positioned on the goal line are used for monitoring location and transmitting to the location reading device 114.

In one embodiment of the present invention, each referee, line judge, side judge and more can have a reading device wherein the location information of the ball 104 is displayed in real-time and simultaneously in each of the reading devices.

In preferred embodiment of the present invention, all the sensor data is transmitted to a central data hub (not shown) equipped with powerful processors and storage. The data hub may perform advanced analytics, including predictive modeling and real-time data visualization, to assist referees and coaches with instant insights and historical game data. In some embodiments, the goal line sensors are automatically activated when the ball in which the tracking chip 102 is embedded reaches 10 yards near the goal line. Also, the football tracking and analytics system 100 of the present invention may use 5G connectivity for ultra-low latency and high data transfer rates.

The system 100 of the present invention can be used in the playing field or game table of any game which includes a ball such as Cricket, Cue sports (e.g., billiards), Pool (or pocket billiards), Dodgeball, Downball, Fistball, Fives, Flickerball, Floorball, Football, Soccer, Futsal, Rugby, Tennis, Volleyball, Basketball, Polo and more.

Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “football tracking system”, “ball tracking system”, “football tracking and analytics system”, “tracking system”, and “system” are interchangeable and refer to the playfield ball tracking and analytics system 100 of the present invention.

Notwithstanding the forgoing, the playfield ball tracking and analytics system 100 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the playfield ball tracking and analytics system 100 as shown in the FIGS. is for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the playfield ball tracking and analytics system 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the playfield ball tracking and analytics system 100 are important design parameters for user convenience, the playfield ball tracking and analytics system 100 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.

Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.

What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

Claims

1. A ball tracking system for spotting a game ball, the ball tracking system comprising: a ball including at least one tracking chip embedded inside said ball; anda sensor network including a plurality of sensors placed on a plurality of boundaries of a playing surface, wherein said sensor network and said plurality of sensors detect said tracking chip in real-time for detecting a position of said ball on said playing surface.

2. The ball tracking system of claim 1, wherein said ball is a football having said at least one tracking chip embedded inside a first end of said football and another chip embedded inside an opposing second end of said football.

3. The ball tracking system of claim 2, wherein said playing surface is a football field and said plurality of boundaries include at least a plurality of sidelines of said playing surface.

4. The ball tracking system of claim 3, wherein said plurality of boundaries include a plurality of goal lines and a plurality of yard markers.

5. The ball tracking system of claim 1, wherein said ball is a soccer ball and said playing surface is a soccer field, and further wherein said plurality of boundaries include at least a plurality of sidelines and a plurality of goal lines of said playing surface.

6. The ball tracking system of claim 4, wherein said plurality of sensors are embedded in the ground of said playing surface.

7. The ball tracking system of claim 4, wherein said plurality of sensors are above said boundaries of said playing surface.

8. The ball tracking system of claim 1, wherein said playing surface is selected from the group consisting of a Cricket field, a billiard table, a Dodgeball court, a Downball field, a Fistball court, a Fives field, a Flickerball court, a Floorball court, a Futsal field, a Rugby field, a Tennis court, a Volleyball court, a soccer field, a football field, a Basketball court, and a Polo field.

9. The ball tracking system of claim 8 further comprising a portable location reading device for reading and displaying said position of said ball.

10. The ball tracking system of claim 9, wherein said portable location reading device having a display screen for said displaying of said position of said ball.

11. The ball tracking system of claim 10, wherein said displaying of said position of said ball includes a specified yard position of said ball.

12. A ball tracking system for spotting a game ball, the ball tracking system comprising: a ball;at least one tracking chip embedded inside said ball; anda sensor network including a plurality of sensors placed on a plurality of boundaries of a playing surface;wherein said sensor network and said plurality of sensors detect said tracking chip in real-time for detecting a position of said ball on said playing surface;wherein said at least one tracking chip having a wireless communication module;wherein said wireless communication module transmits in real-time said position of said ball location; andfurther wherein said wireless communication selected from the group consisting of a RFID, a Bluetooth, a Zigbee, a LoRa (Long Range), a GPS, and a Wi-Fi.

13. The ball tracking system of claim 12, wherein said ball is a football having said at least one tracking chip embedded inside a first end of said football and another chip embedded inside an opposing second end of said football.

14. The ball tracking system of claim 13, wherein said playing surface is a football field and said plurality of boundaries include at least a plurality of sidelines of said playing surface.

15. The ball tracking system of claim 14, wherein said plurality of boundaries include a plurality of goal lines and a plurality of yard markers.

16. The ball tracking system of claim 12, wherein said ball is a soccer ball and said playing surface is a soccer field, and further wherein said plurality of boundaries include at least a plurality of sidelines and a plurality of goal lines of said playing surface.

17. The ball tracking system of claim 12, wherein said playing surface is selected from the group consisting of a Cricket field, a billiard table, a Dodgeball court, a Downball field, a Fistball court, a Fives field, a Flickerball court, a Floorball court, a Futsal field, a Rugby field, a Tennis court, a Volleyball court, a soccer field, a football field, a Basketball court, and a Polo field.

18. The ball tracking system of claim 17 further comprising a portable location reading device for reading and displaying said position of said ball, wherein said portable location reading device having a display screen for said displaying of said position of said ball, and further wherein said displaying of said position of said ball includes a specified yard position of said ball.

19. A ball tracking system for spotting a game ball, the ball tracking system comprising: a football tracking system having a football including at least a first tracking chip embedded inside a first end of said football and a second chip embedded inside an opposing second end of said football and a sensor network including a plurality of sensors placed on a plurality of boundaries of a playing surface;wherein said sensor network and said plurality of sensors detect said first tracking chip and said second tracking chip in real-time for detecting a position of said football on said playing surface; andfurther wherein at least one of said first tracking chip and said second tracking chip having an accelerometer for providing speed and movement data about said football.

20. The ball tracking system of claim 19 further comprising a portable location reading device for reading and displaying said position of said football, wherein said portable location reading device having a display screen for said displaying of said position of said football.