Patent Application
20060178236
The present invention relates to systems and devices for detecting and recording characteristics of a projectile, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a programmable device that can calculate the speed of a thrown object such as a ball, as well as determine the placement or position of the throw, such as whether the thrown ball was a ball or strike, and further provide corresponding information to a user.
Recreational sports and hobbies are popular all around the world. It is when a person is in the pursuit of some degree of proficiency in these types of activities that a diversion from the routine patters of life can be experienced. Many times, people may excel in a particular side interest or pastime to such a degree that they may be competitive with others who have the same interests. A person may enjoy bowling, for example, and find that competing in a league against other bowlers provides a great measure of enjoyment.
Those who participate in sports as a recreational activity and who desire to have some measure of success in so doing must develop and maintain a certain level of proficiency in the sport's skills. For golfers, the ability to swing the club in a harmonious manner with the movement of the player's body is critical to successful contact with the golf ball. Tennis players must also have the swinging motion coordinated with body movement and eye contact in order to play the game with success. Others who play sports such as racquetball, table tennis, and badminton have similar physical attributes that must be developed.
Baseball players are among those who practice a great deal in order to prepare themselves to play with any degree of competence. They must be able to catch, throw, run bases, and hit a pitched baseball in a number of different situations. Often, hours and hours are spent in developing these skills in preparation for games. Batting skills, the offensive weapon of a baseball team, are generally substantial portions of a player's training. As such, there are many training devices, both simple and high tech, for batters to develop and improve their batting skills. In contrast, there aren't as many types of devices to aid a player, such as a pitcher, in training and developing their skills in throwing. It would be advantageous therefore, to develop a device or apparatus that can be readily used to improve a player's throwing and pitching.
A more complete understanding of the present invention may be had by reference to the following Detailed Description and appended claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings wherein:
Referring now to the drawings wherein like or similar elements are designated with identical reference numerals throughout the views and figures, and wherein the various elements depicted are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in particular, to
The number and position of sensors 140 are strategically positioned in base 110 and frame 130 to be able to accurately detect the characteristics of the object to be projected into training device 100. For example, a training device 100 built primarily for the detection of baseballs may require more sensors 140, with the sensors positioned closer together, than for a training device 100 built primarily for the detection of larger softballs.
Control unit 150 is used to control the operation of training device 100, which will be described in more detail herein below. It is contemplated that control unit 150 can be connected to sensors 140 via a cable or via a wireless connection 160. It is further contemplated that the control unit 150, as well as the other elements of training device 100 can be either powered via a hardwire power connection 180, or an alternative power supply such as batteries. Training device 100 could also utilize a separate computer 170 to store and analyze data from control unit 150.
Still referring to
Good results have been achieved by utilizing PVC pipe to construct frame 130, although it is contemplated to be within the scope of this invention that any sturdy material could be utilized, including but not limited to metal pipes.
Referring now to
Referring to
As can be appreciated, training device 100 could be programmed in a number of ways. Not only can a user program the strike zone, but a virtual batter could also be programmed, such that when either 4 balls or 3 strikes are detected, the number of strikes and balls resets to zero, and a new batter is faced. A cumulative total of balls and strikes and positions of pitch could also be maintained for a particular player, as well as fastest pitch, slowest pitch, average speed, and each pitches speed, not only for a particular practice sessions but for any given time period.
In the preceding detailed description, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments, and certain variants thereof, have been described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It is to be understood that other suitable embodiments may be utilized and that logical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. The description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art. The preceding detailed description is, therefore, not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth herein, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as can be reasonably included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
