Patent Grant
10821345
The present invention relates generally to training devices, and more particularly to athletic training devices, and even more particularly to electronic athletic training devices.
Conventionally, various athletic training devices have existed but have various shortcomings.
Early athletic ball games include Lacrosse played by native Americans, Jai-Alai a sport originating in northern Spain, as well as association football (soccer) formalized in the United Kingdom, involving kicking a ball into a goal, tracing its ancestry to Episkyros of Ancient Greece, and Harpastum of early Rome. Other ball-based sports may include fieldhockey, tennis, squash, handball, etc. Other sports may use a slightly different shaped ball including, e.g., but not limited to, a puck for ice hockey, and an oblong spheroid for American football, etc. Various other sports involve throwing or hitting a ball or other projectile, such as baseball, softball, shotput, javelin, etc. Sports generally have a given set of rules, and often require an athlete to develop eye-hand and/or eye-foot coordination to be successful.
One illustrative example of a ball-based athletic sport, basketball, is an athletic or sports competition to determine which of two teams of one or players can place or throw a ball vertically down through a target hoop the most times with the opposing player or team trying to keep the ball from going through the hoop by blocking the player or interfering with the ball on its way to the hoop. Basketball was invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1891. The hoops in a basketball game are attached to a backboard and are generally located 10 feet above the floor in a horizontal position. Originally the hoop was a basket, hence the name, but today, the hoop is conventionally a resilient metal ring with a replaceable (often nylon or cotton) woven net.
The primary object of basketball is to score by throwing the ball into the goal, officially called the “basket.” A basket is scored when the ball passes completely through the basket ring from above; however, the number of points scored with each basket can vary by distance from which the ball is thrown, and a team need not necessarily score the most baskets to win a game. A basket scored during normal play is called a field goal and is worth two points if shot from within or on the three-point line, and three points if shot from beyond the three-point line. The three point line's distance from the goal may vary by level of play (e.g., high school, college, professional, etc.). Points are automatically awarded to the shooting team if, while the ball is in its flight towards or is over the basket, the defending team illegally touches the ball or basket, known as goaltending or basket interference. An alternate method of scoring in basketball is the free throw, which scores one point. A free throw scores the same way as a field goal, except that it is taken unopposed from a free-throw line after a foul. Basketball scores are expressed in total points.
The basket in basketball generally includes a metal hoop or ring 18 inches (46 cm) in internal diameter, suspended horizontally 10 feet (3.0 m) above the floor such that the center of the ring is equidistant from each sideline and 5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m) from the end line. The basket ring may have a net attached below to briefly check the ball's downward progress and indicate a score. The ring may be fastened to a generally rectangular backboard 6 feet (1.8 m) wide by 3.5 feet (1.1 m) tall, though in lower levels of play or recreational use the backboard may be smaller and/or fan-shaped. Conventionally, the entire structure may be supported from behind and anchored to the floor beyond the end line at higher levels of play; the structure may be anchored to a wall or ceiling at lower levels of play. The ring, net, and the front, top, bottom, and sides of the backboard may all be considered inbounds, while the back of the backboard and the support structure—even those parts suspended over inbounds areas of the court—may be considered out of bounds.
Players have a better chance of placing the ball in the basketball hoop if they have physical attributes such as height and developmental attributes such as dexterity, and so-called good coordination. For example, good eye-hand coordination is helpful for a player as the player uses the player's eyes to judge distance and the player's arms and body to propel the ball with proper force and direction to go through the hoop.
To improve eye hand coordination, a player may conventionally practice shooting the ball from a static position with feet stationary, or from a dynamic position where the player's feet and body are moving. Players are taught to use their bodies as well as hands and arms to help propel and direct the ball towards the hoop and in a game the players move their bodies to avoid and to get around the opposing players, which are trying to block the players and the ball.
In practicing for a game, players spend a lot of time shooting the ball at the hoop, which is conventionally fixed and stationary. The hoop is conventionally fixedly mounted to a backboard and the backboard is generally fixed to a floor, wall or ceiling, or placed on a fixed platform.
The players are always moving during a game as the players try to have a clear path of travel for the ball from the players' hands to the hoop and generally in practice players simulate the movements they can use in a game by putting their bodies in motion to improve their dynamic eye-hand coordination. The same kind of body movements players use in a game can be simulated by moving one's body in a dynamic way and shooting, but this may quickly become fatiguing.
Various so-called “goal-only” sports exist, where the only method of scoring is the goal. Examples of goal-only sports include Association football (soccer), ice hockey, field hockey, handball, lacrosse, water polo, polo, etc. Various other sports (in addition to basketball) permit scoring other than by single points for a goal including Australian rules football (6 point goals), and Gaelic football and hurling. Sports with goals as secondary scoring include American and Canadian football, Arena football, and Rugby.
Various conventional athletic training systems are known, but all fail to provide an optimal training experience simulating real world, in game variable movement, in a compressed training area.
Conventional athletic training and systems have various shortcomings. What is needed is an improved system and method of providing athletic training that overcomes various shortcomings of conventional solutions.
Various exemplary embodiments of an apparatus, system, method and computer program product for providing an improved athletic training apparatus, system, method and/or computer program product as is set forth in detail herein.
According to one exemplary embodiment, a sporting device apparatus can include: at least one or more of: at least one pair of parallel panels facing one another forming a tunnel space therebetween, with an array of a plurality of sensors on the inner periphery of said parallel panels; or a plurality of sensors arranged in an array on an inner periphery of a tunnel space; wherein said plurality of sensors is configured to detect, and sense a projectile following a path through said tunnel space; and at least one data collection system configured to: capture a time stamp and location of occurrence of a detection event, store said time stamp and said location of said detection event, and analyze a trajectory and path followed by the projectile through said tunnel space.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the sporting device apparatus can include, where said plurality of sensors can include: a plurality of beam-breaking sensors.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the sporting device apparatus can include, where the plurality of sensors can include: a plurality of transmitter and receiver pairs.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the sporting device apparatus can include, where the plurality of sensors can include: a plurality of sensors, wherein said sensors comprise at least one of: an infra-red sensor; a light emitting diode (LED) sensor; a beam sensor; a laser sensor; an ultrasonic sensor; a radar sensor; or a lidar sensor.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the sporting device apparatus can further include at least one robot oriented toward said tunnel, at an opening of at least one end of said tunnel.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the sporting device apparatus can include, where the robot can include: a plurality of joint axes, wherein each joint axis of said plurality of joint axes can include: at least one motor; at least one structural member coupled to at least one of said each of said plurality of joint axes motors, where each of said at least one motor is configured to move an associated coupled at least one of said at least one structural member.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the sporting device apparatus can further include at least one or more of: at least one electronic user interface coupled to said at least one robot, configured to interact with a user to receive a selection of at least one sporting routine for moving said robot; at least one electronic computer processor, coupled to said at least one robot; at least one electronic input device coupled to said at least one electronic computer processor; at least one electronic output device coupled to said at least one electronic computer processor; or at least one electronic memory device coupled to said at least one electronic computer processor.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the sporting device apparatus can include, where the electronic user interface can include at least one of: an electronic display device, said at least one electronic input device, said at least one electronic output device, an electronic keyboard, or an electronic touchscreen.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the sporting device apparatus can include, where the at least one or more of: where the at least one electronic computer processor is configured to save or retrieve said at least one sporting routine from said at least one memory; where the at least one electronic computer processor is configured to randomize at least one challenge; or where the electronic computer processor is configured to at least one of: combine a plurality of previously saved of said at least one sporting routine, or shuffle a plurality of previously saved of said at least one sporting routine.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the sporting device apparatus can include, where the at least one sporting device comprises being configured to receive through said tunnel space the projectile from the user, the apparatus configured to detect at least one of: a pitch or throw of the projectile; a catch or hit of the projectile; automatically detect a path traversed by the projectile; automatically detect movement of the projectile; identify a position, trajectory and path of the projectile over a given time; detect at least a direction and a path of the projectile traversed through the tunnel space; detect at least one of a velocity, or an acceleration of the projectile; automatically track a path in at least one horizontal, or vertical plane; detect whether at least one goal is achieved; detect whether at least one target is reached; detect movement in at least two dimensions; or detect movement in at least three dimensions.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the sporting device apparatus can include, where the at least one sporting device comprises at least one of: a target; a goal; a ring; a closed loop; a closed polygon with an opening therein; a ring between the user and a final target; a border with an aperture therethrough; a ring between the user and a final goal; a pitching capability; a throwing capability; a catching capability; a hitting capability; an offensive capability; a defensive capability; a goal; a basketball goal; a soccer goal; a target; a hockey goal; a field hockey goal; a hockey goal; a winter sports goal; a summer sports goal; a shooting sports target; an archery goal; a field goal; a lacrosse goal; a tennis target; a golf target; a football target; an intermediate goal; a plurality of goals; or a FRISBEE flying disc golf goal.
According to another exemplary embodiment, a sporting device apparatus, system, method and/or computer program product can include, where the at least one sporting data collection device, wherein said at least one sporting data collection device comprises: at least one electronic computer processor; at least one electronic memory device coupled to said at least one electronic computer processor; at least one of at least one electronic input or at least one electronic output device coupled to said at least one electronic computer processor; and at least one or more of: at least one pair of parallel panels facing one another forming a tunnel space therebetween, with an array of a plurality of sensors on the inner periphery of said parallel panels; or a plurality of sensors arranged in an array on an inner periphery of a tunnel space; wherein said plurality of sensors is configured to detect, and sense a projectile following a path through said tunnel space; and wherein said at least one sporting data collection system is configured to: capture a time stamp and location of occurrence of a detection event, store said time stamp and said location of said detection event, and analyze a trajectory and path followed by the projectile through said tunnel space.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the sporting device apparatus can include, where the plurality of sensors can include: a plurality of beam-breaking sensors.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the sporting device apparatus can include, where the plurality of sensors can include: a plurality of transmitter and receiver pairs.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the sporting device apparatus can include, where the plurality of sensors can include: a plurality of sensors, wherein said sensors comprise at least one of: an infra-red sensor; a light emitting diode (LED) sensor; a beam sensor; a laser sensor; an ultrasonic sensor; a radar sensor; or a lidar sensor.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the sporting device apparatus can further include, at least one robot oriented toward said tunnel, at an opening of at least one end of said tunnel.
According to one exemplary embodiment, a computer implemented athletic training apparatus, system, method and/or computer program product may include providing a robotically controlled moveable athletic training device, which may include a plurality of sensors to sense a ball or projectile proximate to the athletic training device.
According to one exemplary embodiment, a goal, a moving hoop or target may allow the player to develop and practice dynamic shooting or other athletic interaction without the fatigue associated with accelerating and decelerating the player's body with each dynamic practice shot.
According to one exemplary embodiment, an athletic training apparatus, system, method and/or computer program product may include: a robot; and an athletic training device, such as a goal, coupled to said robot. The athletic training apparatus may further include a plurality of sensors, which may be adapted to sense a ball, and/or projectile, etc., and its proximity to the athletic training device.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the athletic training apparatus may further include: a user interface for interacting with the user to, e.g., but not limited to, receive selections of training routines, and/or to provide output to the user of suggestions, analysis, and/or results of training efforts.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the athletic training apparatus may further include: at least one processor; and at least one memory coupled to said processor, wherein said at least one processor is adapted to save and/or retrieve said training routines from said at least one memory.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the athletic training apparatus may include: wherein said robot is adapted to move said goal with respect a fixed position of a user.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the athletic training apparatus may include: wherein said goal comprises at least one of: a basketball goal; a soccer goal; a hockey goal; a field hockey goal; a field goal; a lacrosse goal; an intermediary goal; or a target.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the athletic training apparatus may include: wherein said user interface comprises at least one of: a mobile device coupled to said robot; a wireless device coupled to said robot; a computing device coupled to said robot; a communications device coupled to said robot; a tablet device coupled to said robot; a telephone device coupled to said robot; a personal digital assistant-based device coupled to said robot; a mobile phone-based device coupled to said robot; a smartphone-based device coupled to said robot; a tablet-based device coupled to said robot; or a touchscreen-based device coupled to said robot.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the athletic training apparatus may include: wherein said user interface comprises at least one of: a web browser-based application program; an app; an applet; a cloud-based application; a social-media enabled application; or an application program.
According to one exemplary embodiment the athletic training apparatus may be adapted for medical or other training use, wherein said athletic training apparatus may be used to establish a baseline for a patient's hand-eye coordination skills and may also be used to improve them.
According to an exemplary embodiment, a system may capture a baseline, and detect and track cognitive development, tracking the eye-hand coordination development of the athlete, and tracking and aiding in developing muscle memory as compared to the baseline measurements, may analyze the user's skills development, tracking development of the athlete over time, e.g., at 6 years, 12 years, etc., tracking what affects development, positively and negatively, capturing e.g., diseases and effects of injury on development, analyzing to identify raw ability vs. trained ability, evaluating traits and evaluating for performance out of a normal assessment area. The system may include an expert system, which may iteratively improve by analyzing training that yields improved results, and tailoring training for other users based on the observed successes.
According to another exemplary embodiment, robotic sports interactions may be provided, where a human may compete against a robotic machine, or on a robotically controlled platform, etc.
A personified sporting goal apparatus can include: at least one sporting goal device, wherein said at least one sporting goal device comprises: at least one processor; at least one memory coupled to said at least one processor; at least one of at least one input or at least one output device coupled to said at least one processor; at least one sporting goal; at least one personified feature, attribute, or movement; and at least one user interface coupled to said sporting goal device, wherein said user interface comprises at least one of: a display device, at least one input device, at least one output device, a keyboard, or a touchscreen, and wherein said at least one sporting goal device is configured to at least one of: enable at least one user to interact with said at least one sporting goal device; receive a selection of at least one sporting goal routine; or receive instructions to control said at least one sporting goal device. The device can include a robot and/or one or more displays and/or optional speech bubbles.
Further features and advantages of the invention, as well as the structure and operation of various exemplary embodiments of the invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular description of an embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. The left most digits in the corresponding reference number indicate the drawing in which an element first appears.
Various exemplary embodiments of the invention are discussed in detail below. While specific exemplary embodiments are discussed, it should be understood that this is done for illustration purposes only. Exemplary means example for purposes of this application, and various embodiments need not include all features as described herein. A person skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components and configurations can be used without parting from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Example conventional training systems include, U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,175, U.S. Pat. No. D321,370, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,888,023, 5,800,291, 5,890,985, 8,152,660, U.S. Pat. No. D539,373, U.S. Pat. No. D 510,112, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,989,862, 6,579,197, 5,485,993, and US Patent Publication 2012/0142458, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Such systems seek to provide a simulated environment for an athlete, however none of these exemplary conventional systems achieves the goal of providing a real in game experience for an athlete training for a sport in a limited area, according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
According to one exemplary embodiment, a computer implemented apparatus, system, method and/or computer program product to provide a robotically controlled moveable backboard and hoop for athletic training. According to other exemplary embodiments, other goals than a basketball hoop and backboard may be used, coupled to an exemplary robot including goals, such as, e.g., but not limited to, ice hockey, soccer, field hockey, football, lacrosse, etc.
According to one exemplary embodiment, a moving hoop or target may allow the player to develop and practice dynamic shooting without the fatigue associated with accelerating and decelerating the player's body with each dynamic practice shot.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention may allow a player to stay in one position and practice the same dynamic eye hand coordination as if they were moving, without a lot of fatigue because the hoop is moving instead of the player. It is appreciated, according to an exemplary embodiment, that whether the player is moving or the hoop is moving it is the relationship between the two that is critical in developing dynamic eye-hand coordination.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention may allow the hoop to move in any of an exemplary 5-axis directions in relation to a stationary player just as a player can move in any 5-axis directions in relation to a stationary hoop or goal. The velocity and acceleration/deceleration of the hoop can also be modified and/or adjusted just as a player can accelerate and decelerate while shooting, according to an exemplary embodiment. Various pre-programmed and/or customized training sessions may be provided, accessed, and/or stored and/or retrieved from memory, randomized, and/or shuffled, etc., for an almost endless variety of training possibilities, according to various exemplary embodiments.
According to an exemplary embodiment, a robot capable of movement in multiple positions in a multidimensional space such as, e.g., but not limited to, at least a two dimensional, and/or a 3 dimensional (or greater) coordinate space. According to an exemplary embodiment, the robot may be coupled to the goal at an extremity of the robot. According to an exemplary embodiment, the robot may move in multiple areas and in multiple degrees of freedom by any of various well known methods including, e.g., but not limited to, rotationally, by motors, gears, armatures, and/or chains, and/or pneumatics and/or hydraulics, etc., as is well known in the art.
The system, according to an exemplary embodiment, may come with an exemplary user friendly simple pc or other computer based user interface, such as, e.g., but not limited to, a graphical user interface (GUI), where the player can direct the hoop to move in each of the exemplary 5-axes within the reach limits of the robot, according to one exemplary embodiment. The robot, according to an exemplary embodiment, can make all these movements while maintaining a constant axis of travel such as in the horizontal height of 10 feet, according to an exemplary embodiment. The speed of the hoop can be adjusted as appropriate and the movements may be repeated endlessly, according to an exemplary embodiment. Once the hoop is in motion, the player can observe the movements of the hoop and practice shooting the ball as it moves, according to an exemplary embodiment.
According to one exemplary embodiment, a FANUC 2000 IA robot, available from Intelligent Robot Solutions, FANUC Robotics America, Inc., 3900 W. Hamlin Road, Rochester Hills, Mich. 48309-3253 USA, or the like, may be used as an exemplary component of an exemplary embodiment. Further, any conventional athletic goal may be coupled to the exemplary robot by a coupler. Any of various wellknown couplers available may be used including, e.g., but not limited to, removable couplers, fixed couplers, welded direct and/or indirect connections and/or couplings, interfaces, attachment mechanisms such as, e.g., but not limited to, screws, bolts, nuts, washers, snap removable, multifunctional couplers, etc. Indeed, a given robot may be outfitted with a functional coupler capable of being coupled to any of various different types and/or styles of athletic goals, according to an exemplary embodiment. According to an exemplary embodiment, a basketball goal may be removed from a robot's removable coupler and an American football field goal post may be then coupled to the coupler to be used with the robot.
The exemplary robot mechanism, according to an exemplary embodiment, can be fixed to a floor, wall or ceiling or it can be portable such as, e.g., but not limited to, when mounted on a platform with exemplary wheels, and/or drive mechanisms, and/or support legs, and/or outriggers for stability, etc.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the robot may be capable of very precise, repeatable movements allowing for ease of repetition of training exercises.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the robot athletic training device may be capable of being programmed using any of various well know programming techniques. The robot, according to an exemplary embodiment may be coupled to any of various well-known input and/or output and/or control systems. Exemplary, but not limiting, input systems may include, e.g., but not limited to, sensors, movement sensors, location sensors, rotational sensors, etc. Exemplary, but not limiting, output systems may include, e.g., but not limited to, motors, gears, hydraulics, arms, legs, joints, pneumatics, air and/or fluid and/or gas moment systems, etc. Exemplary, but not limiting, robotic control systems may include, e.g., but not limited to, computer processor(s), computer memory(ies), computing hardware, computing software, operating systems, programming languages and/or environments, communications and networking capability, database(s), wireless and/or wired communications networking, access to internally stored exercise routines, access by network and/or Internet, and/or cloud-based exercise routines and/or programmable routines, and/or graphical user interface(s), and/or mobile and/or touch based system environments, and/or worldwide web and/or other application program environment applications, apps, or programs, etc. According to an exemplary embodiment, an exemplary device may include a robot coupled to a sporting goal device. According to an exemplary sporting device, the sporting goal device may include, e.g., but not limited to, a backboard and hoop for basketball, a goal for soccer, a goal for ice hockey, field hockey, a goal for lacrosse, etc.
According to an exemplary embodiment, a robot may include any of various well known robots available from any of various well known robotic manufacturers, such as, e.g., but not limited to, Intelligent Robot Solutions, FANUC Robotics America, Inc., 3900 W. Hamlin Road, Rochester Hills, Mich. 48309-3253 USA, etc.
According to an exemplary embodiment the athletic training system may also be used for medical purposes, that involve training patients' hand-eye coordination skills.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the claimed invention, exemplary robot 102 may include, e.g., but not be limited to, a exemplary FANUC 2000 IA robot, according to an exemplary embodiment, coupled to an exemplary sporting goal 104. According to an exemplary embodiment, robot 102 may include one or more sub components, as shown, such as, e.g., but not limited to, a base, any of various hydraulics 118, and/or pneumatic and/or control cables 142, and/or any of various joints and/or gears 108, 110, 112, 114, and/or 116. According to an exemplary embodiment, the robot may rotate and/or move in multiple degrees of freedom, programmatically via any of various well-known programming routines and/or programs as may be loaded, stored and/or retrieved from and to a control system 106 for the robot 102. According to an exemplary, but not limiting embodiment, control system 106 of robot 102 may include an interface to any of various exemplary user accessible devices 124, 126, 128, 130, such as, e.g., but not limited to, a computing device 124 and/or storage and/or database 140, and/or output device 138 and/or input device (not shown) such as, e.g., not limited to, a touchscreen on display 138, a keyboard (not shown), tablet, and/or pen-based and/or stylus-based, and/or mouse (not shown), and/or any of various other well-known such input and/or output (I/O) devices, smart phone and/or other telephony and/or portable device 126, tablet 128, and/or pointing device such as, e.g., pen and/or stylus (shown but not labeled), and/or notebook and/or laptop 130, according to various exemplary embodiments, etc. A user, (shown but not labeled) may interact with any of the various exemplary interface devices to program, and/or access training routines, which may be made accessible via user interfaces on any of the devices, which as shown in an exemplary embodiment, may be coupled in exemplary wired fashion over coupling devices 134 such as, e.g., but not limited to, wire(s), cable(s), networking hub(s), router(s), gateway(s), bridge(s), and/or wirelessly via access point(s) 136 and/or other well-known communications networks and/or topologies via communications links 140 in the case of wireless communication and/or other means via wired communication, locally at 106, and/or remotely via a network 132, which may include any of various physical devices corresponding to a logical network which may include reference generally in aggregate as a cloud, and/or network, and/or intra, extra, or internet, such as, e.g., the global Internet.
A goal 104, according to an exemplary embodiment, may include a basketball backboard 120 and hoop 122, according to one exemplary embodiment. In an exemplary embodiment, the hoop 122 may be coupled to the exemplary backboard 120 by one or more couplers 144, which may directly, and/or indirectly, couple and/or connect, the hoop 122 to the backboard 120. As shown, the backboard 120 may be further coupled to the robot 102 by a coupler 146 as may couple, according to an exemplary embodiment the backboard 120 and/or hoop 122 to an end piece 116 of robot 102.
Referring back to
In an exemplary embodiment application program 1040 may include an exemplary database management system (DBMS) as may include any of various well known database platforms, in an exemplary embodiment.
In an exemplary embodiment application program 1060 may include an exemplary communications stack and/or web browser environment and/or programming and/or execution environments, such as, e.g., but not limited to JAVA, etc., as may include any of various well known application program platforms, in an exemplary embodiment.
In an exemplary embodiment application program 1070 may include an exemplary sport or athletic training exercise subsystem program, such as, e.g., but not limited to applications and/or applets and/or web-based applications, etc., as may include a graphic user interface (GUI) for user interaction with the robot controlled goal, according to an exemplary embodiment.
In an exemplary embodiment application program 1080 may include an exemplary sport robot, exemplary input subsystem program, such as, e.g., but not limited to applications and/or applets and/or web-based applications, etc., as may include, e.g., but not limited to, subsystems for handling any of various robotic sensor and/or other inputs for controlling input interaction from the robot controlled goal, according to an exemplary embodiment.
In an exemplary embodiment application program 1082 may include an exemplary sport robot, exemplary output subsystem program, such as, e.g., but not limited to applications and/or applets and/or web-based applications, etc., as may include, e.g., but not limited to, subsystems for handling any of various robotic motor and/or other outputs such as, e.g., pneumatic, air and/or fluid pressure systems and/or control system interface, for controlling output interactions to the robot controlled goal, according to an exemplary embodiment.
In an exemplary embodiment application program 1084 may include an exemplary sport robot, exemplary robot control subsystem program, such as, e.g., but not limited to applications and/or applets and/or web-based applications, etc., as may include, e.g., but not limited to, subsystems for handling any of various robotic control and/or programming and/or robotic running an maintenance environments such as, e.g., but not limited to, various well known robot control software application system environments such as, e.g., but not limited to, industrial robot programming languages, any exemplary FANUC robot control and programming languages, Labview, Robot C, Lego NXT/G, EV3 Labview Programming Environment, etc., and other graphical robot programming environments, etc., according to various exemplary embodiments. According to an exemplary embodiment, a user may program for an x, y, and z direction, a velocity and/or distance of movement of the robot over an exemplary five (5) degrees of freedom of movement. Various pre-programmed scenarios may be stored, and/or accessible, in an exemplary embodiment. Where an exemplary plurality of training programs have been stored, the user may select from one of the stored scenarios, may be assigned a scenario, may be randomly assigned, and/or may be shuffled, etc., according to an exemplary embodiment.
In one embodiment an application program may include a browser. A browser can be, e.g., but not limited to, one or more application software programs executing on computer workstations or other computer processor based devices 124-130 (including mobile devices such as, e.g., but not limited to, communication devices, phones, smartphones, tablets, and/or computer tablets), which may be coupled via a network 132 (in wireline and/or wireless fashion) to other devices, as shown, in an exemplary embodiment. Workstations 124-130 can be coupled via a network 132 such as, e.g., but not limited to, an internet, and intranet, or another type of network. In an exemplary embodiment network 132 may include the global Internet. Network 132 may provide access for client devices 124-130 to gain access to, e.g., but not limited to, one or more application servers 111a, 111b (collectively 111, not shown), such as, e.g., but not limited to, a database management system (DBMS) as may be represented by exemplary database 140. Although a client server topology is discussed any of various other well-known types of communications topologies may also be used such as, e.g., but not limited to, point-to-point, peer-to-peer, cloud-based, software as a service (SAAS), browser-based, hierarchical, distributed, and/or centralized, etc. The application server 111 can manage one or more databases (collectively 140). In an exemplary embodiment, the application server 111 can access an exemplary database(s) 140 having a plurality of data records, where in an exemplary embodiment, each data record may have one or more fields, etc. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that each database 140 can be part of a larger database, or could be broken into a plurality of separate subdatabases. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, search results can include a plurality of records obtained from the database 140 that meet search criteria included in a search query. Network 132 may be coupled to any of various well-known components such as, e.g., but not limited to, one or more load balancing devices or firewall devices 107 (not shown), web server(s) 109 (not shown), application server(s) 111 (not shown), routers, gateways, physical layer devices, data link layer devices, and/or network layer devices, etc. (not shown).
As illustrated, web servers 109 and application servers 111 may be coupled to one another via one or more network(s) 132. Although network 132, in an exemplary embodiment, may be downstream of load balancing devices 105 (not shown), it is also possible to have a network upstream of load balancing devices 105, coupling, e.g., but not limited to, application server(s) 111, web server(s) 109, and/or database(s) 140, as well as other client or other server devices (not shown), local and/or remote from the depicted exemplary devices, etc. Exemplary client devices 124-130 may be thought of as downstream over an exemplary network(s) 132 from the server devices, but could easily be elsewhere in the network topology, e.g., inside, or outside a firewall. It is also important to note that network 132 is represented in cloud metaphor schematic, but various well-known network devices including various well-known star-based, star wired ring, bus-based 134, or other well-known network topologies may also be represented by exemplary network(s) 132.
A user interacting with a browser on workstation 124-130 can access the database 140, in an exemplary embodiment by traversing several intervening networks using well known communications protocols such as, e.g., but not limited to, transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP). Specifically, in an exemplary embodiment, the workstation 124-130 can be coupled via exemplary network(s) 132 including, e.g., but not limited to, a public and/or private network, and/or the global Internet to any of various exemplary website system(s), in this exemplary case, web server(s) 109, which may include any of various hosting systems such as, e.g., but not limited to, a domain system, a domain name server (DNS), a domain controller system, etc. Web site or web server system 109 in an exemplary embodiment. The website system 109 can include, in an exemplary embodiment, an exemplary firewall coupled to, or in addition to, or integrated with, a load balancer 105 (which could alternatively run on a general-purpose computer such as, e.g., web server 109, etc. Load balancer 105 can be coupled to an exemplary web server 109. Web servers 109 can be mesh coupled to one or more application servers 111, via hardware and/or software system solutions, according to an exemplary embodiment, or via another network 132 (not shown). Each server 138, 109, 111 may include, e.g., but not limited to, or be coupled to, one or more database(s) 140. Web server(s) 109 in an exemplary embodiment, can perform load balancing functions by transferring user application requests/queries to one or more of the application servers 111. Results of the exemplary requests and/or queries from database 140 can be transferred from application servers 111 through web servers 109 through the network 132 to workstation 126-130.
An athletic training application program, and/or web-based and/or JAVA-based applet, and/or portal application program and/or links to the portal, may be integrated and/or embedded into other well-known collaborative, and/or social networking environments or applications such as, e.g., but not limited to, web-template based, hypertext markup language (HTML), and/or mobile OS application formats (e.g., iOS, and/or Android, and/or Windows 8), etc., and/or Facebook, LinkedIn, LotusLive, Microsoft Exchange/Sharepoint, GoogleTalk, GoogleVoice, Skype, Facetime, Google+, and/or video teleconferencing, Voxeo, SalesForce.com, CRM systems, etc., and/or other network environments, social media environments, communications environments, and/or collaborative environments, etc.
Any illustration of exemplary fixed images, and/or exemplary arrangements of the exemplary portal is merely exemplary, but nonlimiting, as video means, audio means, and/or a combination of audio/video streams and/or other content may also be used to enable efficient user interaction, according to various exemplary embodiments.
Exemplary touch sensor 1702 may include a touch actuator 1704, which when depressed and/or compressed, may cause the sensor 1702 to notify a coupled device that a touch has been sensed, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary light sensor 1706 may include a passive device (not shown) which may detect light crossing a photoelectric cell such as, e.g., but not limited to, a Cadmium sensor, and/or may include an active device 1706 as shown, including a light source 1708, which may generate light, which may then reflect off of an exemplary surface, and may be reflected back into an exemplary light sensor 1710, which may detect the reflection of the light created by light source 1708.
Exemplary color sensor 1712 may include an exemplary passive sensing device (not shown) which may detect colored light crossing a photoelectric cell such as a Cadmium sensor, or an electronic camera sensor, etc., and/or may include an active device 1712, 1718 as shown, including an exemplary light source 1714, 1720, respectively, which may generate light, which may then reflect off of an exemplary surface such as, e.g., but not limited to, an exterior of a ball, puck, projectile, etc., and may be reflected back into an exemplary color and/or light sensor 1716, 1722, respectively, which may detect the reflection of the light created by light source 1714, 1720.
Exemplary ultrasonic sensor 1724 may include an exemplary passive sensing device (not shown) which may detect via an exemplary transceiver (receiver and/or transmitter) and/or transducer, etc., and/or may include an active device 1724 as shown, including an exemplary transceiver and/or transducer 1726 which may generate ultrasonic waves, which may then reflect off of an exemplary surface such as, e.g., but not limited to, a ball, etc., and/or may be reflected back into the receiver portion of the transceiver/transducer, which may detect the reflection of the ultrasonic wave in the sensor 1726.
Various other well-known exemplary sensors may be used without parting from the scope of the claimed inventions.
An example circuit 1802 as may be included within an exemplary touch sensor 1702 is illustrated in an exemplary schematic diagram of exemplary circuit 1802, which may include a contact switch, which according to an exemplary embodiment, may be held open with a spring and/or other biasing member, and may be, e.g., but not limited to, be coupled, and/or wired in series with an exemplary load resistor, e.g., 500 ohm resistor, etc., as shown, and may upon being touched, may close the circuit shown in 1802. The circuit 1802 may be closed by, e.g., but not limited to, upon the spring switch being compressed, according to an exemplary embodiment. An example touch sensor 1702 may detect whether the actuator 1704 of the sensor is being pressed, has been bumped, and/or has been released, according to an exemplary embodiment. The so-called brain and/or computer processor of the robotic device may upon actuation of the actuator 1704, may sense the closed switch 1802, and may upon such sensing may register that the actuation was sensed by logging, e.g., but not limited to, a time, and form of actuation sensed, etc.
Another example sensor may include, as discussed above with reference to
Yet another example sensor, as discussed above with reference to
Another type of sensor, as discussed above with reference to
According to one exemplary embodiment, an exemplary backboard 1502 (see
According to an exemplary embodiment, an exemplary sensor may include an exemplary integrated indicator(s) that may display, e.g., by light, etc., any sensors which were contacted, and may register and store any such exemplary contact, so as to record or store for late access or comparison, and/or for a longer time, up to permanently and may display, e.g., but not limited to, temporarily, an exemplary sensed area that may have been contacted along with any other exemplary relative information such as, e.g., but not limited to, impact pressure, velocity and/or angle of impact and/or number of impacts and/or score as an exemplary displayed alphanumeric character(s) or phrase, and/or other indicator such as, e.g., a chart and/or graph such as, e.g., but not limited to, a graph, a bar chart, a line chart, a pie chart, etc. According to an exemplary embodiment, the information may be displayed on a display associated with the device, and/or or may be pushed to be displayed on an exemplary other device, such as, e.g., but not limited to, an exemplary wearable device, such as, e.g., but not limited to, a wrist wearable device, a smartphone, a fitness band, a fitness bracelet, digital watch, smart watch, mobile device, Google Glass, head up display, smart glasses, holographic lens, hololens, augmented reality, virtual reality, etc. Exemplary information about an exemplary trajectory could also be captured, as well as, e.g., but not limited to, the motion of the player as they propel the object and/or projectile, and/or ball towards the target and/or goal.
In one exemplary embodiment, an exemplary light, etc. may illuminate indicating a particular region, and may change when a change is sensed. For example, an exemplary strikezone of an exemplary baseball homeplate may be equipped with one or more illumination devices (e.g., light or laser beams), which according to an exemplary embodiment may illuminate an exemplary strike zone, e.g., but not limited to, in an exemplary particular light such as, e.g., red, using, e.g., but not limited to, color lasers, and may, e.g., but not limited to, when sensing a ball in any particular area of the strikezone, may so indicate using, e.g. but not limited to, a different color light, such as, e.g., a blue light, etc. According to an exemplary embodiment, a strikezone can be displayed via an additional display and/or an exemplary augmented reality for users with a smartphone in an example stadium.
In one exemplary embodiment, the ball may be equipped with one or more sensors, which may register whether any portion of the ball entered the exemplary illuminated strikezone, and may definitively confirm or overrule a called strike by an umpire in an exemplary baseball embodiment.
According to another exemplary embodiment, exemplary lights, LEDs, and/or other indicators on, e.g., but not limited to, the backboard and/or goal can be used to indicate the exemplary intended objective in relation to the whole goal, according to an exemplary embodiment. So, the exemplary indicated intended objective may, e.g., but not limited to, alternate between, e.g., corners, or the center or follow a progression of variable other exemplary locations to, e.g., test, not just the ability to hit the goal, but to also, more accurately hit a specific intended targeted area of the goal, that can be adjusted, and/or adjusted automatically, and/or via an exemplary selection, etc. According to an exemplary embodiment, a strike zone and/or personified sporting goal can be displayed via an additional display and/or an exemplary augmented reality for users with a smartphone in an example stadium.
According to another exemplary embodiment, an exemplary medical assessment may be provided, e.g., to provide an exemplary baseline for skills and to provide an exemplary means of assessment to determine effects of an athlete's injury and/or to, e.g., gauge the status of recovery from an injury, etc. According to an exemplary embodiment, aspects may also be used to assess other abilities, disabilities, and/or impairments, etc., that may be due to aging, drug use, other outside influence, etc.
According to an exemplary embodiment, an exemplary robot can be mounted on a system of exemplary rails, and/or other motors, wheel(s), gear(s), belt(s), and/or chain(s), etc., -driven mobility enabler(s), and/or means of movement, so that the robot can dynamically move within an exemplary range of motion, and/or not always have to remain stationary in a specific location.
According to an exemplary embodiment, an exemplary backboard could have flags that can, e.g., hang down, etc., that may wave as the goal moves to provide an indication of velocity and changes in velocity.
According to an exemplary embodiment, various exemplary sizes of targets and goals may be provided.
According to an exemplary embodiment, an addition feature enabling measuring of an exemplary impact and/or pressure forces a blocker can place on the exemplary robot such as, e.g., when they block in football. The exemplary device can have an exemplary padded portion coupled to the robot, with exemplary pressure sensors, among other possible sensors, and/or may provide an exemplary surface in place of the goal. According to an exemplary embodiment, the exemplary sensors may be used to measure an exemplary force exerted on the exemplary pad and/or on the different joints of the robot to determine how much force and the angles and duration of the force that can be applied by a given player. According to an exemplary embodiment, conventionally, the only way to measure player strength is by lifting various amounts of weight, but in this invention the robot can be able to provide custom measurements for each player and the measurements can be conducted, according to an exemplary embodiment, at different heights and angles, and can provide a complete body measure, instead of just parts as is done in weight lifting for an example leg press, and/or a bench press, etc.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the exemplary robot can propel an exemplary ball, such as, e.g., but not limited to, an exemplary American football (e.g., oblong spheroid) with an exemplary spin by mounting a device on the robot, that can throw the football, i.e., creating a spin and/or spiral on the ball before it is released just as the combination of a human quarterback's arm, wrist, hand and fingers place a spin/spiral on a ball as it is thrown, enabling simulation of various throwing, allowing receivers to practice unaided by a human quarterback. Similarly, the robot may fill other roles allowing a human to practice against the robot, for a longer time period than a human player might be able to play, or even when an opposing human opponent is unavailable. The amount and angle of spin could be varied, programmable, made random, etc., to simulate human throwing and/or catching. Similarly, other sports' opponents may also be so simulated, including, e.g., but not limited to, a basketball shooting machine, etc., allowing a defender to try to intercept a pass, or shot, etc.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the robot can also be used with, e.g., but not limited to, a hockey stick to hit and/or block, etc., a hockey puck, field hockey ball, tennis ball, etc. with programming an addition of couplers to electromechanically grasp the stick, racquet, etc.
According to an exemplary embodiment, in various baseball embodiments, various capabilities may be provided for the exemplary robot and/or the robot's exemplary strike board (i.e., the board 1500, 1600, 1610, with exemplary sensors and/or indicators, as outlined above, for an exemplary, but nonlimiting basketball backboard embodiment of the strikeboard, and can in the baseball embodiment display, and/or simulate an exemplary catcher's mitt) and may detect and/or sense and/or indicate, and/or evaluate a pitcher's ability to throw an exemplary type of pitch such as, e.g., but not limited to, an exemplary pitch such as, e.g., a curve, a slider, a fastball to an exemplary specific target and/or to measure and/or store, and/or analyze, and/or display, the performance. According to an exemplary embodiment, the exemplary trajectory and/or speed of the exemplary baseball can be mapped and/or captured in three dimensions for further analysis using exemplary 2D and/or 3D, etc. scanners (such as those used in an exemplary Microsoft Kinect, and/or as described elsewhere, herein) and/or by using exemplary scanners that can detect an exemplary device and/or sensor, and/or component, that can be placed in the exemplary ball, according to an exemplary embodiment. According to an exemplary embodiment, similar to radar, but while providing a continuous image, the scanner sensing devices and/or output display indicators, may be provided. According to an exemplary embodiment, an exemplary similar analysis may be performed of the exemplary ball's movements, such as, e.g., but not limited to, speed and/or trajectory, etc., could also be used to e.g., test an exemplary batter's ability at hitting different pitches, according to an exemplary embodiment.
According to an exemplary embodiment, various exemplary aspects may use the exemplary trainer system's exemplary scanning capability to measure the athletes' movements including, e.g., but not limited to, exemplary athlete velocity and/or athlete acceleration such that the information can be applied to the robot's movements. According to an exemplary embodiment, in other words, if the exemplary athlete typically jumps at a certain acceleration then an exemplary basket can be programmed to replicate the inverse of that movement for purposes of practice or as the athlete moves on the floor, at an exemplary certain velocity, then the basket can move at that velocity as well, according to an exemplary embodiment.
According to an exemplary embodiment, being able to measure an exemplary player's range of exemplary acceleration and/or speed/velocity can allow the robot to more accurately replicate the movements for practice and can provide useful information for the athlete and the coach.
According to an exemplary embodiment, example useful information could include: “how high does the athlete typically jump and how fast can he or she stop?”
Another aspect, according to an exemplary embodiment, can be the different reference points for the measurement(s). According to an exemplary embodiment, a different reference point could be, e.g., but not limited to, a head, a ball, a hand(s), etc.
According to an exemplary embodiment, an exemplary training system can collect this exemplary movement data as the target person/user can move in three dimensions.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the scanner can measure how fast the player can move the ball, puck, etc. when pitching, throwing, hitting, striking, etc. According to an exemplary embodiment, the scanner can determine, “How fast can the player dribble the ball, and how much force did he exert/transfer into the ball?” “How high does the ball bounce as the player dribbles?” Gathering this data may be interesting to the player, and this data may be used to determine the different skills or qualities of different players. According to an exemplary embodiment, the information may be collected, analyzed and repackaged. The analyzed information, according to an exemplary embodiment, may be productized and delivered to the player and may serve to provide a new dimension to athletic analysis of coordination, etc.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the robot can also be used in a defensive way where the player has to dribble around the robot, as if the robot is moving as a defensive player in a repeating motion.
According to an exemplary embodiment, further features may be provided relating to basketball. According to an exemplary embodiment, one feature can provide the ability to vary the size of the target, goal or hoop for purposes of practicing, to help the athlete feel more of a sense of accomplishment, and to increase the difficulty of a task. For example, an adjustable radius hoop, or an adjustable width, or length goal, can be provided.
According to an exemplary embodiment, one can capture the essence of what motivates a kid to keep wanting to put a ball in the basket? Who cares? The exemplary embodiment of the invention can be later than planned, but can conclude that the player(s) is/are motivated by the feeling of satisfaction that a player gets when the ball goes through the hoop. According to an exemplary embodiment, if a player can make more baskets the player can want to practice more, and if the hoop is larger, can be easier to hit, and then the player can feel more accomplished in their abilities and the player can have more of a desire to practice. According to an exemplary embodiment, the exemplary feature of “And to the same degree the hoop, target or goal can be made smaller to further test and refine one's abilities.
According to an exemplary embodiment, an option to change the target size when an athlete may begin with the user using the robotic trainer being able to increase the size of the basket or target as the player(s) get familiar with this new type of moving target. According to an exemplary embodiment, hockey players can practice for a hockey goal, soccer, lacrosse, etc., can be adjusted to be made smaller for practicing too.
The computer system 124-130 may include one or more processors, such as, e.g., but not limited to, microprocessor(s) (not shown, but internal to 123, 126, 128, and 130). The processor(s) (and/or controller, field programmable gate array (FPGA), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), microcontroller, system on a chip (SOC), etc.) may be connected and/or coupled to a communication infrastructure (e.g., but not limited to, a communications bus, cross-over bar, or network, etc.), not shown, but part of 124-130. Various exemplary software embodiments may be described in terms of this exemplary computer system. After reading this description, it will become apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the invention using other computer systems and/or architectures.
Computer system 124-130 may include a display interface 502 that may forward, e.g., but not limited to, graphics, text, and other data, etc., from the communication infrastructure (or from a frame buffer, etc., not shown) for display on the display unit 138.
The computer system 124-130 may also include, e.g., but may not be limited to, a main memory (not shown, but within 124-130, in an exemplary embodiment), random access memory (RAM), and a secondary memory (not shown, but may also be couplable to 124-130, etc. The secondary memory may include, for example, (but not limited to) a hard disk drive (HDD), and/or a removable storage drive (not shown, but representing, e.g., but not limited to, a floppy diskette drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, a compact disk drive CD-ROM, etc.) The removable storage drive may, e.g., but not limited to, read from and/or write to a removable storage unit (not shown, but capable of being placed in, or coupled to 124-130, in a well-known manner. Removable storage unit, also called a program storage device or a computer program product, may represent, e.g., but not limited to, a floppy disk, magnetic tape, optical disk, compact disk (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), high definition optical media, e.g., BLU-RAY, etc. which may be read from and written to by removable storage drive. As can be appreciated, the removable storage unit may include a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer software and/or data.
In alternative exemplary embodiments, secondary memory may include other similar devices for allowing computer programs or other instructions to be loaded into computer system 124-130. Such devices may include, for example, a removable storage unit 522 and an interface 520. Examples of such may include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such as, e.g., but not limited to, those found in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as, e.g., but not limited to, an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), or programmable read only memory (PROM) and associated socket, universal serial bus device (USB), flash memory, solid state memory device (SSD), and other removable storage units and/or interfaces, which may allow software and data to be transferred from the removable storage unit to computer system 124-130.
Computer 124-130 may also include an input device (e.g., touch based screen of display 138 and/or stylus or pen of 128 such as, e.g., (but not limited to) a mouse or other pointing device such as a digitizer, and a keyboard or other data entry device (none of which are labeled).
Computer 124-130 may also include output devices, such as, e.g., (but not limited to) display 138, and display interface (not labeled). Computer 124-130 may include input/output (I/O) devices such as, e.g., (but not limited to) communications interface, cable and/or communications path (not labeled), etc. These devices may include, e.g., but not limited to, a network interface card, and/or modems and/or other interface coupling devices (not labeled). The communications interface may allow software and data to be transferred between computer system 124-130 and external devices. Examples of communications interface 124-130 may include, e.g., but may not be limited to, a modem, a network interface (such as, e.g., an Ethernet card), a communications port, a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot, PC Card, SDRAM, universal serial bus (USB), solid state device (SSD), and card, etc. Software and data transferred via communications interface may be in the form of signals which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical or other signals capable of being received by communications interface, when not transient, or when not transitory. These signals may be provided to communications interface via, e.g., but not limited to, a communications path such as, e.g., but not limited to, a channel and/or communications link 140. This channel may carry signals, which may include, e.g., but not limited to, propagated signals, and may be implemented using, e.g., but not limited to, wire or cable, fiber optics, a telephone line, a cellular link, a radio frequency (RF) link 140 and other communications channels, etc. External input/output devices can be coupled including, e.g., but not limited to, a touchscreen, a pen based and/or stylus based input system, a flat panel display, a high definition (HD), a 4K, 8K, 16K, nK, etc. display, a holographic display, an augmented reality (AR) display (integrating a 3D image into a camera or other sensed environment, a hololens augmented environment, a mixed reality, augmented reality, Magic Leap, a virtual reality (VR) and/or other enhanced reality environment display such as, e.g., but not limited to, a heads up display (HUD), etc.
In this document, the terms “computer program medium” and “computer readable medium” may be used to generally refer to media such as, e.g., but not limited to removable storage drive, a hard disk installed in hard disk drive, a removable and/or nonremovable medium, and/or nontransitory signals, etc. These computer program products may provide software to computer system 124-130. The invention may be directed to such computer program products.
References to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” “various embodiments,” etc., may indicate that the embodiment(s) of the invention so described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment,” or “in an exemplary embodiment,” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although they may.
In the following description and claims, the terms “coupled” and “connected,” along with their derivatives, may be used. It should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in particular embodiments, “connected” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct or indirect physical or electrical contact with each other. “Coupled” may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact. However, “coupled” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still co-operate or interact with each other.
An algorithm is here, and generally, considered to be a self-consistent sequence of acts or operations leading to a desired result. These include physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers or the like. It should be understood, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities.
Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the specification discussions utilizing terms such as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,” or the like, refer to the action and/or processes of a computer or computing system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulate and/or transform data represented as physical, such as electronic, quantities within the computing system's registers and/or memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computing system's memories, registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices.
In a similar manner, the term “processor” may refer to any device or portion of a device that processes electronic data from registers and/or memory to transform that electronic data into other electronic data that may be stored in registers and/or memory. A “computing platform” may comprise one or more processors.
Embodiments of the present invention may include apparatuses for performing the operations herein. An apparatus may be specially constructed for the desired purposes, or it may comprise a general-purpose device selectively activated or reconfigured by a program stored in the device.
Embodiments of the invention may be implemented in one or a combination of hardware, firmware, and software. Embodiments of the invention may also be implemented as instructions stored on a machine-readable medium, which may be read and executed by a computing platform to perform the operations described herein. A machine-readable medium may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). For example, a machine-readable medium may include read only memory (ROM); random access memory (RAM); magnetic disk storage media; optical storage media; flash memory devices; electrical, optical, acoustical or other form of propagated signals (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc.), and others.
Computer programs (also called computer control logic), may include object oriented computer programs, and may be stored in main memory and/or the secondary memory and/or removable storage units, also called computer program products. Such computer programs, when executed, may enable the computer system to perform the features of the present invention as discussed herein. In particular, the computer programs, when executed, may enable the processor to provide a method to resolve conflicts during data synchronization according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Accordingly, such computer programs may represent controllers of the computer system 124-130.
In another exemplary embodiment, the invention may be directed to a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having control logic (computer software) stored therein. The control logic, when executed by the processor, may cause the processor to perform the functions of the invention as described herein. In another exemplary embodiment where the invention may be implemented using software, the software may be stored in a computer program product and loaded into computer system using, e.g., but not limited to, removable storage drive, hard drive or communications interface, etc. The control logic (software), when executed by the processor 504, may cause the processor to perform the functions of the invention as described herein. The computer software may run as a standalone software application program running atop an operating system, or may be integrated into the operating system.
In yet another embodiment, the invention may be implemented primarily in hardware using, for example, but not limited to, hardware components such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more state machines, etc. Implementation of the hardware state machine so as to perform the functions described herein can be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s).
In another exemplary embodiment, the invention may be implemented primarily in firmware.
In yet another exemplary embodiment, the invention may be implemented using a combination of any of, e.g., but not limited to, hardware, firmware, and software, etc.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention may also be implemented as instructions stored on a machine-readable medium, which may be read and executed by a computing platform to perform the operations described herein. A machine-readable medium may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). For example, a machine-readable medium may include read only memory (ROM); random access memory (RAM); magnetic disk storage media; optical storage media; flash memory devices; electrical, optical, acoustical or other form of propagated signals (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc.), and others.
The exemplary embodiment of the present invention makes reference to wired, or wireless networks. Wired networks include any of a wide variety of well-known means for coupling voice and data communications devices together. A brief discussion of various exemplary wireless network technologies that may be used to implement the embodiments of the present invention now are discussed. The examples are non-limited. Exemplary wireless network types may include, e.g., but not limited to, code division multiple access (CDMA), spread spectrum wireless, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), 1G, 2G, 3G wireless, Bluetooth, Infrared Data Association (IrDA), shared wireless access protocol (SWAP), “wireless fidelity” (Wi-Fi), WIMAX, and other IEEE standard 802.11compliant wireless local area network (LAN), 802.16-compliant wide area network (WAN), and ultrawideband (UWB), etc.
Bluetooth is an emerging wireless technology promising to unify several wireless technologies for use in low power radio frequency (RF) networks.
IrDA is a standard method for devices to communicate using infrared light pulses, as promulgated by the Infrared Data Association from which the standard gets its name. Since IrDA devices use infrared light, they may depend on being in line of sight with each other.
The exemplary embodiments of the present invention may make reference to WLANs. Examples of a WLAN may include a shared wireless access protocol (SWAP) developed by Home radio frequency (HomeRF), and wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), a derivative of IEEE 802.11, advocated by the wireless ethernet compatibility alliance (WECA). The IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN standard refers to various technologies that adhere to one or more of various wireless LAN standards. An IEEE 802.11 compliant wireless LAN may comply with any of one or more of the various IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN standards including, e.g., but not limited to, wireless LANs compliant with IEEE std. 802.11a, b, d or g, n, X, such as, e.g., but not limited to, IEEE std. 802.11a, b, d and g, n (including, e.g., but not limited to IEEE 802.11g-2003, etc.), etc.
Various communication components can be included to implement an example sports goal device, including, e.g., but not limited to, wireless and/or wired communications, routers, bridges, gateways, switches, cabling, network interface cards, etc.
Various conventional automated toys exist, including communications subsystems as discussed and described at length in WO 01/69830, PCT/IL01/00248, the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. However, no personified sports goals have been disclosed previously. According to an exemplary embodiment, Applicant combines a useful, novel, and nonobvious combination of a sports goal with exemplary personified attributes, such as, e.g., but not limited to, appendages, facial features, emotional expressions, sounds, audio, video and/or textual insertions, etc. According to a preferred embodiment, the personified sporting goal can be coupled, in some embodiments, to an optional robot 102 (shown in
According to one exemplary embodiment one or more flat panel or other displays can be used to provide, e.g., but not limited to, an exemplary facial feature, eyes, smile, tongue, mouth, ears, etc. According to one exemplary embodiment, robotic and/or animatronic appendages such as, e.g., but not limited to, ears, arms, legs, hands, feet, fingers, toes, tail, character features, animal features, object features, etc., can be provided, according to one exemplary embodiment.
An exemplar embodiment of the hardware and software, electrical and/or mechanical components of an example, wired or wirelessly coupled system of various components including a sporting goal, output display features, wireless communication facilities to a user interface for user computer device and/or programmed, and/or software based artificial intelligence (AI) engine and/or neural network system for controlling the personified sporting goal with its enhanced features for providing emotion, gestures, communication of various entertaining content, etc. via electronic, mechanical and electro-mechanical animatronic and/or robotic appendages and motor/actuator/gear/pneumatics and/or hydraulically controlled subsystems and assemblies of various exemplary embodiments, including controlling and moving appendages, facial features, emotions, attitude, expressions, feelings, etc. via humanlike personified movement and/or gestures by the mechanical and electronic components. Appendages coupled to motors and actuators can move like human or animal physical movements, can include various example sensors, may include any of various sensors such as, e.g., but not limited to, capacitive, touch sensing, sound capture, microphone, voice recognition, proximity, touch, ultrasonic, range finders, accelerometers, gyroscopic, location based, RFID, image sensing, cameras, etc., as well as output devices such as displays, appendages, motors, wheels, conveyors, ejectors, etc. Certain embodiments can simulate certain human activities, such as, e.g., but not limited to, spitting, throwing, ejecting, rejecting a ball, etc.
An example personified sport goal, according to an exemplary embodiment, can be controlled by a human and/or can be operated through programmed and/or artificial intelligence and/or can serve as the conscious embodiment for each team, such as, e.g., but not limited to, a mascot and/or a personality of a team, etc.
Another example personified sport goal, according to an exemplary embodiment, can have, e.g., but not limited to, physical human features such as, e.g., but not limited to, a face with a mouth, teeth, lips and/or tongue, eyes and/or pupils, ears, hair, nose, eyebrows, etc. The example personified sport goal, according to an exemplary embodiment can have a body and appendages such as, e.g., but not limited to, arms, hands, fingers, and/or legs, etc., that are, according to an exemplary embodiment, capable of controlled or uncontrolled movement.
Exemplary embodiment of an example personified sport goal, including exemplary animatronic and/or robotic, and/or moveable personified attributes of an example sports goal device, such as, an example basketball backboard/hoop and net with robotic and/or animatronic appendages, see
In yet another example of a personified sport goal, according to an exemplary embodiment, the sport goal can express ideas and/or expression via audio and/or written words, and/or by conveying what the example personified sport goal is thinking via example thought balloons, as employed in comics, and/or in a banner type or other form of text and/or graphic display with e.g., but not limited to, static, scrolling, and/or moving words, etc., according to an exemplary embodiment.
Another example personified sport goal, according to an exemplary embodiment, can be portrayed by various means such as, according to an exemplary embodiment, a high definition (HD)/ultra-high definition (UHD)/4K/8K/16K/32K/nK, augmented reality (Argon, ArUco, JavaCV, GRATF, Goblin XNA, mixare, PTAM, DroidAR, GeoAR, BeyondAR, Mangan, Vrui, ARma, ARTooKit, Kudan AR, Layar SDK, Catchoom CraftAR SDK, Vuforia Augmented Reality SDK, Wikitude SDK, Gamar, Augment, Blippbuilder, buildAR, Catchoom CraftAR, Hoppala Augmentation, Layar Creator, TARTT, Webcam Social Shopper, WakingApp, AR Circuits, SkyView, Anatomy 4D, immersive computer generated environments, Aurasma, Blippar, iGreet, Layar, Nokia City Lens, Wikitude, XARMEX, Zappar), holographic lens, hololens, virtual reality (such as, e.g., but not limited to, Samsung Gear VR, HTC Vive, VivePort, Oculus Rift, etc.), etc. display screen, animation, and/or in combination with various mechanical devices such as, e.g., but not limited to, motors, actuators, pneumatic, gear and/or hydraulic lifts, limbs, appendages, etc.), according to an exemplary embodiment. Further, aspects can incorporate and/or be incorporated in gaming devices, such as the EyeToy, PlayStation Eye, Kinect, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita and some mobile devices, use cameras to augment computer graphics onto live footage, according to an exemplary embodiment. Exemplary enhanced game environments that can be coupled with Applicant's claimed invention include e.g., but not limited to, Pokemon Go, AR Games, A.R. Warriors, Bravely Default, Cool Stacks, Cybergeneration, Dead Space, E.X. Troopers, Project DIVA F, Vocaloid, Hydrophobia, Ingress, LyteSHot, Raving Rabbids, Spectrek, Tuttuki Bako, Zombies Run, etc. The majority of AR software uses special cards which are read by the device to pinpoint where the graphics can form, according to an exemplary embodiment. Exemplary embodiments can incorporate any of various mixed reality environments including, e.g., hybrid reality, virtual worlds, mixed physical and/or virtual worlds, any of various strata of MR along a virtuality continuum, an/or mediality continuum, and/or reality-virtuality continuum from real environment (RE), to augmented reality (AR), to augmented virtuality (AV), to virtual environment (VE), etc. Thus, certain aspects, e.g., speech bubbles, etc., can be provided by any of various modalities across the reality-virtuality continuum, according to an exemplary embodiment. Exemplary environments can include, e.g., but not be limited to, cave automatic virtual environment (CAVE), head-up display (HUD), head-mounted display (HMD), Tablet PC, computer display and/or touchscreen, Personal Digital Assistant, Mobile phones and/or smartphones, etc., handheld and/or mobile, and/or wearable PC, immersive wearables, augmented reality, augmented virtuality, blended space, lifelike experience, mediated reality, mixed reality games, simulated reality, Supranet, Telexistence, Viractualism, Virtual reality, and/or Visuo-haptic mixed reality, etc.
Various exemplary electronic, mechanical, telecommunications, and computer components are depicted in drawing 2700, are illustrated in
Yet another example personified sport goal, according to an exemplary embodiment, can be visible from, e.g., one, both of two, or four or more, and/or all sides, so that all spectators, as well as players, officiating crews/referees/umpires, audience, and/or television viewing audience, can observe the character and/or the character's emotions, gestures, actions, interaction, communication, and/or read or observe its written, spoken (e.g., by voice, audio, and/or synthetic voice generation, etc.) and/or displayed communication via exemplary cartoon bubble, cloud, and/or other banner and/or scrolling text tape stream, etc. A personality of the character can be developed and familiar emotions/interactions can be created to the character(s)
According to an exemplary embodiment, a character, or portion of a character, such as, e.g., but not limited to, a Mr. Potato Head, on an exemplary goal, such as, e.g., but not limited to, a soccer goal, can be associated with and/or coupled to the goal, but may not necessarily be a physical part of the goal since the exemplary character can be placed on it, adjacent to it, or in close proximity to it. In an exemplary embodiment, the example character can include a remotely controlled character, which can be on or adjacent to the sporting field, to express emotions and/or to entertain the crowd. Conventional mascots are just humans in costumes, with few ways to communicate, generally only by hand gestures, or with the help of cheerleaders, and the mascots are conventionally so small, that they are hard to see. An exemplary embodiment, on the other hand, can provide gigantic, exaggerated facial characters for displaying emotion on, e.g., a jumbotron and/or other large display and/or other output device.
According to an exemplary embodiment, an exemplary, illustrative apparatus can incorporate, e.g., a face, or other body portion, and/or body into an exemplary sporting goal, backboard, and/or goal, with for example, but not limited to, very large, and/or exaggerated, features, allowing example emotions to be visible enough for the audience to see and can enable an audience to understand a displayed emotion and/or interaction, from a distance, in an exemplary embodiment.
An example embodiment of the personified basketball backboard 2810 can include, according to an exemplary embodiment, an example double-sided output display to simulate, e.g., but not limited to, two display output screens such as, e.g., but not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting display (LED), and/or other flat panel, picture element (pixel), backlit, or nonbacklit, and/or other display screen (and/or a partially transparent, partially opaque screen allowing viewing from either the front and/or back side of the backboard), etc., with one side for viewing by the audience in front of the backboard and one side for viewing by the audience behind the backboard, and/or a holographic display and/or augmented reality display enabling projection of the character, and/or portions of a character on the backboard (e.g., nose 2808, mouth 2210, etc., in an exemplary embodiment. In an exemplary embodiment, the screen(s) 2802, 2804 can display exemplary personified attributes, such as, e.g., but not limited to, eye or eyes 2206, eyebrows (not labeled), nose 2808, and/or mouth 2210, and/or exemplary speech boxes 2220, which may face in any of multiple directions, and/or may rotate or move for ease of viewing, in an exemplary embodiment. The sporting goal can advantageously move in personified fashion using robotic appendages and/or supports 102, according to an exemplary embodiment.
An example embodiment of the personified basketball backboard 2820 can include, according to an exemplary embodiment, a soccer, lacrosse, hockey goal, and/or field hockey, etc., which can include, e.g., but not limited to, one or more output display(s) and/or display portions (such as, e.g., but not limited to, round display elements for simulating example eyes, and/or an example rectangular display to simulate, e.g., a mouth and/or lips, the example display(s) to simulate, e.g., but not limited to, one, two, three, or more, display output screens such as, e.g., but not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting display (LED), and/or other flat panel, picture element (pixel), backlit, or nonbacklit, and/or other display screen (and/or a partially transparent, partially opaque screen allowing viewing from either the front and/or back side of the backboard), etc., with an example one side for viewing by the audience in front of the backboard and an example one side for viewing by the audience behind the backboard, and/or a holographic display and/or augmented reality display enabling projection of at least a portion of or a whole character, and/or portions of a character or face on an example portion, in an exemplary embodiment. In an exemplary embodiment, the screen(s) 2802, 2804 can display exemplary personified attributes, such as, e.g., but not limited to, eye or eyes 2206, eyebrows (not shown or labeled), nose (not shown or labeled), and/or mouth 2210, etc., and/or exemplary speech boxes 2220, which may face in any of multiple directions, and/or may rotate or move for ease of viewing, in an exemplary embodiment. The sporting goal 908 can advantageously move in personified fashion using robotic appendages and/or supports 102, according to an exemplary embodiment.
An example embodiment of the personified basketball backboard 2830 can include, according to an exemplary embodiment, a target for archery, darts, shooting, and/or biathlon, etc., which can include, e.g., but not limited to, one or more output display(s) and/or display portions (such as, e.g., but not limited to, round display elements for simulating example eyes 2206, and/or an example rectangular or circular display to simulate, e.g., a mouth and/or lips, and/or targets and/or rings, and/or bulls eye, such as, shown in the example display(s) to simulate, e.g., but not limited to, one, two, three, or more, display output screens such as, e.g., but not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting display (LED), and/or other flat panel, picture element (pixel), backlit, or nonbacklit, and/or other display screen (and/or a partially transparent, partially opaque screen allowing viewing from either the front and/or back side of the backboard), etc., with an example one side for viewing by the audience in front of the backboard and an example one side for viewing by the audience behind the backboard, and/or a holographic display and/or augmented reality display enabling projection of at least a portion of or a whole character, and/or portions of a character or face on an example portion, in an exemplary embodiment. In an exemplary embodiment, the screen(s) 2802, 2804 (not labeled), and/or eye displays 2206, and/or target display 2806, and/or speech box display(s) 2220 can display exemplary personified attributes, such as, e.g., but not limited to, eye or eyes 2206, eyebrows (not shown or labeled), nose (not shown or labeled), and/or mouth 2210, and/or exemplary speech boxes 2220, which may face in any of multiple directions, and/or may rotate or move for ease of viewing, in an exemplary embodiment. The sporting goal 2806, target, can advantageously move in personified fashion using robotic appendages and/or supports 102, according to an exemplary embodiment.
An example embodiment of the personified basketball backboard 2840 can include, according to an exemplary embodiment, an example single basketball screen, basket and net, and/or backboard, etc., which can include, e.g., but not limited to, one or more output display(s) and/or display portions (such as, e.g., but not limited to, round display elements for simulating example eyes, and/or an example rectangular display to simulate, e.g., a mouth and/or lips, the example display(s) to simulate, e.g., but not limited to, one, two, three, four, five, and/or more, display output screens such as, e.g., but not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting display (LED), and/or other flat panel, picture element (pixel), backlit, or nonbacklit, and/or other display screen (and/or a partially transparent, partially opaque screen allowing viewing from either the front and/or back side of the backboard), etc., with an example one side for viewing by the audience in front of the backboard and an example one side for viewing by the audience behind the backboard, and/or a holographic display and/or augmented reality display enabling projection of at least a portion of or a whole character, and/or portions of a character or face on an example portion, in an exemplary embodiment. In an exemplary embodiment, the screen(s) 2802, 2804, 2206, 2808, 2210, 2220 can display exemplary personified attributes, such as, e.g., but not limited to, eye or eyes 2206, eyebrows, nose, and/or mouth, etc. (not labeled), and/or exemplary speech boxes 2220, which may face in any of multiple directions, and/or may rotate or move for ease of viewing, in an exemplary embodiment. The sporting goal 2218 and/or backboard, and/or rim and/or net, can advantageously move in personified fashion using robotic appendages and/or supports 102, and/or may be configured to rotate and/or telescope, and/or compress, upon a base 2010, and/or about any of various intermediate joints and/or motors, and/or actuators and/or in multiple degrees of freedom, according to an exemplary embodiment.
The exemplary drawings 2800 show various exemplary embodiments of various optional and/or example speech and/or thought bubbles, and/or indications of exemplary audio output, or indications of speech and/or music, and/or audio, and/or thoughts, on each exemplary goal set, as may, in an example embodiment include multiple, perpendicular to each other speech bubbles for example multiple angle, full audience viewing, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example modification of robotic arms so they can be used to pitch and/or hit baseballs and/or other balls including, e.g., but not limited to, tennis balls, etc., and other balls or projectiles used in sports, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example purposes of employing the robotic arm to function in a similar manner as how the combination of a human arm, wrist, hand and/or fingers are used in a game to throw a baseball towards a catcher and/or a hitter, according to an exemplary embodiment. Thus a robotic pitcher can be used to pitch to a human catcher in one embodiment. In one embodiment a robotic pitcher can be used to pitch to a robotic robot.
Exemplary embodiments can include example robotic arms which can be constructed in a manner that can be very similar to a human arm with a wrist that can rotate and the robots can have a device and/or component, like a hand and/or fingers that can grasp and/or manipulate an object, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example use of a robotic arm for the purposes of pitching a ball such as a baseball to a batter whereby the robotic arm can use the arm to propel or throw the ball as well as employing an additional device attached or part of the arm that can hold the ball in order to place a spin on the ball at different speeds of rotation and/or in different directions as the ball is released and/or thrown, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example the robotic arm can be used to pitch a ball toward human batters and/or toward robotic batters, according to exemplary embodiments.
Exemplary embodiments can include an example robotic pitcher which can be different than present pitching machines which use two stationary spinning wheels to eject the ball toward a batter or an arm that catapults the ball toward the batter, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example device which can be different because the movement of the robotic arm can mimic a human arm to give the ball velocity and the ancillary spinning wheels can be able to add different spins to the ball causing its path of travel to be deflected due to the changes in air pressure the spinning causes, according to an exemplary embodiment. Exemplary embodiments can include example spin which can be adjusted to cause the ball to drop, curve and/or change up and/or with minimal spin the ball can slowly travel through the air like a knuckle ball, according to an exemplary embodiment. The pitcher can implement randomness in variation of various aspects to create variation of pitches, and/or can provide consistency for other applications, according to embodiments. Sensors can be used, in exemplary embodiments.
Exemplary embodiments can include example use of a robotic arm connected or coupled to a bat and/or racket with sensor(s) to hit a ball as in the games of tennis, baseball, softball or cricket, etc., according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example a robotic arm which can swing a racket and/or bat to try and/or contact the ball so as to return the ball or to put the ball in play, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example stationary robotic hitter(s), which could have two controllers, one for each team, according to an exemplary embodiment. Each team can activate their controller so that control of the stationary robot can be switched back and forth with the other team depending on which team is on the field and which is at bat, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example where there can be some standard rules for both teams regarding exemplary hardware and/or sensor(s) that can be incorporated into and/or utilized in conjunction with the robot, in an example embodiment. Exemplary embodiments can include example sensor(s), as can be mounted on the robot and/or other sensor(s) can be stand alone, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include an example robotic pitcher and/or robotic hitter could replace the current human pitcher and/or hitter, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example human could still be required to control the pitching robot via an electronic computer controller and/or a human could be required to control the hitting robot via an electronic computer controller, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example human players could still participate in the game and/or serve as a home plate catcher, fielder(s) and/or base runner(s), according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example robot(s), which can be programmed to avoid specific safe zones so that the robot and/or its bat can not enter a space that could be occupied by a catcher, runner and/or umpire and/or the umpire could control a master switch to keep any of the robot(s) from starting and/or moving unexpectedly, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include an example base runner could take their place next to the catcher and/or can start running to first base only once the ball has made contact with the bat, according to an exemplary embodiment. Exemplary embodiments can include an example false start could cause a strike against the batting robot, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example strike zone could be depicted electronically and/or sensor(s) could be employed to determine if the ball actually entered the strike zone, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example ball(s), which could have embedded sensor(s) to assist in the detection of their path of travel, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example sensor(s), which could be employed such as, e.g., but not limited to, with a laser beam to ensure that the home plate base runner does not start running before contact between the bat and ball occur, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include where an example bat can have a sensor to detect when the bat and the ball make contact, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example base runner(s) can still try to steal a base and/or the robotic pitcher can still try to throw them out, if they get too far off the base, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include an example robotic batter can still try to bunt the ball and the ball can be recovered by any of the players except the pitching robot, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include an example robotic pitcher, which can still start to fake a pitch and/or throw the ball to a base too, so the baseman can try and get a runner out, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example robotic pitcher could have a number that can be displayed on the pitcher and their team insignia (which can be displayed in one embodiment) can change as their team takes and/or leaves the field, according to an exemplary embodiment. Exemplary embodiments can include where the example robot can even wear a team hat which can be placed on them when their team is on the field, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example robotic pitcher and/or robotic batter can be personified and/or display gestures and/or emotions and/or can have other human features, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example robotic batter can run, and/or take practice swings, etc., as human batters do when they step into the batters' box, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include an example robotic pitcher, which can turn and/or spin around, and/or make other motions to buy time as the pitcher prepares to throw the next pitch to the batter and/or to a baseman to get a runner tagged out, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example robotic baseball which can decrease or eliminate injuries to human pitchers' arms from repetitive throwing and/or to pitchers from being hit by hit line drive baseballs and/or loose bats, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example ability of the robot to hit the ball can have enough variables depending on the sensor(s) utilized and/or other programming and/or mechanical variable(s) that an element of the unknown can, or should be inherent with each pitch, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include an example spin on the ball can create variables so that even though computers and/or robots can be used, the ball can never travel as perfectly as expected each time, so the game can still have plenty of variables that can make the game random, and entertaining, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example use of robotic pitcher(s) and/or hitter(s) can dramatically speed up the tempo of the game and/or can decrease and/or eliminate continuous delays associated with, e.g., convention batter(s) stepping out of the box and/or adjusting their gloves, VELCRO brand straps, hook and loop fasteners, or the like, and/or grip and/or the delays of the pitchers contemplating their next pitch, according to an exemplary embodiment. It can cause the game to shift from one that is dominated with waiting for pitches and hits, to a game of hitting, fielding and base running which is in essence why spectators attend the games, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include an example home plate umpire which cannot have to make as many judgement calls and can be able to act in a more supervisory capacity, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example current baseball league could introduce a rule that can provide a required time interval for the batter to be in the box and/or a required time interval for the pitcher to pitch the ball, but that does not lead to the agony of spectators such as conventionally experienced with game times having recently increased from 2 hours to 3 hours, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example robotic baseball game could introduce significant technological advances into the game and/or can shift some of the technique and/or art of the game from the physical skills of human players on the field to a mental competition between programmers and/or hardware specialists who could also be on the field competing against the other team with their respective robot and/or controller, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example public can be much more comfortable with technology and how it can be employed now versus twenty years ago so the public should not be as resistant to integrating robotic players with human players in sports, according to an exemplary embodiment.
According to another exemplary embodiment, exemplary robotic arms can be used in other sports, such as, e.g., but not limited in, in American football, soccer, etc., to e.g., but not limited to, celebrate a touchdown, a field goal, a soccer goal, etc. and/or to encourage crowd participation such as, e.g., but not limited to, similar to a cheer leader and/or public-address system, etc. According to another exemplary embodiment, the exemplary robotic arms can be used, e.g., but not limited to, to throw a ball, and/or other projectile, etc., according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example concept of using data from the robotic devices to establish player profile information which can be used in virtual games for new environments for competition, according to an exemplary embodiment. Exemplary embodiments can include an example dealing with a new concept of using the performance data for the creation of a virtual type of league of sporting games, according to an exemplary embodiment. Exemplary embodiments can include example equipment to collect, store, accumulate, and analyze the data, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example use of the robot to provide an intermediate reference goal, see
Exemplary embodiments can include an example robot that, e.g., as illustrated in one exemplary embodiment in
Exemplary embodiments can include an example problem with trying to improve one's swimming can be that a swimmer can't measure how changes affect drag and/or increase propulsion, according to an exemplary embodiment. Conventionally, absent this disclosed invention, there is not a mechanical device that a swimmer can use to assist with this physical training, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example detection of how is one kick better than another and/or one hand scoop better, according to an exemplary embodiment. Exemplary embodiments can include example that can address the shortcomings of conventional solutions wherein no one can quantify and/or display the effect in a short period of time and the swimmer can conventionally be left to apply what they have been told in a timed interval, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include an example solution using an example robot and/or a harness that can be coupled to a swimmer, and/or other coupler, that can pull and/or drag a swimmer with a measuring device that can displays the swimmer's drag in, e.g., a very large example circle, and/or other shape, which can allow the swimmer to make changes and/or can instantly see the results and/or can do observe and/or make changes continuously without stopping, according to an exemplary embodiment. Exemplary embodiments can include an example where a swimmer can just glide and/or observe the resistance the swimmer may have with the water, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example swimmer can be connected to, and/or coupled to, the robot via an example harness that can cover the swimmer's torso and/or can be coupled to a cable to a point on the back of the swimmer near the center of gravity, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example deflector can be used to channel extra water to the inner side of swimmer in order to compensate and/or correct for the deflection caused by the rotational forces, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include example system, which can employ an exemplary breakaway safety and/or other device to release the cable in the event of some unusual circumstance, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Exemplary embodiments can include, an example robotic arm 102 that can pitch a baseball, according to an exemplary embodiment, as discussed above.
Exemplary embodiments can include an example robotic arm that can hit a baseball, according to an exemplary embodiment, as also discussed above.
Exemplary embodiments can include an example combination of an example robotic pitcher throwing a ball to an example robotic hitter to provide infield and outfield practice and fielding performance data, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Example use of the terms “robotic arm” and/or “robot”, etc., can be considered generally interchangeably and the terms are intended to mean the same thing in this disclosure. Use of the term “projectile” and “ball” are interchangeable as well, but can be thought to refer, collectively, to refer to the same example thing being acted upon by the robot, according to an example embodiment.
A. Combination catching and throwing robotic arm—according to an example embodiment, an example device can be capable of catching and/or then throwing a ball and/or a projectile, i.e., an example robotic pitching machine can be adapted to sense an incoming ball, can move to catch the ball, and can act to pitch and/or otherwise act to electronically manipulate the ball. According to an example embodiment, an example robot can be configured to include an example arm, and/or other components, which in one embodiment can include an example at least two components, including, e.g., but not limited to, an example first component that can catch, an example second component that can throw, and an example third mechanism by which the ball or projectile can be made to physically transition from the catching portion to the throwing portion, in one example embodiment.
Launching or throwing portion—According to an example embodiment, an example Robot can be capable of launching or throwing a projectile such as a ball or spear by placing a spin on the projectile as part of, or before, the projectile is released so that the projectile's path is not just an arc as can occur with a catapult. This invention applies to projectiles such as, e.g., but not limited to, baseballs, footballs, and the like, where a spin is often placed on the ball as it is released so that the rotation can cause the ball to travel in a specific manner towards a specific target. The direction and speed of the spin can also be changed, e.g., by, e.g., one or more mechanisms such as, e.g., but not limited to, wheels, and/or other mechanisms to cause the ball to spin in a particular way, so as to cause pressure differentials on the ball or projectile, as it moves through the air similar to how a baseball pitcher has a repertoire of options in how the pitcher throws a ball to the catcher at home plate and, can use the plurality of options to try to confuse the batter as to where, and how the ball is traveling.
The throwing component that contains, or grasps the ball before it is released can have an example cradle that can hold the ball and/or a spindle, and/or wheel and/or other propulsion mechanism, and/or other device capable of spinning and transmitting its rotational energy into the projectile before, or at the same time as, the projectile is released, and/or the wrist action can alone, or in combination, with that of the robotic arm can be sufficient to initiate the desired spin on the ball or projectile similar to what occurs when a hand rotates as it releases and/or throws a baseball or football. The mechanisms can be repeatably controllable to allow programming the device to perform the throwing process.
2. Catching portion—According to an example embodiment, an example robotic arm that can be configured to be capable of catching a projectile or ball in an example mitt or other capture mechanism, such as, e.g., but not limited to, an example baseball catcher's mitt and/or other device such that the ball is not damaged and/or dropped and whereby the ball can be made to stay in play, and/or in possession of the example robot arm and then can be displaced to the throwing side and/or portion of the robotic arm for return to the human pitcher or pitching robotic arm.
3. Transition portion—According to an example embodiment, an example robotic arm can be configured with a capability for catching and throwing that can have an example transition mechanism and/or section where the ball can move from the catching device to the throwing cradle and/or the catching mitt can be integrated with the throwing cradle whereby the spindle can be able to put a spin on and/or eject and/or pitch the ball from approximately the same location or vicinity where the ball was caught by and in the mitt.
B. Hitting or returning robotic arm—According to an example embodiment, an example robot capable of using a racket and/or bat to hit and/or return a projectile or ball back in the general direction from where it came or for hitting a projectile such as, e.g., but not limited to, a ball that has been independently launched and/or dropped in the close vicinity of the robot so that the robot can hit the ball such as, e.g., but not limited to, how a tennis ball is thrown up in service in the air at the beginning of play by the person who is putting the ball into play toward a specific target, and/or how a ball can be dropped from above and then hit on its way down.
According to an example embodiment, an example hitting robot can utilize sensors to detect the velocity and direction of the approaching and/or dropping ball and can be able to calculate where and how the ball can be hit with the bat or racket so as to cause the ball to return to a specific location at a specific velocity.
According to an example embodiment, an example hitting robot can be used for tennis practice and/or in fielding practice in baseball with human players on the field. According to an example embodiment, in an example game of tennis, a robot could be used for repetitive serves to a specific location on the court at various velocities, in the game of baseball the robot can be able to hit a ball in a specific way such as, e.g., but not limited to, at a specific angle or specific velocity so that the ball goes to a specific location on the field and/or in the game of football the robot can be able to throw the ball to the same location repeatedly for practice in running plays and/or evaluating players, etc. According to an example embodiment, an example robot can be able to hit a ball such as, e.g., but not limited to, a tennis ball and/or a baseball that can be independently launched in its close vicinity such as, e.g., but not limited to, how a tennis ball is thrown up in a serve and/or how a baseball is thrown up with one hand by a coach as he hits balls toward his players on the field in scouting, training and/or warm ups.
C. Combination of two robots competing with each other in a game—According to an example embodiment, an example robot can be configured to be throwing and the other robot can be configured for hitting, and/or both can be configured for hitting.
According to an example embodiment, an example combination of two different robotic arms, a) one throwing (or on defense), and b) another capable of hitting (or offense) could create an environment where the robots can be employed as part of a competition between two teams, as if the robots were players that were integrated as part of a baseball team with other human players or in a game between two machines without other human players such as, e.g., but not limited to, on a tennis court and/or at a ping-pong table which is also known as table tennis. The robots can be configured that their controllers be teleoperatively attended and operated by humans.
According to an example embodiment, an example of each robot can be connected to, and/or, can be operated by, at least one electronic controller or as in the game of baseball control of the hitting and throwing robots, which can be permanently mounted in place with one on the pitching mound and the other in the batters' box, could switch to the other team when the teams with their human players switch sides between hitting and fielding and the display of the team insignia for each robot could coincide with the change of control.
D. Personified Player Robots—According to an example embodiment, example robots on the field can be personified with ancillary human features such as, e.g., but not limited to, eyes, lips and/or ears to give the robot(s) the ability to manipulate and/or move these features in a way that can, e.g., but not limited to, display, express or communicate a human personality and/or character.
According to one example embodiment, example embodiments can assist in making it possible that technical people can get into professional sports via working with example systems such as those discussed in this disclosure.
In one example embodiment, a robot can play the part of one or more athletes in an example professional sport. Comparison of an example cost, of example robot(s) playing a part of a position conventionally played by of certain athletes (e.g., a pitcher, or a catcher in baseball, etc.), can be substantially less costly as compared relative to exorbitant conventional salaries that are paid to professional sports players. For example, an example salary of one average conventional professional player could potentially pay for a whole field of robots.
In another embodiment, conveyors can be used to bring out automated concessions to seats G-U, according to an embodiment, not shown. In another embodiment, drones can deliver food or drinks within the stadium, not shown.
In another example embodiment, a vehicle can have a launcher to launch packages to a house, according to an exemplary embodiment.
In another example embodiment, each house can have its own receptacle with automatic sensor based door/cover for protecting packages delivered into such receptacle, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Artificially intelligent (AI) based, with e.g., an expert system, or machine learning capabilities, can provide autonomous delivery van or driverless delivery van, can move within a zone and can deliver to example 3 feet×3 feet box which can open like a trash can to receive boxes, and can close and lock and include a power supply to open/close, and can use a solar panel to generate electricity, according to an exemplary embodiment.
According to an exemplary embodiment many applications of the exemplary invention can improve society, according to an exemplary embodiment. First, embodiments can create semi-professional athletic opportunities for the thousands of athletes and coaches that can like to participate in semi-professional sports, second embodiments can provide for the establishment of many financially viable local community based professional sports leagues, third embodiments can provide a framework for both male and female athletes and coaches of all ages to develop and maintain the social, physical and psychological benefits that are derived from being able to participate in organized competitive team activities, fourth embodiments can create new opportunities for athletes that have been excluded from particular sports because of height or other physical limitations, according to an exemplary embodiment, fifth embodiments can make sports competitions more interesting and entertaining by requiring more player teamwork in sports competitions versus teams being dependent on the exceptional talents of a few players, sixth embodiments can allow the players, games and leagues to serve as an example of how cooperation is more important than individual glory, and seventh embodiments can embodiments can create a new class of competitive sports leagues for spectator entertainment and enjoyment.
There are thousands of athletes playing high school and college sports that have the skills and interest in continuing to participate in organized athletics but cannot find semi-professional leagues to participate in because of limited options and monopolistic control of professional sports leagues and venues by the major sports franchises, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Embodiments can include the formation of new competitive sports leagues that can utilize permanently mounted equipment, or moveable equipment which can be capable of moving sports goals in a continuous manner installed in private facilities for the creation of new types of sporting activities and games where the goal is continually moving during the game instead of remaining static in a fixed position as universally applied and accepted today in games like conventional basketball, according to an exemplary embodiment.
The facilities can also be equipped with an array of many automatically operated high definition video cameras (see
The embodiments of the invention can include continuously moving sports goals and can allow more players with different attributes to participate in these new games, according to an exemplary embodiment. An example of the opportunities for new players to participate in games with continuously moving goals can be illustrated in an analysis of the game of basketball whereby this invention of a continuously moving goal can neutralize the height advantage of taller players relative to the quickness of the shorter players so more shorter players can use their quickness to help advance the ball, score goals and participate on teams, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Basketball can be currently played with a goal that is in a fixed position which can allow the taller defensive players to always know its position relative to the offensive player and therefore the tall defensive players can maintain the best possible defensive position between the offensive player and the goal and be more successful in blocking attempted goals especially by those attempted by shorter players, according to an exemplary embodiment. By comparison, a continuously moving basketball goal is not as easy for tall players to defend because its position is continually changing which provides opportunities for shorter players to use their quickness to faint and move around the defending taller players who are unsure of its exact position or direction of movement, according to an exemplary embodiment.
The taller defensive player can be at a disadvantage with a moving goal because as the defensive player positions their body between the offensive player with the goal to their back the defensive player cannot see the position of both the offensive player and the goal at the same time because the goal is oscillating back and forth and continuously changing its position and location, according to an exemplary embodiment. This continuously moving, oscillating and changing goal position of embodiments can give the shorter players, who can always see the goal as well as the defensive player in front of them the opportunity to confuse and faint or fake the defending players which can add a new dimension of quickness and coordination to player rosters versus the domination of taller players on team rosters today as the game is currently played, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Games and competitions, according to an exemplary embodiment, can be provided with continuously moving goals moving at equal or different velocities and/or equivalent and/or multiple and/or different configurations of single and/or multiple goals and/or different sized goals in embodiments can also be more entertaining than games with static goals because players can have to improve their teamwork, game strategy and coordination of effort to score points as they work the ball to a position that is as close as possible to the goal(s) because longer distance shots as currently relied on and accomplished with extensive development of muscle memory can be negated due to the increased difficulty associated with hitting a moving target from a further distance, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Games can be configured to be played with more variables for goals provide many new options for scoring and handicapping based on the unique attributes of the different configurations, according to an exemplary embodiment. Smaller, higher, and faster moving goals can provide more scoring points because of their difficulty relative to larger, lower and slower moving goals which can by comparison be easier to score points and therefore less points can be earned or other options relative to the players and game score handicapping, can be provided, according to an exemplary embodiment.
Audiences can enjoy attending as well as remotely watching live athletic events on various electronic devices such as televisions, cell phones and computer terminals as well as in person but the facilities for the continuously moving sport goals can have limited if any spectators physically present because of site, facility and economic limitations and restraints, according to an exemplary embodiment. To be financially viable, the facilities for these competitions can be limited to the court area without space for spectators to be present, according to an exemplary embodiment. Instead of physically attending the games, the spectators can watch the games remotely via internet streaming to their electronic devices and even though the spectators won't be present they can be able to utilize their capability to transmit audio through the microphone on their personal electronic device for purposes of broadcasting their comments to the inside of the warehouse and/or other physical facility via an audio broadcast system installed within the facility so that the athletes participating in the event can be able to hear the murmur and loud comments of the spectators as if the spectators were physically present in the facility via a high quality, well positioned and amplified sound system, according to an exemplary embodiment.
The permanently mounted robotic equipment that moves the goals can be configured for different types and sizes of sports goals so the indoor arenas can also be used for other individual and team sports such as lacrosse, soccer, tennis, frisbee, hockey, archery, etc., according to an exemplary embodiment.
Example embodiments can include:
One or more continuously moving sports goals mounted on very heavy industrial robotic arms that can be securely bolted in place to a sufficient foundation and can, in some embodiments, utilize electricity of a very high voltage to operate, can be provided, according to an example embodiment.
Competitive sports leagues and practice facilities that utilize continuously moving sports goals for athletic practice as well as for individual and team competitions, can be provided, according to an example embodiment.
Sports facility/arenas with computer manipulated cameras installed and configured to track and focus on the ball and specific players, can be provided, according to an example embodiment.
Balls or other sports device or players with electronic sensor/transmitter or specific coating or color so that a tracking device on a video camera can track or follow the sports device or player while it/they move around on a playing court or field for the purpose of maintaining the sports device or player in the field of view of the camera and such that the camera can zoom in or out and focus on the device/player being tracked, can be provided, according to an example embodiment.
An algorithm capable of adjusting zoom and camera view framing relative to the action occurring on the court or some other variable, can be provided, according to an example embodiment. (Cameras already have the technology for automatic focusing.)
Sports facility/arenas with remote user manipulated cameras installed, configured and positioned as if they, the remote user, was located in place of a specific seat at an arena so people can be seated with their family and or friends as if they were physically in attendance at the game and they can control the camera as if they were using binoculars at an event, can be provided, according to an example embodiment. The cameras can even be personified with the face of the user via a display screen, according to an example embodiment.
Spectators viewing the game via streaming can use headsets to listen to the game and their own remote microphones to participate in the live event as if they were in attendance, according to an example embodiment. Within the area, algorithms can be employed to control the volume and direction of the sound created by the remote spectators from the location where the spectator's controlled camera operates and in proximity to the other spectators and the court, according to an example embodiment.
An exemplary embodiment of the sporting apparatus can further include: at least one flat panel display coupled to said at least one sporting device; at least one transparent protective cover configured to: allow viewing of said at least one flat panel display; and protect said at least one flat panel display from impact of at least one of: at least one ball, or at least one projectile, being aimed at said at least one sporting device.
The sporting apparatus can further include: at least one animatronic appendage or facial feature.
The sporting apparatus can further include: where the user comprises at least one of: audience user; a player user; or a referee user.
The sporting apparatus can further include at least one of: a wireless communication facility wirelessly coupling said at least one sporting goal device and said at least one user interface, wherein said wireless communication facility is configured to communicate to said at least one sporting goal device; at least one audio or at least one video device coupled to said at least one sporting goal device configured to display, capture, or produce audio or video personified attributes; at least one speaker or at least one microphone coupled to said at least one sporting goal device configured to produce or capture personified sound; at least one sensor coupled to said at least one processor configured to sense a ball or projectile proximate to said at least goal; at least one robot coupled to said at least one sporting goal device; or at least one flat panel display coupled to said sporting goal device, configured to display personified attributes comprising at least one of: at least one light emitting diode (LED) or LED back light coupled to said sporting goal device; at least one liquid crystal display (LCD) coupled to said sporting goal device; or at least one transparent, protective covering of said flat panel display.
In one example embodiment, a robot goal, or participant driver, and/or drone driver of the robot or drone can be positioned in a designated area, in one example embodiment, a controller bubble, and the driver, or in some cases, even the audience by entry of requests by electronic communication such as message or selection of a website user interface element can control the robot. Thus, in one embodiment, the driver of the goal, or a drone can be in the bubble. The driver of the Drone can try to take a ball and make a basket, while the driver of the goal, in one embodiment can evade the efforts to make a basket.
In one example embodiment, an array of cameras can be set up around a stadium. This array of cameras, in one embodiment, can focus on activity on the playingfield (which can be of any shape such as circular, ellipse, rectangle, square, triangular, hexagon, octagon or other polygon, etc.) and can automatically follow movement any person or object on the field, such as, a moving robot, a flying drone, a competing robot, or competitor. Others, with permissions granted, can electronically access these electronic digital video camera feeds and/or in real-time or otherwise, can electronically switch between the plurality of different electronic digital camera feeds. Then authorized users can access, compile, and/or aggregate into compilations, creation their own derivative content from the electronic data of the plurality of camera feeds' digital content.
An exemplary automated newspaper launcher system for an automobile or other vehicle or drone, or aerial vehicle can allow the user to send newspapers, or other objects such as, e.g., but not limited to, packages, etc. from the front of the car/vehicle, to a destination, such as, a person's home. One method can have a receptacle at the front of the house for example. The example receptacle at the front of the house can include a predictable location where a drone delivery apparatus can drop the package into the receptacle, and/or the launcher system can deliver packages into the receptacle. The example so-called last mile solution can be important because it can give access for dropping off things the receptacle. Services provided in some embodiments can include climate control, such as, e.g., air conditioning or cooling, heating, humidity control, etc., it in certain environments some kind of temperate temperature maintaining subsystem. The object can enter the climate controlled receptacle, which can have a door or automated cover device to protect the the cavity for receiving the payload and the cover can prevent the payload from environmental impact of rain snow or other precipitation as well as to help maintain climate control the receptacle. The apparatus can further include electrical access HVAC digitally controlled temperature password control for access to open to place to remove the receptacle can include multiple sub receptacle portions for example one for FedEx one for the US Postal Service, DHL etc., each receptacle can have separate Access Control such that only an authorized delivery service can it gain access to the payload holding bay associated with such delivery company. The customer itself can of course access these things by entry of a password or all other authenticating means such as biometric systems including fingerprint control, Iris control, voice-activated control, voice identifying voice recognition system, and/or other biometric and/or validation.
According to one exemplary embodiment, an enclosure, or three-dimensional space, can be used as shown in
According to various exemplary embodiments, various features of conventional systems can be enhanced with various advantageous features, and further can include, in various embodiments, other features of various well known systems, which can be incorporated as additional features in the present system, including for example, but not limited to, e.g., the tracking of a baseball path has conventionally attempted to be determined by the use of a backstop, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,496, issued Oct. 13, 1998, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,549, issued May 30, 1995, and U.S. Pat. No. 9,089,751, issued Jul. 28, 2015, and U.S. Patent Publication US20040063521, published Apr. 1, 2004, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,356,818, issued Jan. 22, 2013, and regarding sensors on a catcher's glove, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,846, issued Sep. 10, 1996, and a tennis training system, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,086, issued Dec. 8, 1998, and an ultrasonic position detection system, see U.S. Pat. No. 9,195,325, issued Nov. 24, 2015, and regarding a golf system and clubs, see U.S. Pat. No. 7,166,035, issued Jan. 23, 2007, and US Patent Publication US20050130755, published Jun. 16, 2005, and regarding video sensors, see U.S. Pat. No. 9,746,353, issued Jun. 20, 2012, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, but such solutions have known shortcomings, including lacking the ability to accurately determine the path of a ball being thrown over a distance in a three-dimensional space, according to an exemplary embodiment.
The higher the density of the array of sensors, i.e., the greater the number of sensors per area, the greater the accuracy of the traversed path that may be tracked, according to an exemplary embodiment.
In one exemplary embodiment, the enclosure can comprise of, e.g., but not limited to, one or more shipping container(s) as illustrated in various example drawings described further below. In one example embodiment, two shipping containers can be placed, e.g., but not limited to, side by side, or one or more sea containers can be used, side by side, or aligned in a row, end-to-end, in a line, see
In one exemplary embodiment, there can be, e.g., but not limited to, panels of sensors (e.g., transmitter panel(s) on one side, and receiver panel(s) on another) forming a space between them. In another example embodiment, a pair of parallel walls opposing one another can form an exemplary space, whether place vertically to one another, horizontally, or in some cases both, and/or orthogonal to one another, or about a periphery of a space, such as, e.g., but not limited to, a circle, a cylindrical tube, etc. Sensors are contemplated to be placed parallel to one another, but there is nothing preventing alternative embodiments with radial sensors, or sensors scanning an area by sweeping and/or rotating in any of one or more dimensions. In another exemplary embodiment, the enclosure can have at least three sides, such as, a floor and two walls, or two walls and a ceiling, or a floor, ceiling and two walls, etc. According to one exemplary embodiment, the enclosure can include a sea container such as, e.g., but not limited to the sea container in U.S. Pat. No. 9,334,105, issued May 10, 2016, the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. According to one exemplary embodiment, the container can alternatively include, e.g., but not limited to, a collapsible shipping container such as, e.g., but not limited to the shipping container in U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,556, issued Oct. 16, 1973, the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. According to an exemplary embodiment, the enclosure or space can include other features normally found in pitching enclosures, or other sports trajectory analysis systems, such as, e.g., but not limited to, those discussed above, and/or shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,549, issued May 30, 1995, or other technologies can be incorporated along with sensors to calculate the trajectory of a ball moving through the enclosure, or through the space, such as sensors, transceivers, transmitter/receiver pairs, etc., and/or technologies as disclosed, e.g., but not limited to, in U.S. Pat. No. 9,370,704, issued Jun. 21, 2016, in U.S. Pat. No. 8,409,024 issued Apr. 2, 2013, or U.S. Pat. No. 8,622,832, issued Jan. 7, 2014, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. According to an exemplary embodiment, the enclosure can resemble a tunnel. According to an exemplary embodiment, the enclosure can be 60-90 feet long, or longer. According to an exemplary embodiment, sensors can be spread about an internal periphery of the exemplary enclosure or tunnel, and can be oriented radially inward in the case of a circular cross-sectional tunnel, and/or with parallel paneled sides in the case of a rectangular and/or square cross-sectional enclosure, according to an exemplary embodiment.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the enclosure can include one or more array(s) of sensors, beam-breaking sensors, IR, LED, radar, lidar, and/or laser sensors, etc., according to an exemplary embodiment. The array of exemplary laser sensors according to an exemplary embodiment can include so-called break-beam sensors, such as, e.g., but not limited to, the sensors used on a conventional garage door, for example, such as, an infrared beam transmitter and receiver oriented directly across from one another, across a cross-section of a given volume of a space through which the path of a projectile is detected and data sensed, collected, stored, and analyzed, electronically. According to an exemplary embodiment, an exemplary array of sensors can be provided in, e.g., an example 4′×8′ exemplary panel array of transmitters, shown with example strips with example sensors illustrated as, e.g., but not limited to, circles illustrated in
According to one exemplary embodiment, the enclosure can include additional features simulating a real-world environment, such as, e.g., but not limited to, speakers to allow for simulated crowd noise of a baseball game, heat, outdoor conditions, temperature, climate, etc. Exemplary simulated environments can be used to simulate the game environment with noise and distractions, heat, outdoors, climate, and stress, and other simulated conditions to simulate a game environment, to determine the effects of such environmental factors on user performance, such as, e.g., but not limited to, how is one's curve ball affected by being out in the bright sunshine, humidity, under bright lights, or otherwise, rather than in a sterile lab-based environment, for example, according to an exemplary embodiment.
According to one exemplary embodiment, a robotic catcher can be positioned at one end of the enclosure to allow pitching to a robotic catcher as shown in
According to one exemplary embodiment, a grid of sensors can be placed on a backboard, on side panels, etc., the sensors can also include, e.g., but not limited to, indicators such as, e.g., but not limited to, LEDs, lights, sensors, ultrasonic sensors, video, audio, other sensors, or the like, and depending on where the ball hits the backboard, and/or or other sensors/breaks beams, etc., an indicator can show by turning on, e.g., but not limited to, a light, LED, or other display element, display and/or monitor, etc., where the ball hit, and the light, LEDs, indicators, etc., could be brighter, or vary for emphasis to shown, e.g., but not limited to, the harder the ball hit the backboard, according to one exemplary embodiment. Thus, with an array of indicators as shown in
One or more arrays of horizontal and/or vertical sensor beams can be used to identify/detect the path of the ball as it passes through the 3D space breaking any vertical and/or horizontal ray beams from transmitters to receivers, such events can be stored in realtime, including the collection of such information along with time stamps, and combining into an aggregated record of a flypath over a certain period of time, etc., according to an exemplary embodiment. The higher the density of the sensors, the greater the granularity of accuracy of detection that can be achieved, according to an exemplary embodiment.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the exemplary data collection system 3506, 3514 can include, e.g., but not limited to, a computer processor, graphical user interface, display monitor, a memory, data storage such as, e.g., but not limited to, internal or external storage devices, and enabling software systems including a database management system, and/or database to collect data as beams of transmitted light/lasers/etc. are broken from the transmitters to receivers, and can time stamp, e.g., at which times a given beam was broken, and the data can be synchronized and/or aggregated across all the sensors of all the arrays, and of all the panels, and the data can then be combined and graphed to allow display of an illustration of the path of the projectile's motion through the enclosure, showing the path traversed by the projectile, ball, etc., according to an exemplary embodiment.
In one exemplary embodiment, not shown, a combination of vertical and horizontal panels can be used to provide tracking of a projectile sent through the enclosure, as each beam is broken, in one exemplary embodiment, according to an exemplary embodiment.
According to one exemplary embodiment, transmitters can be placed on one panel, and receivers can be placed on a parallel panel, as shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. The exemplary transmitter panel is shown with an exemplary plurality of strips of exemplary arrays of sensors, which in one exemplary embodiment can include a strip of transmitters in one line, and the panel can include a number such as, e.g., but not limited to, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and/or 12, or more of these strips of a plurality of transmitters, in one exemplary embodiment. Similarly on the receiver side, the panels can also be formed out of a number of sensors, which, in one exemplary embodiment can be placed in strips, and can be placed in a series of these strips, in one exemplary embodiment. In other exemplary embodiments, a mix of transmitters and receivers, and/or transceivers can be placed on a given panel, according to an exemplary embodiment.
In one embodiment, the panels can also include speakers to allow piping of sound/audio, or temperature, climate control, noise, etc., to simulate a given environment such as, e.g., but not limited to, a stadium, etc., according to an exemplary embodiment.
While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above described exemplary embodiments, but should instead be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
This application is filed on Oct. 1, 2018, and is a continuation-in-part of, and claims priority to, and benefit of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/729,663, filed Oct. 10, 2017, in a state of allowance, a continuation-in-part of, and claims priority to, and benefit of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/437,432, filed Feb. 20, 2017, allowed and issuing as U.S. Pat. No. 9,782,648 on Oct. 10, 2017, which is a continuation-in-part of, and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/237,631, filed Aug. 16, 2016, allowed and issuing as U.S. Pat. No. 9,573,035 on Feb. 21, 2017, which is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/261,435, filed Apr. 25, 2014, allowed and issuing as U.S. Pat. No. 9,415,263 on Aug. 16, 2016, the contents of all of the preceding of which, are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20190091535 A1 | Mar 2019 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15729663 | Oct 2017 | US |
| Child | 16149074 | US | |
| Parent | 15437432 | Feb 2017 | US |
| Child | 15729663 | US | |
| Parent | 15237631 | Aug 2016 | US |
| Child | 15437432 | US | |
| Parent | 14261435 | Apr 2014 | US |
| Child | 15237631 | US |
