Projectile position measurement using non-linear curve fitting
US10670723B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 4, 2015 |
| Grant date | Jun 2, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 28, 2037 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA63B2225/74
- WIPO fieldFurniture, games
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
An electronic home plate provides assistance to an umpire in determining whether a pitch results in a “strike” or a “ball.” The home plate is implemented with LEDs producing discrete pulses of infrared light beams extending vertically. As a moving ball intersects the pulses, light from the pulses is scattered and incident on photodetectors embedded in the home plate, producing a series of data points. Two stages of light compensation compensate the data points for ambient light, first by applying an offset current to a photodetector through a PNP transistor, and second by subtracting a measurement immediately before a pulse from a measurement during the pulse. A processor then fits the data points to a curve, to compute vertical and lateral positions of the ball, thereby determining whether the pitch passed within a strike zone. Other applications may similarly analyze the trajectory of other projectiles for various purposes.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.