Electronic home plate for baseball and softball games and method for automatic determination of presence, position and speed of a ball relative to the strike zone
US9352208B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 15, 2013 |
| Grant date | May 31, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 9, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA63B2225/74
- WIPO fieldFurniture, games
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
An electronic home plate providing assistance to an umpire in determination whether a pitch results in a “strike” or a “ball”. The electronic home plate is implemented with eye-safe LEDs producing light beams extending vertically. If a ball intersects the light beams, the light reflected from the ball is scattered and incident on photodetectors embedded in the home plate. A microcomputer embedded in the electronic home plate calculates the height of the ball crossing the light beams, and if the height falls between the top and bottom boundaries of a strike zone adjusted to the height of the batter, an indication system is activated to produce a “strike” signal. The microcomputer in the electronic home plate is further configured to calculate speed of the ball passing over the home plate, and the lateral position of the ball.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.