Athletic ball telemetry apparatus and method of use thereof

Abstract

An athletic ball includes a receiver, a processor, a transmitter, a power source and/or a multiplexing signal relay. The athletic ball receives GPS signal date from earth-orbiting satellites in order to determine the location of the ball. An output device is utilized to display the ball location and/or provide analytical data pertaining to movement of the athletic ball.

1 . An athletic ball comprising: 
 a receiver, said receiver configured to receive GPS signal data;    a microprocessor, said microprocessor configured to triangulate received GPS signal data and determine ball position; and    a transmitter, said transmitter configured to transmit said ball position to an output device.    
   
   
       2 . The athletic ball of  claim 1 , further comprising a power source.  
   
   
       3 . The athletic ball of  claim 2 , wherein the power source is a battery.  
   
   
       4 . The athletic ball of  claim 1 , wherein the output device is a portable electronic device having a graphical display.  
   
   
       5 . The athletic ball of  claim 4 , wherein the portable electronic device includes capability for showing computed location of the ball on a graphical map.  
   
   
       6 . The athletic ball of  claim 4 , wherein the portable electronic device includes capability for transmitting signals to the ball.  
   
   
       7 . The athletic ball of  claim 1 , wherein the ball is a golf ball having a dimpled exterior surface.  
   
   
       8 . An athletic ball comprising: 
 a multiplexing signal relay, said relay configured to receive signals simultaneously broadcast by a plurality of earth-orbiting satellites and communicate the received satellite signals to a position-processing output device.    
   
   
       9 . The athletic ball of  claim 8 , further comprising a power source.  
   
   
       10 . The athletic ball of  claim 9 , wherein the power source is a battery.  
   
   
       11 . The athletic ball of  claim 8 , wherein the position-processing output device is a handheld computer having a graphical display.  
   
   
       12 . The athletic ball of  claim 11 , wherein the handheld computer includes capability for computing and graphically mapping a location of the ball.  
   
   
       13 . The athletic ball of  claim 11 , wherein the handheld computer includes capability for transmitting at least one signal to the ball.  
   
   
       14 . The athletic ball of  claim 8 , further comprising a movement sensor.  
   
   
       15 . The athletic ball of  claim 14 , wherein the movement sensor is a piezoelectric sensor.  
   
   
       16 . The athletic ball of  claim 8 , wherein the ball is a golf ball having a dimpled exterior surface.  
   
   
       17 . A method for determining the telemetry of an athletic ball, said method comprising: 
 providing an athletic ball having a GPS receiver, a microprocessor, and a transmitter;    receiving satellite signal data into the receiver included within the ball;    processing the received data to compute the position of the ball; and    transmitting the computed ball location to an output device.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising providing an athletic ball having a power source.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising transmitting a signal from the output device to the athletic ball.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the output device is a portable electronic device having capability to graphically display the location of the ball.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising tracking the ball while playing a game of golf.