Bat speed sensing device and methods

Abstract

The invention provides for baseball bat velocity sensing apparatus and method, which employs at least one sensor that may be selectively attached to a batting glove. To facilitate use of the system and avoid interference with the batters swing, swinging or hitting characteristics of the bat, the apparatus of the present invention is selectively positioned in association with the batter's hands during his/her swing. The apparatus provides an output that is responsive to swing movement, and measures the velocity of the swing and bat speed for display to a user. The method and apparatus of the present invention may be employed with any type of bat and regular bats may be used without any required modification or attachments. Thus, for example, bat velocity may be determined in the ordinary course of a baseball game. The invention is easily and conveniently used without materially altering or interfering with the batter's ordinary swings. Accordingly, the bat speed measuring apparatus of the present invention embodied as a separate, small, lightweight, self-contained device. Such a device is selectively secured in association with a batter's hands, such as by selective securance with a standard batting glove.

1 . An apparatus for determining the velocity of a bat swung by a batter comprising: 
 a housing with at least one motion responsive sensor having an output responsive to its acceleration, said output being computed by a measurement taken before an impact time of the bat with the ball or at the location of impact in a bat swing,    a means for detachably securing the housing to the hand of a user at a position above the wrist of the user, wherein at least one motion responsive sensor is arranged to measure radial acceleration along the bat's longitudinal axis; and    a processor utilizing the sensor output for computing an output representing the bat face impact velocity based upon the sensor output, said means defining R h  as the radius of the bat from the center of its rotation C, defining R s  as the radius of the sensor from C, and A s  as the output from the sensor, whereby the angular velocity of the bat is ω and is determined by the formula ω=√(A s /R s ), and the speed of the bat barrel or head (V h ) is determined by the formula V h =ωR h =(R h /√R s )√A s  and V h  is provided as the sensor output, with the determined velocity of a swing selectively displayed on a display associated with the housing;    wherein the processor allows for computing and displaying an output representing the ratio of last bat swing speed compared to a prior bat swing speed.    
   
   
       2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , including a plurality of motion responsive sensors, each of which is responsive to acceleration in a different direction.  
   
   
       3 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said computing and displaying means includes means for computing and displaying an output representing bat face velocity based upon the output of said sensor at a time near said impact.  
   
   
       4 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , further including means for computing and displaying time via the display associated with the housing.  
   
   
       5 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor allows the storage and selective display of a plurality of measured bat swing velocities.  
   
   
       6 . An apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein data associated with at least ten swings and associated swing speeds are retained in memory.  
   
   
       7 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing also includes user selection actuators for controlling operation of the processor and selectively displaying various information relating to measured bat swing speeds or other information.  
   
   
       8 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of prior measured bat velocities are stored in memory and the a plurality of the highest measured bat velocities are displayed.  
   
   
       9 . (canceled)  
   
   
       10 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor allows for selectively alternating between a time mode and a sensor mode.  
   
   
       11 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor allows for simultaneously displaying output representing bat velocity, bat velocity ratios and time.  
   
   
       12 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the measured swing speed is calculated based upon the time of impact of the bat with a baseball, generating a noise signal which is used to determine a time of impact, and calculating the speed of the swing prior to the impact.  
   
   
       13 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing is removably attached in the desired position by selective attachment to a batting glove worn by the user.  
   
   
       14 . An apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the housing is removably attached to the glove by means of a hook and loop fastening arrangement.  
   
   
       15 . An apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the housing is removably attached at a position on the back side of the hand portion of the glove, such that it does not interfere with the normal swing of the bat by the user.  
   
   
       16 . An apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the housing is shaped with a curved portion at a position adjacent to the users wrist, to allow full rotation of the wrist without interference.  
   
   
       17 . An apparatus for determining the velocity of a bat swung by a batter comprising: 
 a housing with at least one motion responsive sensor having an output responsive to velocity of the swung bat, said output being computed by a measurement taken before an impact time of the bat with the ball or at the location of impact in a bat swing,    a means for detachably securing the housing to the hand of a user at a position above the wrist of the user above the wrist of the user,    a processor utilizing the sensor output for computing an output representing the bat face impact velocity based upon the sensor output with the determined velocity of a swing selectively displayed on a display associated with the housing; and    wherein the processor and sensor are ruggedized to withstand the impact vibrations of hitting a baseball with the bat when the housing is attached in the desired position by selective attachment to a batting glove worn by the user.    
   
   
       18 . An apparatus for determining the velocity of a bat swung by a batter comprising: 
 a housing with at least one motion responsive sensor having an output responsive to its acceleration, said output being computed by a measurement taken before an impact time of the bat with the ball or at the location of impact in a bat swing,    a means for detachably securing the housing to the hand of a user at a position above the wrist of the user, wherein the velocity of the bat is calculated at a position in a range of eight inches about a point positioned approximately twelve inches from the top of a bat; and    a processor utilizing the sensor output for computing an output representing the bat face impact velocity based upon the sensor output with the determined velocity of a swing selectively displayed on a display associated with the housing.    
   
   
       19 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the velocity of a current swing bat is calculated and compared to a previous swing, wherein the percentage relationship between the current and previous swing is selectively displayed on the display associated with the housing.  
   
   
       20 . An apparatus according to  claim 18 , further comprising control actuators selected from the group consisting of: 
 a select function used to recall and display a plurality of stored bat swing velocities,    a start function that initiates the detection and storage of bat swing velocities,    a mode function used to selectively display the time, bat velocities, ratio of bat swing velocities and/or percentage relationship between bat swing velocities,    an on/off function that turns the at least one motion sensor either on or off.