Device and Method for Measuring a Shot Force Exerted on a Movable Game Device

Abstract

For measuring a shot force exerted on a movable game device, a time curve of the acceleration during the shot or of the pressure within the game device during the shot is recorded and processed to obtain an energy measure, said energy measure then serving to provide information about the shot force.

1 . A system for measuring a rotational speed of a movable game device, comprising:
 a magnetic field detector integrated within said movable game ball, said magnetic field detector configured to measure the earth's magnetic field and generate a voltage representing the magnetic field strength, wherein the magnetic field strength is modulated upon rotation of said movable game ball, thereby altering said voltage;   an amplifier operatively coupled with said magnetic field detector, said amplifier configured for amplifying said voltage;   a device processor configured for determining the rotational speed of said game ball by analyzing said voltage and alterations thereof; and   an interface for providing information about the rotational speed on the basis of said voltage analysis.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a transmitter integrated within said movable game ball and operatively coupled with said device processor, said transmitter configured for communicating the voltage analysis.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a receiver coupled with said interface and with an interface processor, wherein said receiver is configured for receiving the voltage analysis from the transmitter, and wherein the interface processor is configured for translating said voltage analysis into information about the rotational speed.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field detector is a magneto-resistive sensor device with bridge circuit or voltage divider generating a voltage in proportion to said magnetic field strength. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field detector is a Hall sensor device generating a voltage in proportion to said magnetic field strength. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a provider for providing a time curve, which occurs when the game device is impacted by an object, of an acceleration acting upon the object, or a time curve of a pressure of the game device;   a processor for processing the time curve of the acceleration or the time curve of the pressure to obtain an energy measure which depends on an energy transferred onto the object by the shot;   a provider for providing information about the shot force on the basis of the energy measure.   
     
     
         7 . The system as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the provider comprises an acceleration sensor or pressure sensor mounted to a game device, or comprises a receiver configured to obtain time curves stemming from the movable game device, or to obtain an energy measure. 
     
     
         8 . The system as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to temporally integrate the time curve, a result of an integration representing the energy measure. 
     
     
         9 . The system as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to examine the time curve for a maximum, a minimum, a shape, a time duration of a deviation from a normal value in a state at rest so as to obtain the energy measure. 
     
     
         10 . The system as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the shot force is a value on a shot-force scale, and wherein the provider is configured to map a value of the energy measure to a value of the shot-force scale in accordance with a predetermined mapping specification. 
     
     
         11 . The system as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the shot force is dependant on a distance, the movable game device would cover when hit within a specific shot angle, and
 wherein the provider is configured to calculate the distance covered on the basis of the energy measure, a game-device weight and a game-device friction in air.   
     
     
         12 . The system as claimed in  claim 6 ,
 wherein the provider is configured to measure the time curve of the internal pressure,   wherein the processor is configured to provide information about an internal pressure at rest prior to or after the shot, and to integrate a pressure change of the pressure over the pressure at rest in order to obtain the energy measure, and   wherein the provider comprises a memory having an information about a previously determined group of curves stored therein, information about curves o being stored for various pressures, one curve including a connection between a shot force and an energy measure, and   wherein the provider is configured to select a curve on the basis of the pressure at rest and to provide, on the basis of the energy measure, a shot force indicated by the curve selected.   
     
     
         13 . The system as claimed in  claim 12 ,
 wherein the memory has a three-dimensional table stored therein, wherein a shot force is associated with different pairs of internal pressure and energy measure, and   wherein the provider is configured to access the table as a function of the internal pressure and the energy measure, in order to determine the shot force.   
     
     
         14 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 wherein the movable game device is a ball.   
     
     
         15 . The system as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the provider comprises information about different groups of curves for different types of game devices, and wherein the provider is configured to identify, beside the internal pressure and the energy measure, also a type of the game device on the basis of an input piece of information about the type of the game device. 
     
     
         16 . The system as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the provider for providing information about the shot force is configured to obtain a piece of information about the type of the game device via a radio signal from the game device. 
     
     
         17 . A movable game device comprising:
 a magnetic field detector integrated within said movable game ball, said magnetic field detector configured to measure the earth's magnetic field and generate a voltage representing the magnetic field strength, wherein the magnetic field strength is modulated upon rotation of said movable game ball, thereby altering said voltage;   an amplifier operatively coupled with said magnetic field detector, said amplifier configured for amplifying said voltage;   a device processor configured for determining the rotational speed of said game ball by analyzing said voltage and alterations thereof; and   a transmitter integrated within said movable game ball and operatively coupled with said device processor, said transmitter configured for communicating the voltage analysis.   
     
     
         18 . A method for measuring a rotational speed of a movable game device, comprising:
 providing a magnetic field detector integrated within said movable game ball and operatively coupled with a processor, said magnetic field detector configured to measure the earth's magnetic field and generate a voltage representing the magnetic field strength;   providing an amplifier operatively coupled with said magnetic field detector, said amplifier configured for amplifying said voltage;   wherein the magnetic field strength is modulated upon rotation of said movable game ball, thereby altering said voltage;   determining, using said processor, the rotational speed of said game ball by analyzing said voltage and alterations thereof;   providing a transmitter within said movable game ball and operatively coupled with said processor; and   transmitting, using said transmitter, said voltage analysis.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 providing an interface operatively coupled with a interface processor;   providing a receiver operatively coupled with said interface processor;   receiving said voltage analysis via said receiver;   processing said voltage analysis via said interface processor to determine information about the rotational speed of said game ball.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 providing a time curve, which occurs when the game device is impacted by an object, of an acceleration acting upon the object, or a time curve of a pressure of the game device;   processing the time curve of the acceleration or the time curve of the pressure to obtain an energy measure which depends on an energy transferred onto the object by the shot;   providing information about the shot force on the basis of the energy measure.   
     
     
         21 . A computer readable memory device containing instructions for performing the method of  claim 18 .