Automated table tennis referee

Abstract

The automated table tennis referee includes sensors that detect bounces of a table tennis ball on first or second side of a table tennis table, the sides being divided by a net. The sensors detect when the ball touches the net. A digital signal processor acquires and processes the sensor data to determine ball hits unique to each sensor. A logic processor determines whether the ball hit occurred on the table's first side, second side, or net. The logic processor subsequently processes the sequence of ball bounces to determine the winner of the last volley, the count of points each player has accrued, who the server for the next serve should be, and the winner at the end of the game. A display unit shows the number of points counted for each player, which player owns the serve, which player won the last serve and the winner of the game.

1 . An automated table tennis referee, comprising:
 sensors monitoring first side, second side, and net dividing first and second sides of a table tennis table;   a digital signal processor operably connected to the sensors, the digital signal processor acquiring the data from the sensors, eliminating noisy channels of the sensor data, and processing relatively noiseless channels of the sensor data to determine ball hits unique to each of the sensors;   a logic processor operably connected to the digital signal processor, the logic processor determining whether the ball hit occurred on the table's first side, second side, or net, the logic processor further determining a winner of the last volley, the count of points each player has accrued, who the server for the next serve should be, and the winner at the end of the game; and   a display unit operably connected to the logic processor, the display unit displaying the number of points counted for each player, which player owns the serve, which player won the last serve and the winner of the game.   
     
     
         2 . The automated table tennis referee according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensors comprise more than two table hit-detecting microphones. 
     
     
         3 . The automated table tennis referee according to  claim 2 , wherein the automated table tennis referee includes three table hit-detecting microphone sensors positioned near the first table side and three table hit-detecting microphone sensors positioned near the second table side. 
     
     
         4 . A computer implemented automated table tennis referee method, comprising the steps of:
 acquiring acoustics and vibration data of first side, second side, and net dividing first and second sides of a table tennis table;   eliminating noisy channels of the acoustic and vibration data;   processing relatively noiseless channels of the acoustic and vibration data to determine ball hits unique to the first table side, the second table side, and set net;   initially determining whether the ball hit occurred on the table's first side, second side, or net;   determining the winner of the last volley, the count of points each player has accrued, who the server for the next serve should be, and the winner at the end of the game based on analysis of results of the initially determining step; and   displaying the number of points counted for each player, which player owns the serve, which player won the last serve and the winner of the game.   
     
     
         5 . The computer implemented automated table tennis referee method according to  claim 4 , wherein said noisy channel elimination step further comprises the step of analyzing ball hit acoustic data in a second frequency spectral range separated from a first frequency spectral range, the first frequency spectral range being proximate a fundamental frequency of noise creating the noisy channel. 
     
     
         6 . The computer implemented automated table tennis referee method according to  claim 5 , further comprising the step of defining logic test comparisons between said second frequency spectral range associated with the first table side and the second table side, the logic test comparisons determining whether the ball hit the first table side and whether the ball hit the second table side. 
     
     
         7 . The computer implemented automated table tennis referee method according to  claim 6 , further comprising the step of determining whether the ball hit the net. 
     
     
         8 . The computer implemented automated table tennis referee method according to  claim 6 , further comprising the step of determining whether the ball failed to hit either of the table sides within a predetermined time period. 
     
     
         9 . The computer implemented automated table tennis referee method according to  claim 6 , further comprising the step of applying multiplicative weights to amplitudes of said second spectral frequency range data, the multiplicative weights being associated with sensors providing said second spectral frequency range data. 
     
     
         10 . The computer implemented automated table tennis referee method according to  claim 6 , further comprising the steps of:
 entering a serve mode;   determining which player is to serve during a serve phase of a table tennis match;   determining if the serve was successful;   entering a game mode;   determining, in the game mode, volley point results and game point results during a table tennis match.   
     
     
         11 . The computer implemented automated table tennis referee method according to  claim 6 , further comprising the steps of:
 determining whether the ball hit either of the first and second sides twice consecutively; and   displaying a player fault if the ball hit either of the first and second sides twice consecutively.   
     
     
         12 . The computer implemented automated table tennis referee method according to  claim 6 , further comprising the steps of:
 detecting when the score becomes 10-10;   forcing an alternate serve rule until a difference between opposing side scores is numerically equal to two; and   declaring a win for the side accumulating a higher of the scores.