Sportball capable of sensing pressure and feedback control system

Abstract

A sportball giving feedback as to manner in which it is handled or struck includes a ball body, and a plurality of sensors, a first wireless communication unit, and a controller located in the ball body. The sensors are arranged at different locations in the ball body, and are configured to sense pressures at different locations of the ball body, and generate electrical signals accordingly. The controller is configured to obtain the generated electrical signals, determine some characteristics of the pressures applied, and transmit the determined characteristics to the electronic device via the first wireless communication unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sportball capable of wirelessly communicating with an electronic device, the sportball comprising:
 a ball body made of an elastic material;
 a plurality of sensors located in and arranged at different locations in the ball body, the plurality of sensors configured to sense pressures at different locations of the ball body, and generate electrical signals according to the sensed pressures; 
 a first wireless communication unit located in the ball body; and 
 a controller located in the ball body and configured to:
 obtain the generated electrical signal; 
 determine a characteristic data of the pressures according to the obtained electrical signals; and 
 transmit the determined characteristic data to the electronic device via the first wireless communication unit, the determined characteristic data configured to command the electronic device to compare the determined characteristic data with a standard characteristic data and generate feedback information according to a result of comparison. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The sportball of  claim 1 , wherein the sensors comprise pressure sensors configured to sense a value of the pressures; and the determined characteristic data of the pressures comprises the value of the pressures. 
     
     
         3 . The sportball of  claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a range of an area to which the pressures are applied and sensed according to the sensors which generate the electrical signals, and determine a posture employed by a user according to the determined range; the determined characteristic data of the pressures further comprises the posture employed by the user. 
     
     
         4 . The sportball of  claim 1 , wherein the sensors comprises motion sensors configured to sense a direction of the pressures; the determined characteristic data of the pressures comprises the direction of the pressures. 
     
     
         5 . The sportball of  claim 4 , wherein the motion sensors are further configured to sense an acceleration and a velocity of the ball body as a result of the pressures; the determined characteristic data of the pressures further comprises the acceleration and the velocity of the ball body. 
     
     
         6 . The sportball of  claim 1 , wherein the feedback information is an advice which is output by the electronic device. 
     
     
         7 . The sportball of  claim 1 , wherein the feedback information is a control command comprising a feedback data corresponding to the result of comparison; the control command is configured to control the sportball to generate feedback according to the feedback data when the electronic device transmits the control command to the sportball. 
     
     
         8 . The sportball of  claim 7 , wherein the feedback is a vibration feedback; the sportball further comprises a vibrator located in the main body; the processor is electrically connected to the vibrator, and is configured to control the vibrator to vibrate according to the feedback data after the electronic device receives the control command, thereby providing the vibration feedback to the user. 
     
     
         9 . The sportball of clam  8 , wherein the feedback data is an amplitude of the vibration feedback. 
     
     
         10 . The sportball of  claim 7 , wherein the feedback is visual feedback; the sportball further comprises a plurality of LEDs located in the ball body; the controller is electrically connected to the LEDs, and is configured to control the LEDs to emit light according to the feedback data after the electronic device receives the control command, thereby providing the visual feedback to the user. 
     
     
         11 . The sportball of  claim 10 , wherein feedback data is an intensity of the emitted light. 
     
     
         12 . The sportball of  claim 1 , wherein the ball body comprises an exterior surface and an opposite interior surface, to cause the ball body to be divided into a ball wall between the exterior and the interior surface, and a cavity surrounded by the interior surface; the sensors are located in the ball wall; the controller and the first wireless communication unit are located in the cavity. 
     
     
         13 . The sportball of  claim 12 , wherein the cavity is substantially regular polyhedron in shape; the sensors are attached to each sidewall of the cavity. 
     
     
         14 . The sportball of  claim 12 , wherein the exterior surface further comprises a power jack. 
     
     
         15 . A pressure sensing and feedback controlling system comprising:
 a sportball comprising:
 a ball body made of an elastic material; 
 a plurality of sensors located in and arranged at different locations in the ball body, the plurality of sensors configured to sense pressures at different locations of the ball body, and generate electrical signals according to the sensed pressures; 
 a first wireless communication unit located in the ball body; and 
 a controller located in the ball body, and configured to obtain the generated electrical signals, determine a characteristic data of the pressures according to the obtained electric signals; 
   an electronic device to receives the determined characteristic data transmitted from the sportball via the first wireless communication unit, and comprising:
 a processor to compare the determined characteristic data with a standard characteristic data, and generate feedback information according to a result of comparison. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the feedback information is an advice; the processor is further configured to control the electronic device to output the advice. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the electronic device further comprises a memory for storing the standard data and an advice template; the processor is configured to obtain the advice template from the memory, and generate the advice according to the result of comparison and the obtained advice template. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the electronic device further comprises a network interface; the processor is configured to obtain the standard data from a preset network via the network interface when the electronic device receives the determined characteristic data from the sportball. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the feedback information is a control command comprising feedback data corresponding to the result of comparison; the electronic device further comprises a second wireless communication unit; the processor is further configured to transmit the control command to the sportball via the second wireless communication unit, to command the sportball to generate feedback according to the feedback data.