Position Reckoning System Utilizing a Sports Ball

Abstract

A sports ball position reckoning system, comprising instrumentation in a sports ball that allows one or more players to be electronically located on a playing field or court each time a goal attempt is made. The instrumentation is configured to fit through the opening of an inflation port of the ball when the fill valve is removed. The system works in conjunction with a performance monitor system that detects ball interactions with a goal and is used to trigger the system to analyze the ball flight path just prior to the goal interaction. Player position is ascertained through the localization of the initial position of the ball's flight path. For multiple players, each player is pre-assigned a uniquely marked ball. The identity of the player who executed the attempt is determined through the player's association with the ball that executed the flight path towards the goal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shooter localization system comprising:
 at least one shooter on a court;   at least one ball whose position may be measured by a ball localization system;   at least one goal;   at least one performance monitoring system that measures interactions of said at least one ball and said at least one goal;   at least one ball localization system that measures the position of said at least one ball relative to the location of at least one of said at least one goal;   a remote computational system that receives data from both said at least one performance monitoring system and said at least one ball localization system; and   a triggering event comprising a signal from said at least one performance monitoring system, wherein said triggering event indicates the time at which a ball/goal interaction, was detected; wherein said triggering event is used by said remote computational system to select the subset of said data collected from said at least one ball localization system that was obtained just prior to said triggering event and use said data subset for calculations.   
     
     
         2 . The shooter localization system according to  claim 1 , wherein said calculations include the location of one of said shooters just prior to releasing one of said balls for a shot. 
     
     
         3 . The shooter localization system according to  claim 1 , wherein said calculations include the trajectory of one of said balls proximate one of said goals. 
     
     
         4 . The shooter localization system according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said at least one ball has a unique identifying mark on an exterior that allows said at least one shooter to identify said at least one ball and that may be associated with a unique identification code that may be transmitted to said at least one ball localization system. 
     
     
         5 . The shooter localization system according to  claim 4 , wherein said unique identifying mark is a color. 
     
     
         6 . The shooter localization system according to  claim 4 , wherein said unique identifying mark is one or more alphanumeric characters. 
     
     
         7 . The shooter localization system according to  claim 1 , wherein said subset of said data comprises 3D locations that closely fit a ballistic curve. 
     
     
         8 . The shooter localization system according to  claim 1 , wherein said subset of said data is comprises locations whose projection onto a horizontal plane closely fit a straight line and whose velocity is relatively constant. 
     
     
         9 . A method for determining both the identity and position of at least one shooter on a court, wherein the method comprises:
 a. measuring a position of at least one ball relative to a goal on said court by use of a ball localization system, whose identity may be electronically determined by said ball localization system, and which has a unique human-readable identifying mark on an exterior of said ball that allows each of said balls to be identified by said at least one shooter as unique as compared to each of other said balls;   b. associating each of said at least one shooter with one of said balls;   c. using a triggering event comprising a signal from at least one performance monitoring system, wherein said triggering event indicates the time at which a ball/goal interaction was detected;   d. measuring a sequential series of locations of one of said balls by said ball localization system whose measured location just prior to said triggering event is proximate said goal;   e. determining the identity of one of said balls by said ball localization system whose measured location just prior to said triggering event is proximate said goal;   f. calculating the coordinates of a first location from said series of locations in step d;   g. assigning a position of said each associated shooter based on said coordinates.   
     
     
         10 . The method in  claim 9  for determining both the identity and position of at least one shooter on a court or field of play, wherein said assigned position of said each associated shooter is used to calculate goal and miss statistics from multiple shots at said assigned position. 
     
     
         11 . A method of tracking at least one shooting position relative to a goal on a court for a plurality of players comprising:
 a. associating each of said plurality of players to a one of a plurality of balls that has both an electronic identity readable by a ball localization system and a human-readable identity on the exterior of the ball;   b. measuring both a location and an identity of each of said plurality of balls using a ball localization system;   c. exclusively using each of said balls by said associated player throughout a practice session; and   d. assigning a position each of said plurality of players from calculations based on said measured associated ball locations and identities.   
     
     
         12 . The method of tracking according to  claim 11 , wherein said calculations in step d include:
 h. using a triggering event comprising a signal from at least one performance monitoring system, wherein said triggering event indicates the time at which a ball interaction, goal or miss was detected;   i. measuring a sequential series of locations of one of said plurality of balls by said ball localization system whose measured location just prior to said triggering event is proximate said goal;   j. determining the identity of one of said balls whose measured location just prior to said triggering event is proximate said goal;   k. calculating the coordinates of a first location from said series of locations; and   l. calculating a position of said each associated player based on said coordinates.   
     
     
         13 . An electronic system comprising a low profile, said low profile configured to fit through an opening in an inflatable ball when the ball's fill valve has been removed and said electronic system configured for wireless communication with a remote computational system. 
     
     
         14 . The electronic system according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a. an energy storage system;   b. an RF transponder;   c. a motion detection system; and   d. an inflation fill valve.   
     
     
         15 . The electronic system according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 an energy harvesting system configured to charge said energy storage system.   
     
     
         16 . The electronic system according to  claim 15 , wherein said energy harvesting system also serves as said motion detection system. 
     
     
         17 . The electronic system according to  claim 13 , wherein the weight of the electronic system is counterbalanced by the addition of a curable liquid inside of said inflatable ball. 
     
     
         18 . A method for instrumenting an inflatable ball comprising:
 a. removing an inflation valve from the ball;   b. inserting at least one of an electronic system and an RF-reflective material, said electronic system comprising:
 an energy storage system; 
 an RF transponder; 
 a motion detection system; and 
 an inflation fill valve. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method for instrumenting an inflatable ball according to  claim 18 , wherein an additional step of counterbalancing the weight of said electronic system by adding a curable liquid inside of said inflatable ball follows step a and precedes step b.