Pitching machine pitch type and speed data providing method and apparatus

Abstract

A pitching machine pitch type and speed data providing method is carried out by a service providing apparatus connected to a user terminal through a network, and the method includes the steps of acquiring player data having pitch types and command percentages by pitcher in real game situations, converting the player data into pitch type and speed data of a given pitching machine, receiving a request message for the player data, and providing the pitch type and speed data corresponding to the player data for the user terminal in response to the request message for the player data.

1 . A pitching machine pitch type and speed data providing method carried out by a service providing apparatus connected to a user terminal through a network, the method comprising the steps of:
 converting player data having pitch types and command percentages by pitcher in real game situations into pitch type and speed data of a pitching machine, the pitch type and speed data having information of pitch speeds and command percentages by situation and pitch type; and   providing the pitch type and speed data corresponding to the player data for the user terminal in response to a request message for the player data.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein in the converting step, the player data is analyzed and stored as average pitch speeds and command percentages on strike zones by player, situation, and pitch type, and based on the average pitch speeds and command percentages by player and pitch type, the positions and rotating speeds of ball driving units of the pitching machine on the strike zones are determined. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the pitch type and speed data is a pitching control recipe of the pitching machine in the user terminal and comprises first control values for throwing balls with the pitch types and speeds of a given pitcher under situations including a right-handed batter, a left-handed batter, existence of runners, first pitch, pitch after two strikes, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the pitch type and speed data comprises second control values for setting pitching positions of balls or determining target positions of balls, which are used together with the first control values. 
     
     
         5 . A pitching machine pitch type and speed data providing apparatus connected to a user terminal through a network to provide pitch type and speed data of a pitching machine for the user terminal, the apparatus comprising:
 a conversion part for converting player data having pitch types and command percentages by pitcher in real game situations into pitch type and speed data of the pitching machine, the pitch type and speed data having information of pitch speeds and command percentages by situation and pitch type; and   a download management part for providing the pitch type and speed data corresponding to the player data for the user terminal in response to a request message for the player data.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 , further comprising a collection part for acquiring the player data and transmitting the acquired player data to a pitch recipe database. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the download management part recognizes a request for a player or recipe from a user interface of a pitching program built in the user terminal through a communication part and provides the pitch type and speed data for the user terminal in response to the request. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the pitch type and speed data comprises a plurality of pitch types having fastball, slider, curve, changeup, splitter, sinker, cutter, forkball, and a combination thereof and control values for designating the positions and operating speeds of pitching machine units for the pitches of the pitching machine that are set in advance according to the average pitch speeds and command percentages on the respective pitch types.