Electronic, rfid-equipped soccer game system

Abstract

A gamified soccer practice system, configured to employ RFID technology to facilitate the tracking of pertinent metrics of the kicks of players engaged with the system. Vertical goals positioned in a field are equipped with RFID readers which are configured to read RFID chips embedded within soccer balls kicked by the players. The kick speed, height, distance, vector, and other metrics are captured and relayed to the player. Games may be conducted, alone or with others, based on these metrics. Further, the metrics provide insight as to the improvement of the game of the player over time.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An electronic soccer game system for use by a player comprising:
 an inclined field, said inclined field having a bottom, a top, a right side, and a left side;   a kick line, said kick line disposed at said bottom of said inclined field;   rebound walls, said rebound walls disposed along said top, said right side, and said left side of said inclined field;   a ball, said ball equipped with at least one RFID tag;   targets, said targets disposed in multiple positions within said inclined field;   an RFID-equipped bracelet, said RFID-equipped bracelet configured to be worn by the player;   a first set of RFID readers, said first set of RFID readers disposed in communication with said kick line to facilitate registration of said ball to said RFID-equipped bracelet of the player;   a second set of RFID readers, said second set of RFID readers disposed in communication with said targets;   wherein said first set of RFID readers are configured to scan said RFID tag of said ball when said ball is proximal to said first set of RFID readers, assigning the RFID tag of the ball to said RFID-equipped bracelet of the player;   wherein said second set of RFID readers are configured to scan said at least one RFID tag of said ball when said ball encounters said targets; and   wherein a score is added to said RFID-equipped bracelet of the player upon the second set of RFID readers reading said at least one RFID tag of said ball.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a subfloor, said subfloor disposed under said inclined field, running parallel to said inclined field such that said subfloor is inclined;   wherein said ball is configured to fall through an opening of the field upon entering the target, said opening leading to a subfloor; and   wherein said subfloor channels said ball down to a gutter disposed at said bottom of said field.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein said targets exhibit the shape of soccer goals. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a fence, said fence disposed outside of said rebound walls; and   dividers, said dividers disposed along said kick line, perpendicular to said kick line, separating said bottom of said field into tee boxes of varying widths, and   enabling play by multiple players simultaneously.   
     
     
         5 . A gamified system for practicing soccer kicks, comprising:
 an inclined field having a kick line;   at least one RFID reader disposed within the inclined field and at least one RFID writer disposed within the kick line;   at least one soccer ball equipped with at least one RFID tag;   a target positioned within the inclined field, the target including a net and configured to illuminate upon being struck by the soccer ball;   a registration system configured to assign unique identifiers to users and associate each identifier with a specific soccer ball via a wristband RFID tag;   wherein the RFID reader and RFID writer track the movement and performance of the soccer ball, including ball speed, trajectory, impact force, and distance; and   wherein the registration system provides performance metrics via a mobile device application.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the target includes one or more obstacles configured to simulate goalies or soccer players, wherein said obstacles are fixed in position to increase difficulty. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein said obstacles are animated to increase difficulty; and
 wherein said net is composed of a semi-rigid material emulating a cloth net.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising: ball lights disposed on said soccer ball which illuminate upon striking said target or coming to rest to aid in identifying said ball and distinguishing it from others. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 target lights, said LED target lights disposed on said target;   wherein said target lights are configured to illuminate in different colors based on the registered user's preferences;   wherein the illumination color is configurable through the registration system; and   wherein said target lights, when illuminated upon contact of said ball with said target, are configured to trigger sounds to notify players of the successful kick.   
     
     
         10 . A method for using a gamified soccer practice system, comprising:
 registering a user with a unique identifier using a registration system and issuing an RFID wristband to the user;   selecting a soccer ball and registering the soccer ball to the user by interacting with an RFID reader using the wristband;   placing the soccer ball on a kick line which includes an RFID writer;   kicking the soccer ball into an inclined field having one or more targets;   tracking the movement of the soccer ball and performance metrics using RFID readers disposed along the field; and   receiving performance feedback and interactive coaching tips via a mobile device application based on the tracked metrics.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the registration system assigns and tracks performance points based on the distance of the target from the kick line and the surface area of the target, and wherein the performance metrics are displayed to the user through the mobile device application in real-time and on a video screen. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the mobile device application includes a feature for setting up competitive games or challenges between multiple users, and wherein the system tracks and displays scores, rankings, and performance metrics for each user participating in the game or challenge. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said targets exhibit the shape of soccer goals. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the interactive coaching tips provided by the mobile device application are customized based on the user's historical performance data, including previous kick distances, accuracy, and speed, to offer personalized recommendations for skill improvement. 
     
     
         15 . A method for a player practicing soccer kicks using a gamified system, comprising:
 registering a player as a unique individual by interacting with a representative, a kiosk, or a mobile device application of a facility equipped with the system, and issuing to the player an RFID wristband that is uniquely associated with the player;   the player accessing any inclined field within the facility and providing the player with an unlimited number of soccer balls, where the number of soccer balls may be subject to purchase, and where each pitch contains various targets for skill testing;   directing the player to a tee located on the selected inclined field, the tee exhibiting a kick line;   the player selecting a soccer ball from a ball collection gutter positioned in front of the tee and register the soccer ball to the player by touching the ball with the player's RFID wristband;   placing the soccer ball on the kick line, where the kick line serves as a continuous tee and acts as an RFID activation beacon to indicate that the ball is ready for play;   using RFID transmitters located underneath the white kick line to confirm the ball's registration by reading the RFID chip embedded in the ball;   providing an alert to the player of successful ball registration via an illumination signal from a light within the ball;   the player kicking the ball into the field, aiming at one or more targets;   tracking the ball's travel using at least one RFID reader positioned in the field, which measures and records kicking metrics including ball speed, direction, accuracy, and distance traveled;   taking a final reading of the ball's RFID chip once the ball comes to rest to determine the total distance traveled;   facilitating the retrieval of the ball by allowing it to drop into an opening within in the target and then be returned to a collection gutter via a subsurface, gravity-powered chute, or by having the ball roll down the pitch and into the collection gutter if it rebounds off targets;   detecting a ball strike on a goal by using a vibration sensor within the goal to note the strike and an RFID sensor within the goal to confirm the presence of the ball, thereby identifying the player who struck the goal;   the player repeating the process of selecting, registering, kicking, and tracking the ball until the player decides to conclude play; and   providing a summary of recorded kicks and performance metrics to the player through a screen adjacent to the pitch and/or the mobile device application, which may include comparisons to other players' performance on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis and announcing the winner if a game mode was selected.