Smart Home Basket

Abstract

An exemplary apparatus includes at least one processor, sensor, transmitter, and power source. The at least one sensor can be configured to detect discs with an attached tracker, or from vibrations, motion, or other types of sensors capable of determining the presence of the disc from the apparatus. The at least one processor receives signals from the sensor(s) to determine that a disc has landed proximate to the apparatus before controlling the at least one transmitter to send a message indicating the disc's proximity. An exemplary system includes a disc golf basket with an open-topped basket. An exemplary method is directed to a method of marking discs with an attached tracker that transmits wireless signals and detecting discs with an apparatus. Detecting discs includes receiving the wireless signals, determining that the disc has landed in proximity to the apparatus, and sending a message to an application on a mobile device.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A disc-detecting apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
 a sensor configured to detect an attached tracker of a disc;   a processor operatively coupled to the sensor, wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions to determine that a disc has landed within a proximity of the apparatus based on a signal received from the sensor;   a transmitter operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the transmitter is configured to send a message to a software application executing on a computing device, the message indicating the presence of the disc detected by the apparatus; and   a power source operatively coupled to and providing power for the processor, the sensor, and the transmitter.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the message comprises a unique identification code of the attached tracker. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sent message permits the mobile application to provide a score of a disc golf game. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the attached tracker is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the RFID tag is passive. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions to determine a strength of the received signal, and wherein the processor is configured to determine that a disc has landed in a disc basket proximate to the apparatus if the signal strength passes a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the disc-detecting apparatus is configured to mount within hanging chains of a chain assembly of a disc golf basket. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the disc-detecting apparatus is configured to mount on a post of a disc golf basket. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is further configured to detect vibration of a disc basket caused by contact from the disc. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is further configured to detect motion of the disc within a disc basket. 
     
     
         11 . A system for detecting discs, the system comprising:
 a disc golf basket, wherein the disc golf basket comprises an open-topped basket sized to receive one or more discs therein; and   a disc-detecting device, wherein the disc-detecting device comprises:
 a sensor configured to detect discs that land in the open-topped basket, 
 a processor operatively coupled to the sensor, wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions to determine that a disc has landed in the open-topped basket based on a signal received from the sensor, 
 a transmitter operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the transmitter is configured to send a message to a software application executing on a computing device, the message indicating that the disc has landed in the open-topped basket, and 
 a power source operatively coupled to and providing power for the processor, the sensor, and the transmitter. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the sent message further permits the mobile application to provide a score of a disc golf game. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the sensor is further configured to detect vibration of a disc basket caused by contact from the disc landed in the disc golf basket. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the sensor is further configured to detect motion of the disc landed within a disc basket. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the disc-detecting device is mounted onto a portion of a post of the disc golf basket. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the disc-detecting device hangs from the open-topped basket. 
     
     
         17 . A method for marking and detecting discs, the method comprising:
 attaching a tracker to a disc, wherein the tracker is configured to transmit wireless signals to a sensor in an apparatus; and   detecting the disc with the apparatus by:
 receiving one or more wireless signals from the tracker, 
 determining that the disc has landed within a proximity of the apparatus, and 
 sending a message to software application executing on a mobile device indicating the presence of the disc detected by the apparatus. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the determining comprises comparing strength of the one or more wireless signals to a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises determining that the disc has landed in a disc golf basket proximate to the apparatus if the signal strength passes the predetermined threshold, wherein sending a message comprises sending a message that the disc has landed in the disc golf basket. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the sending comprises indicating a unique identification code of an attached tracker.