Goal Determination Using Remotely Detected Location in Space and Magnetic Flux-Based Goal-Proximity Sensing

Abstract

A location-and-event-tracking system includes radio-enabled anchors and tags on a field of play, and magnets attached to a goal (e.g., a basketball net). Tags are attached to players and to balls (“game-play objects”), and a magnetometer is embedded within the ball. The system uses the radio-enabled tags to track the position of player and the ball in space, and the system determines whether a basket (i.e., a goal) has been made using both the location of the ball in space and magnetic flux-related data received from the magnetometer. The system also determines whether the ball has gone out of bounds, and it sends a STOP message to the game-clock control system if the ball goes out of bounds or if a shot is made successfully.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is related to and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 from U.S. provisional patent application No. 62 / 596,264 filed Dec. 8, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to games of sport, and more particularly to a system that uses remote sensors to track various objects in space (e.g., players, balls, goals, etc.) and identify in “real time” one or more game-related events as they occur.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]For most, if not all, sports activities, detailed review and analysis of how an individual player and / or a team of players is / are performing is crucial in order to improve performance. Therefore, tools that enhance the ability to identify and analyze various events that occur on a field of play (e.g., a basketball court, hockey rink, etc.) are desirable. Additionally, it can be difficult for some fans of a fast-paced sport, suc...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is a system that uses radio-enabled anchors and tags on a field of play to track the location and event-based tracking of players and objects on a field. It uses magnets and magnetometers embedded in the players and objects to identify the location of the tags and evaluate the sensed flux to determine if a goal has been made. The system then sends a signal to a score-indicating device to indicate the score. The invention achieves highly accurate and wireless tracking of the location and scoring of games. It also allows for determination of whether the game-play object has left the field of play and automatically stops the game clock. This enhances the ability of players, coaches, and fans to monitor and evaluate the players' performances.

Problems solved by technology

Additionally, it can be difficult for some fans of a fast-paced sport, such as basketball, to see clearly everything that is going on all at once, given that the games may have many players and the ball (a “game-play object”) all moving simultaneously.

This procedure can easily take several minutes to complete, and often kills the excitement and momentum of an otherwise exciting, hard-fought and competitive basketball game.

When the process of using video to determine the amount of time left in the game takes too long, fans and spectators can become extremely frustrated and have been known to start jeers and boos at the clock and game officials.

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