Ball sensor systems and methods thereof

Abstract

Provided are a ball sensor system, a ball including a ball sensor system, a method for manufacturing a ball including a ball sensor system, and a method of generating and providing improved game analytics using data obtained from a ball sensor system. The ball sensor system comprises: a printed circuit board (102) comprising a substrate, wherein at least a portion of the substrate comprises a flexible material; and a plurality of components electrically coupled together and comprising: at least one positional sensor (104); at least one positional sensor antenna (106); a microcontroller unit (108); a wireless transceiver (110) comprising an antenna; an inertial measurement unit (112) comprising one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or a magnetometer; and a battery (114) coupled to an inductive charging integrated circuit and configured to power one or more of the components.

Description

BALL SENSOR SYSTEMS AND METHODS THEREOFTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Provided are a ball sensor system, a ball including a ball sensor system, a method for manufacturing a ball including a ball sensor system, and a method of generating and providing improved game analytics using data obtained from a ball sensor system.BACKGROUND

[0002] Obtaining information on athlete performance, game events, and other sports analytics is becoming increasingly important and valued by sports coaches, athletes, and viewers. Online platforms are available that facilitate the collection and presentation of data on athletes and athletic events based on manual input from statisticians, for example. However, this data is of limited scope, not automated, and prone to error.

[0003] Wearable sensors have been utilized for some time to automatically collect data on athletes. Additionally, automated image and video analysis technologies have been developed to observe athletes and generate associated analytics data, such as maximum speed or distance covered throughout an athletic event, for example. Thus, player-worn sensors can track player location, physiological data, and other metrics.

[0004] However, there are no current cost-effective technologies that effectively track data relating to sport balls used in athletic events without, or while minimizing, impact to ball performance. While Doppler radar and infrared emitters have been used for tracking (e.g., the flight path and spin rate of a golf ball or location of a hockey puck), the data collectable with these systems is of limited scope and these current approaches are incompatible with sports for which inflatable balls with bladders are used, such as soccer or rugby.

[0005] Moreover, current technology is unable to correlate athlete data with ball data.Athlete data relating to the ball (touches, forces, etc.) are not currently being used in line with physical performance data from the athlete such as speed, distance, position, and acceleration / deceleration. Accordingly, game data, such as which soccer player had a soccer ball at a particular game time, which player passed the soccer ball to which other player, or whethera pass of a soccer ball was successful, for example, is only obtainable based on manual, visual observation.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] In a first embodiment, a ball sensor system is provided, the ball sensor system comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a substrate, wherein at least a portion of the substrate comprises a flexible material, and a plurality of components electrically coupled together and comprising: at least one positional sensor; at least one positional sensor antenna; a microcontroller unit (MCU); a wireless transceiver comprising an antenna; an inertial measurement unit (IMU) comprising one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or a magnetometer; and a battery coupled to an inductive charging IC and configured to power one or more of the components.

[0007] In a second embodiment, a ball is provided comprising: an inner lining comprising a plurality of foam panels, wherein the plurality of foam panels includes a foam panel comprising a sensor cavity within which at least a portion of a ball sensor system (e.g. the ball sensor system of the first embodiment) is received, the foam panels being coupled to a plurality of exterior panels of an outer cover together substantially around a bladder to form the ball, wherein a valve of the bladder is accessible from an exterior of the ball.

[0008] In a third embodiment, a method for manufacturing a ball (e.g. the ball of the second embodiment) is provided, the method comprising: attaching a ball sensor system (e.g. the ball sensor system of the first embodiment) to a sensor cavity within one of a plurality of foam panels of an inner lining, wherein the sensor cavity is shaped to receive at least part of the ball sensor system; and coupling the plurality of foam panels and a plurality of exterior panels of an outer cover together substantially around a bladder to form a ball, wherein a valve of the bladder is accessible from an exterior of the ball.

[0009] In a fourth embodiment, a method of generating and providing improved game analytics is provided, the method comprising: obtaining ball sensor data from at least one ball sensor system (e.g. the ball sensor system of the first embodiment) coupled to a ball (e.g. the ball of the second embodiment) ; processing a first one or more portions of the ball sensor data to generate game analytics data; and providing the game analytics data to one or more userdevices via one or more communications network in response to one or more requests from the one or more user devices.

[0010] In a fifth embodiment, a game analytics system is provided, comprising memory having instructions stored thereon and one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to perform the method of the fourth embodiment.

[0011] In a sixth embodiment, a non-transitory computer readable medium is provided having stored thereon instructions for generating and providing improved game analytics comprising executable code that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method of the fourth embodiment.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates an example ball sensor system.

[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates an example ball sensor system.

[0014] FIGS. 3A to 3D illustrate example ball sensor systems with different types of substrates.

[0015] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate example ball sensor systems with expanded ground planes.

[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates an example ball sensor system with an expanded ground plane.

[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates an example method of manufacturing a ball with a ball sensor system.

[0018] FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-section of an example ball.

[0019] FIG. 8 illustrates layers of an example ball.

[0020] FIG. 9 illustrates an example foam panel with a sensor cavity.

[0021] FIG. 10 illustrates an example foam panel with attached ball sensor system.

[0022] FIG. 11 illustrates layers of an example ball including a ball sensor system.

[0023] FIG. 12 illustrates an example network environment.

[0024] FIG. 13 illustrates an example game analytics system.

[0025] FIG. 14 illustrates an example method of generating and providing game analytics.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The technology described and illustrated herein includes ball sensor and game analytics systems that have several advantages over current technology. The ball sensor system in some examples is flexible to conform to a shape of the ball and the ball with the ball sensor system is advantageously manufactured according to the methods disclosed herein such that it can receive an impact (e.g., a kick in the case of a soccer ball) without damaging the flexible ball sensor system. The ball sensor system includes various communication, positioning, and sensing components explained in detail below that facilitate increased data collection allowing for generation of game analytics data not possible with current technology, particularly when combined with data from player-worn devices.

[0027] Referring now to FIG. 1, an exemplary ball sensor system according to some examples of this technology is illustrated. The ball sensor system includes a printed circuit board (PCB) 102 including a substrate, at least a portion of which is made of a flexible material. Optionally, PCB flexible substrate can be formed as a multi-layer configurations (e.g., a 4- layer design) having a thickness of about 0.3mm, although other configurations and / or thicknesses can also be used in other examples. Additionally, the PCB 102 illustrated in this example has a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners and a length greater than a width. However, other shapes can also be used. In some examples, the substrate, or flexible portions thereof, may be formed from a flexible material such as polyamide flex substrate. In some examples, rigid (or semi rigid) portions of the substrate may be formed from a rigid (or semi rigid) material such as FR4 glass reinforced epoxy laminate.

[0028] The PCB 102 of the exemplary ball sensor system includes a plurality of components electrically coupled together and attached to the substrate. The components in this particular example include at least one positional sensor 104, such as a satellite navigation system sensor, such as a global positioning system (GPS) module or integrated circuit (IC), GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou-1 / 2, or COMPASS sensor, although other types of positional sensors can also be used. The positional sensor 104 may include or be coupled to an antenna 106 (e.g., a high gain directional antenna), such as a GPS antenna (e.g., a ceramic antenna) in this example. The positional sensor 104 may be configured to process signals received from the positional sensor antenna 106. For example, the positional sensor 104 may comprise circuitry (e.g. an integrated circuit) for processing signals received from the positional sensor antenna 106. In some examples, the positional sensor antenna 106 isadvantageously disposed such that the PCB 102 provides a ground plane for the positional sensor antenna 106. For example, the antenna 106 of the positional sensor 104 (e.g. the GPS antenna) is advantageously disposed proximate the length of the PCB 102 such that the PCB 102 provides a ground plane for the antenna 106, although other configurations can also be used. For example, the positional sensor antenna 106 may be disposed on a portion of the PCB 102 configured to provide an expanded ground plane. It should be understood that in any references herein to the PCB 102 or substrate providing a ground plane, the ground plane is provided by conductive material included in or on the PCB 102 or substrate. For example, the ground plane may be provided by a metal (e.g. copper) coating or layer on the substrate.

[0029] The components of the ball sensor system further include a microcontroller unit (MCU) 108 and a wireless transceiver 110 including or coupled to an antenna. In some examples the MCU 108 includes the wireless transceiver 110. In some examples, the MCU 108 is communicab ly coupled to a front-end module (FEM) comprising a low-noise amplifier (LNA). For example, the wireless transceiver 110 may be a Bluetooth IC (e.g., Bluetooth 4.0, Bluetooth LE, and / or the like), but the wireless transceiver 110 in other examples may be configured for Wi-Fi 802.11n / ac on 2.4GHz and / or 5GHz and / or cellular wireless data transfer, and other types of wireless transceiver 110 can also be used in other examples.

[0030] Additionally, the components of the ball sensor system include an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 112. The IMU 112 may include one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or a magnetometer. In an example, the IMU 112 includes a three-axis axis accelerometer, a three-axis gyroscope, and a three-axis magnetometer, although other types of IMUs capable of obtaining other types of movement data can also be used in other examples. The components may further include a sensor fusion IC communicably coupled to one or more of the positional sensor 104 (e.g., GPS module) or the IMU 112. Thus, the sensor fusion IC can be part of the IMU 112 or may be an external IC (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)). The sensor fusion IC is configured to obtain, combine, correlate, and otherwise process ball sensor data generated or obtained by one or more of the other components of the ball sensor system.

[0031] Although not illustrated, the ball sensor system may comprise additional components, for example, a memory unit, additional sensor units, and / or additional antennas.

[0032] In an example, the components include and are powered by a power source 114 of the ball sensor system, which may be a battery, although other types of power sources can also be used. The power source 114 may be capable of wireless charging. For example, he battery may be coupled to an inductive charging IC. The battery is configured to power one or more or all of the components of the ball sensor system, such as the positional sensor 104, positional sensor antenna 106, MCU 108, wireless transceiver 110, FEM, IMU 112, and / or sensor fusion IC. Optionally, the battery can be made of a lithium ion and / or lithium polymer material. Also optionally, the wireless charging IC can conform to the Qi standard (e.g., Qi2) and / or Near Field Communication (NFC) wireless charging standard for inductive charging of the battery. In some examples, the power source 114 may be disposed on the PCB 102 substrate. In other examples, the power source 114 (or at least one part of the power source, for example the battery and / or wireless charging IC) may be a separate component that is connected (e.g. wired) to the PCB 102.

[0033] In some examples, the entirety of the substrate is made of a flexible material (for example, polyamide flex substrate), and, in other examples, the substrate includes a plurality of rigid (or semi-rigid) and flexible portions. For example, the substrate may include one or more rigid (or semi-rigid) portions and one or more flexible portions. In some examples, the flexible and rigid portions may be defined relatively. For example, the substrate may include one or more first-type portions and one or more second-type portions, wherein the second-type (“flexible”) portions are more flexible than the first-type (“rigid”) portions. In some examples, the substrate including flexible and rigid portions may be a one-part PCB in which at least one layer of the PCB is flexible and at least one layer is rigid, and the at least one rigid layer is not present in the flexible portions (for example, an inner flexible layer may extend out of the PCB to form the flexible portions). In some examples, the ball sensor system may be formed from separate rigid portions and flexible portions that are attached together, for example using solder joints or board-to-board connectors. In the ball sensor system of FIG. 2, the regions of the substrate illustrated with slashed lines denotes flexible material forming flexible portions 116 with the other regions made of a rigid (or semi-rigid) material. Thus, in the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the rigid portions and flexible portions 116 alternate with four rigid portions and three flexible portions 116. In some examples, one or more of the flexible portions 116 may be kept clear (or substantially clear) of components to allow for enhancedflexibility. When the substrate comprises a mixture of rigid and flexible portions, at least a subset of the components of the ball sensor system may be mounted on the rigid portions of the substrate, and flexible portions may be provided in areas of the substrate on which the subset of components are not mounted. The subset may comprise one or more of the positional sensor 104, positional sensor antenna 106, MCU 108, wireless transceiver 110, FEM, IMU 112, and / or sensor fusion IC. In some examples the subset may not include the positional sensor antenna 106. In some examples, the subset may not include the positional sensor 104 and positional sensor antenna 106. In some examples the subset may be all of the components except the positional sensor 104 and positional sensor antenna 106. In some examples, the subset may be all of the components except the positional sensor antenna 106. Advantageously, this arrangement provides protection to components through the rigid portions of the substrate while providing the PCB 102 and ball sensor system with flexibility to adapt to the curved shape of the ball and to adapt to any deformations to the shape caused by impacts to the ball. By mounting components on the rigid portions of the substrate, the components may be protected from breakages and detachment from the substrate that could otherwise be caused by impacts to the ball and deformations to the shape of the ball. Furthermore, to reduce the size of the ball sensor system, ball grid array (BGA) IC packages may be used (instead of land grid array (LGA), for example, which are typically larger). However, the solder joints used to attach BGAs to the substrate may loosen over time if the substrate is able to flex. Therefore, the arrangement of the majority of the components on rigid portions of the substrate allows the use of more compact components (e.g. BGAs) without compromising on durability.

[0034] In some examples, one or more components may be mounted on flexible portions of the substrate. In this case, reinforcement members may be added to the substrate to provide additional protection for one or more of the components mounted on flexible portions of the substrate. For example, when a component is mounted on a first surface of a flexible portion of the substrate, a reinforcement member may be mounted on second, opposite, surface of the substrate such that the position of the reinforcement member is the same as, corresponds to, or at least partially overlaps or fully overlaps the position of the component on the opposite side. For example, the reinforcement members may comprise material having less flexibility (i.e. greater rigidity) and / or greater thickness than (or providing additional thickness to) the flexible portions of the substrate to increase the stiffness of the substrate and thereby help to prevent cracking ofthe components and / or detachment of the components from the substrate in the region of the reinforcement member. For example, when the substrate is a flexible polyamide film, the reinforcement member may be a piece of thicker (thereby less flexible) polyamide film. In some examples, the reinforcement member may be formed from rigid material, such as a thin sheet of FR4.

[0035] Referring to FIGS. 3A-3D, exemplary ball sensor systems with varying types of substrates are illustrated. The ball sensor systems may have the same components as described for FIGS. 1 and 2 above. In particular, FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate an exemplary ball sensor system in default and flexion states, respectively. Thus, the ball sensor system in this example has a flexible portion or region at least toward a middle of the ball sensor system.

[0036] FIGS. 3C and 3D illustrate exemplary substrates including a first example in FIG. 3C in which the entirety of the substrate is made of a flexible material and a second example in FIG 3D in which the substrate includes alternative (i.e. alternating) flexible portions 116 and rigid portions.

[0037] In the second example, the substrate includes three rigid portions and three flexible portions 116 (denoted by slashed lines). Accordingly, in the second example, one end of the substrate has a flexible portion, and an opposing end of the substrate has a rigid portion. Any number and / or configuration of flexible and rigid portions can be provided in other examples. Additionally, the substrate, and thus the PCB 102, can have other shapes, including as explained below with reference to FIGS. 4A-4B, for example.

[0038] Turning now to FIGS. 4A and 4B, an exemplary ball sensor system with an expanded ground plane configuration is illustrated. The ball sensor system may have the same components as described for FIGS. 1-3D above. In this example, the substrate includes a first portion 401 (that may be referred to as a main portion) and a second portion 402 (that may be referred to as a perpendicular portion in this example) that includes first and second flexible wings 116 to thereby form a “T” shape. That is, in this example, the second portion 402 may be perpendicular, or substantially perpendicular, to the first portion 401. The positional sensor antenna 106 (or antenna 106 of the positional sensor 104) (e.g., GPS antenna) is disposed along a length (for example, is aligned with the long axis) of the perpendicular portion 402 to thereby provide a relatively large ground plane for the positional sensor antenna 106 (i.e. such that the perpendicular portion 402 forms a ground plane for the positional sensor antenna 106) andenable relatively strong reception of GPS signals, for example. As illustrated in FIG. 4A, the perpendicular portion 402 may be flexible. For example, some or optionally all the perpendicular portion 402 of the substrate can be made of a flexible material (as denoted by slashed lines) to conform more effectively to the shape of a ball when the ball sensor system is embedded within the ball as described and illustrated in detail below with reference to FIG. 5. For example, the perpendicular portion 402 may comprise a central rigid area or portion 404 upon which the positional sensor antenna 106 (or in some examples the positional sensor 104 and the positional sensor antenna 106) is mounted, and first and second flexible wings 116 extending from the central rigid area to form the ground plane of the antenna 106. However, in other examples, the entire perpendicular portion 402 may be flexible (i.e. the central portion 404 may also be flexible).

[0039] Accordingly, the main portion 401 of the substrate in this example includes at least a subset of the components, and optionally includes all the components of the ball sensor system except for the positional sensor antenna 106 (and in some examples, the positional sensor 104). For example, the MCU 108, transceiver 110, battery, FEM, IMU 112, memory, and / or sensor fusion IC may be disposed on the main portion of the substrate. The main portion 401 may also include flexible portions. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4B, one of the flexible portions of the substrate (again denoted by slashed lines) is optionally disposed between the positional sensor 104 and the antenna 106 electrically coupled to the positional sensor 104. Additionally or alternatively, the positional sensor 104 and the wireless transceiver 110 (and / or MCU 108) may be spaced apart on the substrate with another of the flexible portions of the substrate disposed between those components. In some examples, one or more of the flexible portions may be kept clear (or substantially clear) of components to allow for enhanced flexibility.

[0040] FIG. 5 illustrates another exemplary ball sensor system with expanded ground plane. The ball sensor system may have the same components as described for FIGS. 1-4B above. The PCB 102 of FIG. 5 may have a first portion 501, second portion 502, and connecting portion 503. In this example, the first portion 501 of the substrate includes at least a subset of the components, and optionally includes all the components of the ball sensor system (not shown) except for the positional sensor 104 and the positional sensor antenna 106. The first portion 501 may be rigid (or semi rigid). For example, the first portion 501 may comprise rigid(or semi-rigid) material. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the first portion 501 may be circular when viewed in plan. However, it will be appreciated that any suitable shape can be used for the first portion 501. The second portion 502 may be flexible. For example, the second portion 502 may comprise flexible material. The second portion 502 may be connected to the first portion 501 by a connecting portion 503. The second portion 502 may extend perpendicular to the connecting portion 503. In some examples, the connecting portion 503 may be formed to have a “T” shape, with the bottom of the “T” connected to the first portion 501 and with the top of the “T” connected to the second portion 502. The top and bottom of the “T” shape of the connecting portion 503 may be integrally formed. The connecting portion 503 may be flexible. For example, the connecting portion 503 may comprise flexible material. In some examples, the connecting portion 503 and second portion 502 are integrally formed. In some examples, the positional sensor antenna 106 is mounted on the second portion 502 and the positional sensor 104 is mounted at the top of the connecting portion 503 (that is, at the end of the connecting portion 503 closest to the second portion 502). Advantageously, this arrangement may reduce the distance between the positional sensor 104 and the positional sensor antenna 106 and thereby reduce signal degradation. In some examples, the reinforcement member may be mounted opposite to the positional sensor 104 on the other side of the substrate to the positional sensor 104.

[0041] In the above embodiments, a ground plane (or extended ground plane) for the positional sensor antenna 106 may be provided by a portion of the substrate (e.g. a second portion 402 or 502) without (or substantially without) components (except, in some examples, the positional sensor 104 and / or positional sensor antenna 106). By providing a ground plane (or expanded ground plane) for the positional sensor antenna 106, the sensitivity of the positional sensor antenna 106 can be enhanced. In some examples, the ground plane portion (e.g. second portion 402 or 502) may be flexible, enabling the ground plane portion to conform to the curved shape of the ball. This may enable to ground plane to be larger than if it were made of rigid material unable to conform to the curved shape of the ball. Furthermore, the flexible material may allow the ground plane portion to be resilient to impacts and deformations of the ball during use.

[0042] The ball sensor system described above may be disposed inside a ball. For example, the ball sensor system may be disposed on, inside, or between a layer or layers of the ball. For example, the ball may comprise (moving towards the centre of the ball from the outside) anexterior layer (for example an outer cover), an interior layer (for example, an inner lining), and a bladder, wherein the interior layer is disposed between the exterior layer and the bladder. In some examples, the ball sensor system may be disposed in or on the inner lining, for example inside (or at least partially inside) a sensor cavity formed in the inner lining. In other examples, the ball sensor system may be disposed inside the bladder.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 6, a flowchart of an exemplary method for manufacturing an inflatable ball with a ball sensor system (e.g., the ball sensor system of FIGS. 1-5) is illustrated. In step 600 in this example, an outer cover, an inner lining, and a bladder are provided. In one example, the ball to be manufactured according to the method of FIG. 6is a soccer ball, but the technology described and illustrated herein, including the manufacturing process of FIG. 6, can be used with and for other types of sport balls.

[0044] In step 600, an outer cover, an inner lining, and a bladder are provided. In some examples, the outer cover optionally includes a plurality of exterior panels, which can be made of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC), leather, or synthetic leather material, for example, optionally coated with a polyurethane material, although other types of materials can also be used. The inner lining includes a plurality of foam panels, which can comprise one or more (e.g., four) layers of polyester, cotton, and / or EDP foam, for example, although other materials can also be used in other examples.

[0045] The bladder in some examples can be made of butyl or latex, although other types of materials can also be used in yet other examples. The bladder may include a valve to facilitate inflation of the bladder. While the ball in this example is an inflatable sport ball (e.g., soccer ball), other types of balls (e.g., tennis or rugby balls) including foam-billed balls without inflatable bladders can also be used with and manufactured by the technology disclosed herein. Thus, any hollow-base ball having any internal surface area capable of housing the ball sensor system can be manufactured according to the methods described and illustrated herein.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 7, a cross-section of an exemplary inflatable ball with valve 701 and counterweight 702 is illustrated. In this example, the method described herein begins in step 600 with materials currently used to manufacture a soccer ball (for example outer cover 703, inner lining 704 and bladder 705). Thus, the ball includes a counterweight 702 disposed opposite the valve 701, and having a substantially similar shape and / or weight (e.g., about 5-7 grams) of the valve 701 to ensure proper performance of the soccer ball when touchedby a player or in flight. Optionally, the counterweight 702 can be replaced by (or include) the ball sensor system of this technology, as explained in more detail below, to achieve substantially the same effect as the counterweight 702 in addition to the capabilities explained herein.

[0047] Referring to FIG. 8, layers of an exemplary inflatable ball are illustrated. In this example, the ball includes the outer cover 803 in an exterior portion and optionally including panels coupled together as explained below. Toward an interior from the outer shell is an inner lining 804 of (e.g. four-ply) EDP foam in this example. Further toward the ball interior from the inner lining 804 is a bladder 805, which is inflatable in this example to cause the ball to take a substantially round and uniform shape for use in a game or other athletic event, for example.

[0048] Referring back to FIG. 6, in step 602, a sensor cavity is formed in a foam panel of the inner lining. For example, a portion of one of the foam panels of the inner lining may be removed to form a sensor cavity. Alternatively, a portion of one of the foam panels may be treated (for example with heat and / or compression) such that a sensor cavity is formed. Optionally, the foam panel with the sensor cavity is configured to be disposed opposite the valve of the bladder and the removal of the portion of the foam panel also causes the counterweight to be removed from its attachment to the foam panel and optionally discarded. In other examples, the foam panel can be manufactured to include the sensor cavity rather than requiring removal of the portion of the foam panel to form the sensor cavity.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 9, an exemplary foam panel of an inflatable ball with a sensor cavity is illustrated. The sensor cavity is shaped to receive at least a portion of the ball sensor system. For example, the sensor cavity in some examples is at least as long, wide, and deep as a length, width, and thickness, respectively, of the PCB 102 of the ball sensor system, although other configurations can also be used in other examples. For example, the sensor cavity may not be as deep as the ball sensor system, since the bladder of the ball may be flexible enough to mold around the ball sensor system to some extent. Although FIG. 9 illustrates a sensor cavity shaped to accept a rectangular PCB (e.g. the PCBs 102 of FIGS. 1 -3D) it will be appreciated that the sensor cavity can be shaped to accept any shape of PCB (e.g. the PCBs 102 of FIGS. 4 or 5, or any other shape). In this example, an area is shelled out of the foam panel by about 0.5mm- 1mm in depth to create a groove or sensor cavity that is substantially the shape of the ball sensor system. Optionally, the foam panel is thicker than a depth of the sensor cavity, although anaperture can be created in the foam panel as a result of the removal of the portion of the foam panel in other examples.

[0050] Referring back to FIG. 6, in step 604, the ball sensor system is attached to the foam panel within the sensor cavity. In some examples, the ball sensor system is adhered to at least one of a plurality of surfaces of the sensor cavity (e.g., a bottom of the sensor cavity) to attach the ball sensor system to the sensor cavity, although other methods for attaching the ball sensor system to the foam panel within the sensor cavity can also be used. For example, an adhesive may be applied to attach the ball sensor system to the sensor cavity.

[0051] Turning to FIG. 10, the exemplary foam panel of FIG. 9 with an exemplary ball sensor system received and attached to the sensor cavity is illustrated. In this example, DOWSIL™ 734 flowable sealant available from Dow Silicones Corp, of Midland, Michigan, which is clear, made of silicone adhesive sealant, and has a shore A hardness 27 and a tear strength of 3.0kn-m, is used to adhere the ball sensor system to the bottom of the sensor cavity, although other adhesives can also be used in other examples.

[0052] Referring back to FIG. 6, in step 606, the outer cover and the inner lining are coupled together and around the bladder to form an inflatable ball. For example, the exterior panels of the outer cover and the foam panels of the inner lining may be coupled together and substantially around the bladder to form the inflatable ball. As disclosed above, the foam panel with the ball sensor system embedded therein can be disposed opposite the valve of the bladder when the foam panels and the exterior panels are coupled together around the bladder in this example such that the ball sensor system acts as a counterweight to the bladder valve.

[0053] In some examples, the exterior and / or foam panels can be stitched together, for example with polyester or Kevlar thread. In some examples, the exterior and / or foam panels are thermally bonded together, or glued together using thermal heating, and other methods for coupling the exterior and formal panels together around the bladder can also be used in other examples. Additionally, the valve of the bladder can extend through one of the foam panels and one of the exterior panels to thereby be accessible from an exterior of the ball to facilitate introduction of air and inflation of the bladder via the valve.

[0054] Referring to FIG. 11 , layers of an exemplary inflatable ball with an exemplary ball sensor system 1100 are illustrated. In this example, the layers of the ball include an exterior or outer cover, an interior, inner lining, or foam layers, and a bladder. Illustrated are the exterior1101, the interior of the foam layer 1102, the ball sensor system 1100 in the sensor cavity, and the bladder 1103. The ball sensor system 1100 is disposed between the bladder 1103 and a surface of the sensor cavity (e.g., a bottom surface), such that the ball sensor system 1100 is retained in place within the sensor cavity by the bladder 1103 when the bladder 1103 is inflated via the valve. Thus, in this example, the surface (e.g., bottom) of the sensor cavity is disposed toward an exterior of the ball, when the foam panels and the exterior panels are coupled together around the bladder 1103.

[0055] In the examples of FIGS. 6 and 9-11 the ball sensor system is disposed in a sensor cavity in the inner lining. However, as mentioned above, the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the ball sensor system may be disposed inside the bladder. For example, the ball sensor system may be attached to an inner surface of the bladder. For example, the ball sensor system may be adhered to an inner surface of the bladder. The ball sensor system may be attached to an inner surface of the bladder opposite to the valve of the bladder, and may act as (or act as part of) a counterweight to the valve, as described above in relation to FIG. 7.

[0056] In the case that the ball sensor system is disposed in the bladder, steps 602 and 604 of the method described above in relation to FIG. 6 may be replaced with a single step of attaching the ball sensor system inside the bladder, and it is not necessary to form a sensor cavity in a foam panel.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 12, an exemplary network environment with a ball sensor system (e.g., any of the ball sensor systems described above, such as the ball sensor system of any of FIGS. 1-5) and a game analytics system, with a web server coupled to a backend database, is illustrated. The network environment in this example also optionally includes player-worn devices. The game analytics system (e.g., the web server) is coupled to the player- worn devices, at least one ball sensor system, and at least one user device via communication network(s) in this example. The network environment may include other intermediate devices and network devices such as one or more routers or switches, for example, which are known in the art and thus will not be described herein.

[0058] Turning to FIG. 13, a block diagram of an exemplary game analytics system is illustrated. Referring to FIGS. 12-13, the game analytics system may perform any number of functions, including obtaining ball sensor data from the ball sensor system, obtaining player data from the player-worn devices, generating game analytics data, and / or providing userinterfaces to the user devices for communicating the game analytics data over the communication network(s) optionally leveraging via application programming interfaces (APIs), for example. The game analytics system (e.g., the web server of the game analytics system) in this example includes processor(s), memory, and a communication interface, which are coupled together by a bus, although the game analytics system can include other types or numbers of elements in other configurations.

[0059] The processor(s) of the game analytics system may execute programmed instructions stored in the memory of the game analytics system for any number of the functions described and illustrated herein. The processor(s) may include one or more processing cores, one or more central processing units (CPUs), and / or one or more graphics processing units (GPUs), for example, although other types of processor(s) can also be used.

[0060] The memory stores these programmed instructions for one or more aspects of this technology as described and illustrated herein, although some or all the programmed instructions could be stored elsewhere. A variety of different types of storage devices, such as random-access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), hard disk, solid state drives, flash memory, or other computer readable medium which is read from and written to by a magnetic, optical, or other reading and writing system that is coupled to the processor(s), can be used for the memory.

[0061] Accordingly, the memory can store applications that can include computer or machine executable instructions that, when executed by the processor(s), cause the game analytics system to perform actions, such as to transmit, receive, or otherwise process network messages and requests, for example, and to perform other actions described and illustrated below. The application(s) can be implemented as components of other applications, operating system extensions, and / or plugins, for example.

[0062] Further, the application(s) may be operative in a cloud-based computing environment with access provided via a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model using the communication network(s). The application(s) can be executed within or as virtual machine(s) or virtual server(s) that may be managed in a cloud-based computing environment. Also, the application(s), and even the game analytics system itself, may be in virtual server(s) running in a cloud-based computing environment rather than being tied to specific physical networkcomputing devices. Also, the application(s) may be running in virtual machines (VMs) executing on the game analytics system and managed by a hypervisor.

[0063] In this example, the memory includes a web application, a data ingestion module, and an analytics module. The data ingestion module in this example is configured to communicate with the ball sensor system and the player-worn devices via the communication network(s) to obtain ball sensor data and player data, respectively. The data ingestion module can store the obtained data in the database of the game analytics system, which can be a relational database (e.g., a structured query language (SQL) database), although other types of databases can also be used in other examples.

[0064] With the ingested data, the analytics module is configured to correlate and otherwise process the data to generate game analytics data. An exemplary operation of the analytics module will be described and illustrated below with reference to FIG. 14.

[0065] The web application in this example includes graphical user interface (GUIs) for reporting or providing game analytics data. The web application also can provide an interface to one or more of the player-worn devices or the ball sensor system to facilitate reporting of new player and / or ball sensor data, respectively.

[0066] The communication interface of the game analytics system operatively couples and communicates between the game analytics system, player-worn devices, ball sensor system, and user device, which are coupled together at least in part by the communication network(s) in this example, although systems with other types or number of connections or configurations to other devices or elements can also be used.

[0067] The communication network(s) can include wide area network(s) (WAN(s)) and / or local area network(s) (LAN(s)), for example, and can use TCP / IP over Ethernet, although other types or numbers of protocols or communication networks can be used for short and / or long range communication. The communication network(s) can employ any suitable interface mechanisms and network communication technologies including, for example, Ethernet-based Packet Data Networks (PDNs). Additionally, the network environment can include one or more proxy devices configured to broadcast or send data, such as a Bluetooth transceiver configured to obtain ball sensor data from the wireless transceiver 110 of the ball sensor system and send the data via Wi-Fi over a WAN (e.g., the Internet) to the game analytics system (e.g.,the web server), and other configurations and / or combinations of type of communication networks can also be used.

[0068] The game analytics system in some examples can include a plurality of devices each having one or more processors (each processor with one or more processing cores) that implement one or more steps of this technology. In these examples, one or more of the devices can have a dedicated communication interface or memory. Alternatively, one or more of the devices can utilize the memory, communication interface, or other hardware or software components of one or more other devices included in the game analytics system. Additionally, one or more of the devices that together comprise the game analytics system in other examples can be standalone devices or integrated with one or more other devices or apparatuses.

[0069] Each of the player-worn devices of the network environment in some examples can be attached to a garment worn by an athlete (e.g., embedded between layers of fabric) and / or to the athlete themselves (e.g., as a watch, band, or ring worn by the athlete, or by being adhered to the skin of the athlete), and any number of player- worn devices can be worn or associated with a single athlete (e.g., of a plurality of athletes participating in an athletic event). Each of the player-worn devices can include a control module comprising a processing unit and / or a base unit configured to receive and / or accommodate a control module comprising a processing unit, a plurality of sensors comprising at least one biomedical, physiological, or other body monitoring sensor (collectively referred to herein as a biomedical sensor), and at least one positional sensor 104.

[0070] In these examples, at least one of the positional sensors 104 is configured to receive signals from a plurality of external beacons, such as a terrestrial beacon and / or a satellite beacon, for example. Additionally, data collected by the sensors is communicated to the processing unit and / or the base unit via a physical or wireless connection.

[0071] At least one of the biomedical sensors in some examples can be an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, a photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor and / or a body temperature sensor, although other types of biomedical sensors can also be used in other examples. Additionally, at least one of the positional sensors 104 can be a satellite navigation system sensor, an altitude sensor, and / or a motion capture sensor. In examples in which one of the player-worn devices includes a motion capture sensor, software of the control module can be configured to use the data from the motion capture sensor to produce a 3D model of thebody position of the player. In other examples, one or more of the player-worn devices can include other types of devices, sensors, processors, and / or communication interfaces, for example.

[0072] Each of the user devices of the network environment in this example includes any type of computing device that can exchange network data, such as mobile, desktop, laptop, or tablet computing devices, virtual machines (including cloud-based computers), or the like. Each of the user devices in this example includes a processor, memory, and a communication interface, which are coupled together by a bus or other communication link (not illustrated), although other numbers or types of components could also be used.

[0073] Each of the user devices may run services and / or interface applications, such as standard web browsers or the standalone applications, which may provide an interface to communicate with one or more of the ball sensor system, player-worn devices, or game analytics system via the communication network(s). Each of the user devices may further include a display device, such as a display screen or touchscreen, and / or an input device, such as a keyboard or mouse, for example (not shown).

[0074] Although the exemplary network environment with the user devices, game analytics system, player-worn devices, ball sensor system and communication network(s) are described and illustrated herein, other types or numbers of systems, devices, components, or elements in other topologies can be used. It is to be understood that the systems of the examples described herein are for exemplary purposes, as many variations of the specific hardware and software used to implement the examples are possible, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant art(s). Additionally, there may be more or fewer user devices, game analytics systems, player-worn devices, and / or ball sensor systems than illustrated in FIG. 12.

[0075] The examples of this technology may also be embodied as one or more non- transitory computer readable media having instructions stored thereon, such as in the memory of the game analytics system, for one or more aspects of the present technology, as described and illustrated by way of the examples herein. The instructions in some examples include executable code that, when executed by one or more processors, such as the processor(s) of the game analytics system, cause the processors to carry out steps necessary to implement the methods of the examples of this technology that will now be described and illustrated herein.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 14, a flowchart of an exemplary method for generating and providing improved game analytics is illustrated. In step 1400 in this particular example, the game analytics system obtains ball sensor data from the ball sensor system (e.g., the ball sensor system of FIGS. 1-3B) that is coupled to a ball (e.g. an inflatable ball as described an illustrated above with reference to FIGS. 6-11) (e.g., via the method described and illustrated above with reference to FIG. 6). The ball sensor data can include positional information including coordinates of a current or past position of the associated ball on a field or other area, rotational information regarding the associated ball, sensor fused and / or processed ball sensor data such as a current or past speed of the ball, other information from the positional sensor 104 and / or IMU 112, and / or yet other information sensed, processed or sensor fused at the ball sensor system before transmission to the game analytics system.

[0077] The ball sensor data can be provided via the wireless transceiver 110 via Bluetooth, for example, and obtained via a Bluetooth transceiver of the communication interface of the game analytics system. In other examples, one or more intermediary devices can receive the ball sensor data via the wireless transceiver 110 and Bluetooth and send the ball sensor data to the game analytics system via a WAN of the communication networks. Other methods for obtaining the ball sensor data can also be used in other examples.

[0078] Optionally, in step 1402, the game analytics system obtains player data from one or more of the player-worn devices. The player data can include positional information, including coordinates, and / or physiological information regarding associated players, as well as any type of processed and / or sensor fused information resulting from correlations or other functions implemented with respect to the player data. The player data can be obtained in the same or different manner as the ball sensor data in some examples.

[0079] In step 1404, the game analytics system processes portion(s) of the ball sensor and / or player data to generate game analytics data. For example, the game analytics system can correlate GPS coordinates from the positional sensor 104 and IMU data output by the IMU 112 of the ball sensor system to generate a three-dimensional (3D) position of the ball and its orientation in 3D space at any given point. In other examples, the game analytics system can identify which player has the ball at a given point. In yet another example, the game analytics system can determine whether a pass of the ball by a player occurred or was successfully received by another player.

[0080] Optionally, the network environment can further include field (or area) markings that can be interpreted to determine GPS coordinates of a field (or area) on which the players with the player-worn devices are playing with (or using) the ball with the ball system sensor. For example, an imaging device can be configured to capture an image of a beacon or other marking on the field and report field marking data with the associated coordinates to the game analytics system via the communication network(s). With this information, the players with the player-worn devices and the ball with the ball sensor system can be registered to the same coordinate system as the field (or area).

[0081] With the field marking data along with the ball sensor and player data, the game analytics system in step 1404 can identify key statistics, such as shots on goal, successful goals, corners, and other game events with respect to examples in which this technology is used in the context of a soccer event. In other examples, the player data can be processed to determine physiological parameters of a player and associated impact on the ball (e.g., a tired player kicked the ball at a slower speed). Many other permutations of the ball sensor and / or player data and also be processed and / or generated in step 1404 in other examples.

[0082] In step 1406, the game analytics system determines whether an analytics request has been received, such as from the user device and via the communication network(s) for example. The analytics request can be received via a GUI generated by the game analytics system and provided to the user device, for example. If the game analytics system determines that an analytics request has not been received from the user device, then the No branch is taken, and the game analytics system proceeds back to step 1400 and steps 1400-1404 are repeated in another iteration. However, if the game analytics system determines in step 1406 that an analytics request has been received from the user device, then the Yes branch is taken to step 1408.

[0083] In step 1408, the game analytics system provides the game analytics data generated in step 1404, or a portion thereof, via the communication network(s) in response to the analytics request. In some examples, the game analytics data is provided by the game analytics system via the same or a different GUI via which the analytics request was received. Thus, the game analytics data can be provided to a spectator, athlete, coach, or other interested party using the user device during or after an athletic event, for example.

[0084] Although the terms “game analytics” and “player data” are used herein, it will be appreciated that the disclosure is not limited only to games and players. That is, the disclosure is applicable to analytics of any athletic pursuit or event involving a ball, such as training exercises for example. Thus the term “game analytics” could be replaced by “athletic analytics” or “event analytics” and the term “player data” could be replaced with “athlete data”, for example.

[0085] As described and illustrated by way of the examples herein, this technology advantageously obtains analytics data associated with balls via ball sensor systems embedded within the balls and having a compact configuration and efficient operation. More specifically, the ball sensor systems of this technology can obtain and provide positional and IMU data regarding an associated ball to facilitate game analytics data that cannot be generated with current technology. Further, the ball sensor system advantageously has no or minimal impact on the performance characteristics of the associated ball based on the ball manufacturing methods of this technology disclosed herein.

[0086] Having thus described the basic concept of the invention, it will be rather apparent to those skilled in the art that the foregoing detailed disclosure is intended to be presented by way of example only and is not limiting. Various alterations, improvements, and modifications will occur and are intended to those skilled in the art, though not expressly stated herein. These alterations, improvements, and modifications are intended to be suggested hereby, and are within the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the recited order of processing elements or sequences, or the use of numbers, letters, or other designations, therefore, is not intended to limit the claimed processes to any order except as may be specified in the claims. Accordingly, the invention is limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereto.

[0087] In a first example, there is provided a ball sensor system, comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a substrate, wherein at least a portion of the substrate comprises a flexible material, and a plurality of components electrically coupled together and comprising: at least one positional sensor comprising an antenna; a microcontroller unit (MCU) comprising a wireless transceiver comprising an antenna; an inertial measurement unit (IMU) comprising one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or a magnetometer; and a battery coupled to an inductive charging IC and configured to power one or more of the positional sensor, MCU, IMU, or sensor fusion IC.

[0088] In a second example, there is provided the ball sensor system of the first example, wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of alternating rigid and flexible portions.

[0089] In a third example, there is provided the ball sensor system of the first example, wherein the ball sensor system has a length greater than a width and the antenna is disposed proximate the length to thereby provide a ground plane for the antenna.

[0090] In a fourth example, there is provided the ball sensor system of the first example, wherein the wireless transceiver comprises a Bluetooth IC, the positional sensor comprises a global positioning system (GPS) module, the antenna comprises a GPS antenna, and the Bluetooth IC and GPS module are spaced apart proximate the substrate such that the flexible material is disposed between the Bluetooth IC and the GPS module.

[0091] In a fifth example, there is provided the ball sensor system of the first example, wherein the substrate comprises a main portion and a perpendicular portion comprising first and second flexible wings, the positional sensor is disposed along a length of the perpendicular portion to thereby provide a ground plane for the antenna, and at least a subset of the plurality of components are disposed proximate the main portion.

[0092] In a sixth example, there is provided the ball sensor system of the first example, wherein the MCU is communicably coupled to a front-end module (FEM) comprising a low- noise amplifier (LNA).

[0093] In a seventh example, there is provided the ball sensor system of the first example, further comprising a sensor fusion integrated circuit (IC) communicably coupled to one or more of the positional sensor or the IMU.

[0094] In an eighth example, there is provided a method for manufacturing a ball, the method comprising: attaching a ball sensor system to a sensor cavity within one of a plurality of foam panels of an inner lining, wherein the sensor cavity is at least as long as a length of the ball sensor system, at least as wide as a width of the ball sensor system, and at least as deep as a thickness of the ball sensor system; and coupling the plurality of foam panels and a plurality of exterior panels of an outer cover together substantially around a bladder to form a ball, wherein a valve of the bladder is accessible from an exterior of the ball.

[0095] In a ninth example, there is provided the method of the eighth example, further comprising removing a portion of the one of the plurality of foam panels to form the sensor cavity.

[0096] In a tenth example, there is provided the method of the eighth example, wherein the ball sensor system comprises the ball sensor system of the first example.

[0097] In an eleventh example, there is provided the method of the eighth example, wherein the bladder is inflatable and the one of the plurality of foam panels is disposed opposite the valve of the bladder when the plurality of foam panels and the plurality of exterior panels are coupled together substantially around the bladder.

[0098] In a twelfth example, there is provided the method of the eighth example, further comprising adhering the ball sensor system to at least one of a plurality of surfaces of the sensor cavity to attach the ball sensor system to the sensor cavity.

[0099] In a thirteenth example, there is provided the method of the eighth example, wherein the ball sensor system is disposed between the bladder and a surface of the sensor cavity, wherein the surface of the sensor cavity is disposed toward an exterior of the ball, when the plurality of foam panels and the plurality of exterior panels are coupled together substantially around the bladder.

[0100] In a fourteenth example, there is provided the method of the eighth example, further comprising thermally bonding one or more of the plurality of exterior panels or the plurality of foam panels together to couple the plurality of foam panels and a plurality of exterior panels together.

[0101] In a fifteenth example, there is provided a method of generating and providing improved game analytics, the method comprising: obtaining ball sensor data from at least one ball sensor system coupled to a ball; processing a first one or more portions of the ball sensor data to generate game analytics data; and providing the game analytics data to one or more user devices via one or more communications network in response to one or more requests from the one or more user devices.

[0102] In a sixteenth example, there is provided the method of the fifteenth example, further comprising: obtaining player data from at least one play er- worn device; and correlating a second one or more portions of the ball sensor data with a third one or more portions of the player data to generate other game analytics data.

[0103] In a seventeenth example, there is provided a game analytics system, comprising memory having instructions stored thereon and one or more processors coupled to the memoryand configured to execute the instructions to perform the method of any one of the fifteenth or sixteenth examples.

[0104] In an eighteenth example, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for generating and providing improved game analytics comprising executable code that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method of any one of the fifteenth to sixteenth examples.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A ball sensor system, comprising: a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a substrate, wherein at least a portion of the substrate comprises a flexible material; and a plurality of components electrically coupled together and comprising: at least one positional sensor; at least one positional sensor antenna; a microcontroller unit (MCU); a wireless transceiver comprising an antenna; an inertial measurement unit (IMU) comprising one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or a magnetometer; and a battery coupled to an inductive charging integrated circuit (IC) and configured to power one or more of the components.

2. The ball sensor system of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of alternating rigid and flexible portions.

3. The ball sensor system of claim 1, wherein a portion of the substrate comprising flexible material is configured to provide a ground plane for the at least one positional sensor antenna.

4. The ball sensor system of claim 3, wherein the substrate comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion is flexible; and wherein the at least one positional sensor antenna is disposed such that the second portion provides a ground plane for the at least one positional sensor antenna.

5. The ball sensor system of claim 4, wherein the at least one positional sensor antenna is disposed on the second portion.

6. The ball sensor system of claim 4 or 5, wherein the second portion comprises first and second flexible wings, wherein the ground plane is provided by the first and second flexible wings.

7. The ball sensor system of any of claims 4 to 6, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of components are disposed on the first portion.

8. The ball sensor system of any of claims 4 to 7, wherein the first portion is rigid or semi-rigid.

9. The ball sensor system of any of claims 4 to 8, wherein the first portion is connected to the second portion by a connecting portion.

10. The ball sensor system of claim 9, wherein the at least one positional sensor is disposed on the connecting portion and the at least one positional sensor antenna is disposed on the second portion.

11. The ball sensor system of claim 10, wherein the connecting portion is flexible.

12. The ball sensor system of claim 11, wherein the positional sensor is disposed on a first surface of the connecting portion, and a reinforcement member is disposed on a second surface of the connecting portion opposite to the first surface; wherein the reinforcement member is disposed such that the position of the reinforcement member at least partially overlaps with the position of the positional sensor.

13. The ball sensor system of any preceding claim, wherein the wireless transceiver comprises a Bluetooth IC, the positional sensor comprises a global positioning system (GPS) module, the positional sensor antenna comprises a GPS antenna, and theBluetooth IC and GPS module are spaced apart proximate the substrate such that the flexible material is disposed between the Bluetooth IC and the GPS module.

14. The ball sensor system of any preceding claim, wherein the MCU is communicably coupled to a front-end module (FEM) comprising a low-noise amplifier (LNA).

15. The ball sensor system of any preceding claim, further comprising a sensor fusion integrated circuit (IC) communicably coupled to one or more of the positional sensor or the IMU.

16. The ball sensor system of any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the battery and the inductive charging IC are not disposed on the substrate.

17. A ball comprising a ball sensor system (e.g., the ball sensor system of any one of claims 1-15).

18. The ball of claim 17, further comprising an inner lining comprising a plurality of foam panels, wherein the plurality of foam panels includes a foam panel comprising a sensor cavity within which at least a portion of the ball sensor system is received, the foam panels being coupled to a plurality of exterior panels of an outer cover together substantially around a bladder to form the ball, wherein a valve of the bladder is accessible from an exterior of the ball.

19. The ball of claim 18, further comprising a bladder, wherein the ball sensor system is disposed on an inner surface of the bladder.

20. A method for manufacturing a ball, the method comprising: attaching a ball sensor system to one of: an inner surface of a bladder, or a sensor cavity within one of a plurality of foam panels of an inner lining wherein the sensor cavity is shaped to receive at least part of the ball sensor system; andcoupling the plurality of foam panels and a plurality of exterior panels of an outer cover together substantially around the bladder to form a ball, wherein a valve of the bladder is accessible from an exterior of the ball.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising forming the sensor cavity.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the sensor cavity comprises at least one of: removing a portion of the one of the plurality of foam panels to form the sensor cavity, compressing a portion of the one of the plurality of foam panels to form the sensor cavity, heating a portion of the one of the plurality of foam panels to form the sensor cavity.

23. The method of any of claims 20 to 22, wherein the ball sensor system comprises the ball sensor system of any of claims 1 to 16.

24. The method of any of claims 20 to 23, wherein the bladder is inflatable and the foam panel including the sensor cavity is disposed opposite the valve of the bladder when the plurality of foam panels and the plurality of exterior panels are coupled together substantially around the bladder.

25. The method of any of claims 20 to 24, further comprising adhering the ball sensor system to at least one of a plurality of surfaces of the sensor cavity to attach the ball sensor system to the sensor cavity.

26. The method of any of claims 20 to 25, wherein the ball sensor system is disposed between the bladder and a surface of the sensor cavity, wherein the surface of the sensor cavity is disposed toward an exterior of the ball, when the plurality of foam panels and the plurality of exterior panels are coupled together substantially around the bladder.

27. The method of any of claims 20 to 26, further comprising thermally bonding one or more of the plurality of exterior panels or the plurality of foam panels together to couple the plurality of foam panels and a plurality of exterior panels together.

28. A method of generating and providing improved game analytics, the method comprising: obtaining ball sensor data from at least one ball sensor system coupled to a ball; processing a first one or more portions of the ball sensor data to generate game analytics data; and providing the game analytics data to one or more user devices via one or more communications network in response to one or more requests from the one or more user devices.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising: obtaining player data from at least one player-worn device; and correlating a second one or more portions of the ball sensor data with a third one or more portions of the player data to generate other game analytics data.

30. A game analytics system, comprising memory having instructions stored thereon and one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to perform the method of any one of claims 28 to 29.

31. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for generating and providing improved game analytics comprising executable code that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method of any one of claims 28 to 29.

32. The method of claim 28 or 29 or the game analytics system of claim 30 or the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31 , wherein the ball sensor data is obtained from at least one ball sensor system according to any of claims 1 to 16.

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