Electronic device for sports applications

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic system that can be used in the field of sports. In some sports, the objective is to make an object reach a specific space in the playing area. For example, in table tennis, a player must carry a ball towards the opponent's half of the table; it is also in his interest to place this ball at specific points in the opponent's half of the table to put the opposing player in difficulty. The present invention proposes a device that enriches the classic sport by offering a range of applications that have a recreational and training scope. For example, the invention includes a function for indicating where a player must place his ball and a function for verifying whether he has succeeded or not. Thus, the player's objective is no longer only to place his ball in the opponent's half of the table and win the rally, but also to follow the missions of the device that is the subject of this invention.Other missions can also be considered, such as playing the ball with the left hand, forehand, with a given effect. Although in this text we focus on the sport of table tennis, the device can nevertheless be used in other sports. In the era of electronic games, virtual reality and Artificial Intelligence, the device thus combines physical sport and technology. Figure for the abstract: [Fig.1].

Description

Title of the invention: Electronic device for sports applications

[0001] 1) Prior Art

[0002] While the technology has been and continues to be used in the world of sport in the past, its main use remains as a simple measuring tool to inform the refereeing body and viewers. Thus, in football, for example, the videos captured live by the cameras are enriched with geometric information such as the distance between the point where the ball is struck and the goal, the offside line, etc. Another example is in tennis, where the speed of the service is measured and its value is displayed to inform the spectators; or, a detector checks that the ball served is indeed inside the service box, and this information helps the referee in his decision.

[0003] In the field of table tennis, a few demonstrators have been developed in the past and aim to enrich table tennis with electronic devices. The most advanced "demonstrator", called "Project TTT3000", was developed by a German team and can be seen in a video at the following internet address http: / / thomas-mayer.de / portfolio / table-tennis-trainer. This "demonstrator", the subject of a cabinetmaker's thesis, is in reality more of a concept demonstrated in a video that seems to mix capture equipment but also a computer, an overhead projector, and above all a software work of programming special "cosmetic" formatting for the video. It is therefore in no way a realistic prototype and even less something that can be developed into a product. Despite everything, this video has the advantage of showing the context of the invention. All the demonstrators reviewed consist of guiding players, in particular by illuminating areas of the table that the player must reach with the ball. Their main problem is that they use heavy and expensive equipment. Indeed, the proposed solutions use computers and video projectors, which is difficult to accept from a commercial point of view, since it involves a significant investment. On the other hand, these devices pose the problem of their size and their placement around the ping-pong table. Thus, the video projector must be placed at a certain height from the table, which would not be possible in the majority of cases, such as in a gymnasium with a ceiling height of more than 6 meters. It is also worth mentioning, still in the field of table tennis, at least one demonstrator that offers the same service but thanks to a table made with a touch screen. with a size of almost 3m x 1.5m. This solution solves the problems of material bulk. On the other hand, assuming that technically there is no brake to make it a product, the induced cost would be very high, the table would no longer have the same characteristics required for the sport, such as the bounce of the ball to name just one, and finally, the handling of this "electronic table" would surely pose problems of various kinds such as the deterioration of the table by the game leading to harmful and irreversible damage.

[0004] The device that is the subject of this invention proposes a system that is suitable for the application, compact and inexpensive. As we will see in the text, it is compact since it does not require a computer or a video projector. Furthermore, in an example of implementation, we propose the possibility of attaching it to the net in the case of table tennis.

[0005] In terms of costs, without going into a detailed financial comparison, we can already point out the financial savings of a video projector.

[0006] 2) Presentation of the invention

[0007] Preamble:

[0008] Although other sports and games are covered by the invention, we will focus in the following text on table tennis. The claims are general and a subset of these claims relate to table tennis specifically.

[0009] End of Preamble.

[0010] 2.1) The device

[0011] The device aims to give missions to players during a game of table tennis. The missions may change over time. The player will try to successfully complete these missions. The device will analyze the game of the "missioned" player and report on his success rate.

[0012] The device can concern all players around the table. There are no theoretical or technological limits to the number of players. The algorithms implemented for one player can be repeated for several players, by a simple independent replication of the individual algorithms or by a correlated combination of these same individual algorithms. An example of the above would consist, in the case of a simple independent replication, in tasking player 1 to target a zone ZI and player 2 any zone, and in the case of a correlated combination, in tasking player 1 to target ZI and player 2 to target the same zone ZI. Overall, the following can be noted:

[0013] - a player can be a robot (ball thrower)

[0014] - there can be N players against M players (usually N, M <=2)

[0015] - there can be a total of N players in a rotating game

[0016] For the sake of simplification, we will only mention one "missioned" player in the rest of the text.

[0017] The device of this invention can be cut along two axes:

[0018] First Axis - Elementary Functions: These Functions constitute the heart of the device. The Game Modes call upon Elementary Functions. The following Elementary Functions are defined:

[0019] - Mission Creation: creation of a set called Mission Grid or GM in abbreviated. GM = {i=0,....,N ; MJ, where M; is the Mission for occurrence i, in the series of successive Missions constituting GM. i is a time index. Missions are defined later in the text (1). Mission Creation can be done in real time or in delayed time.

[0020] - Signaling: consists of informing the player in real time of his Mission. The Signa lization is based on a set of accessories or peripherals such as light sources, sound, a screen.

[0021] - Capture: mainly uses a number of image sensors (cameras video), sound and / or vibration sensors. Capture follows the progress of the game, including the path of the ball and the players.

[0022] - Real Video Recording: consists of recording the Capture on a storage medium in as many tracks as there are image, sound and vibration sensors.

[0023] -Graphic Video Recording: consists of recording on a storage medium a graphic version of the Capture in as many tracks as there are image, sound and vibration sensors. To do this, the real video tracks are transformed into graphic tracks.

[0024] -Capture Analysis: consists of calculating precise values from the Capture, values which will be used to evaluate success by comparing them to the Mission.

[0025] -Report: Creation of a report including the results of the Capture Analysis.

[0026] -Communication: Communication of information to electronic devices external to the device.

[0027] -Equipment Management: Allows in particular the configuration of the device and the programming of Mission Grids.

[0028] Second Axis - Game Modes: The Game Mode is the input choice in the device. Game Modes can take several values. They call upon the Elementary Functions of the device. The following Game Modes are defined:

[0029] - G1: game according to a Real-Time Mission Grid

[0030] - G2: game according to a Predefined Mission Grid, coming either from a Capture (G3) either of a Programming (G4)

[0031] - G3: creation of a Mission Grid by Capture

[0032] - G4: creation of a Mission Grid by Programming

[0033] Typical usage of Elementary Functions by Game Modes is as follows:

[0034] G1: game according to a Real-Time Mission Grid, uses the following Functions: Creation of Missions Signaling Capture Capture Analysis

[0035] G2: game according to a Predefined Mission Grid, coming either from a Capture (G3) or from a Programming (G4), calls upon the following Functions: Creation of Missions Signaling Capture Analysis of Capture

[0036] G3: creating a Mission Grid by Capture uses the following functions: Real Video Recording Graphic Video Recording Mission Creation

[0037] G4: creation of a Mission Grid by Programming calls upon the following Functions: Equipment Management Creation of Missions

[0038] The Report and Communication Functions can be enabled or not in each Mode.

[0039] The Real Video Recording and Graphic Video Recording functions can also be activated in Modes G1 and G2.

[0040] 2.2) Detailed Description of Elementary Functions

[0041] - Mission Creation: Mission Creation generates a Mission Grid, i.e. in real time or in delayed time.

[0042] Real-time Mission Creation is used in Gl Mode. It is done based on various criteria such as the selected difficulty level, previous Capture Analysis results, and the position of the players around the table.

[0043] Offline Mission Creation is used in the other Modes, G2, G3 and G4. In Mode G2, Mission Creation formats a Mission Grid, in a format compatible with Signaling, from a predefined Mission Grid. In Mode G3 or G4, Mission Creation creates a predefined Mission Grid from Live Video or Graphic Recording (G3), or from Equipment Management (G4).

[0044] Each Mission relates to a set of Objectives which are included in the list in- dictative and non-exhaustive which follows: *target area(s) that the Player's ball must reach in the opposite half of the table, location of the Player where he must be to play the ball. *type of shot (backhand or forehand) that the player must respect to play the ball. *stroke effect (top spin, slice, flat, etc.) that the player must respect to play the ball. *racket face (if there are two different coverings on the racket) that the Player must respect to play the ball. *hand (left or right) that the player uses to play the ball.

[0045] - Signaling: consists of indicating the Mission to be carried out by the Player. Signaling can be done by different means which we will cover below: visual indication: the indication is made by lighting up the area(s) on the table. This lighting is thus an indication of the player's Mission, according to rules to be established and of which the Player is informed. We can cite as examples several vectors of information to the Player, vectors which would be the position on the table of the lighting, its size, its shape, its color, its flashing frequencies, or a composition of all or part of the vectors cited. sound indication: the indication can be done by generating sound sequences. The sequences can be simple texts read by the device, music, any sounds (water drop, musical note, etc.).

[0046] -Capture: consists of sensors installed near the playing area, namely: *Image sensor: The device has at least one image sensor (also called a video camera). It covers a region of the playing area. The region covered can vary over time. The function and capabilities of the image sensor are to collect information from an area that is within the visual field of its lens. The image sensor also has the ability to take these readings at successive times. The information recorded by the image sensor is, for example, an identical visual representation of the area covered by the image sensor. *Sound sensor: The device may also have at least one sound sensor. The location of this sound sensor depends on the application. For table tennis, this sound sensor is installed in contact with the table. *Vibration sensor: The device may also have at least one vibration sensor. The location of this vibration sensor depends on the application. For table tennis, this vibration sensor is installed in contact with the table.

[0047] The signals generated by these different sensors are used by the Capture Analysis, Real Video Recording, Graphic Video Recording Functions.

[0048] - Real Video Recording: consists of recording the Capture on a storage medium in as many tracks as there are image, sound and vibration sensors.

[0049] -Graphic Video Recording: consists of recording on a medium of storing a graphic version of the Capture in as many tracks as there are image, sound and vibration sensors. Typically, a Real Video Recording is processed and transformed to create a Graphic Video Recording.

[0050] -Capture Analysis: consists of calculating precise values from the Capture, values which will be used to evaluate the success by comparing them to the Mission. This is done in real time. Not all the Mission Objectives are necessarily verified. For example, if one of the Mission Objectives is to play with the left hand, the Capture Analysis may not concern the hand holding the racket. A typical and non-exhaustive example is that the Capture Analysis concerns the following States: *Location of the bullet impact *Player Position *The moment of bullet impact

[0051] The calculation of the player's success in each Mission is also supported by this Function. This calculation can take different forms: binary (Success or Failure) or quantified (a value on a scale of 0 to 10). This calculation of success can be done individually per Objective or globally per Mission.

[0052] - Report: Report is the Function of retrieving different metrics calculated by the Capture Analysis Function to make a report which is displayed for example on a screen around the playing area or which is read by the device. The report can just as easily be transmitted to electronic equipment outside the device which is the subject of this invention, through a local or remote communication link.

[0053] -Communication: consists of transmitting from the main device which is the subject of this text, the reports formatted by the Report Function to equipment external to the main device, whether this equipment is local or remote.

[0054] -Equipment Management: Includes configuration and supervision of the device, programming of a Mission Grid, calibration of the device.

[0055] 2.3) Formal summary of the device

[0056] We can formally summarize the device according to the following text:

[0057] A / Electronic device for sports applications, said sport being com electronically identified by an activity, such as the exchange of balls for table tennis, by one or more players and by rules, said device is composed of units for Signaling (10), Capture (11), Capture Analysis (12), Mission Creation (13), Real Video Recording (14), Graphic Video Recording (15), Report (20), Communication (30) and Equipment Management (40), and said electronic device consists of: a. to give a mission to one or more players, said mission being able to differ from one player to another, said mission being identified by the words “Mission Grid” and being able to: i. be created in real time, ii. or originate, in particular through a video recording or through the Equipment Management unit, from a particular or any previous sequence, b. to measure the performance of the player(s) assigned, said performance being absolute or “relative”, said adjective “relative” relating to the case where said Mission Grid comes from a previous sequence and having been used for other players previously.

[0058] B / Electronic device for sports applications according to A / , in which the Capture unit (11) is composed of at least one image sensor.

[0059] C / Electronic device for sports applications according to A / , in which the Capture unit (11) is optionally composed of at least one sound sensor.

[0060] D / Electronic device for sports applications according to A / , in which the Capture unit (11) is optionally composed of at least one vibration sensor.

[0061] E / Electronic device for sports applications according to A / , in which the Equipment Management unit (40) includes the configuration and supervision of the device, the programming of a Mission Grid, the calibration of the device.

[0062] F / Electronic device for sports applications according to A / , in an example of implementation for table tennis in which: a. the Signaling unit (10) is located in at least the housing (111) near the table (101), b. the Capture unit (11) is distributed in at least the housing (111) near the table, and in at least the housing (121) in contact with the table and / or in at least the housing (122) in contact with the table, c. the Capture Analysis unit (12) is located in at least the housing (111) near the table (101), d. the Mission Creation unit (13) is located in at least the box (111) near the table (101), e. the Real Video Recording unit (14) is located in at least the housing (111) near the table (101), f. the Graphic Video Recording unit (15) is located in at least the housing (111) near the table (101), g. the Report unit (20) is located in at least the housing (111) near the table (101), h. the Communication unit (30) is located in at least the housing (111) near the table (101), i. the Equipment Management unit (40) is located in at least the housing (111) near the table (101), j. the housing (112) possibly supports the housing (111).

[0063] G / Electronic device for sports applications according to A / , in an exemplary implementation for table tennis according to F / , in which the housings (111) and (112) are integral with the net.

[0064] H / Electronic device for sports applications according to A / , in an exemplary implementation for table tennis according to F / , in which the Signaling unit (10) is composed of at least one light source.

[0065] U Electronic device for sports applications according to H / , in which the light source is motorized.

[0066] J / Electronic device for sports applications according to H / , in which the light source is coupled with an anamorphic lens.

[0067] K7 Electronic device for sports applications according to A / , in an exemplary implementation for table tennis according to F / , in which the Signaling unit (10) is composed of at least one sound source.

[0068] L / Equipment comprising a set of electronic cards in their housings, said electronic cards comprising processors, memories, recording media, accessories, peripherals, interconnections, and comprising a software program, a series of instructions, stored in a recording medium and executed by said processors, said equipment ensuring the processing according to A / to K7.

[0069] 3) List of Figures

[0070] [Fig.l]: Simplified block diagram of the device

[0071] [Fig.2]: Example of hardware implementation for table tennis

[0072] [Fig.l] illustrates the Elementary Functions according to a particular embodiment of the invention: Signaling (10), Capture (11), Capture Analysis (12), Mission Creation (13), Real Video Recording (14), Graphic Video Recording (15), Report (20), Communication (30) and Equipment Management (40). In this example of a device, Signaling (10) translates the missions using visual and / or sound indications. Mission Creation (13) for example updates the missions according to criteria to be programmed and the results of Capture Analysis (12). Capture (11) captures events on the playing area in real time, using image, sound and / or vibration sensors. Capture Analysis (12) decodes the results of Capture (11) in real time. This Capture Analysis (12) is used by Mission Creation (13) and Report (20).

[0073] [Fig.2] is an example of hardware implementation in the case of table tennis. According to this particular embodiment of the invention, the device is composed of two housings (111) and (112), at least one housing (121) and / or at least one housing (122). (101) represents the ping-pong table and (102) the net. In [Fig.2], is not shown that the case where the device object of this invention is used on the left half of the table. (111) and (112) are two boxes which include in particular image sensors, a source of light beams and the electronics necessary for the operation of the entire device. (121) represents a sound sensor and (122) a vibration sensor. The source of light beams has the function and capacity to illuminate one or more areas of the playing area for a given duration of time. Two areas (131) and (132) are shown as examples.

Claims

Claims

1. Electronic device for sports applications, said sport being commonly identified by an activity, such as the exchange of balls for table tennis by one or more players and by rules, said electronic device is composed of Signaling (10), Capture (11), Capture Analysis (12), Mission Creation (13), Real Video Recording (14), Graphical Video Recording (15), Report (20), Communication (30) and Equipment Management (40) units, and said electronic device consists of: a. giving a mission to one or more players, said mission being able to differ from one player to another, said mission being identified by the words "Mission Grid" and being able to: i. be created in real time, ii. or come, in particular thanks to a video recording or thanks to the Equipment Management unit, from a particular or any previous sequence, b.to measure the performance of the player(s) assigned, said performance being absolute or “relative”, said adjective “relative” relating to the case where said Mission Grid comes from a previous sequence and having been used for other players previously.

2. Electronic device for sports applications according to claim 1, wherein the Capture unit (11) is composed of at least one image sensor.

3. Electronic device for sports applications according to claim 1, wherein the Capture unit (11) is optionally composed of at least one sound sensor.

4. Electronic device for sports applications according to claim 1, wherein the Capture unit (11) is optionally composed of at least one vibration sensor.

5. Electronic device for sports applications according to claim 1, in which the Equipment Management unit (40) includes the configuration and supervision of the device, the programming of a Mission Grid, the calibration of the device.

6. Electronic device for sports applications according to claim 1, in an exemplary implementation for table tennis in which: a. the Signaling unit (10) is located in at least the housing (111) near the table (101), b. the Capture unit (11) is distributed in at least the housing (111) near the table, and in at least the housing (121) in contact with the table and / or in at least the housing (122) in contact with the table, c. the Capture Analysis unit (12) is located in at least the housing (111) near the table (101), d. the Mission Creation unit (13) is located in at least the housing (111) near the table (101), e. the Real Video Recording unit (14) is located in at least the housing (111) near the table (101), f. the Graphic Video Recording unit (15) is located in at least the housing (111) near the table (101), g. the Report unit (20) is located in at least the housing (111) near the table (101), h. the Communication unit (30) is located in at least the housing (111) near the table (101), i. the Equipment Management unit (40) is located in at least the housing (111) near the table (101), j. the housing (112) possibly supports the housing (111).

7. Electronic device for sports applications according to claim 1, in an exemplary implementation for table tennis according to claim 6, in which the housings (111) and (112) are integral with the net.

8. Electronic device for sports applications according to claim 1, in an exemplary implementation for table tennis according to claim 6, in which the Signaling unit (10) is composed of at least one light source.

9. Electronic device for sports applications according to claim 8, wherein the light source is motorized.

10. An electronic device for sports applications according to claim 8, wherein the light source is coupled with a lens anamorphic.

11. Electronic device for sports applications according to claim 1, in an exemplary implementation for table tennis according to claim 6, in which the Signaling unit (10) is composed of at least one sound source.

12. Equipment comprising a set of electronic cards in their housings, said electronic cards comprising processors, memories, recording media, accessories, peripherals, interconnections, and comprising a software program, a series of instructions, stored in a recording medium and executed by said processors, said equipment ensuring the processing according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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