Mixed reality batting system

Abstract

This is a method for processing swings in a batting simulator. The method includes the step of providing a batting simulator, which comprises a bat, a ball, a batting cage, two or more sensors configured to detect the trajectory and trajectory of a ball passing through a predetermined position, and a controller arranged to communicate with these two or more sensors. The method further includes the steps of the controller receiving an execution metric, a batter difficulty setting, and the trajectory and trajectory of a ball passing through a predetermined position for one or more consecutive ball hits, and the controller outputting an aggregated swing success metric.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to mixed reality sports entertainment, and in particular to a mixed reality batting simulator system.

Background Art

[0002] In the sport of baseball, two teams typically alternate between offense and defense per inning, and a game is played over a total of nine innings. Offensive gameplay includes batting and base running, the object of which is to hit the pitched ball into the playing field, thereby allowing one or more offensive players to advance through a sequence of bases to earn a point or "run". Defensive gameplay includes pitching the ball to the batter while preventing the batter from advancing around the bases. When the defensive team records three outs (for example, striking out the batter, catching a batted ball, or tagging out an offensive runner advancing between bases), the two teams switch between offensive and defensive gameplay.

[0003] Baseball is often referred to as "America's national pastime," but the length of time required to complete a game and the limited opportunities for batters to step to the plate deter many potential players from participating. Similarly, conventional batting practice is often monotonous and routine, and thus fails to attract these potential players. Accordingly, there is a need for a mixed reality batting system that achieves gamification of batting practice.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] The aspects, objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood and appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of embodiments, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings.

[0005] In a first exemplary embodiment, the Disclosure provides a method for processing a swing in a batting simulator. The method comprises providing a batting simulator system, which includes a bat, a ball, a batting cage, two or more sensors configured to detect the trajectory and trajectory velocity of a ball passing through a predetermined location, and a controller. The controller includes a non-temporary computer-readable memory configured to store a set of non-temporary computer-readable instructions and is configured to communicate with the two or more sensors. The method further includes the controller receiving an execution metric, the controller receiving a batter's difficulty setting and / or handicap score, the controller receiving the trajectory and trajectory velocity of a ball passing through a predetermined location for one or more consecutive ball hits, the controller comparing the trajectory and trajectory velocity of a ball passing through a predetermined location for one or more consecutive ball hits with the execution metric and the batter's difficulty setting and / or handicap score, and the controller outputting an aggregated swing success metric. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] The accompanying drawings are incorporated herein as part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure and illustrate selected principles and teachings of this disclosure. However, the drawings do not illustrate all possible embodiments of the subject matter of this disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure in any way.

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a simplified schematic diagram of a mixed reality batting system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0008] [Figure 2] This is a simplified schematic diagram of a mixed reality batting system environment according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] [Figure 3] The following shows the display output of an exemplary batting round in a mixed reality batting system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This shows the display output for the same batting round. [Figure 5] This shows the display output for the same batting round.

[0010] [Figure 6] The following shows the display output of an exemplary batting round in a mixed reality batting system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] This shows the display output for the same batting round. [Figure 8] This shows the display output for the same batting round.

[0011] [Figure 9] The following shows the display output of an exemplary batting round in a mixed reality batting system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] This shows the display output for the same batting round. [Figure 11] This shows the display output for the same batting round. [Figure 12] This shows the display output for the same batting round.

[0012] [Figure 13] The following shows the display output of an exemplary batting round in a mixed reality batting system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] This shows the display output for the same batting round. [Figure 15] This shows the display output for the same batting round.

[0013] [Figure 16] The following shows the display output of an exemplary batting round in a mixed reality batting system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 17]Shows the display output of the same batting round. [Figure 18] Shows the display output of the same batting round.

[0014] [Figure 19] Shows an exemplary display output of a batting ground of a mixed reality batting system, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 20] Shows the display output of the same batting round. [Figure 21] Shows the display output of the same batting round. [Figure 22] Shows the display output of the same batting round.

[0015] [Figure 23] It is a flowchart of a swing processing method in a batting simulator, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 24] It is a flowchart of the same method.

[0016] [Figure 25] Shows a simplified schematic diagram of an input device of a mixed reality batting system, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] [Figure 26] It is a flowchart of a swing processing method in a batting simulator, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Description

[0018] It should be understood that the present invention may take various alternative directions and sequences of steps, unless expressly otherwise provided. It should also be understood that the particular assemblies and systems shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification are merely illustrative embodiments of the inventive concept as defined herein. Therefore, specific dimensions, directions, or other physical characteristics relating to the disclosed embodiments should not be considered limiting unless expressly otherwise stated. Furthermore, similar elements in the various embodiments described herein are referred to by similar reference numerals, although this is not always the case.

[0019] Those skilled in the art will understand that the elements and techniques described herein can be implemented without one or more specific details, or using other methods, components, materials, etc. In some cases, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not described or explained in detail so as not to obscure the features of this disclosure. Throughout this specification, the terms “one embodiment” or “exemplary embodiment” mean that a particular feature, structure, or property described in relation to that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this disclosure. Thus, where the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an exemplary sub-embodiment” appear throughout this specification, they do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. However, the particular features, structures, or properties described can be combined in any suitable way in one or more embodiments.

[0020] As used herein, terms such as “first,” “second,” etc., do not necessarily indicate a hierarchy, order, or priority relationship, and are used to clearly distinguish one process / element or set of processes / elements from another element or set of elements, unless otherwise specified.

[0021] Referring to Figure 1, an exemplary embodiment of the mixed reality batting system 100 is presented. In one embodiment, the mixed reality batting system 100 includes a home plate 102 and at least one batting cage 104A, 104B. As shown in Figure 1, the batting cages 104A, 104B are located on either side of the home plate 102 in the X-axis direction. It should be understood that the home plate 102 may have a different shape and size than a normal baseball home plate. For example, the home plate 102 may be, but is not limited to, a circle, square, rectangle, triangle, ellipse, star, etc. A pitcher 106 is positioned in front of the home plate 102 in the Y-axis direction. In one embodiment, the home plate 102 is digital and has no physical features. For example, the home plate 102 may be a digitally identified two- or three-dimensional area stored in a controller 120. In one embodiment, the digital home plate 102 is a 17-inch x 17-inch square located at a predetermined distance from the pitcher 106. The distance between the pitcher 106 and home plate 102 is variable, but is usually positioned further from home plate 102 than the batter's swing radius. However, the pitcher 106 includes a tee 106A, which is configured to support a ball 108 on or near home plate 102. In this case, the pitcher 106A is necessarily positioned within the batter's swing radius. In exemplary embodiments, the pitcher 106 may be, but is not limited to, a manually or automatically supplied pitching machine, a human pitcher, or a tee 106A.

[0022] The mixed reality batting system 100 also includes a bat 110 for hitting a ball 108. In an exemplary embodiment, the ball 108 is a standard and / or standard baseball, and the bat 110 is a standard and / or standard baseball bat. In another exemplary embodiment, the ball 108 is a standard and / or standard softball, and the bat 110 is a standard and / or standard softball bat. In yet another embodiment, the bat 110 may be configured to improve the distance traveled and / or the velocity of the batted ball. In one embodiment, the bat 110 may include one or more sensors 110A that are operable to detect and / or transmit the force related to the swing speed and / or the impact with the ball 108, and / or the ball 108 may include one or more sensors 108A that are operable to detect and / or transmit the force related to the swing speed and / or the impact with the bat 110. For example, one or more sensors 108A, 110A may include accelerometers, capacitive accelerometers, piezoelectric sensors, piezoelectric resistance sensors, strain gauge sensors, or any combination thereof. For example, a piezoelectric sensor measures the charge generated by mechanical stress and generates a signal corresponding to an impact. Piezoelectric sensors are formed from a sensing material such as quartz. The voltage signal generated by the sensing material is proportional to the thickness of the sensing material in the measurement direction. Piezoelectric sensors can be designed to detect shear forces as well as forces applied in the lateral and longitudinal directions.

[0023] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the bat 110 may include lighting means such as a light-emitting diode (LED) configured to emit light of one or more wavelengths, but is not limited to this. For example, the bat 110 may include lighting means that emit light of one or more wavelengths when a collision with the ball 108 is detected.

[0024] The mixed reality batting system 100 also includes a plurality of sensors 112 configured to detect the trajectory and exit velocity (velocity) of a ball 108 passing through a predetermined position 114. In exemplary embodiments, the plurality of sensors 112 include active pixel sensors such as complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensors, charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors, infrared cameras, field sensors, and / or cameras. The plurality of sensors 112 are configured to communicate with a controller 120. The mixed reality batting system 100 may also include one or more cameras configured to take photographs or videos of each at-bat. In one example, one or more cameras are included in the sensors 112 configured to collect data on the ball's trajectory and exit velocity. In one embodiment, one or more cameras are operable to collect data on the batter's swing mechanics. For example, the swing mechanics data can be transmitted to one or more of the controller 120, server 132, and electronic devices 134, as described later.

[0025] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, in one example, the controller 120 includes a processor 122 and a non-temporary computer-readable memory 124 configured to execute and store. This non-temporary computer-readable memory 124 is configured to execute and store a number of non-temporary computer-readable instructions 126 that perform various functions of the controller 120, as will be described later. Furthermore, as shown in the figures, in one exemplary embodiment, the controller 120 further includes a communication module 128 and a power storage device 130.

[0026] The controller 120 can communicate with and receive signals from the sensor 112 via a wired or wireless connection. The controller 120 can also communicate with and receive signals from the sensors 108A and 110A via a wireless connection. In a non-limiting example, the wireless connection may be a Wi-Fi connection, a Bluetooth connection, and / or an electromagnetic connection. Furthermore, the controller 120 can communicate with one or more servers 132. For example, but not limited to, the controller 120 can continuously or at predetermined intervals transmit signals to a cloud-based server 132 and / or peripheral electronic devices 134, a remote input device 135, and a display 136. In an exemplary embodiment, the controller 120 transmits a signal to the cloud-based server 132, and the cloud-based server 132 transmits a signal to the peripheral electronic device 134. Similarly, in an exemplary embodiment, the peripheral electronic device 134 transmits a signal to the cloud-based server 132, and the cloud-based server 132 transmits a signal to the controller 120. The communication module 128 includes one or more antennas, radio, automatic gain control (AGC), modulators, demodulators, and / or separate processors for bit processing. The communication module 128 is configured to transmit or receive via wired or wireless connection with the server 132, remote input device 135, and / or display 136. The power storage device 130 is, for example, a battery, capacitor, or supercapacitor, and is configured to store power and supply it to the controller 120. In one embodiment, the remote input device 135 is a touchscreen computer or a computer with a display and keyboard (shown in Figure 25).

[0027] The mixed reality batting system 100 may include a net 138 positioned at a predetermined distance from the home plate 102 to stop the trajectory of the batted ball 108. In an exemplary embodiment, the controller 120 stores and executes non-temporary computer-readable instructions 126. That is, when the processor 122 executes the non-temporary computer-readable instructions 126, the controller 120 detects the trajectory and velocity of the batted ball 108 via sensors 112 and / or sensors 108A, 110A, and outputs an aggregated swing success metric (aggregated swing success index).

[0028] Referring to Figures 3 to 22, in exemplary embodiments, a non-temporary computer-readable instruction 126 includes one or more batting rounds 140 or innings. Each batting round 140 has a performance metric (performance indicator) 142. For example, a non-temporary computer-readable instruction 126 can include six different batting rounds 140, each having a performance metric 142. In another example, a non-temporary computer-readable instruction 126 can include one to four different batting rounds 140, each having a performance metric 142. In yet another example, a non-temporary computer-readable instruction 126 can include two or three different batting rounds 140, each having a performance metric 142. In yet another example, a non-temporary computer-readable instruction 126 can include seven or more different batting rounds 140, each having a performance metric 142. Each batting round 140 includes a predetermined number of at-bat attempts (e.g., pitches and / or hits) for each batter participating in the game (e.g., one, three, six, or seven). In a particular batting round 140, the number of at-bats may be determined by a time limit. Figures 3 to 22 show examples of output to the display 136 during each batting round 140.

[0029] Referring to Figures 3-5, the first batting round 140A has a performance metric 142A. This performance metric 142A includes a range of launch angles (i.e., angles relative to the ground level of or near home plate 102) of the ball 108 to test whether the batter hit the ball 108 in a line drive to center field of a virtual field (e.g., a baseball field). As an example, the launch angle range may be increased or decreased depending on the difficulty setting of the batting round 140 (e.g., beginner (arcade), easy, medium, hard) and / or the batter's handicap score. This will be explained in more detail below. For example, each batter may select or be assigned a difficulty setting before the game. As an example, a batter who selects the difficulty setting "Beginner (arcade)" can score even if they hit the ball within a wider launch angle range than a batter who selects the difficulty setting "Easy," "Medium," or "Hard" at the plate. Similarly, batters who select the "easy" difficulty setting can score even if they hit the ball at a wider range of launch angles than batters who select the "medium" or "hard" difficulty setting.

[0030] Referring to Figures 6-8, the second batting round 140B has a performance metric 142B. This performance metric 142B includes one or more horizontal angle ranges or yaw angle ranges to test whether the batter has hit the ball into a given zone of a virtual field (e.g., a baseball field). In exemplary embodiments, the horizontal angle range may be increased or decreased depending on the difficulty setting of the batting round 140 (e.g., beginner (arcade), easy, medium, hard) and / or the batter's handicap score. The horizontal angle range may be changed after one or more hits of the ball 108 have been detected. For example, a batter who has selected the difficulty setting "Beginner (arcade)" can score even if they hit the ball within a wider horizontal angle range than a batter who has selected the difficulty setting "Easy," "Medium," or "Hard." Similarly, a batter who has selected the difficulty setting "Easy" can score even if they hit the ball within a wider horizontal angle range than a batter who has selected the difficulty setting "Medium" or "Hard."

[0031] Referring to Figures 9-12, the third batting round 140C has a performance metric 142C. This performance metric 142C includes one or more horizontal (or yaw) angle ranges and / or launch angle ranges and / or exit velocity to test whether a batter can hit the ball into a predetermined zone on a virtual field (such as a baseball field) and whether a virtual runner can reach the next base or virtual home plate. For example, if batting round 140C indicates that a virtual runner is on third base, a batted ball 108 with an infield fly trajectory and exit velocity would not allow the runner to advance to virtual home plate, but a batted ball 108 with an outfield or infield line drive trajectory and exit velocity would allow the runner to advance to virtual home plate. In an exemplary embodiment, a batter who selects the "Beginner (Arcade)" difficulty setting can score even if they hit the ball within a wider zone than a batter who selects the "Easy," "Medium," or "Hard" difficulty settings. Similarly, a batter who selects the "easy" difficulty setting can score even if they hit the ball within a wider zone than a batter who selects the "medium" or "hard" difficulty setting.

[0032] Referring to Figures 13-15, the fourth batting round 140D has a performance metric 142D that includes the velocity of the batted ball 108. For example, the performance metric 142D may include only the velocity of the batted ball 108. In an exemplary embodiment, the batted ball velocity in the performance metric 142D is calculated as 90% of the maximum batted ball velocity of the batter's batted ball 108 in the previous batting rounds 140A, 140B, and 140C. The threshold batted ball velocity at which a score can be made can be increased or decreased depending on the difficulty setting of the batting round 140 (e.g., beginner (arcade), easy, medium, hard) and / or the batter's handicap score. In an exemplary embodiment, a batter who has selected the "beginner (arcade)" difficulty setting can score even if they hit the ball at a slower batted ball velocity than a batter who has selected the "easy, medium, or hard" difficulty setting. Similarly, a batter who selects the "easy" difficulty setting can score even if they hit the ball at a slower batted ball speed than a batter who selects the "medium or hard" difficulty setting.

[0033] Referring to Figures 16-18, the fifth batting round 140E has a performance metric 142E. This performance metric 142E includes the number of times a virtual runner reaches virtual home plate within a limited time, or before the batter gets three outs. For example, one or more horizontal (or yaw) angle ranges and / or launch angle ranges and / or batted ball velocities of batted balls 108 can be used to determine how many bases a virtual runner advanced after each batted ball and / or whether a virtual fielder caught the ball. In an exemplary embodiment, a batter who selects the "Beginner (Arcade)" difficulty setting can score even if they hit the ball within a wider horizontal angle range and / or a wider launch angle range and / or at a slower batted ball velocity than a batter who selects the "Easy, Medium, or Hard" difficulty setting. Similarly, a batter who selects the "Easy" difficulty setting can score even if they hit the ball within a wider horizontal angle range and / or a wider launch angle range, and / or at a slower exit velocity, compared to a batter who selects the "Medium or Hard" difficulty setting.

[0034] Referring to Figures 19-22, the sixth batting round 140F has a performance metric 142F. This performance metric 142F includes one or more horizontal (or yaw) angle ranges and / or launch angle ranges and / or exit velocity of the batted ball 108 to test whether the batter can score a virtual run batted in (RBI) with the bases loaded. In an exemplary embodiment, a batter who selects the "Beginner (Arcade)" difficulty setting can score if, at the plate, they hit the ball within a wider horizontal angle range and / or a wider launch angle range, and / or at a slower exit velocity, than a batter who selects the "Easy, Medium, or Hard" difficulty setting. Similarly, a batter who selects the "Easy" difficulty setting can score if, at the plate, they hit the ball within a wider horizontal angle range and / or a wider launch angle range, and / or at a slower exit velocity, than a batter who selects the "Medium or Hard" difficulty setting.

[0035] In any batting round 140, the horizontal angle range, launch angle range, and threshold batted ball speed can be increased or decreased according to the difficulty setting of the batting round 140 (e.g., beginner (arcade), easy, medium, hard) and / or the batter's handicap score. In an exemplary embodiment, the batter's handicap score gives an advantage to batters with lower batting averages and equalizes the chances of winning among batters with different skill / experience levels. For example, in a game of six batting rounds 140, one or more batters with high batting averages may be assigned a point deficit to compensate for. Whether a batting average is "high" can be determined by comparing it to other batters in a game of six batting rounds 140. For example, if a high batting average is a certain percentage higher than the average batting average of the other batters, the batter with the high batting average will be assigned a point deficit. In another example, for a batter with a high batting average, the difficulty of each round can be increased and / or the threshold batted ball speed can be increased by narrowing the horizontal and vertical angle ranges required to score. Similarly, for a batter with a relatively low batting average, the difficulty of each round can be decreased and / or the threshold batted ball speed can be decreased by widening the horizontal and vertical angle ranges required to score.

[0036] At the end of each batting round 140, the controller 120 outputs a summary swing success metric. The summary swing success metric can be the mathematical average of the number of times a batter achieved the threshold performance metric 142. For example, if a batter scores points by meeting the threshold performance metric 142 in 2 out of 4 swings during a batting round 140, the batter would have achieved a summary swing success metric of ".500". In an exemplary embodiment, the batter's summary swing success metric is averaged after each batting round 140 and output to the display 136, electronic device 134, and / or server 132. Each batter is assigned a batter identifier, which is associated with the batter's summary swing success metric and difficulty setting / handicap. The battery identifier may be stored, for example, in the controller 120, electronic device 134, and / or server 132. The batter's overall swing success metric may also be stored in the controller 120, electronic device 134, remote input device 135, and / or server 132. At the end of each batting round 140, the batter's aggregated swing success metric may be updated and output to at least one of the display 136, electronic device 134, and / or server 132. Similarly, at the end of each batting round 140, the batter's swing / hit data may be output to at least one of the display 136, electronic device 134, and / or server 132.

[0037] In one embodiment, each batting round 140 further includes a bonus metric (bonus indicator) 144. For example, in a first batting round 140A, the bonus metric 144 may include a ball exit velocity threshold. If the ball 108 exceeds the ball exit velocity threshold over a predetermined number of hits, a sixth batting round 140F includes an additional pitch / hit opportunity. In a second batting round 140B, the bonus metric 144 may include hitting the ball within a predetermined horizontal angle range for each hit. If the bonus metric 144 meets the threshold, a sixth batting round 140F includes an additional pitch / hit opportunity.

[0038] In exemplary embodiments, a batter can earn digital tokens by meeting specific performance metrics 142 during a batting round 140. For example, a batter can earn digital tokens by barreling the ball. In other words, this means meeting threshold performance metrics 142 for the launch angle and batted ball velocity. Generally, a barreled ball is defined as having a launch velocity of at least 98 mph and a launch angle of 26–30 degrees. However, in some exemplary embodiments, the launch angle range for barrels can be expanded and the launch velocity threshold can be lowered depending on the batter's handicap. In exemplary embodiments, the earned digital tokens are determined by the controller 120, associated with a batter identifier, and transmitted to the server 132 and / or electronic device 134. The batter can exchange one or more digital tokens for digital or physical prizes.

[0039] In one embodiment, the mixed reality batting system 100 includes non-temporary computer-readable instructions stored in an electronic device 134. This electronic device 134 operates to store and display a batter's player card. For example, the player card includes an image of the batter and their aggregated swing success metrics. The non-temporary computer-readable instructions stored in the electronic device 134 can automatically update the batter's aggregated swing success metrics when the batter's aggregated swing success metrics are received from the controller 120 and / or the server 132.

[0040] As shown in Figures 23 and 24, in an exemplary embodiment, the swing processing method in the batting simulator includes the following steps: In step 150, the controller 120 receives batter identifier and batter handicap data. In step 152, the controller 120 receives or identifies a first execution metric 142. In step 154, the controller 120 receives the trajectory and batted ball velocity of the ball 108 as it passes through a predetermined position 114 via one or more sensors 108A, 110A, 112. As shown in Figure 24, in an exemplary embodiment, the method optionally includes step 153 before step 154, in which the ball 108 is thrown to home plate 102. The method further includes step 156. In step 156, the controller 120 compares the trajectory and batted ball velocity of the ball 108 as it passes through the predetermined position 114 with the first execution metric 142 and the batter handicap. The method also includes step 158. In this step, the controller 120 outputs an aggregated swing success metric. Figure 26 shows how to apply a batter's handicap to the performance metric 142.

[0041] In an exemplary embodiment, batters compete virtually / remotely in one or more batting rounds 140. For example, a first batter can compete using a first mixed reality batting system 100 against a second batter using a second mixed reality batting system 100. Conveniently, data such as the first batter's aggregated swing success metrics can be output to a server 132 and transmitted to the controller 120 of the second mixed reality batting system 100 and / or the second batter's electronic device 134, and vice versa. In an exemplary embodiment, the server 132 hosts the remote batting rounds 140 and receives / transmits data to the controllers 120 of the first and second mixed reality batting systems to maintain a substantially real-time match between the first and second batters.

[0042] In exemplary embodiments, the disclosure provides a non-temporary, computer-readable storage medium storing game program instructions, a game processing device (e.g., a mixed reality batting system 100), and a game processing method stored as instructions executable by a computing device such as a controller 120. The controller 120 performs various information processing by executing instructions (e.g., information processing programs) stored in the storage medium. In processing the instructions, the controller 120 receives execution metrics 142 (e.g., the launch angle range of the ball 108, the batted ball velocity, and / or trajectory) and the batter difficulty setting associated with the batting round 140 from, for example, a remote input device 135 or the storage medium. The controller 120 then receives, for one or more consecutive hits of the ball 108, the trajectory of the ball from the batting box and the batted ball velocity, determined, for example, by a sensor 112. Next, the controller 120 compares the trajectory of the ball 108 from the batter's box and the exit velocity for one or more consecutive ball hits with the execution metric 142 and the batter difficulty setting to determine and output the aggregated swing success metric. In an exemplary embodiment, the mixed reality batting system 100 includes one or more speakers that can be operated to output sound indicating whether the hit was successful or unsuccessful.

[0043] Additional embodiments not shown can also be created by combining one or more features of the embodiments described in the specification. While various embodiments have been described in detail above, they should be understood to be presented for illustrative purposes only and not limiting. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the subject matter of this disclosure can be embodied in other particular forms, variations, and modifications without departing from its scope, spirit, or essential features. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be considered illustrative in all respects and not limiting. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of its equivalents are intended to be encompassed within the claims.

Claims

1. A method for processing swings in a batting simulator, The provision includes a batting simulator system, the batting simulator system comprising a bat, a ball, a batting area, two or more sensors configured to detect the trajectory and speed of the ball as it passes through a predetermined position, and a controller configured to communicate with the two or more sensors and to store a set of non-temporary computer-readable instructions. The aforementioned controller receives the execution metric, The aforementioned controller receives the batter difficulty setting, The controller receives the trajectory and ball speed of the ball passing through the predetermined position for one or more consecutive ball hits, The controller compares the trajectory and batted ball speed of the ball passing through the predetermined position for one or more consecutive ball hits with the execution metric and the batter difficulty setting. The controller outputs the aggregated swing success metric. A method that includes this.

2. The aforementioned execution metric is the first execution metric, and the aforementioned one or more consecutive ball hits constitute the first set of one or more consecutive ball hits. moreover, The controller receives the second execution metric, The controller receives the trajectory and speed of the ball from the batter's box for a second set of one or more consecutive ball hits. The controller compares the trajectory of the ball from the batter's box and the batted ball speed for the second set of one or more consecutive ball hits with the second performance metric and the batter difficulty setting. The controller outputs the aggregated swing success metric. The method according to claim 1, including the following:

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first performance metric includes the launch angle of the ball, and the second performance metric includes the ball's trajectory speed.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising outputting a digital success token as a function of at least one of the ball's batting speed and the accuracy of the ball's trajectory.

5. moreover, The controller receives the batter's handicap score, The controller compares the trajectory and batted ball speed of the ball that has passed through the predetermined position with the batter's handicap score for one or more consecutive ball hits. The method according to claim 1, including the method described in claim 1.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the batter handicap score reduces the batted ball velocity required to score one or more points in the aggregated swing success metric.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the aggregated swing success metric is transmitted to a server and transmitted from the server to a remote electronic device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the batter's aggregated swing success metric is stored, and each output of the aggregated swing success metric is linked and dynamically updated within the electronic device.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the batting simulator system further comprises a pitcher, the pitcher being selected from one of a ball delivery device, a tee, and a human pitcher.

10. Furthermore, the system includes visually presenting the aggregated swing success metrics via an electronic display. The method according to claim 1,

11. A program product comprising a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium, wherein the storage medium has program instructions that are thereby embodied, and the program instructions are executable by a computer device and cause the computer device to operate. The aforementioned controller receives the execution metric, The aforementioned controller receives the batter difficulty setting, The controller receives the trajectory and speed of the ball from the batter's box for one or more consecutive ball hits, The controller compares the trajectory and exit velocity of the ball from the batter's box for one or more consecutive ball hits with the performance metrics and batter difficulty settings. and the controller outputs the aggregated swing success metric, Computer program products including...

12. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the performance metric is modified according to the batter's difficulty setting, and the trajectory of the ball from the batter's box and the exit velocity for one or more consecutive ball hits are compared with the modified performance metric.

13. A controller including a non-temporary computer-readable memory configured to store a set of non-temporary computer-readable instructions, wherein one or more execution metrics and one or more batter difficulty settings are stored in the non-temporary computer-readable memory; Two or more sensors configured to detect the trajectory and speed of the ball, and configured to communicate with the controller, A remote server configured to communicate with the controller, Equipped with, The controller is configured to compare at least one of the ball trajectory and the batted ball speed with the performance metric and the batter difficulty setting. A mixed reality batting system in which the controller is configured to output aggregated swing success metrics to the server.

14. The mixed reality batting system according to claim 13, wherein the aggregated swing success metric includes the average of ball hits that achieved one or more execution metrics and ball hits that did not achieve them.

15. The mixed reality batting system according to claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to output the aggregated swing success metric to a remote input device.

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