Training system and computer-implemented training method

The system allows players to set up guided training sessions using a server-connected ball-throwing machine with predefined parameters, enhancing training efficiency and safety.

WO2025154006A1PCT designated stage expired Publication Date: 2025-07-24LEOTTA GIUSEPPE
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Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/IB2025/050507
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2024-01-19
Filing Date
2025-01-17
Publication Date
2025-07-24

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing ball-throwing machines for racket sports require expert intervention for setting launch parameters, are time-consuming, and may produce unsuitable or dangerous training conditions, especially for inexperienced players.

Method used

A system comprising a server, app, and ball-throwing machine that allows players to select workouts with predefined launch parameters, enabling self-guided training through a connected device, with optional visual and acoustic signaling, and data recording.

Benefits of technology

Enables players to train efficiently and safely based on their needs, improving training realism and effectiveness without expert supervision.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

Training system, and related computer-implemented method for sports played with racket and ball comprising a server (100) and a memory (110) accessible by the server (100), an app (300) installed on at least one device, provided with one or more processing units, of a player user, wherein the app (300) is configured to connect to the server (100) and to at least one ball- throwing machine (200), wherein the memory (110) stores a set of descriptive data and at least one operation datum of said at least one ball-throwing machine (200) for each workout of a plurality of workouts, wherein said at least one operation datum for each workout includes or consists of or is associated with a respective set of launch parameters of a sequence of one or more thrown balls according to which said at least one ball-throwing machine (200) is to be set to make the player user carry out the corresponding workout, wherein the app (300) is configured to: A. allow the player user to select a workout of said plurality of workouts, B. receive from the server (100) the set of descriptive data of the selected workout and display them on a screen of said at least one device of the player user, C. receive from the server (100) said at least one operation datum of the selected workout and transmit it to said at least one ball-throwing machine (200), and D. transmit a throwing start signal to the ball-throwing machine (200) to start the sequence of one or more thrown balls of the selected workout, and wherein said at least one ball-throwing machine (200) is configured to: E. set its own operation according to the set of launch parameters of the selected workout.
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Description

[0001] TRAINING SYSTEM AND COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED TRAINING METHOD

[0002] * * *

[0003] The present invention relates to a system, as well as a computer-implemented method, of training for sports played with racket and ball, in particular for padel and tennis, but also for table tennis, squash, pickleball and badminton, that allows, in a simple, flexible, efficient and reliable way, a player user to train in a guided manner in relation to his / her needs.

[0004] In the following of this description and in the claims, computer-implemented method means a method executable by any device provided with one or more processing units, such as smartphones, cell phones, tablets, laptops, personal computers (PCs) and servers, or by a set of one or more of such devices. Furthermore, in the following of this description and in the claims, app means a computer program executable by a device provided with one or more processing units and configured to perform specific functions following one or more commands from a user received through a graphical user interface.

[0005] It is known that in sports played with racket and ball, such as padel, tennis, table tennis, squash and badminton, players can also train thanks to ball-throwing machines configured to automatically throw one ball at a time from a container with which the machine is provided. Such ball-throwing machines are generally movable, e.g. on wheels or support rollers, and are provided with mechanisms, such as counter-rotating wheels, which grasp, compress and throw the balls, possibly according to selectable launch parameters, such as the speed, height and direction of the thrown ball and the frequency of throwing a sequence of balls, as well as specific effects to be imparted to the thrown ball, such as the topspin effect or the backspin effect.

[0006] In prior art ball-throwing machines, the launch parameters are set through a controller on board the machine itself or through a remote control or a software installed on a device provided with one or more processing units connected, with a wired or wireless connection, to the ball-throwing machine. Once the launch parameters of a sequence of balls have been set, it is sufficient to start the operation of the ball-throwing machine that will throw the sequence of balls with the selected launch parameters. An example of such a prior art ball-throwing machine is described in document WO 88 / 01188 Al.

[0007] However, such solutions suffer from some drawbacks.

[0008] In particular, the correct setting of the launch parameters requires the presence of and / or the preliminary consultation with an expert, such as a coach, to allow a certain player to carry out a training suited to his / her needs, namely to his / her level of experience and his / her current condition, for example a condition following a muscle fatigue or an injury. In fact, the setting of the combination of launch parameters is complex and, in addition to requiring a lot of time from the player user, could also produce launches that are not suited to his / her specific needs, or even dangerous for his / her current condition.

[0009] Furthermore, not only, but above all, for inexperienced players, a training with a prior art ball-throwing machine must always be preceded and accompanied by specific lessons in which a coach guides the player in the execution of the shots.

[0010] The object of the present invention is therefore to allow in a simple, flexible, efficient and reliable way a player user to train in a guided manner in relation to his / her needs.

[0011] It is a specific object of the present invention a training system for sports played with racket and ball comprising a server and a memory accessible by the server, an app installed on at least one device, provided with one or more processing units, of a player user, wherein the app is configured to connect to the server and to at least one ball-throwing machine, wherein the memory stores a set of descriptive data and at least one operation datum of said at least one ball-throwing machine for each workout of a plurality of workouts, wherein said at least one operation datum for each workout includes or consists of or is associated with a respective set of launch parameters of a sequence of one or more thrown balls according to which said at least one ball-throwing machine is to be set to make the player user carry out the corresponding workout, wherein the app is configured to:

[0012] A. allow the player user to select a workout of said plurality of workouts,

[0013] B. receive from the server the set of descriptive data of the selected workout and display them on a screen of said at least one device of the player user,

[0014] C. receive from the server said at least one operation datum of the selected workout and transmit it to said at least one ball-throwing machine, and

[0015] D. transmit a throwing start signal to the ball-throwing machine to start the sequence of one or more thrown balls of the selected workout, and wherein said at least one ball-throwing machine is configured to:

[0016] E. set its own operation according to the set of launch parameters of the selected workout.

[0017] According to another aspect of the invention, said at least one operation datum for each workout can be a unique code associated with the respective set of launch parameters.

[0018] According to a further aspect of the invention, the set of launch parameters of each ball of said sequence of one or more thrown balls of each workout can include one or more of the following parameters: speed of thrown ball, height of thrown ball, direction of thrown ball, frequency of throwing the sequence of one or more thrown balls, at least one effect to be imparted to the thrown ball and an intensity of said at least one effect.

[0019] According to an additional aspect of the invention, said at least one effect can comprise a topspin effect and / or a backspin effect.

[0020] According to another aspect of the invention, the training system can comprise at least one signaling device operatively connected to and controlled by said at least one ball-throwing machine and / or by the app.

[0021] According to a further aspect of the invention, said at least one signaling device can be selected from the group comprising a visual signaling device, optionally a coloured LED lamp or a panel or a monitor, and an acoustic signaling device.

[0022] According to an additional aspect of the invention, said at least one signaling device can be configured to operate according to signaling data associated with each workout of said plurality of workouts which are stored in the memory, wherein the app is configured to:

[0023] F. receive from the server said signaling data associated with the selected workout, and wherein said at least one signaling device is configured to:

[0024] G. set its own operation according to the signaling data associated with the selected workout.

[0025] According to another aspect of the invention, the training system can comprise at least one video camera to which the app is configured to connect, wherein the app is configured to:

[0026] H. transmit a recording start signal to said at least one video camera to start a video recording and / or an image recording, wherein said video recording and / or said image recording carried out by said at least one video camera is importable into the app and displayable on the screen of said at least one device of the player user.

[0027] According to a further aspect of the invention, the training system can further comprise at least one wearable sensing device to which the app is configured to connect, wherein said at least one wearable sensing device is provided with an accelerometer, wherein the app is configured to:

[0028] J. transmit a data recording start signal to said at least one wearable sensing device to start an accelerometer data recording, wherein said accelerometer data recording carried out by said at least one wearable sensing device is importable into the app and displayable on the screen of said at least one player user device.

[0029] According to an additional aspect of the invention, said at least one device, provided with one or more processing units, of the player user can be selected from the group comprising a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, and a personal computer.

[0030] It is a specific object of the present invention a computer-implemented training method for sports played with racket and ball including the following steps:

[0031] Z. storing in a memory accessible by a server a set of descriptive data and at least one operation datum of at least one ball-throwing machine for each workout of a plurality of workouts, wherein said at least one operation datum for each workout includes or consists of or is associated with a respective set of launch parameters of a sequence of one or more thrown balls according to which said at least one ball-throwing machine is to be set to make the player user carry out the corresponding workout, through an app installed on at least one device, provided with one or more processing units, of a player user:

[0032] A. allowing the player user to select a workout of said plurality of workouts,

[0033] B. receiving from the server the set of descriptive data of the selected training and display them on a screen of said at least one device of the player user,

[0034] C. receiving from the server said at least one operation datum of the selected workout and transmitting it to said at least one ball-throwing machine,

[0035] D. transmitting a throwing start signal to the ball-throwing machine to start the sequence of one or more thrown balls of the selected workout, and

[0036] E. setting the operation of the ball-throwing machine according to the set of launch parameters of the selected workout.

[0037] According to a further aspect of the invention, the computer-implemented training method can further comprise the following step:

[0038] H. through the app transmitting a recording start signal to at least one video camera to start a video recording and / or an image recording, wherein said video recording and / or said image recording carried out by said at least one video camera is importable into the app and displayable on the screen of said at least one device of the player user.

[0039] According to an additional aspect of the invention, the computer-implemented training method can further comprise the following step:

[0040] J. through the app transmitting a data recording start signal to at least one wearable sensing device provided with an accelerometer to start an accelerometer data recording, wherein said accelerometer data recording carried out by said at least one wearable sensing device is importable into the app and displayable on the screen of said at least one device of the player user.

[0041] It is also specific object of the present invention a set of computer programs comprising instructions which, when executed by a training system according to the invention, causes said training system to execute the computer-implemented training method according to the invention.

[0042] It is further specific object of the present invention a set of computer-readable media having stored thereon the just described set of computer programs.

[0043] The advantages offered by the invention are evident.

[0044] In particular, the system and computer-implemented method of training for sports played with racket and ball, in particular for padel, tennis, table tennis, squash and badminton, allows a player user to train in a simple, flexible, efficient and reliable way in a guided manner in relation to his / her specific needs, namely to his / her level of experience and his / her current condition, for example following muscle fatigue or an injury, by correctly setting the launch parameters of each ball of a sequence of one or more balls thrown by the ball-throwing machine of the system.

[0045] The present invention will be now described, for illustrative but not limiting purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, by particularly referring to the Figures of the annexed drawings, in which:

[0046] Figure 1 schematically shows a first embodiment of the training system according to the invention;

[0047] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a ball-throwing machine of the training system of Figure 1;

[0048] Figure 3 schematically shows a perspective view of a padel court in which a player user uses a second embodiment of the training system according to the invention;

[0049] Figure 4 shows a first graphical user interface of the app of the training system of Figure 1;

[0050] Figure 5 shows a second graphical user interface of the app of the training system of

[0051] Figure 1;

[0052] Figure 6 shows a third graphical user interface of the of the app of the training system of Figure 1;

[0053] Figure 7 shows a fourth graphical user interface of the of the app of the training system of Figure 1;

[0054] Figure 8 shows a fifth graphical user interface of the of the app of the training system of Figure 1;

[0055] Figure 9 shows a sixth graphical user interface of the of the app of the training system of Figure 1; and

[0056] Figure 10 schematically shows a third embodiment of the training system according to the invention.

[0057] In the Figures identical reference numbers will be used for alike elements.

[0058] In the following of this description, the invention will be illustrated with reference to its specific embodiments applied to padel training. However, it must be noted that the training system and the related computer-implemented method is applicable not only to padel but also to any sport practiced with racket and ball, such as tennis, table tennis, squash, pickleball and badminton, still remaining within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0059] With reference to Figure 1, it can be observed that a first embodiment of the padel training system comprises a server 100 accessing a memory 110 that stores sets of descriptive data for one or more padel workouts, which include descriptions and / or video tutorials of the workout, advantageously comprising multimedia files. For each workout, the set of descriptive data stored in the memory 110 and accessible by the server 100 is associated with a set of launch parameters of a sequence of one or more balls according to which a ball-throwing machine 200 is to be set to make the player user carry out the corresponding workout according to what illustrated by descriptions and / or video tutorials of the workout. By way of example, each of these workouts may comprise one or more exercises related to a specific type of attack or response shot, with or without a specific effect, or to a specific class of shots.

[0060] Such launch parameters for each ball in the sequence of a given workout include one or more of the following parameters: speed of the thrown ball, height of the thrown ball, direction of the thrown ball, frequency of throwing the sequence of balls, a specific effect to be imparted to the thrown ball, such as for instance topspin effect or backspin effect, and relative intensity of such effect. Advantageously, the set of launch parameters associated with each workout is stored in the memory 110 accessible by the server 100, optionally together with an identification code of such set of launch parameters. Server 100 is optionally a cloud server.

[0061] An app 300 installed on a smartphone of a player user is configured to connect, through the Internet network 400, to the server 100 to exchange data; in particular, the app 300 is configured to receive from the server 100 the sets of descriptive data for one or more padel workouts, which include descriptions and / or video tutorials of the workout, and to display them on the smartphone screen.

[0062] Furthermore, the app 300 is configured to connect to the ball-throwing machine 200 to exchange data; in particular, the app 300 is configured to receive from the server 100 the set of launch parameters associated with the specific workout for which it receives the sets of descriptive data and to transmit them to the ball-throwing machine 200 to set the operation thereof according to the set of launch parameters so as to make the player user carry out the corresponding workout according to what illustrated by descriptions and / or video tutorials of the workout itself, displayable on the smartphone screen. Optionally, the app 300 can be configured to receive, instead of the entire set of launch parameters associated with each workout, only the identification code of such set of launch parameters and to transmit it to the ball-throwing machine 200 that retrieves from an internal memory the set of launch parameters starting from such identification code according to which the operation of the ball-throwing machine 200 is to be set.

[0063] The ball-throwing machine 200 is operatively connected to at least one visual signaling device 210, e.g. a lamp with coloured LEDs, as better shown in Figure 2. In particular, the ballthrowing machine 200 is configured to operate, e.g. to turn on and off, said at least one visual signaling device 210 based on a given state of the ball-throwing machine 200, e.g. when a ball is about to be thrown. Optionally, the operating modes of said at least one visual signaling device 210 can also be set by respective signaling data associated with each workout which are stored in the memory 110 of the server 100, in association with the respective set of descriptive data and with the respective set of launch parameters of the workout concerned.

[0064] By way of example, and not by way of limitation, through one or more sensors, e.g. proximity sensors, applied to the ball-throwing machine 200, the latter is configured to determine the moment when a ball inside the ball-throwing machine 200 is about to be thrown; an electronic control circuit of the ball-throwing machine 200 is configured to read said one or more sensors and consequently generate the light signals through said at least one visual signaling device 210. These light signals can be used to perform specific workouts; for example, when the ball is about to be thrown, the electronic control circuit can be configured to turn on said at least one visual signaling device 210 to signal the player user to move to a specific receiving position. Similarly, when the ball is about to be thrown, the electronic control circuit can be configured to turn on a visual signaling device 210 of a specific colour to give the player user the information to perform a specific shot and / or to direct the shot in a specific direction. The activation time of said at least one visual signaling device 210 can be fixed or programmable through the app 300. In this way, the reactivity of the player user will be trained, significantly improving the training experience and making training more realistic.

[0065] It must be noted that in the embodiments of the training system according to the invention, said at least one visual signaling device 210 can be integrated directly onto the ballthrowing machine 200 or can be positioned externally and connected to the ball-throwing machine 200 through a cable or a wireless connection, optionally a Bluetooth or Wifi connection. This latter implementation is illustrated in the second embodiment of the training system according to the invention of Figure 3, that schematically shows a ball-throwing machine 200 connected via a wireless connection to an assembly 220 of three visual signaling devices, represented as a traffic light, external to the ball-throwing machine 200, positioned on a padel court 600 where a player user 700 trains through the training system according to the invention.

[0066] It must be noted that other embodiments of the training system according to the invention may comprise panels or monitors, operating as visual signalling devices, operatively connected to and controlled by the ball-throwing machine 200 and / or the app 300, to display not only colours, but also alphanumeric data and / or geometric shapes, in order to use the training system according to the invention also as a tool for stimulating the psychomotor skills of the player user.

[0067] It must be also noted that further embodiments of the training system according to the invention may comprise, alternatively to or in combination with at least one visual signaling device, at least one acoustic signaling device operatively connected to and controlled by the app 300 and / or the ball-throwing machine 200, and in the latter case integrated or external to the ball-throwing machine 200, and controlled in a manner similar to what illustrated above for said at least one visual signaling device 210, or for the panels or monitors operatively connected to and controlled by the app 300, optionally according to operating modes settable by respective signaling data associated with each workout that are stored in the memory 110 of the server 100, in association with the respective set of descriptive data and with the respective set of launch parameters of the workout concerned.

[0068] It must be also noted that still other embodiments of the training system according to the invention may be devoid of visual signaling devices and acoustic signaling devices.

[0069] The connection between the app 300 and the ball-throwing machine 200 is advantageously wireless, optionally a Bluetooth or Wifi connection .

[0070] It must be noted that in other embodiments of the training system according to the invention, the app 300 can be installed, alternatively to or in combination with a smartphone, on a different device provided with one or more processing units, such as for instance a tablet, a laptop, and a personal computer (PC) configured to allow the app 300 to connect, through the Internet network 400, to the server 100. In this case, the connection between the app 300 and the ball-throwing machine 200 can be wireless, optionally a Bluetooth or Wifi connection, or a wired connection.

[0071] The app 300 can be installed on a plurality of devices of the same player user, for example on one or more smartphones and / or on one or more tablets and / or on one or more personal computers; the configuration data of the app 300 for a specific player user, with whom a specific account is conventionally associated, are stored on the server 100, thereby each installation of the app 300, when launched with the player user's account, retrieves from the server 100 the configuration data associated with that player user's account and thus has the corresponding configuration. Typically, the app 300 is installed on the devices, for example smartphones, tablets and personal computers, of a plurality of player users.

[0072] The embodiment of the training system of Figure 1 also comprises a video camera 500 that can be positioned by the player user on the training court according to the instructions provided by the data sets of the specific workout, for example according to what illustrated by descriptions and / or video tutorials of the workout itself, displayable on the smartphone screen. The app 300 is configured to connect to the video camera 500 to exchange data; in particular, the app 300 is configured to start the workout, transmitting a throwing start signal to the ballthrowing machine 200 to start the throws and a recording start signal to the video camera 500 to start the video recording and / or the image recording. Once the workout is finished, the recording made by the video camera 500 can be imported into the app 300, automatically or manually, i.e. upon a command from the player user; advantageously, the app 300 is configured to display such a recording received from the video camera 500. The connection between the app 300 and the video camera 500 is advantageously wireless, optionally a Bluetooth or Wifi connection; however, when the app 300 is installed on a different device provided with one or more processing units, such as a tablet, a laptop, and a personal computer (PC), the connection between the app 300 and the video camera 500 can also be a wired connection.

[0073] A third embodiment of the training system according to the invention, shown in Figure 10, comprises, alternatively to the video camera 500, at least one wearable sensing device 800, such as a smartwatch, provided with an accelerometer and a wireless communication unit capable of communicating with the app 300, optionally via a Bluetooth or Wifi connection. In particular, the app 300 is configured to start the workout, transmitting a data recording start signal to the wearable sensing device 800 to start an accelerometer data recording; once the workout is finished, the recording made by the wearable sensing device 800 can be imported into the app 300, automatically or manually, i.e. upon command of the player user, who can view it, possibly together with statistical data derived from such data recording.

[0074] It must be noted that other embodiments of the training system according to the invention may comprise, in combination with at least one video camera, at least one wearable sensing device, such as a smartwatch.

[0075] It must be also noted that further embodiments of the training system according to the invention may be devoid of video camera 500 and wearable sensing devices.

[0076] In the preferred embodiments of the training system according to the invention, a respective set of descriptive data is prepared for each workout, comprising a description and a video tutorial with an example of execution, and a respective set of launch parameters for a sequence of one or more balls according to which the ball-throwing machine 200 is to be set to make a player user carry out the corresponding workout according to what illustrated by descriptions and / or video tutorials of the workout. The set of descriptive data and the set of launch parameters for each workout are stored in the memory 110 accessible by the server 100. The app 300 connects to the server 100 and shows the list of workouts stored in the memory 110 to the player user in the form of a preview. Advantageously, the player user can download a specific workout to his / her device, optionally a smartphone, through the app 300 and read the description and / or watch the video tutorial and, by pressing a start button on the app 300, transmit the respective set of launch parameters to the ball-throwing machine 200 so that the latter throws the balls as described in the description and / or shown in the video tutorial. Thus, the ball-throwing machine 200 throws a sequence of one or more balls corresponding to the set of launch parameters associated with the selected workout. The set of descriptive data and the set of launch parameters for each workout can be downloaded by the app 300 for free or for a fee. Advantageously, the set of descriptive data and the set of launch parameters for each workout are loaded into the memory 110 accessible by server 100 through a back office accessible only to the owners of server 100.

[0077] The graphical user interfaces of the app 300 of the training system of Figure 1 are illustrated below. It must be noted that other embodiments of the training system according to the invention may have apps comprising a different structure of graphical user interfaces, so the following is merely exemplary of the first embodiment of the training system shown in Figure 1.

[0078] Each player user will have to register in order to use the app 300 with a respective account by entering his / her own data. Figure 4 shows the login graphical user interface of the app 300 of the training system of Figure 1, through which the player user accesses his / her profile, shown in the profile graphical user interface of Figure 5.

[0079] Figure 6 shows the graphical user interface of store through which the player user can access the pre-set workouts loaded by the manager of the training system, which are stored in the memory 110 accessible by the server 100, which are created ad hoc by professional instructors, as shown in Figure 6 where, instead of the name, Author 1, Author 2, Author 3 are indicated. The workouts are divided by type of space used, e.g. court, home and net, as well as by difficulty level, e.g. easy, intermediate and expert.

[0080] Once a workout is selected, the player user can read the description of the workout and view a video tutorial associated with it, as illustrated in the graphical user interface of forehand and backhand volley workout shown in Figure 7. This applies to every workout selectable by the player user.

[0081] The player user can thus download the workouts he / she prefers. The workouts downloaded by the player user will be saved in his / her profile and displayed in a specific graphical user interface titled "My workouts", shown in Figure 8.

[0082] As mentioned, once the workout has been selected, the player user can access the workout descriptive data, containing the related information and / or watch the related video tutorial and / or start the workout by pressing the "start training" button shown in Figure 7. In particular, by pressing the "start training" button, the app 300 sends the set of launch parameters to the ball-throwing machine 200 to start the sequence of one or more throws as set by the person who created the workout so that the ball-throwing machine 200 throws a sequence of one or more balls as shown in the video tutorial. The advantage is that in this way there is a video tutorial that can be performed directly on the court with the ball-throwing machine 200 operating as shown in the video tutorial, thereby the workout of the player user is guided by the professional instructor who prepared the training. The positioning of the ballthrowing machine 200, on the court or in a limited space, is indicated in the workout description.

[0083] Advantageously, the app 300 also comprises a graphical user interface for creating a workout, shown in Figure 9, through which the player user can also autonomously create a workout, by setting the characteristics of a sequence of one or more thrown balls; advantageously, starting from these characteristics, the app 300 automatically generates the set of launch parameters according to which the operation of the ball-throwing machine 200 must be set to throw the balls according to the workout created by the player user.

[0084] In some embodiments of the system according to the invention which also include a video camera 500, the app 300, through the use of algorithms, optionally artificial intelligence algorithms, can be configured to compare the video recorded during the player user's workout with that of the tutorial video selected by the player user to start the ball-throwing machine 200 and, from this comparison, the app 300 can be configured to report any defects in the execution of the workout by the player user and / or provide information on the corrections that the player user must make in the execution of the workout.

[0085] Similarly, in some embodiments of the system according to the invention that also comprise at least one wearable sensing device, such as a smartwatch, the app 300 may be configured to process the accelerometer data recorded during the player user's workout with that expected for the workout selected by the player user and, from such processing, the app 300 may be configured to report any defects in the execution of the workout by the player user and / or provide information on corrections that the player user must make in the execution of the workout.

[0086] The preferred embodiments of this invention have been described and a number of variations have been suggested hereinbefore, but it should be understood that those skilled in the art can make other variations and changes without so departing from the scope of protection thereof, as defined by the attached claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Training system for sports played with racket and ball comprising a server (100) and a memory (110) accessible by the server (100), an app (300) installed on at least one device, provided with one or more processing units, of a player user, wherein the app (300) is configured to connect to the server (100) and to at least one ball-throwing machine (200), wherein the memory (110) stores a set of descriptive data and at least one operation datum of said at least one ball-throwing machine (200) for each workout of a plurality of workouts, wherein said at least one operation datum for each workout includes or consists of or is associated with a respective set of launch parameters of a sequence of one or more thrown balls according to which said at least one ball-throwing machine (200) is to be set to make the player user carry out the corresponding workout, wherein the app (300) is configured to:A. allow the player user to select a workout of said plurality of workouts,B. receive from the server (100) the set of descriptive data of the selected workout and display them on a screen of said at least one device of the player user,C. receive from the server (100) said at least one operation datum of the selected workout and transmit it to said at least one ball-throwing machine (200), andD. transmit a throwing start signal to the ball-throwing machine (200) to start the sequence of one or more thrown balls of the selected workout, and wherein said at least one ball-throwing machine (200) is configured to:E. set its own operation according to the set of launch parameters of the selected workout.

2. Training system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one operation datum for each workout is a unique code associated with the respective set of launch parameters.

3. Training system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the set of launch parameters of each ball of said sequence of one or more thrown balls of each workout includes one or more of the following parameters: speed of thrown ball, height of thrown ball, direction of thrown ball, frequency of throwing the sequence of one or more thrown balls, at least one effect to be imparted to the thrown ball and an intensity of said at least one effect.

4. Training system according to claim 3, wherein said at least one effect comprises a topspin effect and / or a backspin effect.

5. Training system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising at least one signaling device (210; 220) operatively connected to and controlled by said at least one ballthrowing machine (200) and / or by the app (300).

6. Training system according to claim 5, wherein said at least one signaling device is selected from the group comprising a visual signaling device, optionally a coloured LED lamp or a panel or a monitor, and an acoustic signaling device.

7. Training system according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said at least one signaling device (210; 220) is configured to operate according to signaling data associated with each workout of said plurality of workouts which are stored in the memory (110), wherein the app (300) is configured to:F. receive from the server (100) said signaling data associated with the selected workout, and wherein said at least one signaling device (210; 220) is configured to:G. set its own operation according to the signaling data associated with the selected workout.

8. Training system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising at least one video camera (500) to which the app (300) is configured to connect, wherein the app (300) is configured to:H. transmit a recording start signal to said at least one video camera (500) to start a video recording and / or an image recording, wherein said video recording and / or said image recording carried out by said at least one video camera (500) is importable into the app (300) and displayable on the screen of said at least one device of the player user.

9. Training system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising at least one wearable sensing device (800) to which the app (300) is configured to connect, wherein said at least one wearable sensing device (800) is provided with an accelerometer, wherein the app (300) is configured to:J. transmit a data recording start signal to said at least one wearable sensing device (800) to start an accelerometer data recording, wherein said accelerometer data recording carried out by said at least one wearable sensing device (800) is importable into the app (300) and displayable on the screen of said at least one player user device.

10. Training system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said at least one device, provided with one or more processing units, of the player user is selected from the group comprising a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, and a personal computer.

11. Computer-implemented training method for sports played with racket and ball including the following steps:Z. storing in a memory (110) accessible by a server (100) a set of descriptive data and at least one operation datum of at least one ball-throwing machine (200) for each workout of a plurality of workouts, wherein said at least one operation datum for each workout includes or consists of or is associated with a respective set of launch parameters of a sequence of one or more thrown balls according to which said at least one ball-throwing machine (200) is to be set to make the player user carry out the corresponding workout, through an app (300) installed on at least one device, provided with one or more processing units, of a player user:A. allowing the player user to select a workout of said plurality of workouts,B. receiving from the server (100) the set of descriptive data of the selected training and display them on a screen of said at least one device of the player user,C. receiving from the server (100) said at least one operation datum of the selected workout and transmitting it to said at least one ball-throwing machine (200),D. transmitting a throwing start signal to the ball-throwing machine (200) to start the sequence of one or more thrown balls of the selected workout, andE. setting the operation of the ball-throwing machine (200) according to the set of launch parameters of the selected workout.

12. Computer-implemented training method according to claim 11, further comprising the following steps:F. through the app (300), receiving from the server (100) signaling data associated with the selected workout, andG. setting the operation of at least one signaling device (210; 220) according to said signaling data associated with the selected workout.

13. Computer-implemented training method according to claim 11 or 12, further comprising the following step:H. through the app (300) transmitting a recording start signal to at least one video camera (500) to start a video recording and / or an image recording, wherein said video recording and / or said image recording carried out by said at least one video camera (500) is importable into the app (300) and displayable on the screen of said at least one device of the player user.

14. Computer-implemented training method according to any of claims 11 to 13, further comprising the following step:J. through the app (300) transmitting a data recording start signal to at least one wearable sensing device (800) provided with an accelerometer to start an accelerometer data recording, wherein said accelerometer data recording carried out by said at least one wearable sensing device (800) is importable into the app (300) and displayable on the screen of said at least one device of the player user.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

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    WO2018106270A2