Impact-Sensitive Color-Changing Tennis Ball for Line Calling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current line-calling systems in sports, such as tennis, face challenges in accurately determining whether a ball is 'in' or 'out' due to limitations in existing technologies, including camera-based systems like Hawk-Eye, which can be distracting and prone to errors, and other devices that suffer from issues like erosion or interference from player movements.
Innovation Solution
An information-presentation structure with a variable-color region on a tennis court that temporarily changes color upon impact, using an impact-dependent portion and an image-generating controller to create images that help determine the exact location of the impact, overcoming irregularities in the surface zone and providing high accuracy in line calls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If camera-based systems like Hawk-Eye are used for line calling, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate due to distraction and errors
Solution Approach 1:
The tennis ball itself performs the measurement function by changing color in response to impact forces. The ball serves as both the sport equipment and the sensing element, eliminating the need for external camera systems and their associated complexity. Players and officials simply observe the color change of the ball to determine line calls.
Solution Approach 2:
The tennis ball incorporates a color-changing mechanism that responds to impact forces. When the ball impacts the court surface, the force causes a visible color change that indicates whether the ball is in or out. This visual feedback provides immediate and accurate line calling information without requiring complex electronic systems.
2Measurement precision
If existing line-calling devices are used, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to challenges and delays
Solution Approach 1:
The system eliminates the need for challenges and manual review processes. The tennis ball automatically provides the line calling information through its color change upon impact, allowing players and officials to make immediate decisions without time-consuming verification procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces complex mechanical and electronic line-calling systems with a simpler color-changing ball mechanism. This substitution reduces the time required for line calls by providing instant visual feedback without the need for camera processing, data analysis, or challenge procedures.
3Measurement precision
If impact-sensitive color-change material is used on the tennis ball, then measurement precision is improved, but object-generated harmful factors worsen due to potential interference from player movements
Solution Approach 1:
The color-changing material is designed to respond specifically to impact forces of a certain threshold or characteristic. By adjusting the sensitivity parameters of the color-change material, the system can distinguish between legitimate ball impacts and spurious forces from player movements, maintaining accuracy while reducing false positives.
Solution Approach 2:
The color-changing mechanism is designed to respond dynamically to the specific characteristics of ball impacts versus player movements. The system can be tuned to trigger color changes only under the specific force conditions of actual ball impacts, making it resistant to interference from players' movements while maintaining high detection accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A variable-color region (106) of an information-presentation structure extends to an exposed surface (102) at a surface zone (112) and normally appears along it as a principal color. An impact-dependent portion (138) of the variable-color region responds to an object (104) impacting the zone at an object-contact area (116) by temporarily appearing along a print area (118) of the zone as changed color materially different from the principal color if the impact meets threshold impact criteria. The print area closely matches the object-contact area in size, shape, and location. An image-generating controller (806) responds to the impact by causing an image-generating structure (804) to generate an image of the print area and adjacent surface extending to at least a selected location of the exposed surface if the threshold impact criteria are met. The image assists in determining how close the impact occurred to the selected surface location.