Impact-Sensitive Color-Changing Court Surface 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 may be impractical or suffer from issues like erosion or interference from player movements.
Innovation Solution
An object-tracking control apparatus that temporarily changes color at the impact area on a sports court when a tracked object, like a tennis ball, meets specific impact criteria, allowing for precise visual determination of the ball's location without disrupting play and reducing the need for challenges.
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 distraction to players increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the line-calling function from complex camera-based systems and implements it through a simple impact-sensitive coating on the court surface. The coating directly indicates ball impacts through color changes, eliminating the need for cameras, processors, and displays while maintaining high accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a visual copy of the ball's impact location through the color-changing coating on the court surface. This visual representation directly shows where the ball impacted, replacing the need for complex electronic tracking systems and providing immediate, unambiguous line call information.
2Measurement precision
If camera-based systems are used for line calling, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to challenges and delays
Solution Approach 1:
The court surface itself provides the line-calling information through its impact-sensitive coating that automatically changes color when the ball impacts. This self-indicating system eliminates the need for players to challenge calls or wait for electronic system responses, providing immediate and definitive line call information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/electronic challenge system with a passive visual indicator system. The color-changing coating provides immediate visual feedback without requiring active challenges, electronic processing, or human intervention, thereby eliminating time losses associated with the challenge process.
3Ease of operation
If impact-sensitive coating is used, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability may worsen due to potential interference from player movements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the impact-sensitive coating selectively to specific areas of the court surface where ball impacts occur. By localizing the coating to these specific zones, the system maintains high reliability in distinguishing ball impacts from other objects while preserving ease of operation through immediate visual feedback.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses object tracking technology to predict and identify ball impacts before they occur. This preliminary identification allows the system to distinguish between ball impacts and other potential impacts (such as player movements), ensuring reliable operation while maintaining ease of use through automated determination.
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 object-tracking control apparatus (808) tracks movement of an object (104) over the surface. As the object impacts the zone at an object-contact area (116), an impact-dependent portion (138) of the VC region temporarily appears along a print area (118) of the zone as changed color materially different from the principal color if the impact meets threshold impact criteria and if the tracking indicates that the object is highly likely to impact the object-contact area. The print area closely matches the object-contact area in size, shape, and location. Impacts of bodies not tracked by the control apparatus substantially do not cause color change so that color change occurs substantially only for suitable impacts of the tracked object.