# US 10,795,336 B2 · Ball-pitching control method of pitching machine in baseball practice system and baseball practice system using the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,795,336 B2 - Document ID: US10795336B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/342,206 - Filed: 2017-10-18 - Published: 2019-10-24 - Granted: 2020-10-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-10-20 - Assignees: Newdin Contents Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Newdin Contents Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Se Hwan Kim; Bong Kyung Ko; Sang Hyun Joo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10795336B2 ## CPC - G05B 19/404: characterised by control arrangements for compensation, e.g. for backlash, overshoot, tool offset, tool wear, temperature, machine construction errors, load, inertia (G05B19/19, G05B19/41 take precedence) - A63B 69/0002: {for baseball} - A63B 69/40: Stationarily-arranged devices for projecting balls {or other bodies} ({golf cups with ball ejector means A63B57/405;} traps for clay-pigeon targets F41J9/18) - A63B 69/406: {with rotating discs, wheels or pulleys gripping and propelling the balls or bodies by friction} - G05B 19/416: characterised by control of velocity, acceleration or deceleration (G05B19/19 takes precedence) - G06T 7/20: Analysis of motion (motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51) - A63B 24/00: Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; {Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances} - A63B 2069/0008: {for batting} - A63B 2071/0638: {Displaying moving images of recorded environment, e.g. virtual environment} - A63B 2102/18: Baseball, rounders or similar games - A63B 2220/18: Inclination, slope or curvature - A63B 2220/20: Distances or displacements - A63B 2220/30: Speed - A63B 2220/805: Optical or opto-electronic sensors - A63B 2220/807: Photo cameras - A63B 2220/833: Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement - G05B 2219/40021: Batting, to redirect a projectile - G06T 2207/30224: Ball; Puck - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract Disclosed are a ball-pitching control method of a pitching machine in a baseball practice system that is capable of automatically compensating for inclination of the pitching machine, which may occur depending on the installation environment of the pitching machine, based on the result of sensing performed by a sensing device for sensing a pitched ball or a hit ball without using a separate sensor or measurement device and that is capable of automatically self-correcting the displacement of the pitching machine from the original position thereof or the corrected position thereof over time due to external impact applied to the pitching machine or a manager's inaccurate correction of the pitching machine by analyzing the results periodically sensed by a sensing device and the cumulative results of set ball pitching information of the pitching machine, and a baseball practice system using the same. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A ball-pitching control method of a pitching machine in a baseball practice system comprising a sensing device for sensing a ball pitched toward a batting area by the pitching machine, a pitching angle of the pitching machine being adjustable, the ball-pitching control method comprising: calculating a ball motion model using sensing data obtained as a result of the pitching machine pitching the ball at a predetermined pitching angle and the sensing device sensing the pitched ball; calculating a compensation factor for compensating for a degree of inclination of the pitching machine using a difference between the predetermined pitching angle and the calculated ball motion model; and applying the calculated compensation factor to the pitching machine such that the ball is pitched by the pitching machine in a state in which the degree of inclination of the pitching machine is compensated for when a user takes a baseball practice or plays a baseball game. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ball-pitching control method according to claim 1, wherein the step of calculating the compensation factor comprises calculating the compensation factor for compensating for a degree of inclination of a pitching coordinate system, which is a coordinate system based on which the pitching machine pitches the ball, based on a sensing coordinate system, which is a coordinate system based on which the sensing device senses the ball, using the difference between the predetermined pitching angle and the calculated ball motion model. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The ball-pitching control method according to claim 2, wherein the step of calculating the compensation factor comprises calculating respective axial direction rotation components of a pitching coordinate system, which is a coordinate system based on which the pitching machine pitches the ball, in order to correct the pitching coordinate system based on a sensing coordinate system, which is a coordinate system based on which the sensing device senses the ball, such that ball pitching based on the calculated ball motion model becomes ball pitching based on the predetermined pitching angle, thereby calculating the compensation factor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ball-pitching control method according to claim 1, wherein the sensing device is configured to successively capture and collect images of the ball moving within a predetermined monitoring area, to analyze the collected images in order to extract the ball from the images, and to extract coordinate data of the ball within a three-dimensional space, and the step of calculating the compensation factor comprises: calculating information about a position of the ball, extracted by analyzing the images collected by the sensing device, at a specific point of time based on a sensing coordinate system of the sensing device; and applying arbitrary values of respective axial direction rotation components of a pitching coordinate system, which is a coordinate system based on which the pitching machine pitches the ball, to a function derived from the position of the ball at the specific point of time in order to calculate the compensation factor based on values of the respective axial direction rotation components when most closely approaching the calculated position of the ball at the specific point of time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The ball-pitching control method according to claim 1, further comprising: storing information about a set pitching angle of the pitching machine and information about a ball motion model calculated using sensing data acquired by the sensing device whenever the pitching machine pitches the ball; and periodically correcting a displacement of the pitching machine that occurs during the period using the stored information about the set pitching angle and the stored information about the ball motion model such that the pitching machine performs self-correction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The ball-pitching control method according to claim 5, wherein the step of performing self-correction comprises calculating a correction factor for correcting a difference between the set pitching angle of the pitching machine and a pitching angle calculated based on the ball motion model using the information about the set pitching angle and the information about the ball motion model stored during a predetermined period, and applying the calculated correction factor to the pitching machine. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The ball-pitching control method according to claim 5, wherein the step of performing self-correction comprises: calculating a pitching direction vector, which is a direction vector when the ball is pitched by the pitching machine from the information about the ball motion model stored during a predetermined period; calculating a set direction vector, which is a direction vector when the ball is pitched by the pitching machine from the information about the set pitching angle stored during a predetermined period; and calculating a correction factor for correcting a difference in angle between the pitching direction vector and the set direction vector and applying the calculated correction factor to the pitching machine. ### Claim 8 A ball-pitching control method of a pitching machine in a baseball practice system comprising a sensing device for sensing a ball pitched toward a batting area by the pitching machine, a pitching angle of the pitching machine being adjustable, the ball-pitching control method comprising: calculating and storing a ball motion model using sensing data obtained as a result of the pitching machine pitching the ball at a set pitching angle and the sensing device sensing the pitched ball when a baseball practice or a baseball game is performed; calculating a correction factor for correcting a difference between the set pitching angle of the pitching machine and a pitching angle calculated based on the ball motion model using information about the set pitching angle and information about the ball motion model; and applying the calculated correction factor to the pitching machine such that the pitching machine self-corrects a displacement thereof and pitches the ball when a user takes a baseball practice or plays a baseball game. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The ball-pitching control method according to claim 8, wherein the step of calculating and storing the ball motion model comprises storing information about the set pitching angle and information about the ball motion model whenever the ball motion model is calculated as a result of the pitching machine pitching the ball at the set pitching angle and the sensing device sensing the ball when the baseball practice or the baseball game is performed during a predetermined period, and the step of calculating the correction factor comprises: calculating a difference between the set pitching angle and a pitching angle calculated based on the ball motion model using the information stored during the period; determining one of an average of total values, an average of some of the total values within a predetermined range, or an average of values that occupy a largest group in a distribution of the total values to be a representative value of the difference; and calculating a correction factor for correcting the difference determined as the representative value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The ball-pitching control method according to claim 8, wherein the step of calculating and storing the ball motion model, the step of calculating the correction factor, and the step of performing self-correction and pitching the ball are periodically executed, and the step of performing self-correction and pitching the ball comprises comparing an error calculated from a direction vector of the ball when the pitching machine pitches the ball based on a previous correction factor calculated and applied during a previous period using a predetermined error function with an error calculated from the direction vector based on a current correction factor calculated during a current period using the predetermined error function, and, in a case in which the error calculated from the direction vector based on the current correction factor is smaller, applying the current correction factor to the pitching machine. ### Claim 11 A baseball practice system comprising: a pitching machine for pitching a ball toward a batting area, in which a user hits the ball, a pitching angle of the pitching machine being adjustable; a sensing device for sensing the ball pitched by the pitching machine and generating sensing data; and a control device for calculating a ball motion model pertaining to the pitched ball using the sensing data received from the sensing device, calculating a compensation factor for compensating for a degree of inclination of the pitching machine using a difference between a set pitching angle at which the pitching machine pitches the ball and the calculated ball motion model, and applying the calculated compensation factor to the pitching machine such that the ball is pitched by the pitching machine in a state in which the degree of inclination of the pitching machine is compensated for when the user takes a baseball practice or plays a baseball game. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The baseball practice system according to claim 11, wherein the control device is configured to calculate the compensation factor for compensating for a degree of inclination of a pitching coordinate system, which is a coordinate system based on which the pitching machine pitches the ball, based on a sensing coordinate system, which is a coordinate system based on which the sensing device senses the ball, using the difference between the set pitching angle and the calculated ball motion model. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The baseball practice system according to claim 11, wherein the control device is configured: to store, in a storage, information about the set pitching angle of the pitching machine and information about the calculated ball motion model whenever the pitching machine pitches the ball; and to periodically correct a displacement of the pitching machine that occurs during the period using the stored information about the set pitching angle and the stored information about the ball motion model such that the pitching machine performs self-correction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The baseball practice system according to claim 13, wherein the control device is configured to calculate a correction factor for correcting a difference between the set pitching angle of the pitching machine and a pitching angle calculated based on the ball motion model using the information about the set pitching angle and the information about the ball motion model stored during a predetermined period and to apply the calculated correction factor to the pitching machine such that the ball is pitched by the pitching machine.