# US 11,305,158 B2 · Athletic performance by tracking objects hit or thrown at an electronic display > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,158 B2 - Document ID: US11305158B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/292,287 - Filed: 2019-03-04 - Published: 2019-06-27 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-17 - Assignees: SmartMitt LLC - Applicants: Fine Road Enterprises LLC - Inventors: Thomas R. Frenz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305158B2 ## CPC - A63B 24/0021: {Tracking a path or terminating locations} - A63B 69/0002: {for baseball} - A63B 71/0622: {Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user} - G06T 7/20: Analysis of motion (motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51) - G06V 20/42: {of sport video content} - H04N 7/181: {for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources} - H04N 23/90: Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums - A63B 2024/0034: {during flight} - A63B 2069/0006: {for pitching} - A63B 2220/16: Angular positions - A63B 2220/806: Video cameras - G06T 2207/10016: Video; Image sequence - G06T 2207/30224: Ball; Puck - 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 - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract The present disclosure relates to effective, efficient, and economical methods and systems for improving athletic performance by tracking objects typically thrown or hit by athletes. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a unique configuration of technology wherein an electronic display is located at or behind the target and one or more cameras are positioned to observe the target. Once an object is thrown or hit, one or more cameras may observe and track the object. Further, an electronic display may be used to provide targeting information to an athlete and also to determine the athlete's accuracy. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for monitoring objects thrown or hit by an athlete comprising: an electronic display, wherein the electronic display contains an arrangement of light-emitting devices attached to a vertically suspended mat for displaying targets to the athlete; two or more cameras consisting of a first set of one or more cameras positioned to observe the electronic display and a second set of one or more cameras positioned to observe an object thrown or hit toward the electronic display; and a computer coupled to the electronic display and the two or more cameras, wherein for each event where the object is hit or thrown the computer uses video from the two or more cameras to determine relative to the electronic display where the object is thrown or hit based on a change in the trajectory of the object. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein at least one camera of the second set of one or more cameras is embedded in or attached by a fixture to the electronic display, wherein the at least one camera is capable of recording video of the object as it approaches the electronic display. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the computer is capable of displaying how an object thrown or hit would appear to the perspective of a person in front of the electronic display. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the computer is capable of displaying how an object thrown or hit would appear to the perspective of a person adjacent to the electronic display. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, farther comprising one or more transparent barriers to protect the arrangement of light-emitting devices from damage by a thrown or hit object. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more transparent barriers is comprised of one or more catching nets. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the computer synchronizes the video from the two or more cameras for display. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the computer receives a selection of a first and second event and generates a comparison based on videos obtained from the two or more cameras. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the second set of one or more cameras if composed of more than one camera comprises multiple cameras at different positions relative to the electronic display to capture different perspectives of the object thrown or hit as the object approaches the electronic display. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the computer displays the comparison. ### Claim 11 A computer-operable method for monitoring objects thrown or hit by an athlete comprising: observing an electronic display, wherein the electronic display contains an arrangement of light-emitting devices attached to a vertically suspended mat for displaying targets to the athlete, via two or more cameras consisting of a first set of one or more cameras positioned to observe the electronic display and a second set of one or more cameras positioned to observe an object thrown or hit toward the electronic, display; and for each event where the object is hit or thrown, using video from the one or more cameras to determine relative to the electronic display where the object is thrown or hit based on a change in the trajectory of the object. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer-operable method of claim 11, further comprising the step of obtaining video from at least one camera of the second set of one or more cameras, wherein the at least one camera is embedded in or attached by a fixture to the electronic display and is capable of recording video of the object as it approaches the electronic display. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The computer-operable method of claim 12, further comprising the step of displaying how an object thrown or hit would appear to the perspective of a person in front of the electronic display. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The computer-operable method of claim 12, further comprising the step of displaying how an object thrown or hit would appear to the perspective of a person adjacent to the electronic display. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The computer-operable method of claim 11, further comprising the step of synchronizing the video from the two or more cameras. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer-operable method of claim 15, further comprising the step of receiving a selection of a first and second event and generating a comparison based on videos obtained from the two or more cameras. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer-operable method of claim 16, further comprising the step of obtaining video from the second set of one or more cameras if composed of more than one camera at different positions relative to the electronic display as the to capture different perspectives of the object thrown or hit as the object approaches the electronic display. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer-operable method of claim 17, further comprising the step of displaying the comparison.