# US 2013/0157786 A1 · System and method for improving a basketball player's shooting including a tracking and control system for tracking, controlling and reporting statistics > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0157786 A1 - Document ID: US20130157786A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/529,903 - Filed: 2012-06-21 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2009-04-08 - Assignees: Shoot-A-Way, Inc. - Inventors: John G. Joseph; Troy David Geiser; Albert Charles Abnett - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130157786A1 ## CPC - A63B 69/0071: {for basketball} - A63B 24/0021: {Tracking a path or terminating locations} - A63B 24/0075: {Means for generating exercise programmes or schemes, e.g. computerized virtual trainer, e.g. using expert databases} - A63B 47/02: for picking-up {or collecting} - A63B 63/083: {for basketball} - 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 71/022: {Backstops, cages, enclosures or the like, e.g. for spectator protection, for arresting balls} - A63B 71/0616: {Means for conducting or scheduling competition, league, tournaments or rankings} - A63B 71/0619: {Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills} - G01S 13/582: {adapted for simultaneous range and velocity measurements} - G01S 13/88: Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications (electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00) - G09B 19/0038: {Sports} - G16H 20/30: relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising - A63B 47/002: {Devices for dispensing balls, e.g. from a reservoir (automatic teeing devices A63B57/0006; devices for projecting balls A63B69/40)} - A63B 2024/0034: {during flight} - A63B 2024/0056: {for statistical or strategic analysis} - A63B 2063/001: {Targets or goals with ball-returning means} - A63B 2071/025: {on rollers or wheels} - A63B 2071/0694: {Visual indication, e.g. Indicia} - A63B 2210/50: Size reducing arrangements for stowing or transport - A63B 2220/13: Relative positions - A63B 2220/17: Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed - A63B 2220/20: Distances or displacements - A63B 2220/802: Ultra-sound sensors - A63B 2220/805: Optical or opto-electronic sensors - A63B 2220/89: Field sensors, e.g. radar systems - A63B 2225/20: with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like - A63B 2225/50: Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry - A63B 2225/74: with powered illuminating means, e.g. lights - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B) - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract A system and method for improving a player's efficiency in shooting by providing a player with various shooting challenge routines at which a player makes either a total number of shots or a total number shots in a row. Statistics regarding the player's performance are gathered or collected, stored and/or tracked, printed and/or evaluated and the player can use the information to improve his or her efficiency at one or more of the plurality of different locations where the player shoots the basketball. One embodiment includes the ability of players from the same or different teams to compare statistics and enables the launchers at different locations to launch substantially exactly the same pass to different players to facilitate such competition. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for improving a player's efficiency in shooting a basketball toward a basketball hoop on a basketball backboard associated with a basketball playing area, said system comprising: a basketball ejector for ejecting a basketball to a plurality of predetermined different locations on said basketball playing area; a sensor associated with said basketball hoop for sensing when said basketball goes through said basketball hoop; and a controller coupled to said basketball ejector and said sensor; said controller causing said basketball ejector to eject a predetermined number of balls to a player located at a first one of said plurality of predetermined different locations for a predetermined shooting challenge, and after said predetermined shooting challenge is met by said player shooting a number of balls that said sensor senses passing through said basketball hoop, said controller causes said basketball ejector to eject balls toward at least one second one of said plurality of predetermined different locations. ### Claim 2 A system for assisting basketball practice, comprising: a) a launcher which is programmable to make a series of different passes to a player; b) a control system which i) determines a location where said player shot from and whether said player successfully scores a goal from said location; and ii) records, in a computer, the percentage or number of shots made from each location. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A system according to claim 2, in which said control system places data recorded about said player's performance onto a website available on the Internet. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) A system according to claim 2, in which said control system records at least one distance from which a shot was taken, an arch of said shot or release time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A system according to claim 4, in which said control system places data recorded about said player's performance onto a website available on the Internet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) A system according to claim 2, wherein said control system comprises a measurement system that measures a distance from which said player shot the basketball, with said measurement being recorded in said computer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A system according to claim 6, wherein said measurement system comprises a Doppler system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) A system according to claim 6, wherein said launcher launches balls along at least one vector selected by a user, said measurement system measuring said shots along said at least one vector. ### Claim 9 An apparatus for assisting basketball practice, comprising: a) a system which i) launches a basketball along a flight path for a player, ii) issues a score signal which indicates whether said player scored a goal after a catch; and b) a control system which i) controls launching by a launcher, ii) receives said score signal, iii) records data comprising (A) the location of said catch, and (B) whether said goal was scored; and iv) stores said data recorded, and delivers said data at a later time. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus according to claim 9, in which said control system repeats processes described in paragraphs (a) and (b). ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus according to claim 9, in which said control system places said data recorded onto a website, to thereby make said data available to other parties. ### Claim 12 A system for assisting basketball practice, comprising: a) a launcher which launches a succession of passes, to different locations, for a player to catch; b) a control system which i) determines whether each pass resulted in a goal made by said player; Ii) records data indicating the events of paragraphs (b)(i) and (b)(ii); and iii) makes said data available to remote parties. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system according to claim 12, in which said data is placed onto a website. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system according to claim 12, wherein said control system senses and records a distance between from which a shot was taken and the rim. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system according to claim 14, wherein said control system comprises a plurality of launchers located at a plurality of locations, wherein said control system is adapted to cause said plurality of launchers to launch basketballs to the same relative shooting position at a different plurality of locations. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15, wherein said control system is adapted to enable shooting data associated with shooting at said plurality of locations to be uploaded to a website and compared. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system according to claim 16, wherein said data comprises cumulative shooting statistics for shooting by each player by at least one of each player or each shooting location. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system according to claim 16, wherein said data comprises cumulative shooting statistics for a plurality of shooting distances. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system according to claim 18, wherein said shooting statistics are at least one of a player, a team, a geographic region, an age or a league. ### Claim 20 A system, comprising: a) at a first location, a first apparatus which i) launches a first basketball along a first flight path for a first player; ii) detects whether said first player subsequently scores a goal using said first basketball; and iii) maintains first data which indicates whether a goal was scored by said first basketball; b) at a second location, a second apparatus which i) launches a second basketball along a second flight path for a second player; ii) detects whether said second player subsequently scores a goal using said first basketball; and iii) maintains second data which indicates whether a goal was scored by said second basketball. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A system according to claim 20, in which said first apparatus makes said first data available to remote parties. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) A system according to claim 20, in which said second apparatus makes said second data available to remote parties. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) A system according to claim 20, in which A) said first apparatus makes said first data available on the Internet, and B) said second apparatus makes said second data available on the Internet. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) A system according to claim 20, in which said data includes at least one: (1) distance, (2) angle of said launch, or (3) release time. ### Claim 25 A basketball tracking system comprising: a plurality of user interfaces for accessing a website adapted to receive statistics and data from at least one launcher for launching basketballs to at least one player during at least one shooting session; a report generator for generating at least one report in response to a selection of a plurality of criteria selected by a user using at least one of said plurality of user interfaces. said at least one report comprising a ranking of said at least one player based upon said player's shooting performance. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 25 wherein said website comprises an associated server or database for storing said statistics and data; at least one of said plurality of user interfaces enabling said statistics and data to be uploaded to said website; said statistics and data comprising at least one of the following: distance measurements for each location that said at least one player took a shot; minimum age, maximum age, beginning date, ending date, gender, shooting locations, shooting distance, city, county, state, country. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 26 wherein said website maintains cumulative data and statistics for said at least one player. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 25 wherein said plurality of criteria comprise a plurality of the following: player, minimum age, maximum age, beginning date, ending date, gender, shooting locations, shooting distance, city, county, state, country. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 28 wherein at least one of said plurality of criteria is a shooting distance, said at least one report showing said at least one player's shooting accuracy at said shooting distance. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 28 wherein at least one of said plurality of criteria is a shooting distance, said at least one report showing a comparison of said at least one player's shooting accuracy to at least one other player at said shooting distance. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 30 wherein said at least one player and said at least one other player are on the same team. ### Claim 32 (depends on 30) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 30 wherein said at least one player and said at least one other player are on different teams. ### Claim 33 (depends on 30) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 30 wherein said at least one other player is located in the same county as said at least one player. ### Claim 34 (depends on 30) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 30 wherein said at least one other player is located in a different county as said at least one player. ### Claim 35 (depends on 30) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 30 wherein said at least one other player is located in a different country as said at least one player. ### Claim 36 (depends on 30) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 30 wherein said at least one other player is located in a different states as said at least one player. ### Claim 37 (depends on 25) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 25 wherein said statistics and data comprises sessions data generated by a single launcher used during a single shooting session. ### Claim 38 (depends on 25) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 25 wherein said statistics and data comprises sessions data generated by a single launcher used during a multiple shooting sessions. ### Claim 39 (depends on 25) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 25 wherein said statistics and data comprises sessions data generated by a plurality of launchers; said plurality of user interfaces being adapted to permit said sessions data from each of said plurality of launchers to be uploaded to said website at the same or different times. ### Claim 40 (depends on 25) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 25 wherein at least one of said plurality of user interfaces is adapted to permit said user to create a roster of players for downloading to said at least one launcher. ### Claim 41 (depends on 40) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 40 wherein said roster of players is stored on said website, said plurality of user interfaces and said website being adapted to store cumulative data relative to a plurality of players' shooting statistics and data for comparisons by other users authorized to access said website. ### Claim 42 (depends on 25) A basketball tracking system as recited in claim 25 wherein said system further comprises: a plurality of launchers, each adapted to collect a plurality of statistics and data associated with a plurality of players' shooting; said website storing said plurality of statistics and data so that comparisons thereof can be made on said website and printed out if desired. ### Claim 43 (depends on 42) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 42 wherein each of said plurality of launchers comprises a user interface having a plurality of buttons arranged in a layout on said user interface that generally corresponds to a plurality of locations from which a player may shoot a basketball. ### Claim 44 (depends on 43) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 43 wherein each of said plurality of launchers causes a plurality of basketballs to be launched to a plurality of said plurality of locations in the order in which said plurality of buttons were actuated by the user on the interface. ### Claim 45 (depends on 25) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 25 wherein at least one of said plurality of user interfaces is adapted to enable a user to view said reports and print them. ### Claim 46 (depends on 25) The system as recited in claim 25 wherein at least one of said at least one report comprises a mapping report or scatter diagram shooting a shooting accuracy for a plurality of distances along a vector extending from said launcher. ### Claim 47 An apparatus which enables a player to practice basketball, comprising: a) a gun or ejector which i) has an interface that is programmable for selecting a number of basketball passes; and ii) launches said basketball passes for said player to catch; b) a detector which i) for each of said basketball passes, ascertains whether said player succeeded in making a goal; and ii) for all of said basketball passes, creates a visual matrix, graph, scatter diagram or chart which describes (A) data describing said basketball passes, and (B) for each of said basketball passes, data describing said player's response. ### Claim 48 (depends on 47) The apparatus according to claim 47, in which said selected number of basketball passes specifies passes to different locations on a basketball court. ### Claim 49 (depends on 47) The apparatus according to claim 47, in which said selected number of basketball passes specifies a generally radial array of passes originating from a pass launcher. ### Claim 50 (depends on 47) The apparatus according to claim 47, and further comprising a communication system which transmits said data to a web site, which displays said visual matrix, graph, scatter diagram or chart to parties who visit the web site. ### Claim 51 (depends on 47) The apparatus according to claim 47, and further comprising a communication system which transmits, directly or indirectly, a list to a system at a remote location, which comprises: c) a second gun or ejector which i) accepts said list; and ii) launches each pass on said list for a second player to catch; d) a detector which i) for each pass, ascertains whether said second player succeeded in making a goal; and ii) for all passes, creates a visual matrix, graph, scatter diagram or chart which describes (A) data describing all passes, and (B) for each pass, data describing said second player's response. ### Claim 52 (depends on 47) The apparatus according to claim 47, in which said data describing said player's response includes (1) height of shot, (2) distance of player from goal, (3) release angle, and (4) entry angle into goal. ### Claim 53 (depends on 51) The apparatus according to claim 51, in which said data describing said second player's response includes (1) height of shot, (2) distance of player from goal, (3) release angle, and (4) entry angle into goal. ### Claim 54 A basketball tracking system comprising: a plurality of user interfaces for accessing a website adapted to receive statistics and data from at least one launcher for launching basketballs to at least one player during at least one shooting session; a report generator for generating at least one report in response to a selection of a plurality of criteria selected by a user using at least one of said plurality of user interfaces. said at least one report comprising a ranking of said at least one player based upon said at least one player's shooting performance. ### Claim 55 (depends on 54) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 54 wherein said website comprises an associated server or database for storing said statistics and data; at least one of said plurality of user interfaces enabling said statistics and data to be uploaded to said website; said statistics and data comprising at least one of the following: distance measurements for each location that said at least one player took a shot; minimum age, maximum age, beginning date, ending date, gender, shooting locations, shooting distance, city, county, state, country. ### Claim 56 (depends on 55) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 55 wherein said website maintains cumulative data and statistics for said at least one player. ### Claim 57 (depends on 54) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 54 wherein said plurality of criteria comprise a plurality of the following: player, minimum age, maximum age, beginning date, ending date, gender, shooting locations, shooting distance, city, county, state, country. ### Claim 58 (depends on 57) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 57 wherein at least one of said plurality of criteria is a shooting distance, said at least one report showing said at least one player's shooting accuracy at said shooting distance. ### Claim 59 (depends on 57) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 57 wherein at least one of said plurality of criteria is a shooting distance, said at least one report showing a comparison of said at least one player's shooting accuracy to at least one other player at said shooting distance. ### Claim 60 (depends on 59) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 59 wherein said at least one player and said at least one other player are on the same team. ### Claim 61 (depends on 59) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 59 wherein said at least one player and said at least one other player are on different teams. ### Claim 62 (depends on 59) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 59 wherein said at least one other player is located in the same county as said at least one player. ### Claim 63 (depends on 59) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 59 wherein said at least one other player is located in a different county as said at least one player. ### Claim 64 (depends on 59) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 59 wherein said at least one other player is located in a different country as said at least one player. ### Claim 65 (depends on 59) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 59 wherein said at least one other player is located in a different state as said at least one player. ### Claim 66 (depends on 54) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 54 wherein said statistics and data comprises sessions data generated by a single launcher used during a single shooting session. ### Claim 67 (depends on 54) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 54 wherein said statistics and data comprises sessions data generated by a single launcher used during multiple shooting sessions. ### Claim 68 (depends on 54) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 54 wherein said statistics and data comprises sessions data generated by a plurality of launchers; said plurality of user interfaces being adapted to permit said sessions data from each of said plurality of launchers to be uploaded to said website at the same or different times. ### Claim 69 (depends on 54) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 54 wherein at least one of said plurality of user interfaces is adapted to permit said user to create a roster of players for downloading to said at least one launcher. ### Claim 70 (depends on 69) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 69 wherein said roster of players is stored on said website, said plurality of user interfaces and said website being adapted to store cumulative data relative to a plurality of players' shooting statistics and data for comparisons by other users authorized to access said website. ### Claim 71 (depends on 54) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 54 wherein a distance sensor measures a distance along each of a plurality of different vectors. ### Claim 72 (depends on 54) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 54 wherein a distance sensor measures a distance at fixed positions along each of a plurality of vectors. ### Claim 73 (depends on 71) The basketball tracking system as recited in claim 71 wherein said distance sensor comprises a Doppler measurement system that measures said distances of between 3 feet and 25 feet from said launcher.