US 5,509,649 A · Device and method for measuring the velocity and zonal position of a pitched ball

Abstract

A plurality of electromagnetic energy transmitters and receivers are each arranged in a respective linear array to define a single vertical plane. A portion of the transmitters are coupled together to define a field, or strike zone, within the plane. The device has a means for detecting the entrance and exit of a ball into and from the single plane and for simultaneously detecting whether the ball was within, or outside of, the strike zone. The method for measuring the velocity and zonal position of a pitched ball includes sensing the entrance and exit of a ball into and from a single spatial plane, generating a series of count signals, and measuring the number of count signals occurring during passage of the ball through the plane. Simultaneously with measuring the number of count signals, the passage of the ball either through or outside of the strike zone is sensed, and a signal indicative of the position of the ball with respect to the strike zone is displayed.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A device for measuring the velocity and zonal position of a pitched ball, comprising:

a plurality of electromagnetic energy transmitters arranged in a single linear array;
a plurality of electromagnetic energy receivers arranged in a single linear array and cooperating with said electromagnetic energy transmitters to define a single vertical plane having laterally spaced end boundaries, a preselected portion of said electromagnetic energy receivers being electrically coupled together and defining a field within said plane;
a means for separately detecting the entry and exit of a ball passing through said plane and simultaneously detecting the passage of at least a portion of said ball through the field within said plane.

A method for measuring the velocity and zonal position of a pitched ball, comprising:

sensing the entrance of a ball in flight into a single predefined spatial plane;
sensing the exit of said ball from said single spatial plane;
generating a series of count signals at a predetermined frequency, said frequency being selected to correlate with the diameter of said ball and the elapsed time occurring during the passage of said ball through said single spatial plane at a preselected velocity;
measuring the number of count signals occurring between the entrance into and the exit from said single spatial plane;
determining the instantaneous velocity of said ball based on the number of said measured count signals;
displaying a value indicative of said determined instantaneous velocity;
sensing the passage of said ball either through a predefined planar field within said single spatial plane or outside of said predefined planar field simultaneously with said sensing the entrance and exit of said ball through the single spatial plane, and
displaying a signal indicative of the position of said ball relative to said predefined planer field at the time said ball passes through said single spatial plane.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Device and method for measuring the velocity and zonal position of a pitched ball

Life of this patent

Device and method for measuring the velocity and zonal position of a pitched ball

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17