Basketball training apparatus
OwnerScott A. Welchinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic basketball training apparatus that instructs a player to move to a sequence of zones and allows the player a limited amount of time to make a basket in each zone. The apparatus computes results and statistics which can be printed out or viewed from a computer screen. The invention can have the computer automatically communicate or allow a coach to communicate the next zone to the player. The invention uses a switch sensor in the basketball net to sense when a basket is made, laser beam sensors on the floor to locate the position of the player, a controller, memory, software, a visual display terminal, a printer, and a speaker to perform the training routine.
Claims20
An electronic training apparatus, comprised of
- a switch sensor on a basket positioned to provide first signals indicative of passage of a ball through said basket;
- a plurality of light beam sensors distributed in an ordered array dividing a basketball court into a plurality of contiguous zones defined by said array, to generate positional signals indicative of positions of a player on said court;
- and
- control means for generating an audible signal assigning the player to one of said zones for a subsequent shot, for automatically determining said position of said player on said court in response to said positional signals, and for computing results and statistics on a basis of said position in response to said first signals.
An electronic training process, comprised of:
- generating an audible command directing a player to a first zone of a plurality of distinct contiguous zones defined by a plurality of light beam sensors, emitters, and relays, placed on a court, producing light beams across said court where said beams form the boundaries of a plurality of zones on said court, said emitters, sensors, and relays detecting the zone a player is located in;
- starting a time clock to measure the time afforded to the player to score a basket upon a first interruption of a beam in route to said first zone;
- and
- detecting passage of a basketball through said basket.
An electronic training apparatus, comprised of:
- a switching sensor on a basket to sense the passage of a ball through said basket;
- a plurality of light beam sensors, emitters, and relays, placed on a court, producing light beams across said court where said beams form the boundaries of a plurality of zones on said court, said emitters, sensors, and relays detecting the zone a player is located in;
- and
- a control means to:
- automatically determine a zone that said player is located in, and compute results and statistics in response to signals from said switch sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.