Apparatus and method for performing timed basketball drills
AssigneeAthletics Project Inc.
InventorsDean A. Coffeen, Kenneth J. Mahoney
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for performing timed basketball drills includes one or more ball return units, a basketball goal assembly, a timer/counter, and one or more remote transmitters. The timer/counter senses, processes, stores, and displays the number of balls thrown at and returned from the one or more ball return untis and/or the number of successful shots to the basketball goal assembly. The remote transmitter provides an encoded signal to the timer/counter from either the one or more ball return units or the basketball goal assembly.
Claims8
Apparatus for use by athletes in performing basketball drills, the apparatus comprising:
- a ball return unit adapted for placement in a desired position on the floor of a basketball court, the ball return unit having a frame and having an elastic member supported by the frame for returning a basketball thrown at the ball return unit;
- one or more sensors mounted on the ball return unit for detecting a basketball striking the ball return unit;
- a timer/counter mounted on the ball return unit;
- a transmitter mounted proximate a basketball goal on the basketball court, said transmitter communicating with said timer/counter;
- one or more sensors mounted proximate the basketball goal for communication with the transmitter, said plurality of sensors being operative for detecting successful basketball goals;
- said timer/counter being operative for initiating a timed cycle for separately accumulating attempted basketball goals, as detected by said one or more sensors mounted on the ball return unit, and successful basketball goals, as detected by said one or more sensors mounted proximate the basketball goal, during said timed cycle, for processing a computed percentage of accumulated successful basketball goals to accumulated attempted basketball goals, and for thereafter visually displaying the accumulated attempted and successful basketball goals and the processed computed percentage of successful basketball goals to attempted basketball goals.
A method for enabling an athlete to perform basketball drills, the method comprising:
- providing a ball return unit at a desired position on the floor of a basketball court, the ball return unit being operative for detecting and returning a basketball thrown thereto by the athlete;
- providing a timer/counter on the ball return unit;
- initiating a timed drill cycle;
- accumulating basketball goals attempted by the athlete during said timed drill cycle, as detected by said ball return unit;
- accumulating those basketball goals attempted by the athlete which successfully pass through a basketball goal on the basketball court during said timed drill cycle;
- processing a computed percentage of accumulated successful basketball goals to accumulated attempted basketball goals during the timed drill cycle;
- and
- visually displaying, at the end of the timed drill cycle, the accumulated attempted basketball goals, the accumulated successful basketball goals, and the percentage of accumulated successful basketball goals to accumulated attempted basketball goals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.