Patent Publication Number: US-2018050239-A1

Title: Sports Balls with tracker

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS (IF ANY) 
     None 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a sports ball device in particular, a ball that can be used to track a sporting events. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Sports are very big in the United States, from little league all the way to the pros. Since the beginning, people have been looking for better ways to train for and keep track of a game, some way to automatically track the ball being used. 
     Sports franchising in the US is a large and regularly growing industry with over 860 businesses or franchises active in the industry each year. These franchises or businesses consist of those that are in major league baseball, the NFL, the NBA, as well as minor-league teams, which support these larger industries. 
     The keeping of statistics and reporting them as well as assistance in officiating is still needed in sports. Especially give the large amount of sports participation. 
     There is still room for improvement in the art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a device and system for a new type of sport ball or gadget ball that turns various basketballs or other athletic balls into smart products. 
     The objective is to have a ball with internal mechanisms that are digital in nature and will help translate information about the ball and/or its position in space to referees or officials. 
     Another objective is to improve team accuracy as well as game officiating. 
     The current invention is a ball that can be used in team play and multiple game modes for recording play by play actions between players and teams. This includes steals, turnovers, time of possession and score. These stats can be recorded using the ball and one or more sensors like wristband/fingerband that can be attached to each player. These statistics can be shared on all social network platforms. 
     The current invention is more efficient, effective, accurate and functional than the current art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Without restricting the full scope of this invention, the preferred form of this invention is illustrated in the following drawings: 
         FIG. 1  shows the current invention and its main components; 
         FIG. 2  shows sensors on a playing field; 
         FIG. 3  displays sensors on a player&#39;s wrist; 
         FIG. 4  shows a flowchart of the start of a game; and 
         FIG. 5  displays a flowchart of the application tracking a game. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     There are a number of significant design features and improvements incorporated within the invention. 
     The present invention is a device and system for a new type of sport ball or gadget ball that turns various basketballs or other athletic balls into smart products. The device, as shown if  FIG. 1 , is a sports ball with a electronic tracking and signing unit  5  that is within the ball  10 . Any type of sports ball can be used, such as a basketball, football, soccer ball, volley ball or even a golf ball. The system would even work well with a hockey puck. 
     The smart ball&#39;s design features are that it is has a node the uses long lasting battery support and low energy components for maximum longevity and has wireless connectivity such as a bluetooth which allows it to contact to the sensors  50  as well as a smartphone  30  or computer device  40 . It would have a durable rubberized outer shell with inner cage for support for an inflated ball like a basketball or football. It is design to be the proper certified game size and weight, regulation standard for basketball. 
     The object will have internal mechanisms that are digital in nature and will help translate information about the ball  10  and/or its position in space. This information can go to a computering device such as a smartphone  30  or computer  40  and to referees or officials. The object then of the ball is to improve team accuracy as well as game officiating. 
     The smart ball  10  can be used in team play and multiple game modes for recording play by actions between players and teams. Statistics such as steals, turnovers, time of possession, score—these stats can be recorded using the cyber-ball/gadget ball/smart ball and one or more sensors  50 . These sensors  50  can be placed on or worn by the players  60  and would be place around the field or court (depending on the sport being played) in a grid pattern as shown in  FIG. 2  for a football field. The sensors  50  can be worn by the players  60  like wristband or fingerbands that can be attached to each player  60  or even woven into a player&#39;s uniform as shown in  FIG. 3 . Each player  60  would have a unique identifier assigned to their node  10  so that the player  60  can be easily identified by the system. The players&#39; sensors and wristbands can even display their stats for the players to review. 
     The ball  10  and the sensor  60  will send out signals to a receiving device  70 . The receiving device  70  can be a computering device such as a computer  40  or smartphone  30 . Using a programming application the is stored in non-transitory memory and run on the computing device information about the game can be received and computed using the location of the ball  10  and the players  60  as well as programmed information about the rules of the game that is being played. 
     For example, the sensors  50  can placed on the rim of the basketball court to measure if a shot goes in and whether or not it is a three point shot by measuring the distance the shot was from the basket and the trajectory of the ball as it was shot. In football, the system could tell if someone crosses the goal line even if that person cannot be seen by instance replay using sensors at the goal line. In soccer, it can tell if a player is offsides by seeing if the attacker is in front of the ball and the defenders. In baseball, the system can call strikes and balls with properly placed sensors. 
     They system will calculate and keeps teams and players&#39; stats which can be available in real time. 
     Operations: 
     In the preferred embodiment, the user would hit or start bouncing the ball  10  to activate the Bluetooth censor. It would sync up with the sensors  50  and with the computering device to track the game and the ball  10  movements. It would compile the statistics based on the game being played, its rules and the actions of the ball  10 . It would go into suspend mode or turn itself off after a set time of inactivity. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the program computer application (app) stored in non-transitory memory is started  110 . Next the type of game is selected  120  and whether or not it is a team game  130 ,  140 . The rules of the game are loaded into the system and the names of the players are stored with their unique sensors. The game is started. The application keeps track of the game&#39;s play-by-play. The games&#39; statistics are available for display while the game is ongoing and after it ends. The application ends when the game is over. 
       FIG. 5  displays a sample process for a game. In this example, it is a solo basketball game to the score of 32 points. It starts  200  and sees if the player has the ball  210  based on the unit  5  and the unique sensor  50  assigned to the player  60 . Does the player  60  turns the ball over  210  or shoot the ball  215 . If the player  50  turns the ball over, the player&#39;s time of possession is recorded  220 , the play is recorded as a turnover  221  and as a steal  222 . The data is stored  240 . If it is a shot  215 , the time of possession is recorded  217 . If it goes in  216  it records the score for either 2 points or 3 points  230  and the data is stored  240 . If it doesn&#39;t go in  218  the player  60  misses the shot  235  and it goes back to start  200 . After the data is stored  240 , the application will check to see if either player has reached a score of thirty-two  250 . If yes,  252  then the games ends  260 . If no  251 , then it sees if the player  60  has the ball  205 . 
     Advantages 
     The invention allows stats that can be viewed using the application and shared across social networks. The system is more affordable than similar products in the market. It can keep score and other valuable stats that can be used strategically and can track a game with a Live feed, displaying in words play-by-play what is going on. The information provided by the system and ball can provide useful information to help referees in a game, such as determining who last touched the ball in hard to determine situations or if a player was offsides in football or soccer. It even allows players in pick-up games or games with no referees or stat keepers track their own stats in the gym and keeps games accurate. 
     Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the point and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein. 
     As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. With respect to the above description, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.