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.

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to a projectile return apparatus and, more particularly, to a basketball return apparatus that incorporates electronic means for calculating and displaying time, shooting attempts, shots made, and shooting percentages. 
     Projectile return apparatuses are well known in the prior art, exemplary of which are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,427,026, 3,752,475, and 3,836,144. Such apparatuses have proven to be effective tools in the development of athletic skills required in passing, catching, and shooting routines in the game of basketball, for example. Attempts to drill an athlete in a particular workout routine as to the number of completed routines compared to the number of attempted routines over a fixed period of time have often resulted in data for analysis that may be more subjective than objective. When using the projectile return apparatuses of the prior art, it is difficult for the participant to keep track of both the number of attempted shots made and missed with a high degree of accuracy without distracting the participant from the mental and physical process of executing the proper technique involved with a specific drill. The use of another person acting as an observer of these drills may also result in disputed data. The lack of a combined body of standardized data has prevented the establishment of shooting percentage norms in basketball equivalent to hitting averages in baseball and par values in golf, for example. 
     The present invention provides the athlete and coaching staff greater opportunity to evaluate and develop the athlete&#39;s skills by providing a more objective method for measuring standard skills as to time and accuracy of data collection. The collection of this data from numerous standard drills is maintained while preserving the game-like nature of a drill by eliminating non-game-like apparatus such as tethers, rails, netting, floor pad sensors, etc. The present invention allows a body of comparable data to be collected and recorded on an individual athlete over a long time period, facilitating the establishment of norms for many athletes, that are comparable by age, sex, and skill level. 
     The electronic ball return apparatus of the present invention includes one or more projectile return apparatuses, a basketball goal assembly, a timer/counter, and one or more remote transmitters. The timer/counter functions to sense, process, store, and display the number of balls thrown at and returned from the one or more projectile return apparatuses 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 projectile return apparatuses or the basketball goal assembly. 
     The components of the present invention set forth in the preceding paragraph serve to detect and measure such athletic intagibles as strength, accuracy, endurance, desire, etc. that separate highly skilled basketball players from those of lesser skill. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIGS. 1A-C are front, side, and bottom views, respectively, of the timer/counter employed in the electronic ball return apparatus of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a pictorial diagram of a ball return unit employed in the electronic ball return apparatus of the present invention. 
     FIGS. 3A-F are detailed schematic diagrams of the circuitry employed in the timer/counter of FIGS. 1A-C. 
     FIG.  3 ′ is a figure map illustrating the arrangement of FIGS. 3A-F. 
     FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the logic blocks executed by both the remote transmitter of FIG.  5  and the timer/counter of FIGS. 1A-C during ON-CONTINUOUS and ON-RUN-STOP operation. 
     FIG. 5 is a detailed schematic diagram of a remote transmitter that may be employed with the timer/counter of FIGS. 1A-C. 
     FIG. 6 is a pictorial diagram illustrating a basketball drill that may be performed using two of the ball return units of the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a pictorial diagram illustrating the way in which a basketball goal assembly and the remote transmitter unit of FIG. 6 may be mounted on a backboard support. 
     FIG. 8A is a pictorial diagram illustrating the rear cross-section of a basketball goal of the type suitable for mounting sensors employed with the remote transmitter of FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 8B is a top view of the basketball goal of FIG.  8 A. 
     FIG. 8C is a detailed diagram illustrating the way in which the sensors employed with the remote transmitter of FIG. 5 may be mounted on the basketball goal of FIGS. 8A-B. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, there are shown front, side, and bottom views of a timer/counter  224  of the present invention having mounted thereon a timer switch  102  for presetting a countdown timer, a multiposition rotary switch  104  for selecting OFF, ON-CONTINUOUS, or ON-RUN-STOP modes of operation, a RESET switch  106 , a 3-digit multifunction LED display  108 , an optional low voltage indicator  110 , a series of optional indicator LEDs for indicating the sequence of display operations, a speaker aperture  114 , a pair of electrical connector jacks  116 , an antenna  118 , and shock mounts  120 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a ball return unit  200  of the type known in the art having a panel support assembly  202 , left and right side braces  204 , a horizontal support shaft  206 , and a return panel assembly  208  of netting. Return panel assembly  208  covers the entire area defined by panel support assembly  202 , even though only a portion of it is illustrated. A pair of light sensors  372  are mounted by way of brackets  220  on the left and right side braces  204  of the panel support assembly  202  such that they are optically aligned along an axis  222  that preferably lies approximately 3.8 to 6.35 centimeters behind return panel assembly  208 . Timer/counter  224  is mounted on support shaft  206  using conventional hardware and clamps  226 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 3A, there is shown a power supply including a D.C. source  300  controlled by OFF/ON/ON switch  104 A. A pair of rectifier diodes  302 ,  304 , provide circuit and battery protection. Each of the diodes  302 ,  304  may comprise a commercially available 1N4002 diode, for example. Diode  306  serves to protect a voltage regulation integrated circuit  310 , which may comprise a commerically available LM7805 integrated circuit. A pair of 1000 uf. electrolytic capacitors  308 ,  312  serve to filter the power supply at low frequency. Capacitors  314 , each of which has a capacitance in the range of 0.01-0.1 uf., serve to filter high frequencies generated by the switching of the digital integrated circuits within the circuitry of FIGS. 3B-F. Each of the capacitors  314  is connected at or near the supply pin of each one of those integrated circuits. A Lumex SSL-LX5099LBI-SRD 110, together with resistors  130 ,  134 , and a zener diode  132 , form an optional low battery voltage indicator circuit. 
     Referring now to the circuitry of FIGS. 3B-F, a crystal oscillator timebase circuit, which may comprise integrated circuits  328 ,  330 , a crystal  320 , resistors  326 ,  328 , and capacitors  322 ,  324 , is operated at 32,768 Hz and followed by a 15-stage binary counter to produce pulses of 1 Hz. This system clock is used by a display control integrated circuit  338  and presetable timer integrated circuits  354 ,  356 ,  358 , all of which may comprise MC14029 integrated circuits. Integrated circuit  334 , which may comprise an MC14071B integrated circuit, configured as OR gates, and integrated circuit  336 , which may comprise an MC14025B integrated circuit, configured as NOR gates, form a steering network to provide control signals to and from display control integrated circuit  338 , presetable time integrated circuits  332 ,  340 ,  354 ,  356 ,  358 , and components  106 ,  140 ,  142  that form a reset circuit. An integrated circuit  332 , which may comprise one-half of a commercially available MC14013B integrated circuit, is employed as an RS flip-flop which toggles between display and timer modes. Integrated circuit  340 , which may comprise an MC14017B integrated circuit, serves as a sequence counter to count the number of CARRY pules that have been generated by the display control counter and the presetable timer for the purpose of issuing control signals through switch  104  for reset operations or for disabling the timebase clock. It is the basic function of the steering network to provide control signals to the various counters while selectively sounding an alert tone. Integrated circuit  342 , which may comprise one-half of an MC14538B integrated circuit, together with a capacitor  344 , a resistor  346 , a bias resitor  348 , and an NPN driver transistor  350 , which may comprise a 2N2222A transistor, form a timing circuit that function to trigger and control the length of time that an audible alert device  352  sounds. 
     Switch  102 , along with pulldown resistors  144 ,  146 ,  148 , provide the necessary logic levels for the presetable timer integrated circuits  354 ,  356 , and  358 . Display of the presetable timer is effected by applying controlling signals to a pair of optical 3-state line drivers  360 ,  362 , each of which may comprise a commercially available MC74H541A integrated circuit. The collection of raw data is performed through two inputs, one of which is a remote transmitter, described hereinbelow, through a radio frequency receiver  364 , which may comprise a Ming Microsystems RE-99V3 receiver module, the output of which is applied to the input of a digital remote control decoder integrated circuit  366 , which may comprise a Holtek HT12F integrated circuit. An 8-position DIP switch  370  permits the address of the digital remote control decoder  366  to be easily changed, if necessary. Signals from the decoder data lines and VT line are applied to a monostable multivibrator  386 , which may comprise an MC14538B integrated circuit, and which is used to supply uniform pulses to the counters that follow. The second input, from sensors  372 , which may comprise Omron photo microsensors EE-SPW311, is made through a plug/jack  116  so as to supply the sensors  372  with voltage and ground connections. A load resistor  374 , a zener diode  376 , and a capacitor  378  collectively serve to condition the pulse to the logic level of the input of integrated circuit  380 , which is a monostable multivibrator used in the same fashion as integrated circuit  386 . Timing circuit resistors  384 ,  390 ,  396  are each preferably 240K ohms, and capacitors  382 ,  388 ,  394  are each preferably 1 uf. Signals from the monostable multivibrators  380 ,  386  are applied to the inputs of counters  402 ,  404 , which may comprise MC1451B or MC14520B integrated circuits, configured as two 8-bit up counters A and B. The outputs of these two counters are used directly by the logic unit or are passed to the display bus. 
     The logic unit may be the combination of integrated circuit  412 , which may comprise an Am27C1024 integrated circuit, and integrated circuits  408 ,  410 , each of which is a 3-state buffer that may comprise an MC74HC541A integrated circuit. A decoder/demultiplexer integrated circuit  406 , which may comprise an MC74HC139A integrated circuit, and the display control counter integrated circuit  338 , serve to apply control signals to the logic unit for the display mode order and timing of events. The logic unit integrated circuit  412 , may contain preprogrammed algorithms, suitable for displaying information from either counter or a mathematical relationship between the two counters, such as a simple look-up table of percentages, in read-only memory. By using 3-state buffers with high impedance output, signals from the control circuit are unsed to alternately select three digits of display information from any of the logic unit integrated circuits  408 ,  410 ,  412  or a two or three-digit presetable timer display of 99 to 0 seconds or 999 to 0 seconds. Typically, in this application, the algorithms preprogrammed in the logic unit allow for three digits of display information and non-displayed control information, for a total of sixteen data lines. 
     The outputs of the logic unit and the presetable timer are OR-gated to the input of the display bus  450 , which is terminated in a plurality of resistors  452 , whose typical values may be 10K to 100K ohms. Three BCD-to-seven segment latch/decoder/driver integrated circuits  414 ,  426 ,  438 , each of which may comprise MC14511B integrated circuits, are employed to represent units, tens, and hundreds digits in the display  108 . A plurality of current limiting resistors  416 ,  428 ,  440  of 100 to 150 ohms serve to set the desired brightness level of display  108 . Decimal point LEDs and similar individual LEDs may be driven by a bipolar logic transistor and an appropriate limiting resistor, in accordance with known design techniques. 
     Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a flow chart of the operations performed by the timer/counter  224  mounted on the ball return unit  200  of FIG.  2  and the remote transmitter of FIG. 5 mounted on the goal  714  of FIG.  6 . With the ball return unit  200  in position on a basketball court in preparation for a desired drill, the OFF/ON switch  601  of the remote transmitter is turned on. This allows the sensors of the remote transmitter, enclosed within dashed lines in FIG. 4, to detect BALL A passing through the goal  714 , encode a predetermined digital signal for each BALL A passing through the goal  714 , and transmit that digital signal by the use of a suitable low power radio frequency transmitter  620 . Turning on the remote transmitter first ensures that no spurious signals are received by the timer/counter  224 . 
     The setting of the PRESET SWITCH of timer/counter  224  is immediately confirmed, the POWER ON  2  switch is set to the ON position, and the RESET SWITCH is activated because the timer/counter may otherwise start in a random position. Following the RESET operation, the timer/counter  224  enters a READY MODE, which allows the player to move from the ball return apparatus to the starting position on the court. When the READY MODE is completed, COUNTERS A and B are enabled, an ALERT TONE is sounded for 0.5 to 3 seconds, and the COUNTDOWN TIMER is enabled and displayed. The player may then start the prescribed drill, passing the ball to the ball return apparatus  722  where a BALL B is detected and COUNTER B is incremented N=N+1, retrieving the ball and shooting a goal, which causes BALL A to be detected, thereby activating the remote transmitter. A matched radio receiver in the timer/counter  224  is used to DETECT DIGITAL DATA. If the DIGITAL DATA DECODED is correctly matched, the resulting pulse causes COUNTER A to be incremented to N=N+1. 
     When the COUNTDOWN TIMER reaches zero, its display is terminated, the audio ALERT TONE sounds as before, and the COUNTERS A and B are disabled. The timer/counter  224  then enters a display mode so that the data stored in COUNTER A, COUNTER B, and the LOGIC UNIT are displayed in sequence. At the end of the display mode, the timer/counter ON state is tested to determine if it is operating in the ON-CONTINUOUS MODE or the ON-RUN-STOP MODE. If timer/counter  224  is in the ON-RUN-STOP MODE, it will enter a STANDBY CONDITION by disabling the timebase clock. If, however, the timer/counter  224  is in the ON-CONTINUOUS MODE, an ALERT TONE is sounded, the RESET operations are performed, and the operations again loop to the READY MODE. 
     Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown a remote transmitter  600  that is employed in the electronic ball return apparatus of the present invention. A power supply similar to that shown in FIG. 3A is employed to power remote transmitter  600 , except that an SPST on/off switch  601  and a smaller voltage regulator  602 , which may comprise an LM78L05 integrated circuit, may be used. The infrared photo-microsensor circuits used for input are the same as described above in connection with the timer/counter  244 . One-half of a monostable multivibrator  604 , which may comprise an MC14538B integrated circuit, a capacitor  606 , and a resistor  608 , are used in the same fashion as components  342 ,  382 ,  384  in the counter/timer circuit of FIGS. 3A-F, except that the reset of multivibrator  604  is fixed (logic high) rather than switched. A trigger signal is passed to a digital encoder integrated circuit  610 , which may comprise a Holtek HT12E integrated circuit. A jumper  612  and DIP switch  616  are used to address digital encoder  610 , and an oscillator resistor  614  sets the frequency of oscillation. The digital output of digital encoder  610  is then used to modulate a radio frequency transmitter  620 , which may comprise a Ming Microsystems TX99V33 transmitter module. 
     Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown a pictorial diagram of a portion of a basketball court  700  having boundaries  702 ,  704 ,  706 ,  718  on which the electronic ball return apparatus of the present invention may be employed to carry out various drills. A first ball return unit  720  with timer/counter  224  mounted thereon is positioned outside and behind the free throw line  710 , as illustrated. A second ball return unit  722  is also positioned on the opposite side of the free throw line  710 , extended as shown. The remote transmitter  600  of FIG. 5 is mounted behind the goal  714  and backboard  716 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 7, there is shown a side view of a basketball goal assembly  714 , which may comprise a circular goal rim  802  with net attachments  806 , a right rim side brace  806 , and a box  715  having seven sides. The rear side of box  715  serves as a rim attachment plate which is used to secure the basketball goal assembly  714  to a glass backboard  716  and to a backboard support boom  760  in the usual fashion. The backboard  716  is secured to the support boom  760  by attachment plate  762  and a pair of backboard braces  764 , each being secured at one end to an upper corner of the backboard  716  by the backboard brace attachments  768  (one of each being shown) and secured at the other end to the backboard support boom  760 . The remote transmitter unit  600  is shown attached to mounting bracket  724  which is semi-permanently secured to the backboard support boom  760  so that it can be moved back and forth along the boom  760 . The remote transmitter unit  600  may be mounted to allow movement upward or downward along the mounting bracket  724  relative to the position of the basketball goal assembly  714 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 8A, there is show a rear cross section of the basketball goal assembly  714  showing the rim  802  with net attachments  806 , the left and right rim side braces  804 ,  805 , and two sides of the box  715 . The sensors  372  are shown in position under the rim  802  mounted on the rim side braces  804 ,  805 . The optical axis of the sensors  372  is represented by the dashed arrow  814  across the goal  714 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 8B, there is shown a top view of the basketball goal assembly  714  with the rim  802  attached to the side braces  804 ,  805  and to the box  715 , as indicated by the heavy lines on the outside of the rim  802 . The optical axis of the sensors  372  (not shown) is represented by the dashed arrow  814  across the basketball goal assembly  714 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 8C, there is shown a section of a basketball goal rim  802 , along with the tip of the left side brace  804  and a portion of the net attachments  806 . This style of basketball goal has been selected because the side braces  804  are mounted to the outside underside of the rim  802  so that the sensors  372  can be mounted under the rim  802  where there is less possibility that they will interfere with or come in contact with a basketball or a player. The side braces  804  should extend far enough forward so that they permit the optical axis  814  of the sensors to pass across the center of the basketball goal  802  plus a short distance to provide physical protection for the sensors  372 . The height of the side braces  804  at the tip should be 7.6 millimeters greater than the width of the sensors  372  for physical protection. Care should be taken to mount the basketball goal net attachments  806  so that normal movement of the net does not activate the sensors  372 . Should net bounce be a problem, a treated net may be used. Sensors  372  include a window/lens  812  and a wiring connector  820 . 
     Both the timer/counter unit  224  and the remote transmitter  600  of the present invention are preferably powered from battery sources. While both units could be powered from commercial power lines, the use of batteries eliminates the hazards of having a drop cord on or near the basketball court. Because battery life is limited in such an arrangement, a minimal display of three digits with related indicators was chosen for the timer/counter unit  224 . The height of the digits is such that they can be read from normal playing distances. This allows the use of the electronic ball return apparatus at any location within the area of the basketball court. 
     Basketball is a time-oriented game with periods of intense physical activity followed by short periods of semi-activity. One of the purposes of the timer/counter unit  224  is to simulate these time intervals. A ready mode allows the player to move from resetting the timer/counter unit  224 , which may also allow time for coaching instruction. In a timer mode, which is a period of intense athletic activity during which time is counted down on the display  108 , data is collected in parallel from the sensors  372  to be input into counters A and B. In the subsequent display mode, the contents of the counters A and B and the resulting output of the processed logic unit, which may represent the percentage of counter A contents to counter B contents, are sequenced serially, each for a period of four seconds. The emphasis is then shifted from a score oriented exercise to a time oriented exercise. Running scores and shooting percentages may be of interest, but only the final results of each exercise are truely important. Coupling the counters A and B to the timer has resulted in a training tool which is more accurate than the rate approximation of prior art basketball throwing machines or even manually-operated stopwatches. 
     While the beginning of a basketball drill may be signalled to a counter by any of several prior art methods, the electronic ball return apparatus of the present invention allows an athlete to simulate the passing and catching of a basketball in real time at the beginning of each drill. The sensors  372  and timer/counter unit  224  are mounted on the frame of the ball return unit  200  so that it is self-contained, occupying no more space on the court than any prior art ball return apparatus. The ball return apparatus of the present invention eliminates the need for prior art floor mat switches, hand switches, signal lines, electrical power cords, laser beam devices, computer carts, scoreboards, etc. that clutter the court. While it is possible to employ one of the ball return units  200  under the backboard to return shots made toward or through the basketball goal, it is generally placed outside the keyhole, thus allowing the athlete to dribble toward the goal, pass the basketball to the ball return unit  200 , recover the returned basketball, shoot toward the goal, and rebound the ball in various game-like exercises. This is in contrast to prior art basketball training apparatuses which may limit the skill training of players to simply shooting, while restricting access to the area under the goal by the physical presence of a ball return apparatus and/or netting. The apparatus of the present invention emphasizes maintaining a game-like setting in which the athlete practices passing, cathching, and receiving the basketball, all of which are game-like moves. 
     Referring once again to FIG. 6, a typical basketball drill known as the Postman Flare Pass and Roll to the Basket drill is begun by the postman, at the first tone alert issued by the timer/counter unit  224 , from a rebound position  730 , by passing the ball to the ball return unit  720 . The postman continues his movement along the path  732  to position  734  where he receives the ball returned along the path  752  from the net of the ball return unit  720 . The ball is then fanned with an overhead pass along the path  754  to a second ball return apparatus  722  at the free throw line  710  extended to the opposite side of the key, defined by lines  708  and  712 , facing toward the goal  714  with the net in the raised position. The postman quickly moves along the path  736  to the position  738  where he receives the basketball returned along the path  756  from the ball return unit  722 . He then reacts by rolling with a reverse pivot or front turn in the area of path  740  to the position  742  from which he shoots the basketball along path  758  toward the goal  714 . The postman then recovers the ball in the area along path  744  and returns to position  730  to repeat the drill until the second tone alert issued by timer/counter  224  signals the end of the drill, at which time the displayed results may be observed for possible record keeping.