Patent ID: 8279422

Claim:
A method of measuring or determining movement characteristics of items selected from a group comprising an object and an object and a ball, by detection of changes in one or more sets of at least three cooperating banded beams disposed in the movement path of the items, characterized by: providing three banded beams, from emitter radiation sources, that are configured with respective cross sections whose elongated widths of radiation are substantially greater than an orthogonal thickness of each banded beam, wherein changes are detectable when an object disrupts, reinstates, or partly obscures a banded beam; selecting the object from a group comprising an edge, a projected edge, and the face of an implement used to strike a ball, wherein the object further comprises two corners, or ends, which are to be detected or measured; the three banded beams are aligned in the movement path of the items to enable at least one corner, or end, to sequentially change at least two banded beams in a set; and at least three banded beams in a set are sequentially changed by the movement of the object, wherein separate detection or measurement is made of each corner, or end, as it changes a banded beam in a set and reflected radiation from the banded beams are returnable along the same path of reflection; detection or measurement of the object occurs with a radiation detector, when the object retains movement characteristics relevant to impact with a ball, so as to measure movement characteristics of the items; and outputting the measurements of the items.