Patent Document

MINIATURE SPORTS RADAR SPEED MEASURING DEVICE 
   This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/005,708, filed Dec. 3, 2001, which will issue as U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,089 on Dec. 23, 2003, which is a Continuation-In-Part of International Application No. PCT/US01/12535, filed Apr. 17, 2001, hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein, which is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/550,735, filed Apr. 17, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,367, to which priority for this continuation application is claimed, all of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
   This application is also related to the parent applications of U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,367, which is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,269, which is a Continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,061; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/471,905, which is based on U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/113,378; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/471,906, which is based on U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/113,434; which are each hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   A number of methods and devices have been proposed for measuring the speed of objects such as baseballs and tennis balls and projectiles such as arrows and bullets. One class of such methods and devices uses a time-distance measurement in which two positions of the moving object are defined, and the times at which the object is present at each position is measured, the elapsed time of the travel of the object between the two positions is computed from the time measurements, and the known distance between the positions is divided by the elapsed time to calculate the speed of the object. The devices for such measurements typically require multiple optical or other sensors. Such methods and systems can produce valid speed measurements, but the cost or complexity of device design, setup and use can present disadvantages to the user. 
   Another class of speed measurement devices uses continuous wave (CW) Doppler radar technology. Devices in this class use reflected waves, sometimes sonic in nature, but frequently radio frequency electromagnetic radiation (RF). RF systems can be used to detect moving objects by illuminating the object with the electromagnetic field of the radar and producing an electrical signal at a Doppler frequency which is a measure of the relative speed of the moving object. This technology has been pioneered and developed by the defense industry in the United States, is well documented in textbooks and reports, and has found numerous applications in consumer products. Security motion sensors, industrial position sensors and police radar units are examples of current uses of Doppler radar systems. 
   Doppler radar has been used in sports applications to measure the velocities of sports objects or players relative to one another or relative to a reference point. Examples of sports radar in use are found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,548 to Lutz and U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,705 to Jenkins et al. Conventional sports radar includes “speed guns” for measuring baseball or softball speed, such as disclosed in the Lutz patent. Available sports radar units generally occupy considerable volume, for example approximately 200 cubic inches, which requires that they be maintained stationary when used. Further, such systems may cost several hundred dollars. These units are typically operated by a third person somewhat remote from the players or the objects being measured. 
   Implementation of prior art CW Doppler radar systems is relatively complex, generally involving the use of an RF oscillator and signal generator, an antenna system to radiate the oscillator output into free-space and to receive a portion of the transmitted electromagnetic energy that is reflected by the moving object, a transmit/receive switch, diplexer, or circulator device if a single antenna is used for both transmit and receive rather than separate transmit and receive antennas, and various local oscillators, mixers, phase-locked-loops and other front-end circuits to heterodyne, demodulate and detect the Doppler signal. This complexity imposes high cost and size requirements on the radar units, which have heretofore discouraged the utilization of CW Doppler technology in consumer applications where extremely small size and low cost are necessary for practical end product realization. 
   In electronics applications unrelated to those discussed above, Doppler radar systems using simple homodyne circuits have been known. Such applications include defense applications such as ordnance proximity fuzes and target detectors where Doppler modulation provides evidence of a target encounter. Validation of the presence of target signals within a prescribed Doppler frequency passband, and the detection of amplitude build-up as the target encounter distance decreases, are sufficient for signal processing and decision making in such systems, obviating the need to accurately measure or calculate the specific velocity magnitude or speed. For example, for general proximity sensing applications, mere detection of an increasing distance signal is satisfactory. However, applications requiring a speed measurement necessitate determination of the specific Doppler frequency and a calculation of a corresponding speed value. Such homodyne circuits are but among hundreds or thousands of circuits and modulation schemes that in some way carry speed information but which have not been considered practical for providing speed measurements. Accordingly, circuits of a size or cost that are practical for consumer applications such as sports object speed measurement have not been known or available. 
   Existing Doppler speed measuring devices suffer from loss of accuracy due to the inability to place the unit in or close to the path of the moving object, resulting in a reduction in the speed measurement to the cosine of the angle between the object&#39;s velocity vector and the line of the Doppler signal between the unit and the moving object. Further, the Doppler units must be positioned where they are not subjected to damage by collision with the object. 
   Accordingly, a need exists for a low cost, effective, small size, low power device useful for measuring and displaying or otherwise outputting the speed of objects in consumer applications such as sports and sports training. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a small size, low cost, low power device for measuring object speed that is practical for consumer applications, particularly recreation and sports. It is a particular objective of the present invention to provide a sports radar unit for measuring and outputting the velocity magnitude or speed of a sports object or projectile being propelled or shot by a user or from some form of launching implement. It is a more particular objective of the invention to provide such a speed measurement apparatus and method for measurement of the speed of balls, bullets, markers, paintballs, arrows, and other objects being shot, thrown or launched by a user or from a gun, bow or other launcher or similar implement baseball speed, baseball bat speed, for calibrating paint ball marker speed, for martial arts punch and kick speed measurements and other applications, particularly in training. 
   According to some embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a radar speed sensor that is small in size, low in cost, low in power consumption and radiated energy, that measures and outputs the speed of an object. The sensor also may display the measured speed to a user. Further according to other embodiments of the invention, a radar unit is provided that is adapted for mounting at or near the path or point of reception of the moving object, particularly at the location of, or on, the implement or person from which the object is being shot or otherwise launched. The unit produces a radar speed measurement and produces an output signal that can operate a display or other device that interprets the speed measurement. 
   The positioning of the speed measuring unit is such as to facilitate the use of a low power, short range signal and accurate speed measurement. In the illustrated embodiments, the unit employs continuous-wave Doppler radar and transmits and receives RF energy in a microwave frequency range, for example, a frequency of approximately 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz or higher. Frequencies in the 10-25 GHz range can, for example, be used. A frequency of 5.8 GHz, for example, is suitable for a number of sports applications. Governmental regulations restrict the available frequencies differently in different countries. The frequency is 10.5 GHz may be required in some countries, and the 10.5 GHz frequency, which is available in most countries, is useful where narrow-beam low-power radiation is desired. 
   The speed measuring unit according to one embodiment of the invention, includes a radar transmitter and receiver that employs a single simple CW Doppler homodyne circuit preferably having an oscillator-detector that is based on a single transistor, which utilizes resonant circuit elements of the oscillator as an antenna to radiate energy into free-space. A portion of the radiated energy strikes the nearby moving object and is reflected back to the oscillator-antenna circuit where it is mixed with the oscillator signal. The coherent relationship of the transmitted and received signals in a simple homodyne circuit produces a Doppler frequency modulation as the distance to the moving object changes. 
   The illustrated embodiments of the present invention make use of the phenomena whereby, at a given separation distance between the radar and the moving object, the received object-reflected signal is exactly in-phase with, and reinforces, the oscillator signal, but as the separation distance changes by each one-quarter wavelength of the transmitted signal, the total two-way travel distance to the object and back changes by one-half wavelength, resulting in an out-of-phase or canceling relationship between the received and transmitted signals. Each distance change of one-half wavelength results in a two-way radar round trip change of one wavelength, thus producing one complete cycle of modulation. As the distance to the moving object changes by successive one-half wavelength increments, multiple cycles of modulation are produced. The frequency of this modulating signal is the Doppler frequency, which is equal to the velocity of the moving object expressed in terms of one-half wavelengths of the transmitted signal as follows: 
         f   D     =       v       λ   t     /   2       =       2   ⁢   v   ⁢           ⁢     f   t       c           
 
where: f D  is the frequency of Doppler modulation,
         ν is the relative velocity of the moving object,   λ t  is the wavelength of the transmitted signal,   f t  is the frequency of the transmitted signal,   c is the magnitude of the velocity of electromagnetic energy propagating in surrounding medium (free-space in this case) and is equal to the product of frequency and wavelength.       

   In certain embodiments of the invention, such a resulting Doppler signal, which modulates the oscillator signal, is detected by filtering it out of the incoming signal, amplifying it, filtering it again and converting it to a digital signal, preferably using a zero-crossing detector (ZCD). The output of the ZCD is ideally a square wave having a frequency that is the Doppler frequency. The detected digitized Doppler frequency signal is applied to the input port of a microprocessor, which measures the time between negative-going zero-crossings using an internal timer. The measurement of zero-crossing intervals are compared to certain criteria to verify that a valid signal is being processed. Then a Doppler frequency value is calculated from the measured zero-crossing information by taking the time between zero-crossings in the same direction as is equal to the period of the Doppler frequency. Using the above formula, the velocity of the moving object toward the sensor, for example, the speed of a thrown ball approaching the sensor, is then calculated. The calculated velocity magnitude is displayed on a small liquid crystal display (LCD). 
   The radar unit of the invention may be located in close proximity to the path of the object whose speed is being measured. It may, for example, be located such that the object moves within one or a few feet of the speed measuring device. This arrangement may place the radar unit within a few inches of the object whose speed is being measured for at least a portion of the flight of the object and within a few feet of the object for long enough for substantially all of the speed measurement to be made. For measuring projectiles from shooting implements, the radar unit is positioned so that the object is moving almost directly away from the unit with the speed of the object being measured within close proximity to the unit. In certain embodiments of the invention, the antenna of the unit may positioned in or very close to the path of the moving object with a signal processing portion of the unit positioned remote from the antenna and connected to the antenna by a transmission line. The antenna is typically of a fixed length and, if remote from the other circuitry of the unit, may be connected to the circuitry with a coaxial, parallel conductor or other transmission line that is impedance matched and designed into the RF detector circuitry. 
   By so locating the speed measuring radar unit immediately adjacent the path of the object whose speed is being measured and providing the unit with a short range of effectiveness of less than ten feet, and preferably of from one to three feet, velocity errors due to off-line location are minimized, since the Doppler frequency represents the velocity of the object in a direction toward or away from the radar unit. Mounting the radar unit on a gun barrel or archery bow, for example, places the unit in an effective location. With such placement, transmitter output power can be in the order of microwatts, which is much less than the radiated power levels of most wireless consumer products such as cellular and portable telephones. Short range detection avoids false readings of speed due to the motions or movement of the launching implement, a target or other item that might be in the field of view of the radar antenna. 
   The display may be positioned on the unit itself facing rearwardly so that the shooter or other user can read the output upon launching the object. The unit can alternatively provide an output signal that may be transmitted, through cable or a wireless link, to a remote display or other device. Mounted on a gun barrel or archery bow, the antenna portion of the radar unit may face the target while the display is oriented on the back of the radar unit so it is visible to the shooter or may be located elsewhere. An LCD, a battery and a power supply are located in the unit, with switches located on the unit and accessible to the user. The unit may also include a real time display such as that of a conventional digital wristwatch, which can share the battery and power circuit with the speed measuring device and utilize the display of the device to display time of day or elapsed time. 
   The radar velocity sensor can be operated from a 2.5 VDC battery power supply, requiring an average current of less than one milliampere. Thus, a single 3 volt nominal lithium cell capable of 160 milliampere-hours can power the sensor for a relatively long duration. Small, inexpensive cylindrical and button configuration lithium cells with this energy capability are readily available and are widely used in consumer products. Power “ON/OFF” and “Reset” switches are provided which are easily operated by the one hand of the user. 
   The velocity measurement device of the present invention is capable of being miniaturized and produced inexpensively so that it can be used in consumer applications, which, up to now, have not heretofore been addressed by the prior art. It can be built into, or attached to, a baseball or softball glove, to measure the speed of the ball being caught. The radar can be worn on the person of the user or on a launching implement. A radar unit can be built directly into the implement. 
   In certain embodiments of the invention, a bat speed measuring device and method are provided in which an RE antenna is positioned in or near the path of a bat, such as on a post upstanding from a home plate or other base. The post maybe a ball support post of a batting tee. The antenna is a fixed length antenna having a defined radiating length and connected to the end of a transmission line. Preferably, the antenna is at the top of the tee or other post and the transmission line extends from the antenna through the post to a signal processor in or near the base or beyond the base at a location that is out of the path of the swinging bat and immune from being struck and damaged by the swinging bat. The signal processor includes an RE detector matched and tuned to the transmission line and the antenna and a digital processor that converts the RE Doppler signal to numerical speed measurement data. The processor may include or be linked to a display or computer, either by wire or other solid link or through a wireless circuit so the measurement data can be read by a coach or the person swinging the bat. This embodiment of the invention is adaptable for measuring the speed of a golf club head for use improving a golfer&#39;s swing. For measuring the speed of implements such as golf clubs and ball bats, location of the device in line with the swing of the implement, such as in a batting cage or behind a golfer, with the display remotely located from the device and connected through a wireless link to the device, is also practical. 
   In another embodiment of the invention, speed measurement is provided in martial arts training to measure the speed of punches and kicks. Preferably, a speed measurement device or antenna thereof is provided behind a target pad that is held by a coach or trainer or is fixed to a support, so that a trainee punching or kicking the pad can have the hand or foot speed measured. 
   According to certain applications of the present invention, speed measurement of other sports objects is provided in applications where small portable devices may be used. For example, paint ball guns used in survival games and training use air pressure to propel paint balls or markers at other players. To avoid injury to the players being shot with the markers, the velocity of the markers at the barrels of the guns is limited to, for example, 300 feet per second. To optimize the trajectory of the markers, it is desirable to calibrate the guns so that the marker is as close to the upper velocity limit without going over the limit. One embodiment of the invention contemplates the fixing of a speed measuring unit or the antenna thereof on the barrel of the marker gun closely adjacent the barrel with the antenna aimed parallel to the barrel and the path of the marker. The device is adjusted to process Doppler readings for a speed range of, for example, 150 to 450 feet per second. To accommodate such speeds, band pass filter and clock speed settings are made to differ from those used for baseballs, etc. Depending on the anticipated speed of the object being measured, such settings should be made to exclude signals below and above the anticipated speed range to eliminate erroneous readings, and the timing should be such that a series of speed readings are made of the speed of the object traveling in the range of the signal. 
   Further, in archery competition, the trajectory of an arrow depends on precise control of the speed of the arrow leaving the bow. As in the paint ball application, the speed measuring device can be attached to a bow to measure the speed of an arrow leaving the bow. The device is preferably fixed to an extension forward of the bow, closely adjacent the path of the arrow. For example, the device may be fixed ahead of the tip of the arrow when the bow is drawn and at about or slightly ahead of the midpoint of the arrow when the rear of the arrow is resting against the undrawn bowstring. The device may, accordingly, be fixed on the end of a counterbalance bar that is fixed to and extends forward of the bow. 
   As with paint ball guns, firearms may be provided with the speed measuring device of the invention to measure the velocity of a bullet leaving the barrel of the gun. Parameters of the speed measuring device, for such an application, would be set to accommodate object speeds of from about several hundred to a few thousand feet per second. 
   These and other objectives and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiments of the invention, in which: 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic perspective view of a speed measuring device according to certain preferred embodiments of the invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the speed measuring device of FIG.  1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of circuitry of the speed measuring device of FIG.  1 . 
       FIG. 3A  is a schematic block diagram of the RF detector and antenna portion of the circuitry of  FIG. 3  illustrating an embodiment having a remote antenna. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the speed measuring devices of  FIGS. 1-3  for measuring marker speed leaving the barrel of a paint ball gun. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment, similar to that of  FIG. 4 , for measuring the speed of an arrow leaving an archery bow. 
       FIG. 5A  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 5 , illustrating the location of the speed measuring unit in relation to an arrow on an archery bow with the bow drawn. 
       FIGS. 6 ,  6 A and  6 B are perspective views of alternative embodiments of the speed measuring devices of  FIGS. 1-5A  for measuring bat swing speed and utilizing the remote antenna circuitry feature of FIG.  3 A. 
       FIGS. 7 and 7A  are perspective views of alternative embodiments, similar to those of  FIGS. 6 ,  6 A and  6 B for measuring golf club head speed. 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a further alternative embodiment of the speed measuring devices of  FIGS. 1-7A  for measuring punch and kick speed in martial arts training. 
       FIG. 8A  is a perspective view of an alternative to the embodiment of FIG.  8 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of a speed measuring device or unit  10 , according to principles of the present invention, secured to the barrel  12  of a rifle or other firearm  14 . The firearm  14  is illustrated immediately after having fired a bullet  16  from its barrel  12 . The path of the bullet  16  is illustrated by line  13 . The device  10 , so secured to the barrel  12 , is located within a few inches of the direct path  18  of movement of the bullet  16  being fired from the gun  14 . The device  10 , in the illustrated embodiment, has a two part plastic housing  15  that includes a forward facing housing  17  and a rearward facing housing  18 , as illustrated in FIG.  2 . In the illustrated embodiment of the unit  10 , the two parts of the housing  17 , 18  are secured together to form a single enclosure that contains the electronics of the unit  10 . The forward facing housing  17  is secured by a fastening element or bracket  20 , for example, configured or configurable to attach to the barrel  12  of the gun  14 . The housing  15  encloses an antenna  21  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ) with a radiation pattern having a main lobe that faces in the direction that the barrel  12  is pointing parallel to, or inclined slightly toward, the path  13  in the direction of the receding bullet  16 . The rearward facing housing  18  contains a speed output annunciator, for example, a visual display  22  such as an LCD having, for example, a digital readout of two to four digits. On the rearward facing housing  18  there is also provided one or more control buttons, such as, for example, a plurality of buttons  25 - 27 , and including particularly button  25 , which is a unit on/off switch. A second button  26  may be a mode switch that permits sequential selection of the units of the display  22 , for example, in miles per hour, kilometers per hour, feet per second or meters per second. A third button  27  may be a reset or start button that powers the transmitter for a predetermined amount of time, such as ten or fifteen seconds, after which the transmitter of the unit will turn off. Alternatively, the function of the on/off button  25  and reset button  27  may be combined so that a momentary depression of the button  25  powers the entire unit, which turns off automatically after the predetermined amount of time. 
   As further illustrated in  FIG. 2 , between the forward and rearward facing housings  17  and  18  is a circuit board  33  that contains the transmitting and receiving circuitry, and a signal processing circuit board  30  that contains the signal processing and logic of the unit  10 . The circuit board  30  includes a battery  31  that is replaceable through an access door  32  in the rearward facing housing  18 . The board  33  contains components and circuitry of a transmitter/oscillator circuit, which includes the strip transmission line resonator/antenna  21 . The circuit board  30  contains a signal filter and processor  34  that processes the detected Doppler signal that is produced in the RF circuit by the moving object, an operational amplifier-based voltage regulator chip  35  that provides filtered regulated voltage to the signal processor chip  34  at about one-half the supply voltage of the battery  31 , a microprocessor  36  that digitizes output from the signal processor  34  and interprets the detected signal as a speed reading and communicates the interpreted signal to the display  22 , and clock and delay circuits  37 ,  38 , respectively, that are used by the microprocessor  36 . 
   An alternative embodiment of the unit  10  may be configured for attachment to the gun or implement  14  with at least the antenna  21  positioned adjacent the path  13  of the object whose speed is being measured, but with the control button  25 , display  22  and others of the components remote from the antenna. 
   The electronics of the units  10  illustrated in  FIG. 3  can be fabricated utilizing readily available components. The Doppler sensor circuit  33  is preferably a CW radar homodyne oscillator-detector  50  having an integral antenna circuit by which the moving object  16  is detected. The oscillator preferably operates at between 5725 and 5875 MHz, but may also operate at 2400-2425 MHz or at other frequencies, typically in the 2,000 to 25,000 MHz region. The oscillator  50  of the preferred embodiment draws about 0.6 milliamperes from a 2.5 VDC power source such as the battery  31 . Partially because of the location and configuration of the units  10 , less than ten microwatts need be transmitted into free-space by the oscillator resonant elements. These elements are preferably of a strip transmission line configuration that includes two electrically equivalent quarter wave micro-strip lines that form radiating elements  21   a ,  21   b  of the antenna  21 . The elements  21   a ,  21   b , along with a transistor Q 1  and a coil  53 , form a negative resistance network which oscillates with a capacitor  21   c  at the operating carrier frequency of, for example, 2.4 GHz, 5.8 GHz or 10.5 GHz. A transmission line  51  and capacitor  49  are provided to prevent parasitic oscillations in the bias network. Capacitor  52  is a bypass capacitor which creates a low impedance to ground for the carrier frequency, partially filtering the carrier signal at an outlet  54  at which the received Doppler signal can be extracted. Typical objects the size of a baseball or softball within a distance of about two feet from the radar, produce a reflected Doppler frequency signal having an amplitude in the 10 to 100 microvolt range. This signal modulates the oscillator signal at the Doppler sensor output  54  of the sensor circuit  33 . 
   A portion of the modulated oscillator signal that has been filtered within the oscillator circuit  33  and fed on the outlet  54  into the signal processor  34  consists of a commercially available AC or capacitively coupled high-gain differential amplifier  55 , several stages of filters  56  and a ZCD  57 . The gain of the differential amplifier  55  is preferably set at a gain of about 1000, or 60 dB. The filters  56  produce a 400-2500 Hz passband, or whatever other passband needed to cover the range of anticipated Doppler frequency signals expected to be encountered given the speed range of the object and the transmission frequency being used. The filters  56  include, for example, standard twin-tee configuration operational amplifier based 60 Hz and 120 Hz notch filters  56   a ,  56   b  to suppress AC power circuit interference. The filters  56  also include two second-order, multiple feedback high-pass filters  56   d ,  56   e  each having a gain, for example, of 2.7, and each having a 3 dB cutoff frequency of 160 Hz. Next, the filters  56  include a single order passive low-pass filter  56   e  having, for example, a 3 dB cutoff frequency of 2500 Hz. The passband can be tailored to fulfill specific needs by selection of the corresponding low and high pass filter component values which establish the corner frequencies. The amplified and filtered signal from the filtering stages  56  is fed to the ZCD  57 , which is a standard Schmitt trigger that uses a commercial comparator, with positive feedback to create hysteresis. The ZCD produces a square-wave which is output and applied to the input of an eight-bit microprocessor  36 . 
   The microprocessor  36  is connected to external clock circuit  37  which provides a time reference to the microprocessor  36 . The microprocessor  36  is programmed to verify the validity of the received signal, for example, by requiring at least four consecutive Doppler frequency cycles, which causes it to recognize the received signal as a valid Doppler signal reading. When a reading is determined to be a valid Doppler signal reading, the microprocessor calculates the corresponding velocity. The microprocessor  36  has an output  61  that communicates a signal representative of the calculated Doppler speed measurement through appropriate drivers (not shown) to the LCD  22  for display. The calculation is made by detecting successive negative edge zero-crossings following the depression of the reset button  27 , which triggers a microprocessor interrupt that samples the clock  37  to cause the times of each crossing to be stored and so the intervals between them can be calculated. The sampling is terminated after  26  successive negative transitions are stored, or there has been a dead time of at least ⅙ second since the last transition, indicating that the object or target is no longer moving. Once the data has been captured, the differences between transition times are calculated, from which the Doppler frequency is determined. In making the calculations, the microprocessor  36  enhances the speed reading validity by starting with the difference between the first two recorded time readings and then looking for a sequence of at least three consecutive periods that are within 25% of each other. If none is found, the process is started over and additional readings are stored. When three consecutive readings within 25% of each other are found, the data is scanned until three consecutive readings are not within 25% of each other, whereupon the calculations are averaged. The averaged calculated Doppler frequency value is then converted to the selected units and displayed. Velocity can be displayed in miles per hour, kilometers per hour or meters per second in the preferred embodiment, selectable by the user by way of the MODE switch  26 , which is a pushbutton switch which, when depressed, sequentially steps the display  22  through the various units, as is convenient for the user. 
   The electronics are powered by a power supply formed of the battery  31  which is connected/disconnected by the ON/OFF switch  25 , which controls signal power to the microprocessor  36 , the signal processor  34  and display  22 . However, the oscillator transmitter circuit power is controlled by the READY, or RESET switch  27  through the microprocessor  36  when the battery power switch  25  is “ON”. Activation of the RESET switch  27  causes the microprocessor  36  to close a transmitter power switch  60  which applies electrical power to the transmitter/Doppler sensor circuit  33  for a prescribed time interval (e.g. 10-15 seconds) controlled by the time delay circuit  38 , or until an object velocity signal is calculated as controlled by the microprocessor  36 , whichever occurs first, after which the transmitter  33  and signal processor circuit  34  are deactivated as the microprocessor causes the switch  60  to turn “OFF”. Activation of the RESET switch  26  causes the microprocessor  36  to reset the LCD  22 , which is holding the previously calculated velocity value, and to re-apply power to the transmitter  33  and signal processor  34  for performing the next detection and velocity measurement. In this manner, the transmitter radiated output is limited to just the period of time of actual measurement usage, and battery power is also conserved. 
   Easily packaged in a volume of about 1-3 cubic inches are: a single transistor oscillator-detector-antenna circuit  33 , signal processor  34  with the Doppler bandpass amplifier and the zero-cross detector, eight-bit microprocessor velocity calculator and transmitter controller  36 , liquid crystal display  22 , single-cell battery power supply  31  and ON/OFF and RESET switches  26 ,  27 . For example, the specific embodiment described above can be packaged in a volume of less than two cubic inches using discrete circuit components, and, with appropriate utilization of a custom application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and at a frequency of about 5.8 GHz, the device can be packaged in a volume of approximately one-half cubic inch. At higher frequencies of 10 to 25 GHz, which can be used, the package size will be essentially the preferred size of the display or is otherwise determined by other components of the unit. 
   More detailed embodiments of the speed measuring device described above are described in pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/471,905 and 09/471,906, referred to above. 
   In  FIG. 4 , an embodiment of a speed measurement device  310  is illustrated mounted on a paint ball gun  300  to measure the speed of a paint ball marker  301  shot from the gun. The device  310 , so used, provides a way to calibrate the gun  300  so that the speed of the marker  301  approaches but does not exceed a maximum marker velocity limit of, for example, 300 feet per second. A self contained device  310  may be mounted on the barrel of the gun  300  as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , with the antenna directed in the direction in which the gun  300  is pointing, or a remote antenna element  321  may be mounted on the barrel close to the barrel centerline, with the remaining circuitry  33   a  located rearwardly of the antenna element  121  and connected to the antenna  121  through the transmission line  120 . 
     FIG. 5  illustrates an arrow speed measuring embodiment  510  for use in archery, which operates in a manner similar to that of the paint ball marker speed measuring embodiment  310  of FIG.  4 . In the embodiment  510 , an archery bow  500  is equipped with the speed measuring device  510  to measure the speed of an arrow  501  shot from the bow. The device  510  may be self-contained and mounted on the end of a counterweight or stabilizer  502  that might normally be employed, which extends from the front of the bow  500  immediately below and parallel to a line  503  that includes the intended path of the arrow  501  as it leaves the bow  500 . An alternative extension may be provided instead of the stabilizer  502  to hold the device  510  at a fixed position on the bow  501 . Preferably, the speed measuring device  510  is supported on the bow  500  at a distance L about seven inches forward of the front of the bow  500 . The device  510  is vertically adjustably mounted on the counterweight  502  so that the antenna thereof can be positioned within about one-half inch of the line  503  defining the path of the arrow  501 . The antenna of the device  510  is directed in the direction toward which the arrow  501  is pointing. Alternatively, a remote antenna element may be mounted on the bow  500  close to the arrow  501  with the remaining circuitry and/or display of the device  510  located elsewhere. Where elements of the device  510  are located remote from the antenna, the antenna may be connected to the transmitter receiver of the device  510  through a transmission line and other elements may be further connected through cable or a wireless link to the transmitter or each other. As so positioned on the bow  500 , the speed measuring device  510  is located adjacent or just forward of the head  509  of the arrow  501  when the bow is drawn, as illustrated in FIG.  5 A. 
   The rifle, other firearms and other projectile launching or shooting implements may be assembled in the manner of those of  FIGS. 1 ,  4  and  5  described above according to principles of the present invention. With the various embodiments, the Doppler frequencies passed by the filters and the timing of the samples should be set to best accommodate the anticipated speeds being measured. 
     FIG. 6  illustrates a batting tee  100  which incorporates an alternative embodiment of the speed measuring device  10  in the form of a bat speed measuring device  110 . The batting tee  100  includes a base  103 , which may be a home plate as illustrated, from which extends an upstanding post  105 . The post  105  has a flexible link  106  therein and a ball supporting free end  107  at the top thereof. In use, a batter places the baseball  16  on the free end  107  of the post  105  and swings at it with a bat  114 . 
   The device  110  includes a fixed length antenna radiating element  121  which replaces the antenna radiating element  21   a  of circuit board  33  of the embodiment of FIG.  3 . The antenna radiating element  121  is contained inside of the post  105  at the top end  107  thereof and is directed toward the rear of the plate or base  103  in the direction from which the bat  114  will approach the ball  16 . The element  121  is located remote from the remaining circuitry  130  of the device  110 , which includes the Doppler sensor circuit  50  of alternative circuit board  33   a , as illustrated in  FIG. 3A , as well as the signal processor circuit  34 , the microprocessor  36  and other components similar to those of the circuitry of the device  10  illustrated in FIG.  3 . 
   The antenna element  121  has a fixed radiating length and is connected to the RF detector circuit  50  on the circuit board  33   a  through a transmission line  120 , such as a coaxial cable or parallel plate or wire transmission line having minimal radiation of the RF energy transmitted to and from the antenna. The transmission line  120  has a shield conductor  124  that is preferably grounded at a ground connection  125 . The circuit  50  is tuned to the impedance of the line  120  to produce optimum operating efficiency in a conventional manner. 
   The unit  110  may be mounted in the base  103  in such a way that the display  22  is visible to the batter. Alternatively, the display  22  may be located remote from the device  110  or may be the display or memory of a remote computer terminal and connected to the circuitry of the device  110  in the base  103  by a cable or a wireless communications link. In  FIG. 6A , the display  22  is contained in a remote housing  18   a , illustrated as connected through a wireless link  190  between the signal processor  34 , which is contained in the device  110 , and the housing  18   a . The housing  18   a  may be located at a coach&#39;s station and contain all of the operator interface components of the housing  18  of the embodiment of FIG.  2 . The housing  18   a  may be either stationary or hand held, for example, with batteries contained in a belt pack worn by a coach. A wireless communications link includes transmit/receive units, including unit  191  in the remote housing  18   a  and unit  192  connected to the circuitry  130  in the device  110 . The link  190  preferably communicates the digital output from the microprocessor  31  or the output from the signal processor  34  from the device  110  to the remote housing  18   a . Commands from the buttons  25 - 27  may also be communicated through the link  190  from the housing  18   a  to the unit  110 . Preferably, rather than providing a baseball  16  on the tee, a soft foam or fabric ball  16   a  is permanently attached to the free end  107  of the post  105  to minimize interference of the motion of the ball  16   a  with the bat speed measurement. 
   An alternative method of measuring bat speed is illustrated in  FIG. 6B , where the device  110   a  is mounted along the expected trajectory of a ball hit by a bat, for example, at the end of a batting cage  109 . The unit  110   a , or at least the fixed length antenna radiating element  121  thereof, is mounted in the cage  109  at the approximate height of the tee  100  of  FIGS. 6 and 6A . Preferably, a standard batting tee  100   a  is used with a soft sock or foam ball fixed to the end thereof at which a batter swings the bat of which the speed is being measured, so that the movement of an actual ball does not interfere with the measurement of bat speed. The unit  110   a  may be mounted include the display  22  mounted in a way that is visible to the batter, but is preferably located remote from the device  110   a  in remote housing  18   b  carried by the batter or a batting coach, and connected through the wireless link  190   a  between the signal processor  34  of the unit  110   a  and the housing  18   b , similar to the unit  110  of  FIG. 6A , or through a cable. 
     FIG. 7  illustrates a golf club head speed measuring embodiment  410 , which is in most respects similar to the bat speed measuring device  110  of  FIGS. 4 and 4A  described above. It utilizes a golf tee  405  which contains an antenna element  421  similar to the element  21  and is connected to the circuitry  430  in abase  403 . The tee  405  may support a soft radar invisible golf ball  16   b , similar to the ball  16   a  of FIG.  4 A. The circuitry  430  may connect to a display on the base  403  or through a cable or wireless communications link to a remote housing such as housing  18   a  of FIG.  4 A. Similarly, the invention may be used to measure the speed of ball or other sports object striking and propelling implements in addition to ball bats or golf clubs. With such applications, particularly for taking bat speed and golf club head speed measurements, the antenna can be contained within a urethane or other simulated ball that is fixed to the post or tee. 
   The speed of a golf club head  409  may also be measured using a golf club head speed measuring embodiment  410   a  of  FIG. 7A , which is in most respects similar to the bat speed measuring device  110   a  of  FIG. 4B  described above, while a golfer hits conventional golf balls from a conventional golf tee. The device  410   a  is preferably located behind the tee in line with the flight of the ball, so that the speed of the club head  409  is easily within the field of the antenna  21  while the ball, when it moves, is generally on the opposite side of the club head from the antenna element  21  where its motion does not affect the Doppler reading from the moving club head. The display and the controls are connected through a cable or wireless communications link to a remote housing such as housing  18   b  of  FIG. 4B , which may also contain the buttons and other controls. The wireless links for the bat, club head and other object speed measuring devices may be any of the telecommunications links that are commercially available, among which are UHF-RF links, ultrasonic links, optical links and others. 
   In the embodiment of  FIG. 8 , measurement of the speed of human body parts is provided. A speed measurement unit  210 , similar to the units  10 ,  110  described above, is located in a target pad  200  held by a trainer or coach  202  to measure the speed of punches and kicks from a person  203  in martial arts training. The entire unit  210  may be mounted on the back of target pad  200 , or only an antenna radiating element  221 . As with the element  121  in the embodiment above, the element  221  may be connected through a coaxial cable or other transmission line  220  to remaining circuitry  230  of the device  210 , as illustrated in  FIG. 8A , which includes the Doppler sensor circuit  50  of  FIG. 3A , as well as the other components of the circuitry of the device  210  that are illustrated for the device  10  in FIG.  3 . The energy radiated from the antenna element  221  passes through the pad  200  and is reflected back from the hand  213  or foot  214  of a boxer  201  who is punching or kicking the pad  200 . 
   Other applications of the invention can be made. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the applications of the present invention herein are varied, and that the invention is described in preferred embodiments. Accordingly, additions and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the invention. Accordingly, the following is claimed.

Technology Category: g