CA3027060A1 - Electronic score keeping rebounding and agility gauge device - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to improvements in returning devices for ball sports. There are known devices for letting a person strike a ball against an apparatus which will return the ball to the person so that the action can be repeated indefinitely to simulate practice or match play. However, since some of these devices can only record the amount of times or the accuracy of a ball struck against the device, there is no incentive for the person to engage in footwork or agility training at the same time. This present invention motivates the player to move rapidly in the moments between strikes to go activate switches that are placed predetermined distances away from the rebounder. The person is awarded for each switch activation with extra points on an electronic scoreboard. This way the player can more accurately simulate real game situations that require both accuracy and agility.

Description

PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION
Fransua Rachmann December 11, 2018 ELECTRONIC SCORE KEEPING REBOUNDING AND AGILITY GAUGE DEVICE
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: This invention records points on a scoreboard from the footspeed, agility and accuracy of a person that repeatedly alternates between striking a ball onto a rebounder and running to activate switches that are a short distance away from the rebounder.
Numerous devices can return or rebound a kicked, thrown or hit balls. The typical purpose of these devices are to enable a person to practice a sport, which normally requires more than one person, by themselves. These devices may be able to keep a score of the accuracy or number of times a ball is struck against the rebounder surface.
This device application is for measuring the accuracy of the player's hit, throw or kick (strike) , and also reward agility and speed between strikes by providing an electronic score keeping device to measure strikes against the rebounder, and also records and keeps track of the player running and activating switches connected to the score board between hits.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION: This application is a continuation application of applicant's co-pending patent application Ser. No. 317,833, filed Nov. 3, 1981 (abandoned), entitled "Baseball Practice Partner".
This application is a continuation application from the following applications:
US Patent 4,417,728 Nov 29, 1983 Hay et al.
1975-09-22 US05615876 Expired - Lifetime 1977-03-22 U54013292A Cohen et al 2016-07-28 U520160213989A1 Fristaczki 04/27/1965 U515102561A Oskar, Kallai BRIEF DISCRIPTION OF CURRENT ART:
Figure 1. Shows the complete device with components during play Figure 2. Shows the rebounder from the side to see the path that the ball needs to take to be able to rebound to the player Figure 3. Illustrates the detached scoreboard, switches, impact sensor and control box of the device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND BEST MODE OF IMPLEMENTATION
Numerous devices can return or rebound a kicked, thrown or hit balls. The typical purpose of these devices are to enable a person to practice a sport, which normally requires more than one person, by themselves. These devices may be able to keep a score of the accuracy or number of times a ball is struck against the rebounder surface.
This device application is for measuring the accuracy of the player's hit, throw or kick (strike) , and also reward agility and speed between strikes by providing an electronic score keeping device to measure strikes against the rebounder, and also records and keeps track of the player running through activating switches connected to the score board between hits.

This device can be used in numerous physical recreation settings to measure the accuracy of a single player's hits, kicks or throws (strikes) against a rebounder device 111, together with measuring the agility and speed the player can display between these strikes.
The game consists of two parts:
The Rebounder 111 that returns an object 131 that has been kicked, hit or thrown against the netting 110, by a player 133 that may or may not use a racquet 132 or a paddle or a bat. And The Electronic System 138 (Details in Figure 3) that records the amount of successful strikes and switch activations and displays this amount on a scoreboard or counter 134 for the player and for any people around to see.
The rebounder 111 is placed in the middle of the playing area and any amount of switches (six switches being the most common) 122, 123, 124, 125, 126 and 127 are placed at predetermined distances away from the rebounder. Equal amounts of switches are put to the left and the right of the rebounder. The reason for switches being on both side of the rebounder is to accommodate left and right handed players, and also to give players the opportunity to practice equally running to the right or the left after each strike. The switches are usually raised between 2 and 3 feet off the ground with a footing, 128, 129, but it can be flat on the ground too or raised higher if needed.
The player 133 can hit a ball 131 with a racquet 132 or kick a ball or throw a ball against the netting 110 that is suspended in a plastic, metal or wooden frame. The Frame consists of horizontal pieces 119 attached with angled pieces 114 or in any other permanent or temporary way to vertical 112, and forty five degree 113 pieces. The pieces can be joined together permanently by any means depending on the material. The angle can be adjusted through design to different settings. The netting 110 and the frame 112, 113, 119, with joining pieces 114 and attachments 115, 116, 117 are the Rebounder. The netting 110 is not completely tensioned or stiff and the ball rolls on the netting to a retainer section (Fig 2) where the ball stops and rolls down the netting 110 back to the player.
The netting is equipped with openings 116 where it can be attached to eyebolts in the frame 117 with rope, string, stiff hooks or elastic material.
Once the ball is struck onto the netting, a motion sensor 120 is triggered that is attached to the frame with a string or a wire 121 that can move once the ball hits the top of the netting. This motion sensor 120 sends a signal to the electronic scoring board 134 to register a point on the electronic display 135. Every time the ball triggers the motion sensor the scoreboard counts and adds a predetermined amount of points on the scoreboard. (Electronic Components details in Figure 3) The electronic scoreboard 134 is big enough that the player and spectators can see the score. The electronic scoreboard is raised off the ground by any means. 136 and 137 shows a simple footing from a stiff material like metal, wood or plastic. Any footing can be used or the scoreboard can be put on any flat surface to make it more visible or the scoreboard can be suspended from a higher point.
The switch consist of 4 parts:
122 The electronic switch 128 A stand to raise the switch of the ground 130 Footing to keep the stand upright 129 Electronic components to connect the switch to the electronic scoreboard The Rebounder can take different forms and any variation of device, shape, angle, material or application can be used to combine it with the Electronic component of this invention. The player can let the ball bounce or take it from the air and hit, kick or throw (strike) the ball back onto the netting. This action can be repeated indefinitely unless the player fail to strike the ball accurately onto the rebounder netting and the rebounder does not return the ball.

Path 204 of the ball 203 is shown onto the netting 202 of the rebounder 201, where it rebounds against the top of the netting 205. The ball then rolls down the netting 206, 207 and bounces on the ground to be struck again in a similar fashion.
The netting is securely attached to a horizontal framing piece 209. It is then attached to vertical framing 210 and slopes down to a horizontal bar 211. The netting is just draped over the horizontal bar 211, but it is attached to the sides of the frame (Figure 1 ¨
116, 117) the netting then hangs down to the ground.

A diagram of the Electronic component of the device.
The electronic system consists of the main computer 301, the scoreboard 303 and the switches 309, 311, 313, 315, 317, 319 and the motion sensor 307.
rr Where 301 is the main computer and is connected to a power source with an electrical cord 326, or contain a power source (like batteries) to drive the system. The main computer is equipped with a control panel 302 with an on/off switch, a reset switch 327, and a time setting switch 328.
It can be equipped with more controls to alter the scoring, sensitivity of the switches or other game variables. The electronic scoreboard 303 is connected to the main computer with cord 325 and displays the score through a digital number display 305. It can be a 7 segment display or a LED, LCD ECD, PDP or any number of displays able to show a score clearly to the player and spectators. The motion sensor 307 will be attached to the rebounder to detect each time the ball is struck onto the rebounder. It will be connected to the main computer 323 either through a wire 321 or it can be constructed to transfer information to the main computer wireless. Six switches are displayed 309, 311, 313, 315, 317, 319, but there can be more or less switches connected to the system. The switches are connected to the main computer at a connection point 323, through electric wires 321 or it can also be manufactured to transfer the signal wireless to the main computer.
GAME PLAY
The goal of the game is to score the highest possible score either before you make a mistake rebounding the ball against the rebounder (either by failing to let the ball make successful contact with the rebounder or missing the ball completely) or before the end of a predetermined time. The score is displayed on the large electronic scoreboard / counter.
The device let the player scores point in two different ways: By letting a ball make contact with the surface of the rebounder. And by activating one of the switches a certain distance away from the rebounder. The switch can be pushed by hand, or it can be struck by the equipment that the player uses to play the game. (Like a racquet, a paddle, a bat etc.) The player can choose to score points by only striking balls onto the rebounder. Or the player can choose to activate a switch of his or her choosing between strikes to score more points in the same amount of time.

The game prevents a player from activating a switch more than once and from activating more than one switch between strikes. Extra switch activations will not affect the score, until the ball has been struck against the rebounder again.
The ball has to be hit, thrown or kicked with a certain minimum amount of force against the rebounder to register a strike, so that a point can be scored from that strike before the next switch can be activated.
The device can be used in many settings for different applications such as:
a. As a personal training apparatus.
b. It can be used by a trainer to measure the accuracy of strikes and agility between students and to measure progress in these activities from time to time.
c. It can be used in a competition setting to let players compete in age, skill or size categories to see who gets the highest score.
Once the player has struck the ball onto the netting and the ball is rolling on the netting, the player can choose to add more points to the score by moving to one of the switches and pushing or striking (activating) the switch. Each switch has a determined value.
Switches closer to the rebounder and has a lesser point value than the switches further away and.
Switches furthest away have the biggest point value.
After each strike onto the rebounder, the player moves swiftly to any of the switches to activate the switch to score more points.
After the player has activated a switch, the player has to move quick enough back to the front of the rebounder to be able to hit the rebounding ball back onto the netting.
After the ball has been struck onto the netting, the player can choose to move to one of the switches, activate one switch and move back to the front of the rebounder to strike the ball again.
The player repeat this sequence a many times as possible within a certain amount of time or until the player fails to strike the ball back onto the rebounder to guarantee the ball returning successfully.

The game can be played for any set amount of time. The electronic system can be equipped with an audible alarm that sounds when the player's time is over. Or the system can cause the score board to give a visual signal that the time has expired. The score on the scoreboard freezes and the player, operator and spectators can see the score, where it can be recorded for competition against other players or to compare to past or future scores from the same player. The electronic scoreboard can now be reset back to zero for the next player to start the game. Or for the same player to try and get a different score.
Scoring Each time the player strikes the ball onto the rebounder, the motion sensor sends a signal to the electronic scoreboard and registers the minimum amount of points. I.E. one point is added to the score on the scoreboard.
For simplicity and explanation purposes this application will use the simplest amount of scoring.
In practice the device can be programmed to score any amount of points.
Each switch has a predetermined value.
The value of the score of the switch increase as the distance away from the rebounded increases.
A system with 6 scoring switches (FIGURE 1. - Three switches to the left and three switches on the right hand side of the game) will have 3 different values. Switches closest to the rebounder has the least value.
Switches A - The two switches closest to the rebounder on either side are worth 2 points.
Switches B - The next switches further away on either are worth 3 points Switches C - The two switches on either side that are the furthest away from the rebounder are worth 4 points A player that is trying to get a very high score will try and hit the switch furthest away from the rebounder after each strike. Activating the switch furthest away each time after a strike will be difficult for the player since he or she will have to cover the most ground between strikes which will tire the player out or force the player to make a mistake on the strike.

EXAMPLE A
Device has a rebounder with 6 switches.
Player A is less fit and fast and choose to activate switches closer to the rebounder (Switch A) to decrease his possibility of making a strike mistake.
He activates the game with his first strike and choose to activate Switch A
between strikes, this player makes 20 strikes before he makes a mistake with the strike. His score will be calculated as follows:
Strike, Switch A, Strike, Switch A, Strike, Switch A, Strike, Switch A for 20 repetitions in total before the player fails to hit the ball back onto the rebounder.
The system will add up the following numbers:
1+2+1+2+1+2+1+2+1+2+1+2+1+2+1+2+1+2+1+2+1+2+1+2+1+2+1+2+1+2+1+2+1+2+1+2+1 +2+1+2=60 points Player A has 60 points and his turn on the game is finished.
EXAMPLE B
Player B has more agility and footspeed than Player A and decide to hit as many 3 and 4 point switches as she can during each hit. For this example we'll also just use 20 strikes in total.
Strike, Switch C, Strike. Switch B, for 20 repetitions in total.
The system will add up the following numbers:
1+4+1+3+1+4+1+3+1+4+1+3+1+4+1+3+1+4+1+3+1+4+1+3+1+4+1+3+1+4+1+3+1+4+1+3+1 +4+1+3=90 Player B has 90 points and her turn on the game is finished.
It is possible to only strike the ball against the rebounder and not activate any switches between strikes. But the player will take a longer time to score as many points as Players A and B, and if the game is time limited the player will not be able to score as many points as Players A and B.

A player that chooses to only do strikes against the rebounder will only score 20 points from 20 strikes.
The game configuration prohibits more than one switch to be activated between strikes. So the following sequence will not be possible.
Strike, Switch A, Switch B, Strike, Switch C, Switch C, Switch B, Strike, Switch B, Switch C, Strike.
The score in this example will only show 11 points.
1+2+1+4+1+2 The counter will only register the first switch activated after each strike.
EXAMPLE C
Player C goes for random switches but does not make a mistake as soon as players A and B.
Player C is able to get 30 strikes and activating Switches A, B and C on either sides randomly The system will add up the following numbers:
1+4+1+3+1+3+1+2+1+4+1+2+1+2+1+4+1+4+1+3+1+2+1+2+1+3+1+3+1+4+1+2+1+4+1+2+1 +2+1+3+1+2+1+2+1+4+1+2+1+3+1+2+1+3+1+3+1+4+1+2=115 Player C has 115 Points and are the winner between the 3 players.
VARIATIONS
Although the main objective of scoring points on a scoreboard through activating the highest amount of high value switches in the shortest amount of time stay the same, there could be different ways of programming the device to make game play less or more difficult or less or more physically challenging. An easier setting for children for example and a more difficult setting for experienced players.
The most obvious way is to put the switches closer or further away from the rebounder. The further switches are away from the rebounder, the faster a player will have to move to activate the switches to score more points which will fatigue a player much faster Another way to make the game easier is to make the play time shorter. The game has a built in timer that can be programmed with a switch to how long the game should be played.
The game can also be ended in a different way. To make it more difficult the game can be said to be done when the player makes a mistake, (failure to hit the ball onto the rebounder correctly or failure to make physical contact with the ball). And to make it easier it can be said that if a player makes that mistake, he/she can use the same ball or another ball and continue the game until the time runs out.
Variations in game play:
a) There can be variations to the programming of the system to complicate the game by only making certain switches "live" during game play. The live switches can be indicated by an audible or visual signal. The live switches that has to be activated can be lit up after each strike onto the rebounder and the player has to only hit specific switches to be able to score points.
b) The switches can be lit up in sequence or can be lit up one by one to force a player to hit specific switches to make the game more challenging.
c) The switches can all be lit up at the beginning of a game and the player has to hit each switch (one at a time after each strike) until all the switches have been activated. After a switch has been activated, its light automatically turns off. Once all the switches have been activated, all the lights turn on again and the player has to repeat the action, again hitting all 6 switches, to continue the game. The sequence keeps repeating until the time runs out or until the player makes a mistake (depending on which way the game was setup at the start) d) The system can be programmed to make only 3 switches live at a time. The switches on the left or the right of the rebounder can alternate in being live. So that a player is forced to alternate running left and right after each strike to activate a switch.
Any 3 of the switches can be activated, but it has to be on the specific side where the switches are live.
e) More variations can be placed on the amount of switches that are available to activate.
More switches can be placed around the rebounder to give the player more opportunities to activate different switches with different point values. Or less switches can be placed around the rebounder to give the player less options of which switches to activate for points f) The switches can be placed in different locations in relation to the rebounder (further away, more to the back of the rebounder, more behind the player to force him/her to turn around to activate switches). Switches can also be placed lower or higher to make it more difficult for the player. If switches are placed on the ground it will be more challenging for taller players to activate the switches.
g) The switches can be placed anywhere on the X, Y, Z axis in relation to the rebounder to make the game more or less challenging, depending on the age, size, fitness level and skill level of the player.
h) The netting on the rebounder can be adjusted to make the ball return faster or slower. Or the netting can be adjusted to make the ball bounce higher or lower when the ball rolls off the front of the netting back to the player. A higher slower bounce will be achieved by making the netting looser and make it sag more in the middle, which will make it easier on the player. While a tight netting will cause a ball to be returned faster and bounce lower and give the player less time to return to the front of the rebounder after each switch activation.
i) The scoring system can be adjusted to show a higher value for each strike or switch activation. Instead of just a value of 1 for each strike, like in the examples, any amount can be specified and programmed for strikes and each switch. Higher scores might appeal to a higher excitement level for the players. The programming of the scoreboard and amount of 7-segment display numbers on the scoreboard might have to be adjusted if each strike and switch have a higher point value.

Claims

ELECTRONIC SCORE KEEPING REBOUNDING AND AGILITY GAUGE DEVICE

CLAIM

This invention records points on a scoreboard from the footspeed, agility and accuracy of a person that repeatedly alternates between striking a ball onto a ball rebounder and moving to activate switches that are a short distance away from the rebounder.