EP0108048A1 - Appareil permettant de determiner la vitesse et la direction d'une boule de bowling - Google Patents

Appareil permettant de determiner la vitesse et la direction d'une boule de bowling

Info

Publication number
EP0108048A1
EP0108048A1 EP19820900107 EP82900107A EP0108048A1 EP 0108048 A1 EP0108048 A1 EP 0108048A1 EP 19820900107 EP19820900107 EP 19820900107 EP 82900107 A EP82900107 A EP 82900107A EP 0108048 A1 EP0108048 A1 EP 0108048A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
ball
pulses
lane
speed
camera
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP19820900107
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Jouko Hautala
Juhani Kangas
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP0108048A1 publication Critical patent/EP0108048A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01P—MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT
    • G01P3/00—Measuring linear or angular speed; Measuring differences of linear or angular speeds
    • G01P3/64—Devices characterised by the determination of the time taken to traverse a fixed distance
    • G01P3/68—Devices characterised by the determination of the time taken to traverse a fixed distance using optical means, i.e. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63D—BOWLING GAMES, e.g. SKITTLES, BOCCE OR BOWLS; INSTALLATIONS THEREFOR; BAGATELLE OR SIMILAR GAMES; BILLIARDS
    • A63D5/00—Accessories for bowling-alleys or table alleys
    • A63D5/04—Indicating devices
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63D—BOWLING GAMES, e.g. SKITTLES, BOCCE OR BOWLS; INSTALLATIONS THEREFOR; BAGATELLE OR SIMILAR GAMES; BILLIARDS
    • A63D5/00—Accessories for bowling-alleys or table alleys
    • A63D5/04—Indicating devices
    • A63D2005/042—Indicating devices for indicating the ball path

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus for defi ⁇ ning the speed and direction of a bowling ball, the said apparatus comprising a suitable detector, for example a TV-camera or equivalent, a calculator unit, for exam ⁇ ple a microprocessor, as well as a display unit for pro ⁇ ducing the output in order to observe the speed and di ⁇ rection and/or deviation from direction of each bowling ball.
  • a suitable detector for example a TV-camera or equivalent
  • a calculator unit for exam ⁇ ple a microprocessor
  • a display unit for pro ⁇ ducing the output in order to observe the speed and di ⁇ rection and/or deviation from direction of each bowling ball.
  • the best rolling technique is such that the ball is rolled through certain aiming arrows located at the beginning of the bowling lane, without viewing the set of pins at all.
  • training does not necessarily requi ⁇ re a full-length bowling lane of 18,3 meters, but a re ⁇ markably shorter lane is sufficient - roughly about 5 meters long.
  • This shorter lane is provided with aiming arrows and includes a ball return machinery.
  • the set of pins is not necessary when training.
  • the ball causes inter ⁇ ference in the electric field created between these me ⁇ tal wires.
  • the dielectric properties of the ball are naturally different from those of the surrounding air, and as the ball deviates from the center line of the lane, an unbalance is created in the electric field.
  • the position of the ball can also be defined by using other methods, for example by utilizing weak radioacti ⁇ ve radiation within the ball.
  • the measuring results are produced on a screen, which shows the relative movement of the ball along the lane.
  • the picture remains permanently visible, so that the trainee has sufficient time for studying his performan ⁇ ce in the display unit.
  • the US Patent Publication No. 3,051,485 describes an apparatus for defining the rolling direction of a bowl ⁇ ing ball.
  • the said apparatus comprises a training lane shorter than a normal bowling lane and a detector con ⁇ nected to the lane in order to define the transverse po ⁇ sition of the ball.
  • the detector is constructed of se ⁇ veral pairs of illuminators and photocells, which are located in succession along the width of the lane.
  • the appara ⁇ tus is designed so that the bowler can choose a certain point on the lane, through which point he wants to di ⁇ rect his ball. Now only the photocell which is located at the desired point is in function. If the ball pas ⁇ ses the said point, the apparatus gives a suitable sig- nal .
  • the US Patent Publication No. 3,145,025 introduces an apparatus for definining the speed of a bowling ball.
  • the apparatus includes two beams of light, which beams are directed across the bowling lane at a suitable dis ⁇ tance from each other.
  • As the ball cuts the first beam of light . it switches on a calculator which counts pulses at the speed of 120/s.
  • the calculator is switch ⁇ ed off.
  • the apparatus presented in the US Patent Publication No. 3,051,485 measures the position of the ball in the trans ⁇ verse direction of the lane, but only at one point.
  • the apparatus of the US Patent Publication No. 3,145,025 mea ⁇ sures only the speed of the ball.
  • the purpose of the present invention is to achieve an apparatus which measures both the speed and direction and/or deviation from desired direction of the ball.
  • a further object of the present invention is to realize a measuring apparatus which can be connected to any o ⁇ v__ " existing bowling lane as a training device or attached to a short training lane.
  • the apparatus of the invention is characterized by the novel features which are mainly enlisted in the novel part of the Patent Claim 1.
  • the operation of the apparatus is based on the fact that the* black bowling ball forms a sufficient contrast in comparison with the white bowling lane.
  • the ball has a negative pulse which is clearly different from the white background of the video signal.
  • the form of the object - a ball - is highly advantageous for detection, because it can be seen in similar shape from a suffi ⁇ ciently wide angle.
  • the vertical i.e. the y-coordinate of a bowling ball in the TV-screen is obtained by counting the number of the line synchronizing pulses or line pulses which oc ⁇ cur after the field blanking pulses or field pulses, but before the pulses received from the ball.
  • the horizon ⁇ tal i.e. the x-coordinate of the ball is obtained by counting the cycles of a high-frequency oscillator between the line pulse of the ball -occurrence line and the pulse representing the ball.
  • the frequency of the high-frequency oscillator is chosen so that the condi ⁇ tions for the accuracy of the apparatus can be fulfil ⁇ led.
  • Figure 1 is a schematical illustration of the apparatus according to the invention, as connected to a trai ⁇ ning lane.
  • Figure 2 is a schematical illustration of the block dia ⁇ gram of the apparatus of the invention and its cou ⁇ pling arrangements.
  • Figure 3 is an illustration of the unit for sorting out the visual information.
  • Figure 4 is an illustration of the visual field of the bowling lane covered by the TV-camera.
  • the TV-camera 1 functioning as a detector is located above the training lane 2.
  • the training alley includes a normal approach lane 3 and thereafter a relatively short lane 4.
  • a retarder device 5 At the end of the lane 4 there is placed a retarder device 5 and a buffer 6, which buffer absorbs part of the ball energy.
  • the lane is provided with a conven ⁇ tional ball return channel 7.
  • the measuring area of the camera 1 is marked by dotted lines in the drawing.
  • the length of the measuring area on the lane is preferably about 2 meters. Normally the measuring takes place at two points: when the ball en ⁇ ters the visual field of the camera, and when it dis ⁇ appears therefrom.
  • the display device 8 is mounted on a suitable place adjacent to the approach lane 3.
  • the apparatus comprises, in addition to the camera 1 , means 10, 16 and 18 for processing the video signal, ;vhich means include the detector 10, which is compiled of a • video amplifier and a comparator, the particular measu ⁇ ring member 11 and the microprocessor 12 together with its interface circuits 13.
  • the interface circuits con ⁇ nect, among others, 'the keyboard 14 and the display de ⁇ vice 15 to the other members of the apparatus.
  • the measuring member 11 itself comprises the processing unit 16 of the synchronizing pulses, the timer 17, the unit for sorting out the visual information, the horizon ⁇ tal calculators 21 and 22 as well as their control unit 19, and the high-frequency oscillator 20.
  • the measuring apparatus functions as follows.
  • the appa ⁇ ratus is synchronized according to the field and line pulses obtained from the video signal.
  • the proces ⁇ sing unit 16 of the synchronizing pulses they are proces ⁇ sed so that their voltage level is suitable for the lo ⁇ gic family to be used, and thereafter they are compiled to form the timing pulses according to the needs of the measuring system.
  • the processing unit 16 of the synchronizing pulses include ⁇ des an emitter follower, two successive, suitably sized comparators, the first of which is utilized to detect the line pulses and the second to detect the field pul ⁇ ses, as well as the successive timer circuits, which circuits render the respective timing pulses JTP and KTP for the measuring member 11 , and for synchronizing the operations of the microprocessor with the video signal.
  • the detector 10 is compiled of a rapid video amplifier and a comparator.
  • the signal obtained at the start of the video amplifier is sorted out according to its ori ⁇ gin - whether from the bowling ball or from the lane.
  • the level comparison is carried out by means of the com ⁇ parator, which compares the starting signal of the ampli ⁇ bomb to a suitable comparison voltage.
  • the video signal from the camera 1 gives the digital signal KOM describing the position of the ball. This signal is 7 further fed into the unit for sorting out the visual in ⁇ formation 18.
  • the sorting unit 18 of the visual information is repre ⁇ sented in Figure 3. It comprises a low pass filter, a plurality of logic operation circuits and timer circuits,
  • the comparator signal KOM is processed so that the synchronizing pulses and that part of the video signal which falls outside the lane are eliminated.
  • This mas ⁇ king of the frame is carried out at the beginning of the line by lengthening the line pulse and at the end of the line by starting AND-operation between the masking pulse formed in the double timer circuit and the signal received from the comparator.
  • the pulse triggers the timer circuit 31, provided with a Schmitt-trigger input, for an interval respecting roughly the duration period of the line.
  • the line pulse occurring during this interval is pro ⁇ Ded to form an interruption pulse, which is inverted and fed into the interruption request unit IRQ of the microprocessor.
  • the interruption takes place at the be ⁇ ginning of the line pulse, so that the operation of the microprocessor 12 can be synchronized with the line frequency of the camera 1.
  • the timer 17 contains the vertical calculator 17a and the calculator 17b, which is ' utilized for generating the measurement starting pul ⁇ se, according to the instructions of the microprocessor 12, further into the calculator control unit 19.
  • the timer 17 can also include a time calculator 17c, which
  • the calculators 17b and 17c of the timer can also be built within the microproces ⁇ sor itself.
  • the control unit 19 is formed of a plurality of logic circuits, which process the timing pulses and the star ⁇ ting pulse to form the control pulses of the horizontal calculators 21 and 22.
  • the measuring process is illustrated by means of Figure 4, which shows the bowling lane 4 and the visual field nk of the camera.
  • the measuring is started when the ball is shown on the line at the first measuring point A.
  • the visual information sorting unit 18 gives an interruption request instruction for the microprocessor 12, which at a suitable point of time further gives a starting pulse directly or through the timer 17 to the calculator control unit 19.
  • the control unit 19 starts the operation of the horizontal calculators 21 and 22 on the next video signal line counted from the edge C of the lane. Simultaneously timing is started, for example by means of the calculator 7c, in order to define the speed of the ball.
  • the same measuring operation is re ⁇ peated at the second measuring point B, where the timing is respectively stopped.
  • the first horizontal calculator 21 counts the pulses of the high-frequency oscillator from the edge C of the lane as far as the edge A1 of the ball, and the second calculator 22 counts the " pulses along the width A1-A2 of the ball as covered by the line.
  • the readings of the calculators are fed into the memory of the microproces ⁇ sor through the parallel interface circuit 13. On the basis of this information, the x-coordinate of the loca ⁇ tion of the ball is defined.
  • the line pulses are ⁇ counted between the first measuring point A and the se ⁇ cond meas ⁇ ring point B.
  • the interval 289-3 of the pul ⁇ ses covers a certain distance on the lane.
  • the time calculator 17c is ' used for controlling the mea ⁇ suring operation, and the operation of the calculator programmes is started after the ball has passed the mea ⁇ suring points.
  • the definition of the speed is carried out by counting, according to the programme and by means of the timer 17, the time-lapse between the two measurements, and by ta ⁇ king into account the distance defined by the y-coordi- nates.
  • the microprocessor 12 carries out the necessary measures for preparing the apparatus into operation, for starting the measurement and for recording the results into the memory, for performing the necessary calculations where, according to the measuring results, the speed and direc ⁇ tion of the bowling ball and/or its deviation from a straight line, defined on the basis of the initial rea ⁇ dings, are calculated, and for processing the output in ⁇ to a form suitable for display.
  • the measurement takes place without the control of the microprocessor.
  • the apparatus receives an initial reading in the form of a desired rolling path, for example E2-F6 in Figure 4, whereafter the deviations p1 and p2 are defined with respect to this desired rol ⁇ ling path according to the true rolling path AB after the roll has been completed.
  • a desired rolling path for example E2-F6 in Figure 4
  • the roll can be performed freely without any initial values, in which case the display directly gives the direction AB and the speed of the roll.
  • a line-scan camera included in a CCD-circuit can be utilized in the measuring apparatus.
  • CCD-circuit Charge Coupled Device circuit
  • the measuring operation can in principle be carried out in similar fashion as above.
  • the timer 17 of the measuring apparatus can be provided for example with a programmable timer MC 6840 or alterna ⁇ tively suitable calculator circuits.
  • a programmable timer MC 6840 or alterna ⁇ tively suitable calculator circuits.
  • the micropro ⁇ cessor 12 and the interface circuits can be utilized cir-. cuits MC 68Q2 and MC 6820 respectively. It is maintai ⁇ ned that on the circuit level an expert can realize the operations included in each separate block of Figure 2 in many different ways, wherefore they are not dealt with in much detail.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Testing, Inspecting, Measuring Of Stereoscopic Televisions And Televisions (AREA)
  • Studio Devices (AREA)

Abstract

L'appareil permettant de définir la vitesse et la direction d'une boule de bowling comprend une caméra de télévision ou autre détecteur équivalent, un microprocesseur (12) avec des circuits d'interface respectifs (13), éventuellement un clavier (14) et un dispositif d'affichage (15). La caméra (1) est située au-dessus de la piste du jeu de boule de sorte que tous les trajets possibles de la boule se trouvent dans son champ visuel. De plus, l'appareil comprend des moyens de traitement (10, 16, 18) pour traiter le signal vidéo reçu de la caméra, lesquels moyens de traitement donnent les impulsions de synchronisation pour l'appareil et le signal digital représentant la boule; un calculateur vertical (17b) compte le nombre de lignes entre les points de mesure, le nombre obtenu définissant la coordonnée y de la boule; un oscillateur à haute fréquence (20) et des calculateurs horizontaux dont le premier (21) compte les impulsions d'oscillation du bord de la piste au bord de la boule et le second (22) le long de la largeur de la boule, ces impulsions définissant la coordonnée x de la boule. A l'aide de l'appareil, les coordonnées x et y de la boule sont définies au moins en deux points dans le champ visuel et sur la base de ces informations, en utilisant un microprocesseur qui enregistre également le laps de temps écoulé entre les mesures, la vitesse et la direction et/ou la déviation par rapport à une direction donnée de la boule sont définies.
EP19820900107 1981-12-14 1981-12-14 Appareil permettant de determiner la vitesse et la direction d'une boule de bowling Withdrawn EP0108048A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/FI1981/000090 WO1983002161A1 (fr) 1981-12-14 1981-12-14 Appareil permettant de determiner la vitesse et la direction d'une boule de bowling

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0108048A1 true EP0108048A1 (fr) 1984-05-16

Family

ID=8556298

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19820900107 Withdrawn EP0108048A1 (fr) 1981-12-14 1981-12-14 Appareil permettant de determiner la vitesse et la direction d'une boule de bowling

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0108048A1 (fr)
AU (1) AU7937082A (fr)
WO (1) WO1983002161A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10338209B2 (en) 2015-04-28 2019-07-02 Edh Us Llc Systems to track a moving sports object

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6110052A (en) * 1996-02-14 2000-08-29 American Bowling Congress Apparatus and method for analyzing bowling technique

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3252705A (en) * 1962-09-24 1966-05-24 Cornberg Sol Bowling ball viewing apparatus
US3408750A (en) * 1965-09-15 1968-11-05 George T. Mccollough Visi-golf modern method of golf instruction
US3841633A (en) * 1973-05-18 1974-10-15 Amf Inc Bowling ball path indicator
SE394146B (sv) * 1975-10-16 1977-06-06 L Olesen Anordning for metning resp kontroll av ett foremals, i synnerhet ett fordons hastighet.
US4158853A (en) * 1977-09-12 1979-06-19 Acushnet Company Monitoring system for measuring kinematic data of golf balls
US4163941A (en) * 1977-10-31 1979-08-07 Linn Roy N Jr Video speed analyzer of golf club swing or the like
JPS5596405A (en) * 1979-01-19 1980-07-22 Hajime Sangyo Kk Inspection device for moving object

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO8302161A1 *

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10338209B2 (en) 2015-04-28 2019-07-02 Edh Us Llc Systems to track a moving sports object
US11016188B2 (en) 2015-04-28 2021-05-25 Edh Us Llc Systems to track a moving sports object

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1983002161A1 (fr) 1983-06-23
AU7937082A (en) 1983-06-30

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