JP2019217275A - Instrumented batting system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an improved system for accurately determining swing metrics and displaying the metrics to a user.SOLUTION: An instrumented batting system measures a bat speed and an exit velocity in initiating contact between the bat and a ball positioned on a batting tee assembly. The batting tee assembly includes a bat speed radar device and an exit velocity radar device each in communication with a computing device. The bat speed radar device emits a radar beam that intersects with a swing plane of a batter in a direction generally toward an expected position of the batter. The exit velocity radar device emits another radar beam that intersects with a flight path of the ball in another direction generally away from the expected position of the batter. The system determines the bat speed and exit velocity using the radar beams, calculates batting metrics based on the bat speed and the exit velocity, and displays swing metrics using the computing device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 797,753, filed Jul. 13, 2015, which is a partially-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/645, filed Jul. 10, 2016. , 210, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 16 / 008,106, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

  The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for determining swing metrics that characterize a batter's swing, and more particularly, to an instrumentation batting system that measures a swing and displays the swing metrics to the batter.

  An increasingly popular metric in measuring the effectiveness of a baseball or softball batter swing is the ball speed after contact with the bat. A higher exit velocity of the flying ball after contact with the bat indicates that the batter will begin to contact the ball with a larger portion of the bat and with greater accuracy. For this reason, a faster hitting speed indicates a more effective swing. In contrast, a slower ball speed indicates that the batter will begin to make contact with the ball in a smaller portion of the bat and with less precision, thus indicating a less effective swing.

  A conventional method of measuring the hitting speed includes using a radar device held by an operator, in which the aiming of the ball after hitting the ball causes the ball to fly away from the bat The operator attempts to measure the hit ball speed at the time. However, the hitting speed decreases rapidly after hitting the ball. For this reason, the operator who attempts to measure the hitting speed of the ball in the above-described embodiment measures the hitting speed that decreases as the ball flies away from the hitter. The hitting speed measured in this way is significantly lower than the hitting speed of the ball immediately after the ball comes into contact with the bat, which can lead to an incorrect evaluation of the effectiveness of the batter swing.

  Also, when the operator points the radar device at the ball, the radar device can be at a predetermined angle to the flight path, thus reducing the measured hitting speed. Rather than measuring the hitting velocity, the angle between the radar device and the flight path results in a measured velocity multiplied by the cosine of the angle between the radar beam and the flight path. This cosine effect has the consequence that the measured hitting speed is significantly lower than the actual hitting speed, thus also leading to an inaccurate evaluation of the effectiveness of the batter speed. Because the angle can vary from measurement to measurement, it can be difficult to take this angle into account when comparing or evaluating measurements without using complex and expensive radar systems.

  Thus, there is a need for an improved system, method, and computer program product that accurately determines swing metrics and displays these metrics to a user.

  Embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems and methods for detecting a bat speed and a ball hitting speed of a bat. At least one of the bat speed, the hit ball speed, and other swing metrics determined from the bat speed and the hit ball speed may be displayed to the batter or coach. To determine bat speed and hitting speed, one speed measuring device (eg, radar device) can be used to measure the batter's swing speed, and another speed measuring device (eg, another radar device) It can be used to measure ball hitting speed. Each radar device may be optimized to detect a specific swing metric. The data collected by the speed measurement device may be communicated to a suitable computing device for processing and / or display to a user.

  The above summary provides a simplified summary of embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the specific aspects of the invention described herein. The Summary is not intended to provide an extensive overview of the invention and is not intended to identify key or critical elements or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to merely present the concepts for the following detailed description in a simple form as an introduction.

  BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various embodiments of the invention, together with the above general description of the invention and the following detailed description of the embodiments. And performs the function of describing the embodiment of the present invention.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary operating environment for an instrumented batting system, the instrumented batting system having a batting tee assembly having a speed measuring device, and a computing device in communication with the speed measuring device. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the exemplary computing device of FIG. 1. 1 is a schematic view showing a batting tee assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a batting tee assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a batting tee assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view of the batting tee assembly of FIGS. 4 and 5, including a mount and an angle adjuster. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the batting tee assembly of FIGS. 4 to 6 used with a ball trap for catching a hit ball. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for using an instrumentation batting system. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary computer that may be used to perform certain functions of embodiments of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary operating environment 100 for an instrumentation batting system 102 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The instrumentation batting system 102 may be used by a batter 104 practicing a hit, such as baseball or softball. The instrumented batting system 102 may measure the ball's hitting and batting speeds and display the measured hitting and batting speeds and the swing metrics calculated from these measurements to the batter 104, for example, on a computing device 106. . A speed measuring device 108 may be included in the batting tee assembly 110, wherein the bat 112 is the speed of the bat 112 when the bat 112 initially contacts the ball 114, and the batter 104 moves between the ball 114 and the bat 112. And the hit ball speed, which is the speed of the flying ball 114 when the contact is completed, is measured. Thereafter, the bat speed and the hit ball speed may be displayed on the display 116 of the computing device 106.

  The batting tee assembly 110 may have a stationary tee adjacent to the batter 104, so that the batter 104 may position the ball 114 at a rest position of the batting tee assembly 110 within the hitting zone 118. The batter then swings the bat 112 toward the ball 114 to practice, teach, modify and / or enhance the batter's swinging skills. The batting tee assembly 110 is located on the ground and can be adjusted to a desired height, so that the batting tee assembly 110 simulates various positions of the ball 114 that has been thrown as seen by the batter 104. The batting tee assembly 110 can be adjusted for both left-handed and right-handed batters.

  For example, the batter 104 may position the batting tee assembly 110 at a desired location and height, so that the ball 114 is located in the middle of the batter 104's hitting zone 118, so that the batter passes through the middle of the baseball stadium. To launch the ball 114. The batter 104 again positions the ball 114 on the batting tee assembly 110 after each swing and then continues to launch the ball 114 through the middle of the baseball stadium, thus perfecting their skills. To

  The batting tee assembly 110 can be used to provide feedback to the batter 104 regarding the quality of each swing, so that the batter's swing can be continuously improved based on the feedback. For example, visual feedback is provided by the flight path of the ball 114 each time the batter 104 completes a swing. The batter 104 may be able to observe the quality of the swing based on whether the flight path of the ball 114 satisfies the batter's prediction. The batter 104 can judge that the skill of the batter is correct when the flight path of the ball 114 satisfies the prediction of the batter, or the skill of the batter is insufficient when the flight path does not satisfy the prediction of the batter. Can be determined. In addition to visual feedback, the batting tee assembly 110 may provide swing metrics that provide feedback on swing quality. These swing metrics may include bat speed and hitting speed measured by the batting tee assembly 110 and / or additional swing metrics determined from the bat speed and / or hitting speed.

  The bat speed is the speed of the bat 112 achieved at the point where the batter 104 contacts the ball 114 as the batter 104 shakes the bat 112 from the rest position and pushes the bat 112 through the striking zone 118. The speed of the bat 112 when the contact with the ball 114 is started can have a direct effect on the hitting speed and the ball's flight distance. A faster hitting speed and a greater distance may indicate a high quality swing made by the batter 104. For this reason, when the bat speed is high, the possibility that the ball 114 is propelled from the bat 112 at a high hitting speed to fly a distance indicating a high-quality swing increases.

  The hitting speed refers to the hitting speed of the ball in flight immediately after leaving the bat 112 after the bat 112 contacts the ball 114. The hitting speed may indicate the bat speed and the accuracy with which the batter 104 initiates contact of the bat 112 with the ball 114. The hitting speed may provide an indication of how effectively the kinetic energy generated by the speed of the bat 112 is transmitted to the ball 114. For example, the ball speed is an index of how much the area of the bat 112 has contacted the ball 114, an index of the location of the ball 114 where the bat 112 has made contact, and how well the batter 104 An indication of whether or not 114 has been punched may be provided.

  The speed measuring device 108 can measure both the bat speed and the hit ball speed when the batter 104 shakes the bat 112 to start contact with the ball 114. The speed measurement device 108 may include one or more radar devices configured to measure a bat speed and a hit ball speed associated with the batter's 104 swing. Each of the one or more radar devices includes a transmitter for transmitting an electromagnetic signal (eg, a microwave signal) and a frequency shift (ie, a Doppler shift) in an electromagnetic signal (ie, a return signal) received by reflection from a bat 112 and / or a ball. And a receiver or other sensor for detecting the shift. In another embodiment of the present invention, the velocity measuring device comprises one or more piezoelectric devices, a visible average velocity computer recorder (VASCAR®), a light sensing and ranging (LIDAR), and / or a ball speed and bat. It may have other types of devices that can be used to detect speed.

In one embodiment of the present invention, one radar device may be used to measure bat speed, and another radar device may be used to measure hitting speed. To this end, each of the radar devices may be configured to measure the velocity of the flying ball sufficiently close to a predetermined point, at which point the ball has completed contact with the bat, The speed of the ball has hardly decreased from the initial speed of the hit ball . The speed measurement device 108 may determine the bat speed from the measurements captured by each of the radar devices, and may determine the hitting speed from the measurements captured by another radar device. In another embodiment of the present invention, multiple radar devices may be used to measure one or more of a bat speed and / or a hitting speed.

  The batter 104 may start a swing from a starting position where the bat 112 has an initial speed of 0 mph. The speed of the bat 112 causes the batter 104 to swing the bat 112 through a hitting zone 118 toward a ball 114 located on the batting tee assembly 110. Thereafter, the one or more radar devices located on the batting tee assembly 110 include a bat speed at which the bat 112 begins to contact the ball 114 and a hitting of the ball in flight after the bat 112 contacts the ball 114. Speed and can be measured.

  The speed measurement device 108 may determine the bat speed and the hitting speed, so that the bat speed and the hitting speed provide sufficient feedback to the batter 104. This may allow the batter 104 to objectively evaluate the quality of the batter's swing. A high bat speed may result in a high hitting speed, thereby providing the batter 104 with a high likelihood of the batter hitting the ball 114 in such a way that the batter 104 hits the ball 114 a sufficient distance. The position and orientation of the one or more radar devices in the speed measurement device 108 are such that the device measures the hitting speed of the flying ball 114 after the bat 112 has started contacting the ball 114, and that the ball 114 It may be configured to sufficiently eliminate the effect of a decrease in ball speed when flying away from 104 with a ball speed measurement.

  The speed of the ball 114 tends to decrease as the ball flies away from the batter 104. For this reason, the measured ball speed that occurs after the ball 114 flies a sufficient distance away from the batter 104 results in a decrease in the measured speed compared to the ball speed of the ball 114 immediately after contact with the bat 112. obtain. In this case, the low speed measurement may be the result of the speed decreasing while flying, rather than a bad swing. The position of the at least one radar device in the batting tee assembly 110 may be selected to measure the rate at which the ball 114 is hit near the beginning of the flight path. This positioning may result in a more accurate evaluation of the swing performed by batter 104 than other positions in batting tee assembly 110. The speed measuring device 108 can measure only the bat speed while the bat 112 is being shaken, only the hit ball speed, or both the bat speed and the hit ball speed.

  The speed measuring device 108 may transmit the measured bat speed and the hit ball speed to the computing device 106 via the communication signal 120. The computing device 106 may then display the batter 104 via the display 116 with the measured bat speed, ball speed, and / or additional swing metrics calculated from the bat speed and / or ball speed. The computing device 106 may be able to electrically communicate with the speed measuring device 108 and other devices using a communication protocol such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other suitable communication protocol. Exemplary computing devices 106 include mobile phones, smartphones, workstations, portable computing devices such as laptop or tablet computers, desktop computers, computer clusters, computer peripherals such as printers, portable music players. And / or other suitable electronic equipment that can be used to display information to the batter 104.

  The speed measuring device 108 may communicate both the bat speed and the hit ball speed to the computing device 106 via the communication signal 120. The computing device 106 may simultaneously display bat speed, hitting speed, or other batting metrics to the batter 104 via the display 116. The batter 104 may then obtain quick feedback about performing the batter's swing based on one or more batting metrics displayed by the computing device 106. After the batter 104 evaluates the swing based on the flight of the ball 114, the batter 104 may use the swing metrics displayed by the display 116 to supplement the visual feedback provided by the flight of the ball 114.

  For example, based on the position of the batting tee assembly 110 with respect to the batter 104, the batter 104 has determined that the ball 114 has flew in the direction in which the Observe that it is along the flight path. Such visual feedback indicates that the batter 104 has performed a high quality swing. Then, the batter 104, when displayed on the display 116, can supplement the visual feedback by visually recognizing the swing metrics of the performed swing.

  Referring now to FIG. 2, an exemplary computing device 106 may include a laptop computer 122 having a screen 124. The application running on the laptop computer 122 receives the communication signal 120, extracts the bat speed and the hit ball speed embedded in the communication signal 120, and displays the bat speed and the hit ball on the screen 124 of the laptop computer 122. The speed and / or one or more additional swing metrics may be displayed continuously (as shown) or simultaneously. Additional swing metrics may be calculated, for example, using one or more of a bat speed and a hit ball speed. These metrics may be displayed simultaneously, for example, using one or more windows 126-128.

  The combination of one or more swing metrics displayed on computing device 106 may be user selectable. For example, a user of the system may select which metrics to display and how to display these metrics through the application's user interface, which may be a custom application installed on the computing device 106. possible. The swing metrics may also be displayed sequentially or simultaneously on one or more displays 116 of one or more computing devices 106. For example, multiple computing devices 106 may be used, each displaying a different swing metric. Thus, it should be understood that embodiments of the present invention are not limited to displaying a particular series, order or number of swing metrics to a particular number of computing devices 106.

Coaches and coaches who teach hitting can intuitively identify the components of the batter swing that are most likely to produce good hits. One of these factors is the bat speed, since the higher the bat speed, the higher the generated hit ball speed. However, conventional swing analysis systems cannot capture certain aspects of a swing that contribute to good hitting but are difficult to quantify. One such aspect is how efficiently the batter transfers the kinetic energy of the bat 112 to the ball 114. The swing metrics is referred to as "transformation coefficient" C _F. Energy transfer to the ball can be affected by a number of factors, including the undesired transfer of kinetic energy of a portion of the bat to the batter's body in the event of not hitting the ball with optimal skill. The present invention is based on the following equation, it may calculate transform coefficients C _F with a bat speed B _S and shot velocity E _V.
C _F = E _V / B _S (Equation 1)

The conversion coefficient C _F may be displayed to the batter can provide the batter an objective measurement of the batter's swing efficiency. The maximum conversion factor C _F for balls and bats that meet the bat-ball restitution coefficient (BBCOR) criteria currently governing adult baseball bats used in most high school, college and professional play is the conversion factor C _F ≒ 1.2.

The formula is the following formula for calculating the pitching speed of the pitch,
_{E V = QxP S + C F} xB S ( Equation 2)
The resulting derived, wherein the, Q is a collision factor of well pressed against the ball from the effective swing, P _S is the pitching rate. Tools that meet the BBCOR criteria cannot have a Q greater than 0.2. In any case, the hit from the tee is P _S = 0. For this reason, Equation 2 can be simplified to determine the conversion factor C _F and generate Equation 1 for a hit from a tee.

  FIG. 3 illustrates a batting tee assembly 130 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The batting tee assembly 130 includes a bat speed radar device 132, a hit ball speed radar device 134, a ball mounting section 136, an angle adjuster 138, a power supply 140 for supplying power to the bat speed radar device 132, And a power supply 142 for supplying power to the radar device 134. In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the radar devices 132, 134 may have an electrical circuit comprising a radar signal source and a radar signal receiver coupled to one or more antennas or other radiating elements. An antenna or other radiating element may provide a radiating point for radiating the transmitted signal and / or a receiving point for receiving the return signal.

The bat speed radar device 132 may be configured to measure the bat speed when the bat 112 starts contacting the ball 114. The hitting speed radar device 134 may be configured to measure the hitting speed of the ball 114 immediately after the bat 112 contacts the ball 114. For this purpose, the ball-strength radar device 134 has the ball 114 positioned above the ball receiver 136 in a range from 22 inches (55.88 cm) to 34 inches (86.36 cm) (for example, about 28 inches (71.12 cm)). ) may be located at a distance _{d 1.} The distance d1 may be selected to be sufficient to prevent the ball speed radar device 134 from detecting the bat 112 as the bat 112 passes through the hitting zone 118 and hits the ball 114. The distance d ₁ is further selected such that the ball speed radar device 134 measures the ball 114's ball speed before the ball's speed begins to significantly decrease during flight of the ball 114 due to drag or other effects. Can be done.

  The batting tee assembly 130 may be further configured such that the bat speed radar device 132 is oriented at an angle 144 relative to the batting tee assembly 130, such that the radar beam emitted from the radar device 132 is The speed of the bat 112 at the point where the bat 112 essentially achieves the bat speed at the time of hitting 114 is captured. The ball speed radar device 134 may be oriented at a predetermined angle 146 relative to the batting tee assembly 130 and captures the speed of the ball 114 after hitting the ball 114 but before the speed of the ball 114 is significantly reduced. I do.

  The batter 104 may position the ball 114 on the ball rest 136 before swinging the bat 112 at the ball 114. The batter 104 can be right-handed or left-handed. At least a portion of the ball rest 136 may be comprised of a flexible material, so that when the batter 104 swings the bat 112, contact between the bat 112 and the ball rest 136 may occur. It is absorbed by the ball rest 136 with minimal energy transfer or friction between the ball rest and the ball rest 136. By minimizing the friction between the ball rest 136 and the bat 112, the amount of deceleration that the bat 112 experiences when the batter 104 swings at the ball 114 can be minimized. The ball mount 136 may be removable to facilitate replacement when the ball mount 136 is no longer worn and properly supporting the ball 114.

  The bat speed radar device 132 may be located below the ball rest 136 and connected to the batting tee assembly 130. The bat speed radar device 132 may be positioned such that the speed detector portion of the bat speed radar device 132 faces upwards toward the ball mount 136 and aligns the location of the ball 114 on the ball mount 136. . The bat speed radar device 132 may be positioned in the vicinity of the ball 114 positioned on the ball rest 136, such that the bat speed radar device 132 112 may be detected and the bat speed measured.

In response to forcing the bat 112 into strong contact with the ball 114, the ball 114 may be propelled to a flying path 148, which is the trajectory of the ball 114 after the batter 104 swings and hits the ball 114. is there. Hitting speed radar device 134 may be located from the ball mounting portion 136 substantially match the expected ball flight path of good shot 114 at a distance d _1.

Detection of the moving bat 112 by the hitting speed radar device 134 has the potential to distort the hitting speed measurement. The hitting speed radar device 134 detects the hitting of the ball when the ball 114 moves along the flight path 148 based on the bat speed of the bat 112 when the bat 112 passes through the hitting zone 118 and passes over the ball mounting portion 136. It can be difficult to distinguish speeds. Positioning the hitting speed radar device 134 at a sufficient distance from the ball rest 136 may reduce the likelihood that the bat 112 will affect the measured hitting speed of the ball 114. Further, the distance d ₁ is set so that the hitting speed radar device 134 measures the hitting speed before the hitting speed decreases sufficiently from the flight along the hitting route 148 when the ball 114 moves along the hitting route 148. , Can be chosen short enough. By positioning the ball speed radar device 134 such that the ball speed radar device measures the ball speed in flight while the ball is still above the batting tee assembly 130, for example, the ball speed is measured with sufficient accuracy. The result can be.

  The hitting speed radar device 134 is located below the flight path 148 of the ball 114 and may be connected to the batting tee assembly 130. The ball speed radar device 134 may be positioned so that the speed detector portion of the ball speed radar device 134 faces upward and focuses toward the ball's 114 flight path 148. The ball speed radar device 134 may be positioned within the vicinity of the ball path 148 of the ball 114, so that the ball speed radar device 134 detects the ball 114 as the ball 114 flies along the ball path 148, The hitting speed of the ball 114 is measured. The speed measuring device 108 can be calibrated to accurately record the hitting speed in response to a signal from the hitting speed radar device 134.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a configuration process may be used to determine one or more correction factors. These correction factors can be used to correct the measured hitting speed, so that the measured hitting speed more closely indicates the speed of the ball 114 immediately after contact with the bat 112. For example, the corrected hitting speed E _VC can be calculated from the measured hitting speed E _VM using the following formula.
E _VC = axE _VM + b (Equation 3)
Where a and b are the measurement errors due to changes in air resistance, gravity, angle effects (eg, cosine effects), or other predicted, measured or otherwise determined measurement errors, It has a value selected to compensate.

  The bat speed device 132 may be positioned on or below the swing surface of the batter 104. The swing surface is a path along which the bat 112 moves when the batter 104 swings the bat 112 aiming at the ball 114 positioned on the ball placement unit 136. The swing surface may have a substantially two-dimensional shape defined by the path of the bat 112 as the bat moves from its initial pre-swing position until a predetermined period after the batter 104 has made contact with the ball 114.

  The bat speed radar device 132 may be positioned at an angle with respect to the swing plane of the batter 104, so that the bat speed radar device 132 measures the speed of the bat 112 when the bat initiates contact with the ball 114. Generate a value. The speed measuring device 108 may be calibrated to accurately record the hitting speed in response to a signal from the bat speed radar device 132, in a manner similar to that described above with respect to the hitting speed radar device 134.

  The hitting speed radar device 134 can be positioned at a predetermined angle with respect to the hitting speed vector 150 associated with the flight path 148 of the ball 114. The hitting velocity vector 150 may be an expected or average hitting velocity vector of a good hitting ball 114 after the bat 112 begins to contact the ball 114. For this reason, the direction of the hit ball velocity vector 150 corresponds to the direction in which a good hit ball 114 moves at the beginning of the ball flight path 148. The ball speed radar device 134 may be positioned at an angle with respect to the ball speed vector 150, so that the ball speed radar device 134 is aligned with a location 152 that is on the expected flight path 148. The location 152 can be a point at which the ball speed radar device 134 captures the magnitude of the ball speed vector 150 as the ball 114 flies along the ball path 148.

  The bat speed radar device 132 can be powered by a power source 140, and the ball speed radar device 134 can be powered by a power source 142, such that the radar devices 132, 134 are electrically independent. In another embodiment, the radar devices 132, 134 may be powered by a single power supply. Power sources 140, 142 may include, for example, a battery comprising one or more C-sized battery cells or any suitable power source such as, for example, a power converter coupled to a power grid.

  Angle adjuster 138 may be used to adjust the angle of batting tee assembly 130 relative to a horizontal plane, for example, the ground. The angle may be selected to accurately direct the ball 114 into the batter's 104 swing plane. The swing surface of the batter 104 does not necessarily have to be parallel to the horizontal plane when the bat 112 starts to contact the ball 114 positioned on the ball mounting portion 136. Rather, the swing plane may be at a predetermined angle to the horizontal plane.

  Positioning the batting tee assembly 130 such that the ball rest 136 is perpendicular to the ground requires that the bat 112 be in contact with the ball 114 to maximize the surface area of the bat 112 engaged with the ball 114. May require that the swing plane be parallel to the ground when initiating contact. Maximizing the amount of surface area of the bat 112 that engages the ball 114 can result in maximizing the transfer of energy from the bat 112 to the ball 114, resulting in a higher hitting speed.

  A batter 104 whose swing surface is at a predetermined angle such that the bat 112 is not parallel to the ground when initiating contact with the ball 114 is measured by a radar unit positioned to measure movement parallel to the ground. Can result in inaccurate speed measurements. Advantageously, since the radar devices 132, 134 are coupled to the batting tee assembly 130, embodiments of the present invention having an angle adjuster 138 can accommodate a variety of swing surface angles while maintaining a swing angle. A constant orientation of the radar device with respect to both the surface and the ball velocity vector 150 may be maintained.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, angle adjuster 138 may indicate the adjusted angle of batting tee assembly 130. Batting tee assembly 130 may be locked at the selected angle setting. A light source, such as a light source, a low power light emitting diode (LED), may be incorporated into the batting tee assembly 130 to contact the bat 112 with a grid or other mark that provides elevation and azimuth indicators of the tee setting. The position of the ball 114 after the start and the position for the angle setting of the angle adjuster 138 are irradiated.

4 and 5 show a batting tee assembly 154 according to one embodiment of the present invention, which includes a bat speed radar device 156 located within a bat speed radar housing 157, and a hit ball. A hitting speed radar device 159 located in the speed radar housing 160 and a connection member 162 having a proximal end 163 and a distal end 164 are provided. Each of the radar enclosures 157, 160 may be formed of a material that is resilient to impacts from balls and bats and that transmits radar signals, for example, urethane. The bat speed radar housing 157 may have a receiver 166 configured to receive the lower portion 167 of the ball mounting 136, so that the ball mounting 136 is removed from the bat speed radar housing 157. It is connected as possible. The top surface 168 of the ball mounting portion 136 is 4.4 inches (111.76 mm) or more and 6.6 inches (167.64 mm) above the center line 169 of the connection member 162 (for example, approximately 5. a distance _{d 2} 46-inch (138.684mm)). The ball mount 136 may further include an open top cylindrical upper portion 170, the periphery of which defines a top surface 168 of the ball mount 136 and holds the ball 114 in a rest position. It is configured as follows. The upper portion 170 of the ball mounting portion 136 has an inner diameter d ₃ and 1 of not less than 1.3 inches (33.02 mm) and not more than 1.9 inches (48.26 mm) (for example, about 1.59 inches (40.386 mm)). It may have an outer diameter _{d 4} 2.3 inches .5 inches (38.1 mm) or more (58.42mm) (e.g., about 1.88 inches (47.752mm)).

  The center line 171 of the ball placement unit 136 can substantially coincide with the vertical axis 172 of the three-dimensional coordinate system 173. The vertical axis 172 may in turn be orthogonal to the horizontal axis 174 of the coordinate system 173, which is substantially coincident with the center line 169 of the connecting member 162. A horizontal axis 175 orthogonal to the vertical axis 172 and the horizontal axis 174, respectively, may intersect the vertical axis 172 and the horizontal axis 174 at the origin of the coordinate system 173. The vertical axis 172, horizontal axis 174, and horizontal axis 175 of the coordinate system 173 may be referred to herein to describe the relative positions and orientations of the components of the batting tee assembly 154.

Connecting member 162 may comprise a tubular body having a length _{d 5} of 29 inches 19 inches (48.26cm) or (73.66Cm) or less (e.g., about 24 inches (60.96 cm)), therefore, the housing 157 When connecting the 160 respectively connecting member 162, the radiation point 176 of the bat speed radar device 156, from the radiation point 177 of the ball striking speed radar device 159 by a distance _{d 1} being offset in the horizontal direction. The radar devices 156, 159 may be positioned such that the line connecting the emission points 176, 177 is substantially parallel to the horizontal axis 174. The line connecting the radiating points 176, 177 is substantially parallel to the horizontal direction between the radar devices 156, 159 along the horizontal axis 174, with the majority of the scalar distance between the radiating points 176, 177 in the three-dimensional space defined by the coordinate system 173. Can be considered to be substantially parallel to the horizontal axis 174 when provided by the offset.

The bat speed radar device 156 may have a flange 178 configured to receive the proximal end 163 of the connection member 162, and the ball speed radar housing 160 receives the distal end 164 of the connection member 162. May be configured with a flange 179. Each of the flanges 178, 179 may have an opening that connects each end 163, 164 of the connection member to an internal cavity of each of the housings 157, 160. The outer surface of the connecting member 162 and the inner surfaces of the flanges 178 and 179 have a diameter d of 1.6 inches (40.64 mm) or more and 2.2 inches (55.88 mm) or less (for example, about 1.89 inches (48.006 mm)). ₆ , which diameter d ₆ provides a friction fit between the connecting member 162 and the flanges 178, 179. The openings in the flanges 178, 179 may form a passage through which the radar devices 156, 159 electrically connect, for example using wires or other suitable conductors, to the power supplies 140, 142 of the radar devices, respectively. It is connected to. To secure the housings 157, 160 to the ends 163, 164 of the connection member 162, respectively, the inner surfaces of the flanges 178, 179 are connected to the connection members 162 using hose clamps (not shown) or other suitable devices. It may be biased against the outer surface.

Each of the radar devices 156, 159 may have an enclosure 180, 181 that houses at least a portion of an electrical circuit of the radar devices 156, 159. Each enclosure 180 and 181, the length _{d 7} of 4.4 inches (111.76Mm) or 5.6 inches (142.24Mm) or less (e.g., about 4.93 inches (125.222mm)), 1. a load of _{d 8} 2 inch (30.48 mm) or more 2.2 inches (55.88mm) or less (e.g., about 1.66 inches (42.164mm)), 2.7 inches (68.58mm) above 3. 9 inches (99.06mm) hereinafter as the width _{d 9} (e.g. about 3.38 inches (85.852mm)), may have. Each of the enclosures 180, 181 may be formed of a conductive material, such as aluminum or copper, so that the internal cavities formed by the enclosures 180, 181 form a resonant cavity, and the resonant cavity The output of the radar devices 156 and 159 is increased as compared with the radar device without the above. The above dimensions may relate to radar devices operating in the frequency range from 8.0 GHz to 12.0 GHz (i.e., the X band) and may be scaled for radar devices operating at other frequencies.

  Each of the enclosures 180, 181 may have an opening (eg, a slot) configured to allow a radar beam having a distinct radar vector 182, 183 to be transmitted from each of the radar devices 156, 159. The openings may similarly define emission points 176, 177 for the radar devices 156, 159, respectively. In one embodiment of the present invention, the radar beam may have a beam width of 10 ° or more and 30 ° or less (eg, about 20 °), but may have the same or different beam widths.

Bat speed radar housing 157, the length _{d 10} of 7.4 inches 4.9 inches (124.46mm) or (187.96mm) (e.g., about 6.16 inches (156.464mm)), 3.5 A width d _{11 of not} less than inches (88.9 mm) and not more than 5.3 inches (134.62 mm) (for example, about 4.38 inches (111.252 mm)), and not less than 60 ° and not more than 90 ° with respect to the horizontal axis 174 (for example, Front face oriented at an angle θ ₁ of about 75 °). This angle results in a bat speed radar device having a radiation angle θ ₂ of greater than or equal to 0 ° and less than or equal to 30 ° (eg, approximately 15 °) above the horizontal axis 174 and substantially directed toward the expected location of the batter 104. This may result in 156 radar vectors 182. The bat speed radar device 156 may be vertically displaced from the ball rest 136 so that the radiating point 176 is substantially below the swing surface of the bat 112. The bat speed radar device 156 may also be horizontally offset from the vertical axis 172 and the horizontal axis 175 toward the batter's expected position, so that the radiating point 176 is substantially forward of the ball rest 136.

The hitting speed radar housing 160 has a width of 3.5 inches (88.9 mm) or more and 5.3 inches (134.62 mm) or less (for example, about 4.38 inches (111.252 mm)) and 5.4 inches (111.252 mm). the length _{d 12} of 137.16Mm) or 8.1 inches (205.74Mm) or less (e.g., about 6.76 inches (171.704mm)), 35 ° or 65 ° or less with respect to the horizontal axis 174 (e.g., about 50 °) at an angle θ ₃ . This angle results in a hitting velocity that has a radiation angle θ ₄ above 25 ° and below 55 ° (eg, about 40 °) above the horizontal axis 174 and is generally directed away from the expected position of the batter 104. This may result in a radar vector 183 of the radar device 159.

  The speed of the ball may be defined for the radar device with respect to the radial and lateral components. The radial component is the rate of change in the distance between the radar device and the ball along the straight line between the radar device and the ball. The lateral component is a velocity component that causes an angular shift in a straight line. Doppler radar detects only the radial component of the speed of interest. For this reason, the radar vector of the radar beam must be aligned with the velocity vector of the moving object in order to achieve accurate hitting velocity measurement. That is, the object to be measured must fly directly toward the radar device or directly away from the radar device. The misalignment forms a predetermined angle, and as a result of this angle, the radial velocity measured by the radar device is reduced by the cosine of the angle between the radar vector and the velocity vector. Since the hit ball can come out of the bat at an imaginary arbitrary trajectory angle, the displacement is difficult to control.

  The displacement between the velocity vector and the radar vector tends to decrease as the ball flies away from the radar device. However, if the hit speed radar is pointed away from the hit at a given distance to match the radar vector with the ball's speed vector, the air resistance of the ball may begin to affect the measurement. What has been determined is that the speed of the ball can be reduced by about one mile per hour (1.61 km) for a few feet of flight. This is a nominal value that can change depending on environmental influences such as temperature, humidity, hardness, air density, and the like. Thus, attempting to track the speed of the ball at a given distance can introduce another inaccuracy in the ball speed measurement. These inaccuracies are inherent in conventional radar systems used to measure bat swing speed and ball hit speed.

For example, in conventional systems, the user primarily attempts to align the radar vector with the ball velocity vector by placing the radar device behind the batter. In this scenario, the speed reading may be obtained from the ball after it has traveled 20 feet (6.10 m) to 50 feet (15.24 m) from the location where it was hit. As an example, assume that the relative effective conversion coefficient _{C F} of 1.17 shake at a speed of 70 mph (112.7km). This should produce a hitting speed of about 82 miles per hour (132.0 km) from the tee. However, if a loss of 2 miles per hour (3.22 km) due to the cosine effect and an additional loss of 5 miles per hour (8.05 km) due to in-flight deceleration, the resulting ball speed measurement would be: It is only 75 mph (120.7 km). This produces a transformation coefficient _{C F} of only 1.07. This erroneous value may allow the batter or batting leader to shift their attention to changes in the batter's swing that are unnecessary and even harmful to the batter. Discrepancies in how the device is assembled and measurements are taken can lead to differences in the measured data between hitting sessions and can further affect the integrity of the data gathered for the batter.

  Embodiments of the present invention overcome these problems by using separate radar devices, each of which is consistently optimized to detect a particular batting metric. Radar devices are physically separated and electrically shielded to prevent radar signals from interfering with each other. In addition, the radar beam is swung at an angle to prevent the radar signal reflected by the waving bat from affecting the hit ball speed measurement and to prevent the radar signal reflected by the ball from affecting the bat speed measurement. Bat and hitting trajectory. Thus, each unique size, orientation and location of the radar device relative to the ball rest and the expected path of the hit ball contributes to improving the accuracy of embodiments of the present invention over conventional systems. In addition, the structure of the batting tee assembly may also maintain the remaining errors due to cosine and aerodynamic effects between the hits, so that these errors may be compensated for by the calibration process described above.

  FIG. 6 illustrates a batting tee assembly 154 according to one embodiment, which is connected to a support post 190 by a mounting 192 and an angle adjuster 194. The mounting 192 may have a central collar 196 that pivotally connects the upper portion 198 of the mounting 192 to the connecting member 162 of the batting tee assembly 154. The mounting 192 may have a lower portion 200 configured to removably couple the mounting 192 to the support post 190. For example, the lower portion 200 of the mount 192 may have a cavity configured to receive a top portion of the support post 190, such that the mount 192 is held in place by friction and / or gravity. . The support post 190 may have an adjustable height so that the batting tee assembly 154 may be located at a suitable location above the ground for various batters and swing types.

  Angle adjuster 194 may include a front collar 202, a mounting collar 204, and a link 206, the link comprising a distal end 208 pivotally connected to the front collar 202 by a pivot 210; A proximal end 212 pivotally connected to the mounting collar 204 by a pivot 214. The front collar 202 and the mounting collar 204 may be configured to slide individually along the connecting member 162 and the lower portion 200. As the mounting collar 204 is moved along the lower portion 200 of the mounting 192, the link 206 can transmit this movement to the front collar 202. In response, the front collar 202 may push the batting tee assembly 154 to a predetermined angle relative to the mounting 192, which angle is responsive to the position of the mounting collar 204 along the lower portion 200 of the mounting 192.

  To take advantage of this feature, the lower portion 200 of the mounting 192 may have a scale 216 with memory that directs the batting tee assembly 154 based on the position of the mounting collar 204. Provides an index of the angle to attach. Once the batting tee assembly 154 is oriented at the desired angle, the clamping mechanism 218 may be tightened, so that the mounting collar 204 is held at the desired location on the lower portion 200 of the mounting 192, and thus the batting tee assembly Lock the solid 154 at the desired location. In one embodiment of the present invention, the angle adjuster 194 can be configured to adjust the batting tee assembly 154 to an angle of 0 ° or more and 15 ° or less from horizontal.

  Each of the bat speed radar device 156 and the hit ball speed radar device 159 may have a display / actuation device 220, 222 such as an irradiation push button switch. Each display / actuator 220, 222 may individually project from or be individually accessible through a corresponding opening in the bat speed radar housing 157 and the hitting speed radar housing 160. The display / actuation devices 220, 222 may enable a user to activate the corresponding radar device (eg, by pressing the device) and may provide an indication of the operating status of the corresponding radar device. For example, the display / actuation devices 220, 222 may flash in a particular order or at a particular time period, and that the corresponding radar device is powered, attempting to couple or pair with a computing device. Indicates that it is connected to a low-power battery, or other state that may be beneficial to notify the user.

  Referring now to FIG. 7, the ball speed radar device 159 may have a motion field of view 230, within which the instrumentation batting system 102 is configured to provide accurate and constant swing metrics data. Have been. For example, the dimensions, angles, and calibration features of various components of the instrumentation batting system 102 may accurately measure the hitting speed of the ball 114 having a flight path included within the operating field of view 230 of the hitting speed radar device 159. Can be selected. One use of the instrumentation batting system 102 may be to teach a batter how to hit a strong liner. As the strong liner quickly crosses the batting tee assembly 154, it is reliably determined whether the ball 114's flight path was within the field of view of the ball speed radar device 159 and thus the system produced an accurate ball speed reading. It can be difficult for the batter 104 to do.

  The ball trap 232 may be used with the batting tee assembly 154 to provide a visual indication of when the ball's flight path is within the motion field of view 230. The ball trap 232 may be configured to provide additional visual feedback to the batter 104 regarding whether the ball's flight path is within the field of view 230 of the ball speed radar device 159. The ball trap 232 may have a frame 234 and a net material 236 located over the frame 234 and thus preventing the ball 114 from passing through the frame 234. Net material 236 may have an opening 238 having a peripheral edge to which pocket 240 is attached. The pocket 240 forms a target area 242 and may be configured to catch a ball 114 that has flown into a central area of the net 236. A ribbon or other material that is visible from the location of the batter 104 may be used to delineate the perimeter of the opening 238. This allows the batter 104 to provide a clear and clear view of the target area 242 targeted when hitting the ball 114 from the batting tee assembly 154.

To provide some indication fly ball paths were within operating field 230, a target area 242, when placed the ball trap 232 from batting tee assembly 154 a predetermined distance d _13, to match the operating field 230 Size. In another embodiment of the present invention, target area 242 comprises a generally circular area having a diameter of no less than 18 inches (45.72 cm) and no more than 28 inches (71.12 cm) (eg, about 23 inches (58.42 cm)). The resulting distance d13 may be greater than or equal to 4 feet (1.219 m) and less than or equal to 6 feet (1.829 m) (eg, about 5 feet (1.524 m)). These dimensions may correspond to a working field 230 of about 20 °.

  The ball trap 232 may provide the batter 104 with a visual indication that the ball's flight path was within the motion field of view 230 when the pocket 240 captured the ball 114. In another embodiment, a sensor (not shown) may be coupled to the ball trap 232 and / or the pocket 240 to detect when a hit hits the target area 242 and to communicate this information to the instrumentation batting system 102. . This allows the instrumentation batting system 102 to provide an indication of how accurate the swing metrics measurement is, or to prevent the display of measurements for a ball struck outside the target area 242. Can be

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the angle adjuster 194 may allow the batting tee assembly 154 to be adjusted for a ball trajectory ranging from 0 ° to 15 ° from horizontal. The motion field of view 230 may allow the angular velocity range of the hitting speed radar device 159 to be further extended by several degrees. However, most high school, college and professional players prefer a normal swing angle of 8 ° to 10 ° for strong liners.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process 250 that may be used with the instrumentation batting system 102 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In step 252, the batting tee assembly 110, 130, 154 is positioned at the position and height at which the batter desires to place the ball 114. The angle adjusters 138, 194 may be adjusted to align the batting tee assemblies 110, 130, 154 with the batter's 104 intended swing surface.

  In step 254, the ball 114 is positioned on the batting tee assembly 110, 130, 154. In step 256, the instrumented batting system 102 measures the bat speed upon initiating contact between the bat 112 and the ball 114. For example, the bat speed radar devices 132, 156 may be coupled to the batting tee assemblies 110, 130, 154 and positioned proximate a ball 114 located on the batting tee assemblies 110, 130, 154. The bat speed radar devices 132, 156 consider that they are close to the ball 114 when the bat speed radar devices 132, 156 accurately measure the speed of the bat 112 at the start of contact between the bat 112 and the ball 114. Can be done.

  At step 256, the process 250 may measure the hitting speed if the hitting speed is the hitting speed of the ball in flight after initiating contact between the bat 112 and the ball 114. For example, the ball speed radar devices 134, 159 can be coupled to the batting tee assemblies 110, 130, 154 and positioned within the vicinity of the ball trajectory 148 of the ball 114. The hitting speed radar devices 134 and 159 are close to the ball 114 when the hitting speed radars 134 and 159 accurately measure the hitting speed of the ball 114 while the ball 114 is flying along the flight path 148. Can be considered.

  Referring now to FIG. 9, embodiments or some of the embodiments of the invention described above may be implemented using one or more computing devices or systems, such as the exemplary computer 300. Computer 300 may have a processor 302, a memory 304, an input / output (I / O) interface 306, and a human machine interface (HMI) 308. Computer 300 may also be operatively coupled to one or more external resources 310 via network 312 and / or I / O interface 306. External resources may include, but are not limited to, additional computing devices, servers, databases, mass storage, peripherals, cloud-based network services, or other resources that may be used by computer 300.

  Processor 302 may be a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, microcomputer, central processing unit, field programmable gate array, programmable logic device, state machine, logic circuit, analog circuit, digital circuit, or memory 304. It may have one or more devices selected from other devices that operate on signals (analog or digital) based on the recorded operating instructions. The memory 304 includes a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a volatile memory, a nonvolatile memory, a static random access memory (SRAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a flash memory, and a cache memory. It may have one or more memory devices and / or data storage devices such as hard drives, optical drives, tape drives, volatile or non-volatile solid state devices or other devices capable of recording data.

  The processor 302 can operate under the control of the operating system 314 residing in the memory 304. The operating system 314 may integrate computer resources so that a computer program embodied as one or more computer software applications, such as the application 316 residing in the memory 304, has instructions executed by the processor 302. obtain. In another embodiment, the processor 302 may execute the application 316 directly, in which case the operating system 314 may be omitted. One or more data structures 318 may also reside in memory 304 and be used by processor 302, software 314 or application 316 to record or manipulate data.

  I / O interface 306 may form a mechanical interface that operatively couples processor 302 to external resources 310 or other devices or systems, such as network 312. To this end, application 316 may cooperate with external resources 310 and / or a network by communicating via I / O interface 306 and various features, functions, applications, processes and processes comprising embodiments of the present invention. And / or provide a module. Application 316 may also have program code executed by one or more external resources 310 or may utilize functions or signals provided by other systems or network components external to computer 300. . Since virtually unlimited hardware and software configurations are possible in the art, those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the present invention may include certain applications, which may be located outside of the computer 300. And provided by computing resources (hardware and software) provided between a plurality of computers or other external resources 310 or provided as a service over a network 312 such as a cloud computer service. .

  The HMI 308 may be operatively coupled to the processor 302 of the computer 300 in a known manner, allowing a user to interact directly with the computer 300. The HMI 308 may have a moving or alphanumeric display, a touch screen, speakers, and other suitable audio and video displays capable of providing data to a user. The HMI 308 is also capable of accepting commands or inputs from a user and transmitting the entered input to the processor 302, such as an alphanumeric keyboard, pointing device, keypad, push button, control knob, microphone, or other input. It can be controlled with a device.

  Database 320 may reside in memory 304 and may collect and configure data used by the various systems and modules described herein. Database 320 may have data and an instruction data structure that stores and organizes the data. In particular, the database 320 may be configured using a database configuration or structure including, but not limited to, a relational database, a hierarchical database, a network database, or a combination thereof. A database management system in the form of a computer software application executing as instructions to the processor 302 can be used to access information or data stored in records in the database 320 in response to the query, wherein the query 314, may be determined and executed dynamically by another application 316 or by one or more modules.

  Generally, the routines executed to implement the embodiments of the present invention may be part of the operating system, or a specific application, component, program, object, module or series of instructions or a subset thereof, Regardless, it may be referred to herein as "computer program code" or simply "program code." The program code may primarily comprise computer readable instructions resident at various times in various memories or storage devices within the computer and read and executed by one or more processors of the computer. When doing so, it causes the computer to perform the operations necessary to perform the operations and / or elements embodied in various aspects of the embodiments of the present invention. Computer readable program instructions for performing operations in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may be, for example, source code or object code written in assembly language or a combination of one or more programming languages.

  The various program codes described herein may be identified based on the application implemented in a specific embodiment of the present invention. It is to be understood, however, that the following specific program terms are used merely for convenience, and the present invention is therefore defined and / or implied by such terms. It should not be limited to use only for specific applications. In addition, there are typically a myriad of ways in which computer programs can be organized into routines, processes, methods, modules, objectives, etc., as well as various ways in which program functionality can be allocated among various software layers. It is understood from the fact that the present invention resides in a simple computer (for example, basic software, a library, an API, an application, an applet, etc.). It is not limited to organization and allocation.

  Program code embodied in the applications / modules described herein can be distributed individually or collectively as program products in a variety of different forms. In particular, the program code may be distributed using a computer readable storage medium having instructions of a computer readable program for causing a processor to execute aspects of the embodiments of the present invention.

  An essentially non-transitory computer readable storage medium includes volatile, embodied in a method or technique for recording data, such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. And non-volatile removable and non-removable tangible media. Computer readable storage media further includes RAM, ROM, erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), electromagnetic erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other solid state storage memory technology, portability. Compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical storage device, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage device or other magnetic recording device, or a computer which records desired data and can be read by a computer. Certain other media are included. A computer-readable storage medium interprets itself as a transient signal (eg, a radio wave or other propagating electromagnetic wave, an electromagnetic wave propagating through a transmission medium such as a waveguide, or an electrical signal transmitted through a wire, etc.). Not done. The computer readable program instructions may be downloaded from a computer readable storage medium to a computer, another type of programmable data processing device or other device, or may be downloaded to an external computer or external storage device.

  The instructions of the computer-readable program recorded on the computer-readable medium may be used to instruct a computer, other types of programmable data processing devices or other devices to function in a particular manner, The instructions recorded on the computer-readable medium produce a product that includes instructions for performing the functions, operations, and / or operations identified in the flowcharts, sequence diagrams, and / or block diagrams. The instructions of the computer program may be provided to one or more processors of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer or other programmable data processing device for creating a machine, such that the instructions executed via the one or more processors are: Perform a series of calculations to perform the functions, acts and / or actions identified in the flowcharts, sequence diagrams, and / or block diagrams.

  In certain alternative embodiments, the functions, acts and / or acts identified in the flowcharts, sequence diagrams, and / or block diagrams may be re-arranged, processed sequentially, and / or practice of the invention. It can be processed simultaneously according to the form. Further, flowcharts, sequence diagrams, and / or block diagrams may have more or fewer blocks than those flowcharts, sequence diagrams, and / or block diagrams shown in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

  The terms used in the specification are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and are not intended to limit embodiments of the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are also intended to include the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. are doing. It is further understood that as used herein, the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" refer to the stated features, integers, acts, steps, acts, elements and / or components. Does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, acts, steps, acts, elements, components and / or groups thereof. Further, to the extent that the terms "includes", "having", "has", "with", "comprised of", or variations thereof, are used in the detailed description or the claims, these terms shall include the terms It is intended to cover embodiments similar to "comprising".

  Having described the invention by way of descriptions of various embodiments and having described these embodiments in sufficient detail, it is not intended that such details limit or limit the scope of the claims appended hereto. Not the applicant's intention. Further advantages and modifications will be already apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the specific details, representative devices and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described in the broader aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept.

102 instrumentation batting system, 106 computer device, 110, 130, 154 batting tee assembly, 122 laptop computer, 132, 156 bat speed radar device (first radar device), 134, 159 hitting speed radar device (second Radar device), 136 ball receiver, 138 angle adjuster, 162 connecting member, 172 vertical axis, 173 three-dimensional coordinate system, 174 horizontal axis, 175 horizontal axis, 182,183 radar vector, 192 mounting base, 194 angle adjustment Vessel, 196 central collar, 202 front collar, 204 mounting collar, 206 link, 208 distal end, 212 proximal end, 230 field of view, 232 ball trap (ball capture device), 242 target area, 302 Processor

Claims (20)

Equipped with a batting tee assembly,
The batting tee assembly is
A ball receiver configured to hold the ball in a stationary position,
A first radar device having a first radiation point located below a top portion of the ball mounting portion, and configured to emit a first radar beam having a first radar vector from the first radiation point; ,
A second radar device, comprising: a second radiation point located below a top of the ball mounting portion; and configured to emit a second radar beam having a second radar vector from the second radiation point. A second radar device, wherein the second radar vector is oriented in a different direction from the first radar vector;
With
The second radar device is horizontally displaced from the first radar device, so that the horizontal distance between the second radar device and the ball rest is less than the first radar device and the ball. A batting system, wherein the batting system is larger than a horizontal distance between the platform and the receiver. An angle between the first radar vector and the second radar vector is greater than or equal to 20 ° and less than or equal to 180 °;
An angle between the first radar vector and the second radar vector may be 180 ° when the first radar vector and the second radar vector are oriented away from each other in opposite directions. The batting system according to claim 1, wherein The ball receiver has a center line substantially coincident with a vertical axis of a coordinate system, and the coordinate system has a horizontal axis orthogonal to the vertical axis, and a horizontal axis orthogonal to the vertical axis and the horizontal axis. And
The first radar vector is oriented substantially spaced from the second radar device and is oriented at an angle between 0 ° and 30 ° above the horizontal axis of the coordinate system;
The second radar vector is oriented substantially spaced from the first radar device and is oriented at an angle greater than or equal to 25 degrees and less than or equal to 55 degrees above the horizontal axis. 3. The batting system according to 2. A first radar device configured to measure a bat speed and transmit the bat speed via a first communication signal;
The batting system according to claim 1, wherein the second radar device is configured to measure a hitting speed and transmit the hitting speed via a second communication signal.   The computer device according to claim 4, further comprising a computer device configured to receive the first communication signal and the second communication signal and display at least one of the bat speed and the hit ball speed. Batting system.   The batting system of claim 5, wherein the computing device is further configured to determine a batting metric using at least one of the bat speed and the hit ball speed.   The batting system of claim 6, wherein the batting metrics are transform coefficients, and wherein the computing device is further configured to display the transform coefficients. A connecting member for connecting the first radar device to the second radar device;
A mounting base rotatably connected to the connection member,
An angle adjuster rotatably connected to the connection member and the mount,
Further comprising
The batting system according to claim 1, wherein the angle adjuster is configured to adjust an angle of the connection member with respect to the mount. The angle adjuster,
A link having a proximal end and a distal end;
A first collar slidably connecting the distal end of the link to the connection member;
A second collar slidably connecting the proximal end of the link to the connection member;
A clamp mechanism that allows movement of the second collar along the mounting base in a first user selection state and resists movement of the second collar along the mounting base in a second user selection state;
The batting system according to claim 8, comprising: The second radar device includes:
Has an operation field of view,
A ball capturing device, further comprising a ball capturing device having a target area having an area coinciding with the operation visual field when the ball capturing device is disposed at a predetermined distance from the second radar device. The batting system according to claim 1, wherein A ball rest configured to hold the ball at a rest position within a batter's swing plane, wherein the ball rest has a centerline that coincides with a vertical axis of a coordinate system, and wherein the A system has a horizontal axis orthogonal to the vertical axis and a horizontal axis orthogonal to the vertical axis and the horizontal axis, so that the plane defined by the horizontal axis and the horizontal axis is A ball mounting portion substantially parallel to the surface,
A first radar device having a first radiation point located below the swing plane, and configured to emit a first radar beam having a first radar vector from the first radiation point, A first radar device, wherein the one radar vector is directed upward at an angle of 0 ° or more and 80 ° or less with respect to the horizontal axis substantially toward an expected position of the batter;
A second radar device horizontally displaced from the first radar device so as to be away from the batter's expected position, the second radar device having a second radiation point located below the swing plane. And configured to emit a second radar beam having a second radar vector from the second emission point, wherein the second radar vector is spaced apart from the first radar vector and with respect to the horizontal axis. A second radar device oriented upward at an angle of 0 ° or more and 80 ° or less;
A batting system comprising:   The horizontal distance between the second radar device and the ball mounting portion is greater than the horizontal distance between the first radar device and the ball mounting portion. Batting system. A processor,
Memory and
Further comprising
The memory, when the processor executes, the processor,
Receiving a first communication signal from the first radar device;
Receiving a second communication signal from the second radar device;
Determining a bat speed from the first communication signal;
Determining a hit ball speed from the second communication signal;
The batting system according to claim 11, further comprising a program code for causing the batting system to operate. The program code causes the processor to:
Determine a conversion coefficient equal to the ratio of the hitting speed to the bat speed,
14. The batting system of claim 13, further comprising: A display coupled to the processor;
The program code controls the processor,
Displaying at least one of the bat speed, the hitting ball speed, and the conversion coefficient on the display,
The batting system of claim 14, further comprising: A wireless receiver coupled to the processor;
14. The batting system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the first communication signal and the second communication signal is received via the wireless receiver. The program code controls the processor,
Extracting a measured hitting speed from the second communication signal,
Applying a correction coefficient to the measured hitting speed to generate a corrected hitting speed,
Setting a hitting speed equal to the corrected hitting speed,
14. The batting system of claim 13, further comprising determining the hitting speed based on the second communication signal. A method of determining and displaying swing metrics,
Holding the ball in a rest position within a batter's swing plane along a centerline coincident with a vertical axis of the coordinate system, the coordinate system comprising: a horizontal axis orthogonal to the vertical axis; And a horizontal axis orthogonal to the horizontal axis, so that the plane defined by the horizontal axis and the horizontal axis is substantially parallel to the swing plane; and
Radiating a first radar beam having a first radar vector from a first radiating point located below the swing plane, wherein the first radar vector is substantially parallel to the expected position of the batter on the horizontal axis. A step directed upward at an angle of 0 ° or more and 80 ° or less with respect to the step;
Radiating a second radar beam having a second radar vector from a second radiating point located below the swing plane, wherein the second radar vector is spaced apart from the first radar vector by the horizontal axis. The second radiation point is horizontally displaced from the first radiation point and separated from the expected position of the batter, When,
A method comprising: Determining a bat speed using the first radar beam;
Determining a hitting speed using the second radar beam;
Determining a conversion factor equal to the ratio of the hitting speed to the bat speed,
The method of claim 18, further comprising:   20. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying at least one of the bat speed, the ball speed, and the conversion factor.