Abstract: An electronic home plate providing assistance to an umpire in determination whether a pitch results in a “strike” or a “ball”. The electronic home plate is implemented with eye-safe LEDs producing light beams extending vertically. If a ball intersects the light beams, the light reflected from the ball is scattered and incident on photodetectors embedded in the home plate. A microcomputer embedded in the electronic home plate calculates the height of the ball crossing the light beams, and if the height falls between the top and bottom boundaries of a strike zone adjusted to the height of the batter, an indication system is activated to produce a “strike” signal. The microcomputer in the electronic home plate is further configured to calculate speed of the ball passing over the home plate, and the lateral position of the ball.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 15, 2013
Date of Patent:
May 31, 2016
Assignees:
University of Maryland, College Park, Spessard Manufacturing, LLC
Inventors:
Christopher C. Davis, John Rzasa, Gerald W. Spessard, Leroy B. Chamberlain, Jr., Jakob R. Scharmer
Abstract: An electronic home plate providing assistance to an umpire in determination whether a pitch results in a “strike” or a “ball”. The electronic home plate is implemented with eye-safe LEDs producing light beams extending vertically. If a ball intersects the light beams, the light reflected from the ball is scattered and incident on photodetectors embedded in the home plate. A microcomputer embedded in the electronic home plate calculates the height of the ball crossing the light beams, and if the height falls between the top and bottom boundaries of a strike zone adjusted to the height of the batter, an indication system is activated to produce a “strike” signal. The microcomputer in the electronic home plate is further configured to calculate speed of the ball passing over the home plate, and the lateral position of the ball.
Type:
Application
Filed:
March 15, 2013
Publication date:
July 24, 2014
Applicants:
SPESSARD MANUFACTURING, LLC, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
Inventors:
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK, SPESSARD MANUFACTURING, LLC