Abstract: A ball machine comprising an imaging system attached to the ball machine and configured to capture image data of a court, a ball launching system configured to launch a ball to a user and a processor. The processor configured to initiate a workout routine that includes launching, using the ball launching system, a sequence of balls to a user, select a shot type of a first ball to launch in the sequence, control settings of the ball launching system to launch the first ball based on the selected shot type to the user, determine a shot type returned by the user in response to the launched first ball, select a shot type of a second ball to launch in the sequence, and control settings of the ball launching system to adjust one or more parameters of the second ball based on the determined shot type returned by the user.

Abstract: A method and automatic ball machine comprise an imaging system, a ball launching system, a mobility system, and a controller. The imaging system produces image data related to an environment of the automatic ball machine including a player to receive a ball. The ball launching system launches the ball to place the ball at a location proximate to the player. The mobility system automatically moves the automatic ball machine about the environment to change a trajectory of the ball based on the image data. The controller detect a location of the automatic ball machine relative to the environment based on the image data, adjust the ball launching system to place the ball at the location proximate to the player based on the image data, and control the mobility system to automatically move the automatic ball machine about the environment based on the image data.

Abstract: A method and automatic ball machine comprise an imaging system, a ball launching system, a mobility system, and a controller. The imaging system produces image data related to an environment of the automatic ball machine including a player to receive a ball. The ball launching system launches the ball to place the ball at a location proximate to the player. The mobility system automatically moves the automatic ball machine about the environment to change a trajectory of the ball based on the image data. The controller detect a location of the automatic ball machine relative to the environment based on the image data, adjust the ball launching system to place the ball at the location proximate to the player based on the image data, and control the mobility system to automatically move the automatic ball machine about the environment based on the image data.

Abstract: A number of innovations are described for a ball machine (such as a tennis ball machine or a baseball machine). These include, but are not limited to, a camera integrated with the ball machine (as well as a second standalone camera), a microphone, a radar system, an integrated computer and a web portal. This provides substantially enhanced user interaction with the system and improves the overall utility of the ball machine and the enhances the user's experience.

Abstract: Probability distribution functions (PDFs), of a periodic input data signal, can be used to provide eye-diagram information. An advantage of PDFs, over conventional approaches to eye-diagram collection, is that analog-to-digital conversion can be accomplished by the slicer of a receiver, provided the slicer can programmably change its threshold. A cumulative distribution function (CDF), at a particular phase of a desired eye-diagram, can be collected by having a receiver's slicer scan its threshold level. For each threshold level, a fixed number of symbols can be analyzed as follows to produce a CDF value: count the number of times a particular symbol value occurs. The derivative of a CDF can produce its PDF, where each PDF can represent a “slice” of a desired eye-diagram. For a non-periodic input signal, an eye diagram can still be formed so long as the percentage occurrence, of each symbol value, remains at least approximately the same.

Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a technique of, and circuitry and system for enhancing the performance of data communication systems using receiver based decision feedback equalization circuitry. In one embodiment, the equalization circuitry and technique employs a plurality of data slicers (for example, two) to receive an analog input and output a binary value based on the reference or slicer level. The output of the data slicers is provided to logic circuitry to determine whether the analog input was a binary high or binary low. In those instances where the data slicers “agree” and both indicate either a high or a low, the logic circuitry outputs the corresponding binary value. In those instances where the data slicer do not “agree”—that is, where one data slicer indicates the input to be a binary or logic high value and the other data slicer indicates the input to be a binary or logic low value, in one embodiment, the logic circuitry outputs the complement of the previous binary value.