Patents by Inventor Robert Frank Kirk

Robert Frank Kirk has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9652859
    Abstract: Methods for determining a property of a trajectory of a ball with a mobile computer device are described, which include: (a) capturing a sequence of video frames of the ball with a camera of the mobile computer device; (b) determining a first picture coordinate of the ball in a first video frame of the sequence; (c) determining a second picture coordinate of the ball in a second video frame of the sequence; and (d) computing a property of the trajectory of the ball based on a difference of the first and second picture coordinates, a time difference between the first and second video picture and a reference quantity, which may be determined based on a form and/or dimension of the ball in a picture taken with the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: adidas AG
    Inventors: Robert Frank Kirk, Heather Frances Driscol, John Kelley, Lee Hickey
  • Patent number: 9609904
    Abstract: Described are shoes for ball sports including an upper having an outer surface. An actuator is configured to change at least one surface property of a portion of the outer surface of the upper, and a sensor is configured to be sensitive to movements of the shoe. A processing unit is connected to the actuator and the sensor and configured to process sensor data retrieved from the sensor and to cause the actuator to change the at least one surface property of the portion of the outer surface of the upper if a predetermined event is detected in the sensor data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: adidas AG
    Inventors: Constantin Zwick, Robert Frank Kirk, Christian DiBenedetto, Eva Andrea Dorschky, Bjoern Michael Eskofier, Dominik Schuldhaus, Peter Georg Laitenberger, Iain James Sabberton
  • Publication number: 20170076464
    Abstract: Methods for determining a property of a trajectory of a ball with a mobile computer device are described, which include: (a) capturing a sequence of video frames of the ball with a camera of the mobile computer device; (b) determining a first picture coordinate of the ball in a first video frame of the sequence; (c) determining a second picture coordinate of the ball in a second video frame of the sequence; and (d) computing a property of the trajectory of the ball based on a difference of the first and second picture coordinates, a time difference between the first and second video picture and a reference quantity, which may be determined based on a form and/or dimension of the ball in a picture taken with the camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Inventors: Robert Frank Kirk, Heather Frances Driscol, John Kelley, Lee Hickey
  • Patent number: 9516276
    Abstract: Methods for determining a property of a trajectory of a ball with a mobile computer device are described, which include: (a) capturing a sequence of video frames of the ball with a camera of the mobile computer device; (b) determining a first picture coordinate of the ball in a first video frame of the sequence; (c) determining a second picture coordinate of the ball in a second video frame of the sequence; and (d) computing a property of the trajectory of the ball based on a difference of the first and second picture coordinates, a time difference between the first and second video picture and a reference quantity, which may be determined based on a form and/or dimension of the ball in a picture taken with the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: adidas AG
    Inventors: Robert Frank Kirk, Heather Frances Driscoll, John Kelley, Lee Hickey
  • Publication number: 20160314818
    Abstract: Described are methods and systems for associating frames in a video of an activity of a person with an event. The methods include recording a video of an activity of a person; storing a time-series of a plurality of sensor data (82) obtained from a sensor assembly (12) of at least one sensor (31, 32, 33, 34, 35) coupled to the person while the person is performing the activity; synchronizing the video with the sensor data (82); detecting an event in the time-series; and associating the event with at least one corresponding frame in the video showing the event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventors: Robert Frank Kirk, Constantin Zwick, Dominik Schuldhaus, Bjoern Michael Eskofier, Harald Kõrger, Maike Petra Stõve
  • Publication number: 20160309834
    Abstract: Described are shoes for ball sports including an upper having an outer surface. An actuator is configured to change at least one surface property of a portion of the outer surface of the upper, and a sensor is configured to be sensitive to movements of the shoe. A processing unit is connected to the actuator and the sensor and configured to process sensor data retrieved from the sensor and to cause the actuator to change the at least one surface property of the portion of the outer surface of the upper if a predetermined event is detected in the sensor data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2015
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventors: Constantin Zwick, Robert Frank Kirk, Christian DiBenedetto, Eva Andrea Dorschky, Bjoern Michael Eskofier, Dominik Schuldhaus, Peter Georg Laitenberger, Iain James Sabberton
  • Publication number: 20160227873
    Abstract: A sole for a sports shoe comprises a plurality of profile elements and a friction element. The profile elements are distributed such that the friction element can contact a sports ball to increase the friction between a lower side of the sole and the sports ball.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Robert Frank KIRK, Constantin Zwick, Benjamin Turck, Zachary Clinton Coonrod
  • Publication number: 20150282557
    Abstract: Described are supporting elements for a shoe, in particular for soccer shoes or American football shoes, as well as a sole and a shoe with a supporting element. The supporting element includes a first bending stiffness for bendings from an initial unbent state up to an upper end of a threshold angle range, and a second bending stiffness for bendings beyond the upper end of the threshold angle range, wherein the second bending stiffness is greater than the first bending stiffness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Robert Frank Kirk, Daniel Stephen Price, Harald Körger, Constantin Zwick, John Whiteman, Iain James Sabberton, Peter Georg Laitenberger
  • Publication number: 20150052778
    Abstract: Described are materials for a shoe upper, in particular for soccer shoes, with a particularly low weight and improved tensile strength. The material includes a first foil layer and a textile reinforcement layer, which is at least partially laminated with the first foil layer. The textile reinforcement layer includes a first textile material with at least three axes, each axis defining an orientation of a set of essentially parallel yarn-portions in the textile material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Robert Frank Kirk, Brian Hoying, Angus Wardlaw, Christopher Edward Holmes, Carl Arnese, Daniel Paul Cocking, Stanislav Gousev, Marco Fishhold, Jack Huang
  • Publication number: 20140300745
    Abstract: Methods for determining a property of a trajectory of a ball with a mobile computer device are described, which include: (a) capturing a sequence of video frames of the ball with a camera of the mobile computer device; (b) determining a first picture coordinate of the ball in a first video frame of the sequence; (c) determining a second picture coordinate of the ball in a second video frame of the sequence; and (d) computing a property of the trajectory of the ball based on a difference of the first and second picture coordinates, a time difference between the first and second video picture and a reference quantity, which may be determined based on a form and/or dimension of the ball in a picture taken with the camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: adidas AG
    Inventors: Robert Frank Kirk, Heather Frances Driscoll, John Kelley, Lee Hickey
  • Publication number: 20140115923
    Abstract: Described are materials for a shoe upper, in particular for soccer shoes, with a particularly low weight. The material includes an inner polyurethane layer, an outer polyurethane layer, and a textile reinforcing layer. The textile reinforcing layer is arranged between the inner polyurethane layer and the outer polyurethane layer. The inner polyurethane layer and the outer polyurethane layer comprise thermoset polyurethane. The textile reinforcing layer comprises apertures through which the inner polyurethane layer and the outer polyurethane layer are connected to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Inventors: Dirk Meythaler, Harald Geyer, Marco Fischhold, Robert Frank Kirk, Jack Huang, Bruno Jean Antonelli, Ernie Rustam, Dylan Moore
  • Publication number: 20130232815
    Abstract: Described are materials for a shoe upper, in particular for soccer shoes, with a particularly low weight. The material includes an inner polyurethane layer, an outer polyurethane layer, and a textile reinforcing layer. The textile reinforcing layer is arranged between the inner polyurethane layer and the outer polyurethane layer. The inner polyurethane layer and the outer polyurethane layer comprise thermoset polyurethane. The textile reinforcing layer comprises apertures through which the inner polyurethane layer and the outer polyurethane layer are connected to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: ADIDAS AG
    Inventors: Dirk Meythaler, Harald Geyer, Marco Fischhold, Robert Frank Kirk, Jack Huang, Bruno Jean Antonelli