Football Throwing System and Method
An automated football throwing system includes a route input system and display, a launch controller, and a football throwing device. In operation, a user inputs the route desired to be executed. A processor accesses a visual illustration of the route from the storage media and displays the visual illustration on the display. The data retrieval system accesses data regarding the launch variables which may include the lateral orientation, angle of elevation, and output speed corresponding to a selected route. The display plots the motion of the runner determined by a sensor to compare to the route for accuracy. The launch controller adjusts the football throwing device and the display screen in accordance with the launch variables for the specific route. The football throwing device includes a pair of coacting wheels adapted to propel a football, separated by a space in which a football may be inserted from a loading mechanism.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/192,940 filed on Feb. 28, 2014, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/812,581 filed on Apr. 16, 2013. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a football throwing system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a football throwing system comprising a route input system, a launch controller, a display, and a football throwing device. A user can input a specific route, and the processor will retrieve data corresponding to said route from a storage media. The data includes a visual representation of the route which is sent to a display. Additionally, the football throwing device is adjusted by a launch controller in accordance with the launch variables corresponding to the specific route inputted by the user. Once adjusted into the proper configuration, one or more footballs may be thrown in succession by the football throwing device.
Sports teams commonly utilize automated throwing machines during practice. Such devices are useful in simulating a thrown football which allows receivers to practice catching the hall. Otherwise, a quarterback would have to continually throw passes to the receivers during practice which may result in the quarterback suffering a strained arm or other injury. Further, the quarterback may not be able to accurately throw a series of passes and may become fatigued after throwing several passes in succession. Typical football throwing machines solve the problem of relying on a quarterback to throw passes, but traditional football throwing machines have limited capabilities and must be manually controlled by a coach or assistant in order to launch the footballs. Tasked with operating the machine, the coach is prevented from being actively involved in practice.
Some football machines include software and hardware for altering the flight path of the projected football. However, these machines lack the ability to track and display the route run by the player to compare it to the displayed route for accuracy and improvement. They also lack a display with auto-adjustment capabilities to correspond to the throwing angle of the football, allowing a user to maintain accurate visuals of the display at all times. Thus, a device that, improves upon existing football throwing machines is desired.
In order to address the above concerns, the present invention provides a football throwing system comprising a route input means, a launch controller, a display, and a football throwing device, in operation, a player inputs the route that, the player wishes to practice, and the launch controller adjusts the launch variables of the football throwing device in accordance with the route selected by the player The display screen as adjustable manually or can be adjusted to follow the launch angle of the football for optimum visibility. The route input system comprises a user input means, a central processing unit, a main memory, a storage media, and the display. The display demonstrates the route that the receiver is supposed to run, and the route displayed corresponds to the users input. A sensor is configured to determine the actual route ran by the runner, such that it can be plotted on the display screen to compare to the selected route path to monitor accuracy. Further, the storage media comprises data corresponding to the launch variables of the football throwing device for each route. The football throwing device comprises a pair of coacting wheels adapted to propel a football, a storage receptacle for holding footballs, and a loading mechanism for moving the footballs from the storage receptacle to the coacting wheels. The football throwing device further comprises an adjustable support adapted to allow footballs to be thrown at various angles and in various directions.
In light of the football throwing systems disclosed in the known art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing football throwing systems and methods. In this regard the present invention substantially fulfills these needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of football throwing systems now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new football throwing system wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when throwing a series of footballs at a desired trajectory, and tracking progress using an automated and adjustable display.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved football throwing system that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a football throwing system that can be operated without close supervision by a coach, so that the coach is free to more actively participate in football practice.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a football throwing system that automatically adjusts so as to throw the football in accordance with the route selected by a user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a football throwing system that can throw a series of footballs without the need for an operator to manually load footballs into the football throwing device.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a football throwing system that displays a visual representation of the route selected by the user so as to enable the user to visualize the pattern to be executed.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a football throwing system that tracks the actual route ran by the user and displays it on the display screen so that the user can track their progress.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a football throwing system that includes a display screen that moves along with the angle and position of the launch device so that the screen is always visible to the user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a football throwing system that may be readily fabricated from materials that permit relative economy and are commensurate with durability.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.
Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the football throwing system. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for providing a football throwing system that tracks the user's motions and plots them on an adjustable display to compare their motion to the selected route for accuracy. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.
Referring now to
Once a user selects a route, the data retrieval system 18 comprising the central processing unit (CPU) 13, storage media 14, and main memory 15 retrieves data from the storage media 14 corresponding to the selected route. The data corresponding to each route includes a set of launch variables and a visual representation of the selected route. The visual representation is output on a display 17, while the launch variables are transmitted to the launch controller 16. The launch controller 16 adjusts the football throwing device in accordance with the launch variables corresponding to the particular route selected by the user. In some embodiments, the launch controller 16 is connected to the display 17, such that the display 17 moves along with the adjustments made by the launch controller. This allows the user to easily view the display 17 from any angle.
Once the proper adjustments have been made, the launch controller may automatically signal the football throwing device to retrieve a football from the storage receptacle, and activate the loading mechanism such that a football will be thrown. Alternatively, after selecting a route the user may be required to enter an additional input signaling that the player is ready to begin executing the route. The additional input would be communicated to the launch controller, which would then signal the football throwing device to retrieve a football from the storage receptacle and activate the loading mechanism. A camera 102 and one or more sensors 103 are operably connected to the launch controller 16. The one or more sensors can be infrared sensors, optical sensors, motion sensors, or any other suitable sensors that are able to determine the relative position of an individual over time in conjunction with a camera. The positional data of the player gathered by the camera 102 and sensor 103 can be processed by the CPU and converted into visual media on the display 17. Once the launch controller 16 releases a ball, the camera 102 and one or more sensors 103 are activated and track the motion of the user as they run their selected route. This sensed information is then displayed on the display 17 overlaying a visual representation of the selected route. In this way, the user can determine the accuracy of which they completed the route, and improve their route running accuracy overtime using this information.
Referring now to
The launch variables retrieved from the storage media are then communicated to the launch controller 16 which controls the mechanical components responsible for configuring the football throwing device and the display. Additionally, the visual representation 20 retrieved by the data retrieval system 18 is output onto a display 17. This allows the user to see a preview of the route before they run it, and compare the selected route to the user's actual movement once that is displayed as well.
Referring now to
In order for the football throwing device to throw a football in the manner of a forward pass, that is where the football is spinning about its longitudinal axis, the spinning wheels must impart such spin upon the football. No spin along the longitudinal axis of the football is imparted wherein both wheels are arranged in the same plane. However, by offsetting the wheels such that the wheels lie in different, planes, spin along the longitudinal axis of the football can be imparted. Thus, the spinning wheels are independently adjustable so as to allow a user to configure the wheels such that the desired amount of spin is achieved.
Referring now to
The adjustable divider 110 can be positioned anywhere along the storage receptacle to separate footballs into a desired number. For example, the user can place the adjustable divider 110 prior to three balls, such that the machine pauses after three routes runs are completed. The system can include multiple adjustable dividers 110 for dividing the footballs into different groupings as desired.
In
Referring now to
The storage receptacle 25 is adapted to hold a plurality of footballs, and the storage receptacle is used to supply footballs into the loading bay 24 so that footballs can be thrown in succession without the need for a user to have to continually load a football into the loading bay prior to each throw. In the embodiment shown in
The shown embodiment further includes a loading mechanism 26 that is operably connected to the launch controller, such that the loading mechanism 26 loads footballs according to user input. The loading mechanism 26 is shown as a linear reciprocating loader with a cup 27 that contours to the end shape of the football. This ensures that the loading mechanism 26 places the ball between the coacting wheels 22 at a proper angle for the launching the ball to the end of the selected route.
Referring now to
Since the player may want some time to review the visual representation of the route prior to attempting to run the route, the user may be required to provide an additional input into the system. For example, the user may be required to press a “Start” button 36 on a touch-screen display before running the selected route. Alternatively, a countdown timer may be provided that gives the user a pre set amount of time to review the route displayed on the display, and once the timer expires the user must begin executing the route. A menu or return button may also be included to allow a user to return to the list of routes to be executed, so as to allow the user to select a new route to practice.
Referring now to
Additionally, the camera and sensors are adapted to track the player as they run their selected route. This sensed information is processed by the CPU and displayed as a plot 201 overlaying the displayed selected route path 38. The display can include different labels for the selected route and the detected player path, shown here labeled as ‘selected’ and ‘actual’ so that the player can determine what they are seeing. Further, the two types of paths may have different designs, for example one having an arrow and one not, in order to further make clear to the player what is being shown on the display. The player can use their displayed running path 201 by comparing it to the selected running path 38 for accuracy. This allows the player to iteratively improve their route accuracy overtime, thus further improving the present invention over prior art football throwing systems.
It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
Claims
1) An automated football throwing system, comprising:
- a CPU operably connected to a user input, a memory, and a launch controller;
- a plurality of football routes stored on said memory;
- said plurality of football routes each including a lateral orientation, a launch angle, and a launch speed;
- wherein said plurality of football routes comprise a slant, a drag, a corner, a post, and a streak;
- a football throwing device comprising: a storage receptacle adapted to hold a plurality of footballs; a loading bay adjacent the storage receptacle and at a lower height, the loading bay adapted to hold a football received from said storage receptacle; a pair of coacting wheels positioned on opposing sides of the loading bay and adapted to propel a football positioned in the loading bay; a loading mechanism adapted to move a football placed in said loading bay into said space between said pair of coacting wheels; an adjustable support operably connected to said launch controller, the adjustable support housing said loading bay, wherein said adjustable support is adapted to adjust the positioning and orientation of the football throwing device corresponding to a football route selected from the plurality of football routes; a camera and a sensor operably connected to the CPU and the launch controller, the camera and the sensor configured to sense a position over time of a user; a display operably connected to the CPU and the launch controller, such that adjustment of the launch controller in a particular orientation or direction results in a corresponding adjustment of the orientation or direction of the display; wherein the display is configured to show a visual representation of a football route of said plurality of football routes overlaid with a visual representation of the sensed position over time of the user.
2) The football throwing system of claim 1, further comprising a user input device operably connected to said memory, the user input device configured to allow said plurality of football routes to be accessed by a user.
3) The football throwing system of claim 2, wherein the user input comprises a touchscreen interface.
4) The football throwing system of claim 1, wherein said memory comprises a database of routes and one or more launch variables corresponding to said routes.
5) The football throwing system of claim 1, wherein the CPU accesses data in said memory corresponding to a user input selection of a particular route, and communicates said data regarding the lateral orientation, the launch angle, and the launch speed to the launch controller.
6) The football throwing system of claim 1, wherein said adjustable support is adapted to adjust said football throwing device by means of one or more pneumatic systems.
7) The football throwing system of claim 1, wherein said adjustable support is adapted to adjust said football throwing device by means of one or more hydraulic systems.
8) The football throwing system of claim 1, wherein said adjustable support is adapted to adjust said football throwing device by means of one or more electric motors.
9) The football throwing system of claim 1, wherein said loading mechanism comprises a linearly reciprocating device adapted to move a football located in said loading bay into said space between said pair of coacting wheels.
10) The football throwing system of claim 1, wherein said loading bay has a concave upper surface.
11) The football throwing system of claim 1, wherein said storage receptacle is further adapted to feed one or more footballs into said loading bay.
12) The football throwing system of claim 1, further comprising a movable divider configured to fictionally engage an interior surface of the storage receptacle.
13) The football throwing system of claim 1, wherein said visual representation of one of said selected football routes includes a recording of a simulated football player demonstrating a selected football route.
14) A method of launching a football with an automated football throwing system, comprising:
- providing an automated football throwing system, comprising: a CPU operably connected to a user input, a memory, and a launch controller; a plurality of football routes stored on said memory; said plurality of football routes each including a lateral orientation, a launch angle, and a launch speed; wherein said plurality of football routes comprise a slant, a drag, a corner, a post, and a streak; a football throwing device comprising: a storage receptacle adapted to hold a plurality of footballs; a loading bay adjacent the storage receptacle and at a lower height, the loading bay adapted to hold a football received from said storage receptacle; a pair of coacting wheels positioned on opposing sides of the loading bay and adapted to propel a football positioned in the loading bay; a loading mechanism adapted to move a football placed in said loading bay into said space between said pair of coacting wheels; an adjustable support operably connected to said launch controller, the adjustable support housing said loading bay, wherein said adjustable support is adapted to adjust the positioning and orientation of the football throwing device corresponding to a football route selected from the plurality of football routes; a camera and a sensor operably connected to the CPU and the launch controller, the camera and the sensor configured to sense a position over time of a user; a display operably connected to the CPU and the launch controller, such that adjustment of the launch controller in a particular orientation or direction results in a corresponding adjustment of the orientation or direction of the display; wherein the display is configured to show a visual representation of a football route of said plurality of football routes overlaid with a visual representation of the sensed position over time of the user.
- receiving a route selection via the user input;
- adjusting the angle and position of the display and the launch device via the launch controller;
- displaying the route on the display;
- launching a football from the loading bay via the coacting wheels;
- sensing, via the camera and the sensor, a position over time of a user;
- displaying the position over time of the user on the display overlaying the displayed route.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 5, 2021
Publication Date: Jun 24, 2021
Inventor: Julian Deese (West Chester, OH)
Application Number: 17/193,241