Smart net for use in sports training

Abstract

Disclosed are devices, systems, and methods for training a player to hit a ball at a target, an exemplary net for use in such a system includes one or more display elements configured to display a target towards which the player should hit the ball, and one or more sensors configured to detect an impact between the ball and the net, and determine whether the detected impact between the ball and the net is at the target.

1 . A net for training a player to hit a ball at a target, the net comprising:
 a net having disposed thereon:
 one or more display elements disposed at predetermined positions along the net, the display elements configured to display a target at a predetermined location on the net; and 
 one or more sensors disposed at predetermined positions along the net, the one or more sensors configured to:
 detect an impact between the ball and the net at an impact location; and 
 determine whether the detected impact location corresponds to the predetermined location of the target. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The net according to  claim 1 , wherein the display elements are further configured to display an indication of whether the impact between the ball and the net is at the target based on the determination. 
     
     
         3 . The net according to  claim 1 , wherein the display elements are further configured to display an indication of where the detected impact between the ball and the net occurred. 
     
     
         4 . A system for training a player to hit a ball at a target using a net, the system comprising:
 a net having disposed thereon:
 one or more display elements disposed at predetermined positions along the net, the display elements configured to display a target at a predetermined location along the net; and 
 one or more sensors disposed at predetermined positions along the net, the one or more sensors configured to:
 detect an impact between the ball and the net at an impact location; and 
 determine whether the detected impact location corresponds to the predetermined location of the target; 
 
   a glove configured to be worn by a player, the glove including a sensor disposed thereon configured to:
 detect vibrations caused by an impact between a sporting implement and the ball; and 
 determine whether a level of the vibrations is within a predetermined range; and 
   a speaker positioned within audible range of the player, the speaker configured to emit an audible tone in response to receiving a signal from the sensor disposed on the glove indicating that the level of the vibrations is within the predetermined range   
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the display elements are further configured to display an indication of whether the impact between the ball and the net is at the target based on the determination. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the display elements are further configured to display an indication of where the detected impact between the ball and the net occurred. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the one or more sensors are further configured to send data regarding the impact between the ball and the net to a computing device; and
 wherein the computing device is configured to analyze the data received from the one or more sensors to determine whether the impact between the ball and the net is at the target.   
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the speaker is further configured to emit an audible tone when it is determined that the impact between the ball and the net is at the target. 
     
     
         9 . A method of training a player to hit a ball at a target using a net, the method comprising:
 displaying, via a plurality of display elements disposed on a net, a target located at a predetermined location on the net;   detecting, by one or more sensors disposed at predetermined positions along the net, an impact between the ball and the net at an impact location;   determining whether the impact location corresponds to the predetermined location of the target; and   providing an indication of whether the impact between the ball and the net is at the target,   wherein the predetermined location of the target is associated with a subset of the display elements disposed along the net.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 sending, by the one or more sensors in the net, data regarding the impact between the ball and the net, to a computing device; and   analyzing, by the computing device, the data received from the one or more sensors to determine whether the impact between the ball and the net is at the target.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the provided indication is an audible tone emitted by a speaker.