System and method for improving a basketball player's shooting

Abstract

A system for assisting a user with practicing basketball skills includes an ejector which passes basketballs to shooting locations at a playing surface for the user to catch and shoot towards a basketball goal. A user interface includes individually selectable input locations arranged along a rendering of a three-point arc to represent the shooting locations. The user interface receives a user selection of individual ones of the individually selectable input locations (“the selected locations”) through direct, physical touch by said user to define a custom basketball pass sequence. A controller electronically connected with said user interface and said ejector receives the user selection from the user interface and programs the ejector to pass basketballs to individual ones of the shooting locations corresponding with the selected locations forming said custom basketball pass sequence.

1 . A system for assisting a user with practicing basketball skills, comprising:
 an ejector configured to pass basketballs to actual shooting locations on an actual playing surface for the user to receive and shoot towards an actual basketball goal;   a user interface comprising a plurality of individually selectable user input locations arranged at a rendering of at least a portion of a basketball court, said rendering including a representation of one or more basketball court lines, wherein said user input locations represent said actual shooting locations at said actual playing surface, wherein said user interface is configured to receive a user selection of individual ones of said individually selectable input locations through direct, physical touch by said user to establish a user-selected, digital, custom sequence of passes of said basketballs; and   a controller electronically connected with said user interface and said ejector, wherein said controller is configured to digitally receive said custom sequence and digitally instruct the ejector to pass basketballs to certain ones of said actual shooting locations identified in said custom sequence corresponding to the locations of said individual ones of said individually selectable input locations selected by said user.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 said one or more basketball court lines comprise a rendering of a three-point arc, a baseline, and a key. 
 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 said one or more basketball court lines comprise a rendering of a basketball goal. 
 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a server located remote from said ejector; and 
 a network connectivity device in electrical communication with said controller and the server, wherein said wireless connectivity device is configured to transmit information to and receive information from said server regarding the selected locations, wherein the user interface comprises a login option configured to receive login information from the user, wherein said controller is configured to verify said login information at said server and program the ejector to pass said basketballs to a pre-determined sequence of particular ones of said actual shooting locations based on response data received from said server. 
 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a sensor electronically connected with said controller and configured to detect successfully made basketball shots, wherein said controller is configured to track a number of basketball passes made by said ejector to each of said actual shooting locations, receive data from the sensor regarding the number of made shots, determine which of said selected locations of said custom sequence to attribute each made shot to, and calculate a statistic for each one of said selected locations reflecting a number of successfully made or missed basketball shots for the respective selected location; and 
 a network connectivity device in electrical communication with said controller and a server located remote from said ejector, wherein said wireless connectivity device is configured to transmit each statistic to said remote server by way of said network connectivity device, and said server is configured to generate a visual depiction of each statistic for display on a display screen of an electronic device. 
 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein:
 each statistic comprises a numerical percentage of shots made; and 
 said visual depiction comprises each statistic positioned in relation to a second rendering of the one or more basketball court lines to represent each of said selected locations. 
 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein:
 the server is configured to generate the visual depiction after completion of said custom sequence; and 
 said visual depiction comprises cumulative shooting statistics data for said custom sequence. 
 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5  wherein:
 the server comprises a roster of players; 
 the visual depiction comprises a comparison of each statistic for said user to a corresponding statistic for at least one other user in the roster of players. 
 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 said user interface comprises a first input location for selecting a first pre-programmed basketball pass sequence and a second input location for selecting a second pre-programmed basketball pass sequence, wherein said user interface is configured to receive user input indicating selection of one of said first and second input locations at said user interface; and 
 said controller is configured to receive said user input and program said ejector to launch basketballs to particular ones of said actual shooting locations in accordance with programming instructions associated with said selected one of first and second input locations. 
 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein:
 said first input location comprises a pre-programmed drills button; and 
 said second input location comprises a shooting challenge mode button. 
 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 each of said individually selectable input locations comprise a depressible button. 
 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 said controller is configured to attribute each made shot detected by said sensor to a last one of said actual shooting locations said ejector is programmed to pass a basketball to. 
 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 illumination devices associated with said individually
 selectable input locations, wherein said controller is configured to indicate said individual ones of said individually selectable input locations selected by said user as part of said custom sequence by illuminating each of said illumination devices associated with said selected locations. 
 
 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 said ejector, said user interface, and said sensor form at least part of a basketball passing machine; and 
 said basketball passing machine comprises:
 a frame, wherein said ejector, said user interface, and said sensor are connected to said frame; and 
 a number of wheels mounted to said frame and configured to facilitate movement of said basketball passing machine around said actual playing surface. 
 
 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 said custom sequence comprises a non-serial sequence of said individual ones of said individually selectable input locations; and 
 said controller is configured to accept said non-serial sequence
 and program the ejector to launch basketballs to said certain ones of said actual shooting locations in said non-serial sequence. 
 
 
     
     
         16 . A system for assisting a user with practicing his or her basketball skills comprising:
 a frame;   an ejector connected to said frame and configured to provide a series of basketball passes by launching basketballs to shooting locations spaced apart in a fanned arrangement about a basketball playing area according to user input for the user to catch and shoot towards a basketball goal;   a user interface connected to said frame and comprising a plurality of individually selectable input locations spaced apart about a rendering of a three point arc to correspond with said shooting locations and a plurality of pre-programmed drill options, wherein said user interface is configured to receive user login information;   a controller in electronic communication with said user interface and said ejector, wherein said controller is configured to receive said user input from said user interface, wherein said user input comprises data representing direct physical touches by the user of individual ones of said individually selectable input locations at the user interface, program the ejector to provide said basketball passes to individual ones of said shooting locations associated with the individual ones of said individually selectable input locations physically touched by the user at said user interface in a direct manner, and cause said individual ones of said plurality of individually selectable input locations to be indicated as selected at said user interface; and   a network connection device in electrical connection with said controller;   a server in electronic communication with said controller by way of said network connection device;   a sensor in electronic connection with said controller and configured to detect basketballs within a detection area proximate to said sensor;   wherein said controller is configured to upload said user login information to said server for verification, receive a user selection of one of the plurality of pre-programmed drill options at the user interface, download programming from said sever in accordance with said user selection, and program the ejector to launch basketballs to certain ones of said shooting locations corresponding to the selected one of the number of pre-programmed basketball practice routines;   wherein said controller is configured to track the number of basketball passes made by said ejector to each of said shooting locations, determine that a basketball shot was successfully made where data is received from the sensor indicating a basketball within the detection area, attribute the successfully made shot to one of said individually selectable input locations associated with one of said shooting locations said ejector most recently passed a basketball to, and generate statistics reflecting a number or percentage of basketball shots successfully made or missed for each individual one of said shooting locations said ejector is programmed to pass a basketball to.   
     
     
         17 . A method for assisting a user with practicing his or her basketball skills comprising the steps of:
 providing an ejector configured to launch basketballs to shooting locations spaced apart about a basketball playing area in accordance with programming instructions;   providing a user interface comprising a rendering of a three point arc of a basketball court and a plurality of individually selectable input locations spaced apart in a fanned array along said rendering of said arc to correspond with said shooting locations;   recording direct physical touches made by the user at said user interface of certain ones of said plurality of individually selectable input locations; and   programming said ejector to launch basketballs to shooting locations corresponding to each of said certain ones of said plurality of individually selectable input locations.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising the steps of:
 providing a sensor configured to detect basketballs; 
 receiving data from said sensor indicating detection of a basketball; 
 attributing a successfully made basketball shot to a most recently launched to one of said shooting locations corresponding to said certain ones of said plurality of individually selectable input locations; and 
 generating a visual depiction comprising shooting statistics for each of said certain ones of said plurality of individually selectable input locations, wherein said shooting statistics are displayed at a second rendering of a three point arc of a basketball court at positions corresponding to the certain ones of said plurality of individually selectable input locations selected by the user. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising the steps of:
 receiving user log in information at said user interface for said user; 
 verifying said user log in information at a remote server; 
 providing the user with the ability to select between multiple pre-programmed drills at said user interface; 
 receiving a user selection of one of said multiple pre-programmed drills; and 
 programming said ejector to launch basketballs to shooting locations corresponding with the user selected one of said multiple pre-programmed drills. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising the steps of:
 illuminating indicators associated with said certain ones of said plurality of individually selectable input locations upon selection of said certain ones of said plurality of individually selectable input locations.