Portable basketball shooting machine

Abstract

A shooting system includes a collapsible ball capture support adapted to support a ball capture device and a ball return. The ball return detects a ball captured by the ball capture device and returns the ball to a user in response to the detected ball. To return the ball to the user, the system identifies a location of the user with respect to the shooting system, orients the ball return toward the user, and accelerates the ball along a trajectory based on a distance between the user and the shooting system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shooting system, comprising:
 a collapsible ball capture support adapted to support a ball capture device; and   a ball return programmed to:
 detect a ball captured by the ball capture device; and 
 return the ball to a user in response to the detected ball. 
   
     
     
         2 . The shooting system of  claim 1 , wherein returning the ball to the user comprises:
 identifying a location of the user with respect to the shooting system;   orienting the ball return toward the user; and   accelerating the ball along a trajectory based on a distance between the user and the shooting system.   
     
     
         3 . The shooting system of  claim 1 , wherein ball return comprises:
 a catch adapted to receive the ball;   an arm attached to the catch and support; and   an actuator adapted to rotate arm about the support.   
     
     
         4 . The shooting system of  claim 1 , wherein the ball return is further programmed to:
 identify an attempted shot;   identify an outcome of the attempted shot; and   identify a physiological condition of the user while performing the attempted shot.   
     
     
         5 . The shooting system of  claim 1 , wherein the ball return is further programmed to:
 identify the user of the ball;   detect a second ball captured by the ball capture device;   identify a second user of the second ball; and   return the second ball to the second user.   
     
     
         6 . The shooting system of  claim 5 , wherein identifying the first user comprises:
 reading a radio frequency identification tag of the ball;   matching a identifier provided by the reading of the radio frequency identification tag to the first user.   
     
     
         7 . The shooting system of  claim 5 , wherein identifying the first user comprises:
 reading a visual identification tag of the ball;   matching a identifier provided by the reading of the visual identification tag to the first user.   
     
     
         8 . The shooting system of  claim 1 , wherein the ball capture support comprises:
 a collapsible support arm.   
     
     
         9 . The shooting system of  claim 8 , wherein the collapsible support comprises a plurality of sections each having different cross section dimensions. 
     
     
         10 . The shooting system of  claim 9 , wherein the cross section dimensions are adapted fit all of the sections of the plurality of sections within one section of the plurality of sections. 
     
     
         11 . The shooting system of  claim 9 , wherein each section is a tubular element. 
     
     
         12 . The shooting system of  claim 8 , wherein the ball capture support further comprises:
 a collapsible mast; and   a support manifold adapted to rotatably connect the collapsible support arm to the mast.   
     
     
         13 . The shooting system of  claim 12 , wherein the support manifold is adapted to translate along a length of the collapsible mast. 
     
     
         14 . The shooting system of  claim 12 , wherein the ball capture support further comprises:
 a mast support adapted to rotatably connect the mast to the ball return.   
     
     
         15 . The shooting system of  claim 12 , wherein the collapsible support arm is connected to the mast via a first revolute joint. 
     
     
         16 . The shooting system of  claim 15 , wherein the mast is connected to the ball return via a second revolute joint. 
     
     
         17 . The shooting system of  claim 15 , wherein the collapsible support arm and the collapsible mast have a same length when the collapsible support arm is in a collapsed state and the mast is in a collapsed state. 
     
     
         18 . The shooting system of  claim 15 , wherein the ball capture support further comprises:
 a second collapsible support arm,   wherein the collapsible support arm has a shorter length than a second length of the second collapsible support arm when the second collapsible support arm is in an extended state and the collapsible support arm is in an extended state.   
     
     
         19 . The shooting system of  claim 15 , wherein the collapsible support arm and the second collapsible support arm have a same length when the second collapsible support arm is collapsed state and the collapsible support arm is collapsed. 
     
     
         20 . The shooting system of  claim 12 , wherein the collapsible support arm is rotatable via the revolute joint to align a length of the collapsible support arm to be parallel to a length of the collapsible mast.