Seam shifted wake measurement and visualization system

Abstract

A system for determining and generating a graphic visualization of a ball flight parameter includes: a ball flight tracking system configured to detect a ball in flight, the ball flight tracking system detecting seam orientation; a processor coupled to the ball flight tracking system and configured to determine a hemisphere plane angle and seam angle of the ball in flight and to determine a coefficient of a seam shifted wake force based on the determined hemisphere plane angle and seam angle, the processor further configured to calculate the seam shifted wake force based on the determined coefficient of the seam shifted wake force for multiple locations on the ball, and generate a visualization of the seam shifted wake force on the multiple locations on the ball; and an output device coupled to the processor to output the visualization of the seam shifted wake force on the ball to enhance pitch analysis and accurate pitch design.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for determining and generating a graphic visualization of a ball flight parameter, comprising:
 a ball flight tracking system configured to detect a ball in flight, the ball flight tracking system detecting seam orientation;   a processor coupled to the ball flight tracking system and configured to determine a hemisphere plane angle and seam angle of the ball in flight and to determine a coefficient of a seam shifted wake force based on the determined hemisphere plane angle and seam angle, the processor further configured to calculate the seam shifted wake force based on the determined coefficient of the seam shifted wake force for multiple locations on the ball, and generate a visualization of the seam shifted wake force on the multiple locations on the ball; and   an output device coupled to the processor to output the visualization of the seam shifted wake force on the ball to enhance pitch analysis and accurate pitch design.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor comprises an Application Specific Integrated Circuit. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor comprises a local processor configured to communicate with a server via a network, the server to assist with generating the visualization of the seam shifted wake force. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the visualization of the seam shifted wake force on the multiple locations on the ball includes a variation of color at the multiple locations on the ball, with the variation of color being related to the seam shifted wake force on those multiple locations on the ball respectively. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the visualization includes a three-dimensional representation of the ball rotating around a spin axis, the color at the multiple locations on the ball changing during a rotation to reflect that changing seam shifted wake force on the multiple locations respectively during the rotation of the ball. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the output device comprises a virtual or augmented reality system. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the output device comprises a monitor. 
     
     
         8 . A method for determining and generating a graphic visualization of a seam shifted wake force on an object in flight, the object having a seam thereon, the method comprising:
 with a tracking system configured to track the object in flight, determining seam orientation of the seams of the object at different times during the flight;   with a processor, using the determined seam orientation to calculate a seam shifted wake force at different points on the object; and   with the processor, modeling effects of the seam shifted wake force on a trajectory of the object to support design of a desired trajectory of the object.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising calculating the seam shifted wake force on the different points of the object at multiple different time points during flight of the object. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising calculating the seam shifted wake force by:
 using the seam orientation to determine a hemisphere plane angle and seam angle of the object in flight, and   using the hemisphere plane angle and seam angle to determine a coefficient of the seam shifted wake force, and   calculating the seam shifted wake force based on the determined coefficient of the seam shifted wake force each of the different points on the object.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising generating a visualization of the seam shifted wake force on the object at the different points on the object. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising outputting the visualization in a virtual or augmented reality system. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising, with the processor, invoking a service available on a server accessible over a network, the service to model effects of the seam shifted wake force on a trajectory of the object to enable design of a desired trajectory of the object. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the visualization of the seam shifted wake force on the different points on the object includes a variation of color at the different points on the object, with the variation of color being related to the seam shifted wake force on those multiple locations on the ball respectively. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the visualization includes a three-dimensional representation of a ball rotating around a spin axis, the color at the multiple locations on the ball changing during a rotation to reflect that changing seam shifted wake force on the multiple locations respectively during the rotation of the ball. 
     
     
         16 . A computer programming product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
 receive input from a tracking system configured to track an object in flight including determination of an orientation of seams of the object at different times during the flight;   use the seam orientation to calculate a seam shifted wake force at different points on the object; and   model effects of the seam shifted wake force on a trajectory of the object to support design of a desired trajectory of the object.   
     
     
         17 . The product of  claim 16 , further comprising instructions causing the processor to calculate the seam shifted wake force on the different points of the object at multiple different time points during flight of the object. 
     
     
         18 . The product of  claim 16 , further comprising instructions causing the processor to calculate the seam shifted wake force by:
 using the seam orientation to determine a hemisphere plane angle and seam angle of the object in flight, and   using the hemisphere plane angle and seam angle to determine a coefficient of the seam shifted wake force, and   calculating the seam shifted wake force based on the determined coefficient of the seam shifted wake force each of the different points on the object.   
     
     
         19 . The product of  claim 16 , further comprising instructions causing the processor to generate a visualization of the seam shifted wake force on the object at the different points on the object. 
     
     
         20 . The product of  claim 19 , further comprising instructions causing the processor to output the visualization in an output device.