Automatic ball machine for racquet sport gamification, system and related methods

Abstract

An automatic ball machine for racquet sport gamification includes an imaging system to capture an image of the court, a ball launching system, and a controller to determine the machine's location and execute a workout routine. The routine may include launching a sequence of balls with predetermined shot types and target locations. The automatic ball machine may determine its location on the court and in response thereto, adjust the delivery of the balls to provide the appropriate shot type to the appropriate location. The imaging system may monitor and evaluate the user's returned shots, and provide a rating of their performance. The machine can replicate workout routines, enabling unbiased comparisons and competition between users.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating at least a first moveable automatic ball machine within a playing area of a first racquet court, the first moveable automatic ball machine comprising a ball launcher, a hopper to store a plurality of balls, an imaging system, and a controller, the method comprising:
 by the imaging system, obtaining an image of the first racquet court;   by the controller, determining the location of the first moveable automatic ball machine on the first racquet court based upon the image of the first racquet court obtained by the imaging system;   executing a first instance of a first workout routine to provide a sequence of N shots to a first player on the first racquet court, where N is an integer greater than 1, the execution of the first instance of the first workout routine including, for each of the N shots in the sequence of shots:   obtaining a set of initial shot parameters,   adjusting the set of initial shot parameters to obtain a set of target shot parameters, including adjusting the set of initial shot parameters based on the determined location of the first moveable automatic ball machine,   determine launcher settings based on the set of target shot parameters, and   launching a ball with the ball launcher with the launcher settings;   by the imaging system, monitoring returns of the first player of the sequence of shots launched according to the first workout routine; and   evaluating the returns of the first player based upon the monitoring of the returns by the imaging system and providing a rating of the performance of the first player based on the evaluated returns of the first player.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein for each of the N shots in the sequence of shots:
 the set of initial shot parameters includes an initial shot type and an initial shot location,   the set of target shot parameters includes a target shot type and a target shot location,   the target shot type is the same as the initial shot type, and   the target shot location is the same as or substantially the same as the initial shot location.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising executing a second instance of the first workout routine with respect to a second player, evaluating returns of the second player, providing a rating of the performance of the second player based on the evaluated returns of the second player and communicating a comparison of the rating of the first player and the rating of the second player. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 ,
 wherein executing the second instance of the first workout routine with respect to the second player and rating returns of the second player is performed by a second moveable automatic ball machine provided on a second racquet court, and   wherein the corresponding target shot locations of the first instance of the first workout routine are the same with respect to the first racquet court as the corresponding target shot locations of the second instance of the first workout routine with respect to the second racquet court.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of the first instance of the first workout routine is executed at the same time the second instance of the first workout routine is executed. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the communicating the comparison includes communicating the rating of the second player from the second moveable automatic ball machine to the first moveable automatic ball machine. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the communicating the comparison includes communicating the rating of the second player via the Internet. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the rating of the first player and rating of the second player are determined and displayed by a display in real time. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein each of the first and second moveable automatic ball machine includes a display to display an instantaneous rating of the player performance of the first workout routine and a final rating of the player performance of the first workout routine of each of the first player and second player, the instantaneous rating of player performance being a rating of the performance of the corresponding player provided prior to completion of the first workout routine, the final rating of player performance being a rating of the corresponding player provided after completion of the first workout routine. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first instance of the first workout routine and the second instance of the first workout routine are executed concurrently and are each executed by the first moveable automatic ball machine while the first player and the second player are on a first side of the first racquet court and the first moveable automatic ball machine is on a second side of the first racquet court that is opposite the first side, wherein the first side and the second side of the first racquet court are separated by a net. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the sequence of shots launched to the first player by the first moveable automatic ball machine as part of the first instance of the first workout routine that is provided to the first player are interspersed with the sequence of shots launched to the second player by the first moveable automatic ball machine as part of the second instance of the first workout routine that is provided to the second player. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein executing the first instance of the first workout routine and the second instance of the first workout routine comprises the first moveable automatic ball machine interleaving the launch of the balls to the first player and the second player. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the target shot locations of the first instance of the first workout routine are within a first half of the first side of the first racquet court, and   wherein the target shot locations of the sequence of shots of the second instance of the first workout routine are within a second half of the first side of the first racquet court.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the target shot locations of the first instance of the first workout routine are relative to a first coordinate system having a first origin with respect to the first racquet court and the target shot location of the second instance of the first workout routine are relative to a second coordinate system having a second origin, different from the first origin, with respect to the first racquet court. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the target shot locations of the first instance of the first workout routine are mirror symmetric with respect to target shot locations of the second instance of the first workout routine. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein for each of the N shots of the sequence of shots, the target shot location deviates from the initial shot location and has a distance from the initial shot location that is no more than set value. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 ,
 wherein executing the first instance of the first workout routine comprises determining the location of first player, and   wherein, for at least some of the N shots in the sequence of shots, the target shot location is determined in real time based upon the determined location of the first player.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 ,
 wherein, for at least some of the N shots in the sequence of shots, the target shot location is determined to be a determined distance away from the first player.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the determined distance away from the first player is determined based upon a skill level of the first player obtained by the controller prior to executing the first instance of the first workout routine. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the determined distance away from the first player is determined based upon an instantaneous rating of the performance of the first player prior to completion of the first workout routine. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein, for each of the N shots of the sequence of shots,
 the set of initial shot parameters includes speed and spin, and   the set of target shot parameters includes speed and spin that deviate within a corresponding confined range from the respective initial speed shot parameter and the initial spin shot parameter.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the confined ranges within which the target shot speed shot parameter and target spin shot parameters are determined by the controller based upon a player skill level obtained by the controller. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein, prior to executing the first workout routine, the skill level is obtained by the controller and the confined ranges are determined by the controller. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein evaluating returns of the first player comprises, for each of the N shots, determining the accuracy of the location of the returns of the first player of the sequence of shots launched with the first workout routine. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein determining the accuracy of the location of the returns of the first player comprises, for each return of each of the N shots, determining a distance between the landing point of the return of the launched ball and a corresponding landing point instructed by the first moveable automatic ball machine. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein determining the accuracy of the location of the returns of the first player comprises, for each return each of the N shots, determining whether the landing point of the return of the launched ball was in the boundaries of the playing area. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein evaluating returns of the first player comprises, for each return of each of the N shots, determining the speed of the return of the launched ball. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein evaluating returns of the first player comprises, for each return of each of the N shots, determining the spin of the return of the launched ball. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein evaluating returns of the first player comprises, for each return of each of the N shots, determining the trajectory of the return of the launched ball. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein evaluating returns of the first player comprises, for each return of each of the N shots, determining if the shot type of the return of the launched ball corresponds to a shot type instructed by the first moveable automatic ball machine. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the first instance of the first workout routine is executed to launch balls to a first group of players that includes the first player, and the second instance of the first workout routine is executed to launch balls to a second group of players that includes the second player,   wherein, in executing the first instance of the first workout routine, the imaging system monitors returns of the first group of players, the controller evaluates the returns of the first group of players and provides a rating of the performance of the first group of players,   wherein, in executing the second instance of the first workout routine, the performance of the second group of players is evaluated to provide a rating of the performance of the second group of players, and   wherein the method further comprises displaying by a display of the first moveable automatic ball machine the rating of the first group of players and the rating of the second group of players.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein executing the second instance of the first workout routine is performed by a second moveable automatic ball machine on a second racquet court. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the method further comprises displaying, by a display of the second moveable automatic ball machine, the rating of the first group of players and the rating of the second group of players. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein executing the second instance of the first workout routine is performed by the first moveable automatic ball machine on the first racquet court. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 manually transporting the first moveable automatic ball machine onto the first racquet court and manually transporting the second moveable automatic ball machine onto a second racquet court; and   by the second moveable automatic ball machine, determining the location of the second moveable automatic ball machine on the second racquet court,   wherein executing the second instance of the first workout routine includes, for each of the N shots in the sequence of shots of the second instance of the first workout routine:   obtaining the set of initial shot parameters,   adjusting the set of initial shot parameters to obtain a second set of target shot parameters, including adjusting the set of initial shot parameters based on the determined location of the second moveable automatic ball machine,   determine second launcher settings based on the second set of target shot parameters, and   launching a ball with a ball launcher of the second moveable automatic ball machine with the second launcher settings.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 ,
 wherein executing the first instance of the first workout routine includes adjusting the set of initial shot parameters based on a determined orientation of the first moveable automatic ball machine with respect to the first racquet court,   wherein executing the second instance of the first workout routine includes adjusting the set of initial shot parameters based on a determined orientation of the first moveable automatic ball machine with respect to the second racquet court, and   wherein at least one of the position and the orientation of the first moveable automatic ball machine with respect to the first racquet court differs from that of the second moveable automatic ball machine with respect to the second racquet court.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sequence of shots of the first workout routine each have the same shot type. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the shot type is one of drive, lob, and dink. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein evaluating the returns of the first player is based upon, for each of the returns of the first player, determining a distance between the landing point of the return of the launched ball and a first point identified on the first racquet court. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein communicating a comparison of the rating of the first player and the rating of the second player comprises providing a ladder of a plurality of players, including the first player and the second player, that lists the plurality of players in an order of rating of performances of the plurality of players with respect to the first workout routine. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first moveable automatic ball machine executes the first instance of the first workout routine without moving from its location on the first racquet court. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the targeted shot locations are at one or more walls of the first racquet court. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein all of the targeted shot locations are at a first location on a wall of the first racquet court. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein evaluating the returns of the first player is based upon, for each of the returns of the first player, determining a distance between the landing point of the return of the launched ball and a first point identified on the first racquet court.