Ball feeding systems and methods

Abstract

A ball feeding system has a ball feeder that is configured to receive a basketball and launch the basketball to a shooter for enabling the shooter to shoot the basketball toward a basketball goal. The ball feeder is coupled to a sensor (e.g., a camera) by an arm that extends from the ball feeder, and the sensor is configured to sense the basketball as it is traveling on a trajectory toward the basketball during a shot of the basketball by the shooter. At least one processor is configured to determine, based on the sensor, at least one trajectory parameter indicative of the trajectory and provide feedback indicative of a performance of the shooter in shooting the basketball.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A ball feeding system for basketball, comprising:
 a ball feeder configured to receive a basketball and launch the basketball for enabling a shooter to shoot the basketball toward a basketball goal;   a first image sensor mounted on the ball feeder for capturing images of the basketball traveling on a trajectory toward the basketball goal;   at least one processor configured to determine, based on the captured images, at least one trajectory parameter indicative of the trajectory and provide feedback, based on the at least one trajectory parameter, indicative of a performance of the shooter in shooting the basketball along the trajectory toward the basketball goal; and   an output interface configured to output the feedback.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an arm coupled to the ball feeder, wherein the first image sensor is mounted on the arm. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the ball feeder is coupled to a ball capture system configured to capture the basketball as the basketball falls from the basketball goal and guide the basketball to the ball feeder. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a location of the shooter based on the first image sensor or a second image sensor and control rotation of the ball feeder based on the determined location. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first image sensor comprises a two-dimensional (2D) camera for capturing 2D images of the basketball along the trajectory. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine locations of the basketball along the trajectory in three-dimensional (3D) space based on the 2D images. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to calculate the trajectory based on the determined locations of the basketball. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the locations of the basketball along the trajectory in the 3D space without receiving, from the first image sensor, sensor data indicative of a depth of the basketball from the 2D camera. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the locations of the basketball along the trajectory in the 3D space based on a direction of the ball feeder. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a sensor configured to sense the direction of the ball feeder. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the direction of the ball feeder based on the 2D images. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to trigger a launch of the basketball by the ball feeder in response to an action by the shooter indicating that the shooter is ready to receive the basketball. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive an image of the shooter and trigger the launch of the basketball based on the image. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the image of the shooter is captured by the first image sensor. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the image of the shooter is captured by a second image sensor. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive a verbal command and trigger the launch of the basketball in response to the verbal command. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a direction of the ball feeder, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the trajectory based on the direction of the ball feeder. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a direction of a shot location from which the basketball is launched toward the basketball goal along the trajectory, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the trajectory based on the direction of the shot location. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the direction of the shot location based on images captured by a second image sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the direction of the shot location based on images captured by the first image sensor. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a direction of the ball feeder, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the direction of the shot location based on the direction of the ball feeder. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a direction of the trajectory based on images captured by a second image sensor, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to rotate the first image sensor based on the determined direction of the trajectory. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a viewing device mounted on the ball feeder, wherein the at least one processor is configured to display information indicative of the trajectory via the viewing device. 
     
     
         24 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a basketball with a ball feeder;   launching the basketball from a ball feeder for enabling a shooter to shoot the basketball toward a basketball goal;   capturing, with a first image sensor mounted on the ball feeder, images of the basketball traveling on a trajectory toward the basketball goal;   determine, with at least one processor based on the captured images, at least one trajectory parameter indicative of the trajectory;   providing, with the at least one processor based on the at least one trajectory parameter, feedback indicative of a performance of the shooter in shooting the basketball along the trajectory toward the basketball goal; and   outputting the feedback to a least one user.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the first image sensor is mounted on an arm that is coupled to the ball feeder. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 determining a location of the shooter with the at least one processor based on the first image sensor or a second image sensor; and   controlling rotation of the ball feeder based on the determined location.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising triggering, with the at least one processor, a launch of the basketball by the ball feeder in response to an action by the shooter indicating that the shooter is ready to receive the basketball. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 determining a direction of the ball feeder with the at least one processor; and   determining, with the at least one processor, the trajectory based on the direction of the ball feeder.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising determining, with the at least one processor, a direction of a shot location from which the basketball is launched toward the basketball goal along the trajectory, wherein the determining the trajectory is based on the direction of the shot location. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising displaying information indicative of the trajectory with a viewing device mounted on the ball feeder.