Games using tangible projectile – Playing field or court game; game element or accessory... – Having at least two different types of game elements used in...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-20
2001-08-07
Sager, Mark (Department: 3713)
Games using tangible projectile
Playing field or court game; game element or accessory...
Having at least two different types of game elements used in...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270433
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to arrangements for detecting the position of players in a sporting event, and particularly for detecting the occurrence of an “off-side” violation in a soccer game. An off-side condition occurs when the ball is passed to an offensive player who is forward of all defensive players except the goalie. Accordingly, to properly supervise the play of the game, the official must observe players as well as the play of the ball. Determining relative position of players on the field can be difficult because the angle at which the official observes the players will not always coincide with the transverse coordinate of the field. Similar rules concerning the position of players apply in hockey and other games.
Various attempts have been made to provide a system for automatically locating a ball or player on a field. For example, in Brandon et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,675,816, an electronic tracking system is described wherein a transmitter is located on a ball and a pair of tracking antennas are mounted adjacent the field. The antennas are arranged to track, i.e. point toward the ball and the position of the ball is computed from the pointing angle of the antennas. The Brandon systems requires two antennas to track each object, and it would accordingly require a large number of antennas to track all players on a field. Further, it is not clear that the angular direction-tracking system used by Brandon provides sufficient accuracy.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved player/ball tracking system that can simultaneously locate many players on a field and provide assistance to game officials in calling the play of the game.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention there is provided an apparatus for determining the position of an object, such as a person or a ball, in a field, which includes first and second directional antennas at different locations adjoining said field. Each of the antennas has first and second antenna beam patterns having predetermined relation to an electromagnetic antenna boresight. The antennas are mounted for rotation to scan the antenna beams across the field. The apparatus further includes transmitting and receiving apparatus for transmitting signals between the object and the first and second directional antennas using the first beam pattern, and for transmitting signals between the object and the first and second directional antennas using the second beam pattern. Comparison circuits are coupled to the receiving apparatus for comparing received signals corresponding to the first and second beam patterns, thereby to generate timing signals corresponding to the first and second directional antenna boresight coinciding with the object position. A reference timing apparatus provides time reference signals for the antenna beam scanning of the first and second antennas and computation circuits respond to the timing signals and the time reference signals for computing position of the object.
In a preferred arrangement the first and second antenna beam patterns comprise horizontally offset antenna beams having equal pattern amplitude at the electromagnetic antenna boresight. The transmitting and receiving apparatus may transmit the first and second signals at different frequencies from the first and second directional antennas, and the receiving apparatus and comparison circuit can be on the object. The timing signals from the comparison circuit can be transmitted from the object to the computation circuits.
In an alternate arrangement, a transmitter can be located on the object and the received signal of the first and second antenna beams can be compared at each directional antenna to generate the timing signals.
In accordance with the invention there is provided a method for locating objects on a field, wherein signals are radiated toward the field and the signals are periodically swept across the field from first and second locations, providing at positions on the field periodic signals having intensities as a function of time that correspond to the angular direction from the locations to the position. A receiver is provided on each object to be located and signals received by the receivers are analyzed to thereby determine the angular direction of the objects from the locations.
According to an alternate method, signals are radiated from the objects on the field and received by directional antenna patterns sweeping across the field.
For a better understanding of the present invention together with other and further objects, reference is made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.
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Maune James J.
Orenstein Henry
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Sager Mark
Toy Builders
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