Quotables
"To place a man in a multi-stage rocket and project him into the controlling gravitational field of the moon where the passengers can make scientific observations, perhaps land alive, and then return to earth--all that constitutes a wild dream worthy of Jules Verne. I am bold enough to say that such a man-made voyage will never occur regardless of all future advances."
Lee deForest, American radio pioneer ; 1957
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7854669 | Trajectory detection and feedback system A disclosed device provides a trajectory detection and feedback system. The system is capable of detecting one or more moving objects in free flight, analyzing a trajectory of each object and providing immediate feedback information to a human that has launched the ... | 12/21/2010 |
| 7850552 | Trajectory detection and feedback system A disclosed device provides a trajectory detection and feedback system. The system is capable of detecting one or more moving volleyballs in free flight, analyzing a trajectory of each volleyball and providing feedback information to a human that has launched the vo... | 12/14/2010 |
| 7846046 | System and method of preparing a playing surface A movable frame may be positioned about a playing surface and defines a substantially straight pathway for a tool to follow while altering a playing surface, such as by cutting or marking the surface. A template that may be used to accurately define key positions of... | 12/07/2010 |
| 7632197 | System for confirming hit locations on tennis court boundaries The present invention is an article and process for determining the site of impact of a movable object on a treated surface, where a tennis ball is treated with a striking composition, and a boundary line region is treated with a receiving composition such that when... | 12/15/2009 |
| 7369038 | Automated detection system for sports fields and the like A computer monitoring system includes a processor and sensors electrically thereto that are positioned beneath the playing surface directly below a boundary line. The sensors are connected in series to the processor such that each sensor is independently activated a... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7263875 | Multi-layer windshield moisture detector A moisture detection system includes a moisture detector having a first electrical conductor, a first substrate having the first electrical conductor disposed on one surface thereof, a spacing layer coupled to the other surface of the first substrate, a second subst... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7241237 | Method and apparatus for temporarily marking a point of contact The present invention provides a game ball with a transient marking feature that may be used on any court surface. No preparation of the court surface is required. The game ball is coated with a temporary marking agent that is encapsulated or otherwise sealed agains... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7212120 | Work site tracking system and method A system for tracking entities at a work site includes an antenna having a scanned boresight. A controller may be configured to determine a relative angle between a reference associated with the antenna and a source of radiation based on a relationship between bores... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7204130 | Windshield moisture detector A moisture detector can include a first elongated conductor disposed on a substrate. The first conductor can define a zigzag path between the opposite ends thereof. A second conductor can also be disposed on the substrate at least partially surrounding the first con... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7194900 | Collision reaction force measurement apparatus A collision reaction force measurement apparatus has a collision surface receiving a collision of a portable electronic device and a measurement part measuring a collision reaction force occurring when the portable electronic device makes the collision against the c... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7154540 | System for enhancing video Pan, tilt and zoom sensors are coupled to a broadcast camera in order to determine the field of view of the broadcast camera and to make a rough estimate of a target's location in the broadcast camera's field of view. Pattern recognition techniques can be used to de... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7117619 | Banner scoring device A two-sided, multi-sport scoring banner 30 consisting of a plurality of flexible scoring elements 44A, 44B, 44C, 44D sandwiched between a front face 32 and a back face 34. A set of scoring symbols 44A, 44 | 10/10/2006 |
| 7097575 | Net-post assembly for ball game The present invention relates to a net-post assembly that can fix and release the net more quickly and easily. The net-post assembly comprises a rod, a quick release member inserted in the through hole of the rod, a first clamping member, a second clamping member, a... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7040998 | Golf putting game with means for automatically monitoring the movement of the ball A golf game employing r.f-tag coded golf balls has a playing area with r.f. antennae located underneath to enable the number of strokes taken by a player to be counted. Separate antennae are provided for the tee area and hole, respectively, and the antennae around t... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7005970 | Officiating system According to one embodiment, a method is disclosed. The method includes events based on observations extracted from input data and an event model. Input data from an event is fed into the system from a data source. Positional data is generated from the input data. E... | 02/28/2006 |
| 6907840 | Football first down indicator system A football first down indicator system for providing a method of quickly and accurately determining a first down in football. The football first down indicator system includes a pair of first down marker members each having an elongate housing member, and also havin... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6661342 | System and method for using impulse radio technology to track the movement of athletes and to enable secure communications between the athletes and their teammates, fans or coaches A system, electronic device and method are provided that utilize the positioning capabilities of impulse radio technology to track one or more moving athletes. The movement of these athletes can be displayed on a television, a handheld unit or an Internet... | 12/09/2003 |
| 6634967 | Baseball umpiring system A T.V camera in center field beyond the playing field directed at the home plate along a main axis. The camera senses the baseball in the strike zone. A second T.V. camera directed at the home plate in direction perpendicular to the main axis, which also ... | 10/21/2003 |
| 6270433 | Player position detection system A system for locating players on a field includes first and second directional scanning antennas located adjacent the field. A transponder carried by the players detects the radiation from each antenna and transmits timing signals. The timing signals are ... | 08/07/2001 |
| 6135456 | Target apparatus and methods for playing new target games A target apparatus for use in playing new target games comprises a frame within which one or more of a plurality of target zones may be visually designated, with the location of the visually designated target zone(s) changing over time in accordance with ... | 10/24/2000 |
| 6024658 | Game ball monitoring method and apparatus A method of determining in a game of tennis the point of contact of a service ball relative to a service line by (a) monitoring a field of view along the service line and producing an electronic representation of an upper boundary of the ball as it passes... | 02/15/2000 |
| 5976038 | Apparatus for detecting moving ball A system is provided with a directional antenna having first and second antenna patterns oriented around an antenna boresight direction. The antenna boresight is oriented in a direction corresponding to a play determinative line on a playing field. Signal... | 11/02/1999 |
| 5954599 | Automated sport boundary officiating system An automated method and apparatus for determining whether a ball in a sport has contacted the ground in or out of bounds as well as where along the boundary the impact occurred. A pair of conductors run adjacent to and beneath the boundary lines of the sp... | 09/21/1999 |
| 5954308 | Volleyball net clamps A clamp for securing a vertically disposed elongated antenna to the horizontal edge of a volleyball net has a base wall and an oppositely disposed spaced clamping wall secured together at adjacent edges by a U-shaped live hinged portion. The clamping wall... | 09/21/1999 |
| 5908361 | Automated tennis line calling system A system is described for the automatic detection of ball bounces on a tennis court, and which is applicable to similar games. The system comprises a sonar-like sound system in conjunction with a pressure-sensitive system located on the court surface itse... | 06/01/1999 |
| 5800292 | Tennis court boundary detection system System for detecting whether a conductive felt covered game ball has landed within the boundary area of a gaming surface. The system incorporates permanently installed decorative circuits which stay in an active open state while awaiting touch down of con... | 09/01/1998 |
| 5672128 | Electronic automated game line An electronic switch device designed to detect surface contact along a boundary surface. The electronic switch device can be used as an electronic automated game line comprising a very thin game line mat divided between an in-bounds section and out-of-bou... | 09/30/1997 |
| 5585778 | Device for detecting net faults in tennis A device for for detecting net faults in tennis including a sensor mounted near or on the net or its anchoring components. The sensor is an accelerometer or a piezoelectric transducer that generates an electrical signal. The signal is processed and drives... | 12/17/1996 |
| 5489886 | Automatic line officiating system and method thereof An automatic line officiating system including a video camera and associated optics and electronics disposed adjacent to a line to be officiated and arranged with the longitudinal axis of its field of view concentric with the line and adapted to provide i... | 02/06/1996 |
| 5394824 | Thermochromic sensor for locating an area of contact A thermochromic sensor for locating the area of contact between two surfaces moving in relation to each other, has applications in boundary line officiating and other situations where the location of the area of contact is important. For tennis and simila... | 03/07/1995 |
| 5348309 | Sport net A new and improved sport net includes a net assembly which includes two long sides, a first short side, and a second short side. A first sleeve member is connected to the first short side of the net assembly, and a second sleeve member is connected to the... | 09/20/1994 |
| 5342042 | Ball location system An arrangement to determine whether a tennis ball is "in" or "out" on a playing surface, which includes both a transmit coil and a receive coil beneath the playing surface and a modified tennis ball to have a non-zero magnetic permeability, so that an alt... | 08/30/1994 |
| 5303915 | Tennis ball to line location A means and arrangement to assist in determining the location of a ball relative to a line of a game surface is disclosed. The arrangement utilizes transmit and receive coils buried beneath lines on a game surface. Overlapping transmit coils operate at di... | 04/19/1994 |
| 5150895 | Method of and system for determining a position of ball relative to a playing field, and ball provided therefor A ball is provided with a radar signal reflecting element, so that during a game a radar sends a signal to the ball and receives a reflected signal which is compared by a computer with a stores position of a playing field to determine a position of the ba... | 09/29/1992 |
| 5138322 | Method and apparatus for radar measurement of ball in play A system for continuously and precisely measuring the positions of a generally symmetrical object, e.g., a tennis ball, in motion in a predefined three-dimensional region, e.g., a tennis court, which transmits multiple radar signals from first, second, an... | 08/11/1992 |
| 5082263 | Method of and system for determining position of tennis ball relative to tennis court, and tennis ball provided therefor A tennis ball is provided with a radar signal reflecting element, so that during a tennis game a radar sends a signal to the tennis ball and receives a reflected signal which is compared by a computer with a stored position of a tennis court to determine ... | 01/21/1992 |
| 5059944 | Tennis court boundary sensor Optical system for detecting and signaling a ball out-of-bounds condition on a tennis court. An optical shape plane interfered by a tennis player disables an underlying optical timed plane. The timed plane discriminates between an interference caused by a... | 10/22/1991 |
| 4867449 | Electrically operated line monitor for tennis An electrically operated line monitor for tennis wherein different characteristics are used for rays which are projected from the same first position to the same second position. In one embodiment of the invention, to monitor the center line (104) on a te... | 09/19/1989 |
| 4866414 | Optoelectronic lawn tennis linesman system The optical line watchers continuously monitor the out areas along the court lines, selectively capture the images when the ball touches the watched areas, and convert optical information into electrical pulses of current, which properly selected and ampl... | 09/12/1989 |
| 4859986 | Object touchdown and net contact detection systems and game apparatus employing same Systems for automatically determining whether a conductive, volant game device touches down in bounds or out of bounds on a playing surface. The system includes boundary line and out of bounds circuits which can be completed by the touchdown of the game d... | 08/22/1989 |
