US-12623132-B1 - Basketball training system

US12623132B1US 12623132 B1US12623132 B1US 12623132B1US-12623132-B1

Abstract

A basketball training system includes a user interface and a ball delivery machine for delivering basketballs to selected ball delivery locations. The user interface presents a visual representation of a portion of a basketball court and a graphical ball delivery machine icon that is user movable to modify a location of the graphical ball delivery machine icon with respect to the visual representation of the portion of the basketball court.

Inventors

Douglas B. Campbell
Jeffrey J. Campbell
Adam T. Pan

Assignees

AIRBORNE ATHLETICS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230111

Claims (19)

1 . A basketball training system comprising: a user interface that is configured to (i) present a visual representation of a portion of a basketball play area for display on a touch screen, (ii) receive user inputs at the touch screen relative to the visual representation that identify selected ball delivery locations anywhere on the visual representation as desired by a user, and (iii) present graphical control elements as numbered icons that are moveable inside and outside of a three-point arc via a drag-and-drop input; and a ball delivery machine that is configured to deliver basketballs to physical locations corresponding to the selected ball delivery locations identified by the received user inputs at the user interface, the ball delivery machine including a ball launcher and a controller in communication with the user interface and the ball launcher, the controller comprising one or more processors and a computer-readable storage medium, the one or more processors performing operations comprising: receiving user inputs of selected ball delivery locations in relation to the visual representation of the portion of the basketball play area; assigning physical locations in relation to the ball delivery machine that correspond to the user inputs at the user interface of the selected ball delivery locations; calculating ball delivery parameters for each physical location based on and subsequent to receiving each of the user inputs relative to the visual representation, the ball delivery parameters include at least one of a ball delivery direction, a ball delivery speed, and a ball delivery trajectory; and sending control commands to the ball delivery machine to deliver basketballs to each physical location according to the calculated ball delivery parameters.
2 . The basketball training system of claim 1 , wherein the ball delivery speed for each physical location is calculated based on a determined physical distance between each of the physical locations and the ball delivery machine, the determined physical distance corresponds to a relative distance between the ball delivery location inputs and a graphical representation of the ball delivery machine at the user interface.
3 . The basketball training system of claim 1 , wherein the ball trajectory for each physical locations calculated based on a determined physical distance between each of the physical locations and the ball delivery machine, the determined physical distance corresponds to a relative distance between the ball delivery location inputs and a graphical representation of the ball delivery machine at the user interface.
4 . The basketball training system of claim 1 , wherein the user inputs comprise drag-and-drop inputs anywhere relative to the visual representation to identify the selected ball delivery locations.
5 . The basketball training system of claim 1 , wherein the user inputs comprise tap gesture inputs anywhere relative to the visual representation that identify the selected ball delivery locations.
6 . The basketball training system of claim 1 , wherein the user inputs comprise a ball delivery height.
7 . The basketball training system of claim 6 , wherein the ball delivery parameters including the ball delivery speed and ball delivery trajectory are calculated based on (i) a determined physical distance between each of the physical locations and the ball delivery machine, the determined physical distance corresponds to a relative distance between the ball delivery location inputs and a graphical representation of the ball delivery machine at the user interface, and (ii) the ball delivery height.
8 . The basketball training system of claim 1 , wherein the ball delivery location inputs are arranged in an ordered sequence and the user interface is configured to present graphical control elements that enable user input to rearrange the ordered sequence.
9 . The basketball training system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface is configured to receive user inputs that identify a position of the ball delivery machine with on the visual representation of the portion of the basketball play area.
10 . The basketball training system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface is configured to receive user inputs relative to the visual representation that identify selected shot locations positioned away from each of the selected ball delivery locations.
11 . A method comprising: outputting, by a computing device for presentation at a display device, a user interface including a visual representation of at least a portion of a play area and graphical control elements as numbered icons that are moveable inside and outside of a three-point arc via a drag-and-drop input; receiving, by the computing device, user inputs anywhere on the visual representation that identify selected ball delivery locations positionally with respect to the visual representation; outputting, by the computing device, the selected ball delivery locations to a controller of a ball delivery machine configured to deliver balls from the ball delivery machine to physical locations corresponding to each of the selected ball delivery locations, wherein the ball delivery machine comprises a ball launcher responsive to the controller; assigning, by the controller, physical locations in relation to the ball delivery machine that correspond to the user inputs at the visual representation of the selected ball delivery locations; calculating, by the controller, ball delivery parameters for each physical location based on and subsequent to receiving each of the user inputs relative to the visual representation, the ball delivery parameters include at least one of a ball delivery direction, a ball delivery speed, and a ball delivery trajectory; providing, by the controller, control commands to the ball launcher to cause the ball launcher to launch the balls from the ball delivery machine to the physical locations according to the calculated ball delivery parameters for each physical location; and launching, by the ball launcher, the balls to the physical locations based on the control commands.
12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising: receiving, by the computing device, user inputs relative to the visual representation that identify selected shot locations that are spaced apart from the selected ball delivery locations.
13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising: receiving, by the computing device, user inputs relative to the visual representation of the portion of the play area that identify a graphically rendered position of the ball delivery machine that corresponds to a physical location of the ball delivery machine.
14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising: outputting, by the computing device for presentation at the display device, graphical display elements of user movements between the selected ball delivery locations and the selected shot locations.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the ball trajectory for each physical locations calculated based on a determined physical distance between each of the physical locations and the ball delivery machine, the determined physical distance corresponds to a relative distance between the ball delivery location inputs and a graphical representation of the ball delivery machine at the user interface.
16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: outputting, by a computing device for presentation at a display device, a user interface including a visual representation of at least a portion of a play area and graphical control elements as numbered icons that are moveable inside and outside of a three-point arc via a drag-and-drop input; receiving, by the computing device, user inputs anywhere on the visual representation that identify selected ball delivery locations positionally with respect to the visual representation; outputting, by the computing device, the selected ball delivery locations to a controller of a ball delivery machine configured to deliver balls from the ball delivery machine to physical locations corresponding to each of the selected ball delivery locations, wherein the ball delivery machine comprises a ball launcher responsive to the controller; assigning, by the controller, physical locations in relation to the ball delivery machine that correspond to the user inputs at the visual representation of the selected ball delivery locations; calculating, by the controller, ball delivery parameters for each physical location based on and subsequent to receiving each of the user inputs relative to the visual representation, the ball delivery parameters include at least one of a ball delivery direction, a ball delivery speed, and a ball delivery trajectory; providing, by the controller, control commands to the ball launcher to cause the ball launcher to launch the balls from the ball delivery machine to the physical locations according to the calculated ball delivery parameters for each physical location; and launching, by the ball launcher, the balls to the physical locations based on the control commands.
17 . The medium of claim 16 , wherein the ball delivery speed for each physical location is calculated based on a determined physical distance between each of the physical locations and the ball delivery machine, the determined physical distance corresponds to a relative distance between the ball delivery location inputs and a graphical representation of the ball delivery machine at the user interface.
18 . The medium of claim 16 , wherein the ball trajectory for each physical locations calculated based on a determined physical distance between each of the physical locations and the ball delivery machine, the determined physical distance corresponds to a relative distance between the ball delivery location inputs and a graphical representation of the ball delivery machine at the user interface.
19 . The medium of claim 16 , wherein the selected ball delivery locations are arbitrarily selectable ball delivery locations that are not restricted to pre-programed ball delivery locations.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/713,202, filed on Sep. 22, 2017, and entitled “BASKETBALL TRAINING SYSTEM,” which claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/402,417 filed on Sep. 30, 2016, and entitled “BASKETBALL TRAINING SYSTEM,” the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. This application also claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/419,177 filed on Nov. 8, 2016, and entitled “BASKETBALL TRAINING SYSTEM,” the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. BACKGROUND This disclosure relates generally to sports training, and in particular to basketball return systems with a user interface. Training in sports involves the development of skills as well as physical conditioning. The game of basketball requires physical strength and conditioning, and also requires special skills. Successful development of those skills requires repetition during practice. Although it is a team sport, basketball presents opportunities for an individual player to practice and improve his or her game without the need for other players to be present. A player can develop ball handling skills and shooting skills through individual practice. Basketball players develop their shooting skills by shooting the basketball from various locations on the court. If a second player is not present to rebound, the shooter must rebound his or her own shots. The rebounding process can waste time that could otherwise be used in taking more shots. Over the past several decades, a number of ball collecting devices have been developed to collect basketballs shot at the basketball goal (i.e, the backboard and the attached hoop). The ball collecting devices generally include netting and a frame for supporting the netting around the basketball goal. The ball collecting devices are often used with a ball delivery device, which directs the ball back to the player. Motorized ball delivery devices can return basketballs to a shooter at various locations on a basketball court. The ball delivery device can have programs that determine which direction to return balls to the player, how many times to return the ball, etc. Successful shooting of a basketball can be affected by a number of factors, including a player's form or technique in shooting. In some cases, poor form or technique may have less effect when the player is taking uncontested shots from similar distances, but may limit the player's ability to score in game conditions when the player is guarded by another player and often must attempt shots from varying positions on the court having varying distances from the basketball goal. As players advance in skill and experience, they are often confronted with the realization that the speed of the game gets “faster,” and that he or she will need to consistently score under increasing pressure and from various positions on the court. Continuing to practice under conditions that do not effectively simulate the level of movement required of the shooter and the variety of shot locations frequently encountered in game conditions can result in some improvement in the player's shooting, but may ultimately limit the player's success as the player rises through the levels of play from, e.g., junior varsity to varsity, from high school varsity to college, and from college to professional basketball. SUMMARY In one example, a basketball training system includes a user interface that presents a visual representation of a portion of a basketball court that is free of indicia representing predetermined ball delivery locations on the basketball court. The user interface receives user inputs relative to the visual representation that identify selected ball delivery locations desired by the user. The basketball training system further includes a ball delivery machine, responsive to the user interface, for delivering basketballs to the selected ball delivery locations. In another example, a method includes outputting, by a computing device for presentation at a display device, a user interface including a visual representation of at least a portion of a basketball court that is free of indicia representing predetermined ball delivery locations on the basketball court. The method further includes receiving, by the computing device, an indication of user inputs relative to the visual representation that identify selected ball delivery locations, and outputting, by the computing device, the selected ball delivery locations to a controller of a ball delivery machine configured to deliver basketballs to the selected ball delivery locations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of a basketball training machine that includes a ball collection system and a ball delivery system responsive to a user interface that receives input to identify selected ball delivery locations. FIG. 2 is a front perspective