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System for pitching of baseballRelated Patent Categories: Games Using Tangible Projectile, Playing Field Or Court Game; Game Element Or Accessory Therefor Other Than Projector Or Projectile, Per Se, Practice Or Training Device, For Game In Which Play Involves Base Running (e.g., For Baseball, Cricket, Etc.)System for pitching of baseball description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070072705, System for pitching of baseball. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority of Japanese Patent Applications No. 2005-276963 filed Sep. 26, 2005 and No. 2005-348257 filed Dec. 1, 2005, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates generally to a system for pitching of baseball or softball and, more particularly to a system for enjoying virtual baseball or softball game by throwing a ball in a pitching room. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Arts [0005] There are several kinds of systems for enjoying virtual ball game such as baseball or softball. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,731 to Hanabusa et al. discloses a device for catching a ball. The device comprises a flam member, a net member put on the flame member, a mat member disposed the net member having a strike zone, and detection means for detecting the position of the pitched ball collided with or passed through the strike zone. The detection means is, for example, a plurality of photo-sensors mounted in predetermined location of the strike zone. [0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,855 to Silin et al. discloses a baseball pitching analyzer having a housing in the form of a cube with a forward face including an opening through which the baseball may pass. Located within the housing is an open rectangular frame mounting a plurality of light emitters and associated light detectors, arranged to form an array or grid of intersecting light beams. [0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,260 to Stewart et al. discloses a virtual reality baseball training and amusement apparatus, which includes a pair of detection planes, a computer, a video display and simulator monitor, and the like. The detection planes are spaced apart at a distance such that a ball batted through both detection planes would be a fair ball in a real ball. Each includes grid frame having a pair of optical scanners each of which is CCD camera, and a pair of light sources. Each scanner captures images of the ball to determine the coordinate of the ball by the angle and sends it to the computer. The computer calculates the trajectory and velocity of the ball. [0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,151 to Lowy et al. discloses a baseball simulation system, which includes a computer, a pair of cameras, and the like, and which determines the trajectory of a thrown ball from a baseball throwing device. The cameras capture the images of the thrown ball and detect two-dimensional coordinates of the reference planes. The computer calculates three-dimensional coordinates based on the two-dimensional coordinates and determines the trajectory of the ball. SUMMERY OF THE INVENTION [0009] These systems of the related arts detect the position of the ball by using one of two technologies. Also the related Japanese Patents, some of which will be disclosed in the IDS after filing this application, are similar. One technology employs a plurality of the photo-sensors each of which consists of an element emits light beam and an element receives it. Such an arrangement, however, would be difficult to fabricate, because each signal emitter and signal receiver is too distant to right align both optical axes. Therefore, it would be quite difficult to align the optical axes of all photo-sensors without crosstalk. Other employs a plurality of the video cameras which capture the images of the thrown ball. Each of video cameras can only detect the two-dimensional coordinates of the ball, so that it is necessary to calculate the three-dimensional coordinates of the ball based on the two-dimensional coordinates by using a computer, e.g., CPU. Therefore, these systems may require high cost due to the plurality of the video cameras and the high performance computer. [0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a system which will accurately detect positions of a thrown ball, without any signal emitter and signal receiver which need align both optical axes, and to provide a system without a plurality of the video cameras and a high performance computer, i.e., with low cost. [0011] The system according to the present invention includes a pitching room having a space which is enclosed with right and left walls, front and back walls, a ceiling, and a floor. The floor has a mound with a plate from which a player throws a ball and a home plate which defines a strike region. The distance from the plate to the home plate is adaptable to the baseball or softball rules for adults and kids. The pitching room includes a fiber net member placed in the back of the home plate and held a tension by the ceiling, floor, and right and left walls, for flexibly catching the thrown ball and for dropping it on the floor; a plurality of narrow light sources arranged on at least one side of the ceiling, floor, right wall, and left wall at different positions between the mound and home plate, wherein each light source emits slit light to the opposite side; a video camera for photographing optical images reflected by the thrown ball which in turn passes through the positions corresponding to each light source and for outputting image signal; and a computer for detecting three-dimensional positions of the thrown ball based on the image signal output from the video camera and for outputting the detecting signal. [0012] The present invention will provide a system for a player to enjoy virtual baseball or softball game, by accurately detecting the three-dimensional positions of the ball thrown from the mound without the plurality of the photo-sensors, the plurality of the video cameras, and a high performance computer, and by judging the trajectory of the ball which passes over the home plate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES [0013] A better understanding of the present invention will be obtained when the following detailed description of preferred embodiments are considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: [0014] FIG. 1 is a pitching system in an embodiment according to the present invention; [0015] FIG. 2 is a schematically perspective illustration of a pitching room of an embodiment according to the present invention; [0016] FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of FIG. 2 taken along the line 3-3; [0017] FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of FIG. 2 taken along the line 4-4; [0018] FIG. 5A is a horizontal sectional view of a light source of FIG. 4; [0019] FIG. 5B shows nine light sources of FIG. 4, emitting red vertical slit lights; [0020] FIGS. 6A to 6E show images of a thrown ball; [0021] FIG. 7A shows static pictures and a dynamic picture indicating a batter; Continue reading about System for pitching of baseball... 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