Wilson Sporting Goods Co.

David Betzold

Kevin L Krysiak

Robert T Thurman

David J Proeber

Frank Garrett, Jr

Daniel E Hare

Mark W Fisher

An automated objective American-football evaluation system may include an American-style football, at least one sensor carried by the football, and electronics to: (a) receive a string of sensor signals from the at least one accelerometer; (b) determine a time of an initial impact of the football with a receiver based upon the received string of sensor signals; and (c) output a catch quality, the catch quality being based upon a portion of the string of sensor signals that is based upon the determined time of the initial impact of the football with the receiver.

Football sensing

An automated objective American-football evaluation system may include an American-style football, at least one sensor carried by the football, the at least one sensor comprising at least one accelerometer carried by the football and electronics. The electronics are to: (a) receive a string of sensor signals from the at least one sensor; (b) determine a characteristic of a throw of the football based upon the received string of sensor signals; (c) determine an identity of a football player associated with the throw of the football; (d) assign the determined characteristic of the throw of the football to the determined identity of the football player; and (e) output the determined characteristic of the throw, the determined identity of the football player and the assignment of the determined characteristic of the throw of the football to the determined identity the football.

An automated objective American-football evaluation system may include an American-style football, at least one sensor carried by the football, and electronics. The electronics arranged to: (a) receive strings of sensor signals from the at least one sensor, wherein the characteristic of the throw of the football determined by the electronics; and (b) output throw quality. The throw quality is based upon a combination of at least two throw characteristic determined based upon the received string of sensor signals associated with a throw of the football. The at least two throw characteristics are selected from a group of throw characteristics consisting of: velocity; spin rate; time-of-flight; angle of attack; release angle; cone angle; nutation angle; spiral efficiency; and spiral decay.

A football sensing system may include an American-style football extending along a longitudinal axis and having a maximum transverse dimension defining a transverse axis and at least one accelerometer. The football has a bladder and a cover about the bladder. The accelerometer is carried by the football between the bladder and the cover to sense acceleration along at least a first axis. The accelerometer is sized to sense a predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis. The accelerometer is positioned within the football in a first position with the first axis of the accelerometer angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the football. The accelerometer in the first position is capable of measuring acceleration values in a direction in line with or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the football that are greater than the predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis.

A football sensing system including an American-style football extending along a longitudinal axis and having a maximum transverse dimension defining a transverse axis and at least one accelerometer carried by the football to sense acceleration of the football along at least a first axis. The accelerometer is sized to sense a predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis. The accelerometer is positioned within the football in a first position with the first axis of the accelerometer angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the football. The accelerometer in the first position is capable of measuring acceleration values in a direction in line with or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the football that are greater than the predetermined maximum value of acceleration in the first axis.

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Evanston, IL, United States of America

David Betzold