To provide a highly reliable, cost-effective traveling collector that can determine the positions of fallen objects, such as balls, on the ground using a simple method, or determine the correct positions of fallen objects, such as balls, on the ground only by improving software and without the need for significant changes to hardware. The traveling collector includes a count sensor as a sensor for detecting the position of each collected ball at a position detected by a satellite positioning system, for example. A controller determines a position, which is obtained by reflecting, based on the positional information on the ball collector at a time point when the ball was counted by touching the count sensor, the movement distance of the ball collector from the time each ball was picked up from the ground by a ball collection wheel till the ball was counted by touching the count sensor in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the ball collector at that time, as the actual position where each ball was picked up.

Electronic tracking systems are disclosed for assisting users with locating objects in a sporting environment. One such system includes a ball tracking component that tracks a game ball while moving in the sporting environment, and a heads up display that is worn by the user. This heads up display has an electronic display screen with a transparent display area that dynamically displays images within the user's field of view. A processor, which communicates with the ball tracking component and heads up display, is programmed to detect movement of the game ball, and responsively determine launch characteristics and/or flight characteristics of the moving game ball. The heads up display displays the launch/flight characteristics contemporaneous with an object indication adjacent to or superimposed over the moving game ball as the game ball is visible through the transparent display area of the display screen within the user's field of view.

Electronic tracking systems are disclosed for assisting users with locating objects in a sporting environment. One such system includes a ball tracking component that tracks a game ball while moving in the sporting environment, and a heads up display that is worn by the user. This heads up display has an electronic display screen with a transparent display area that dynamically displays images within the user's field of view. A processor, which communicates with the ball tracking component and heads up display, is programmed to detect movement of the game ball, and responsively determine launch characteristics and/or flight characteristics of the moving game ball. The heads up display displays the launch/flight characteristics contemporaneous with an object indication adjacent to or superimposed over the moving game ball as the game ball is visible through the transparent display area of the display screen within the user's field of view.

Electronic tracking systems are disclosed for assisting users with locating objects in a sporting environment. One such system includes a ball tracking component that tracks a game ball while moving in the sporting environment, and a heads up display that is worn by the user. This heads up display has an electronic display screen with a transparent display area that dynamically displays images within the user's field of view. A processor, which communicates with the ball tracking component and heads up display, is programmed to detect movement of the game ball, and responsively determine launch characteristics and/or flight characteristics of the moving game ball. The heads up display displays the launch/flight characteristics contemporaneous with an object indication adjacent to or superimposed over the moving game ball as the game ball is visible through the transparent display area of the display screen within the user's field of view.

A method for determining a direction of a spin axis of a rotating apparatus which includes an XYZ-magnetic field sensor. The method includes determining a global direction of a magnetic field; rotating the rotating apparatus around the spin axis, measuring at least one magnetic field value as a function of time with the XYZ-magnetic field sensor when the rotating apparatus is rotating about the spin axis, computing a magnetic field component of the magnetic field in a direction of a local body co-ordinate of the spin axis of the rotating apparatus from the measured at least one magnetic field value and determining a direction of the spin axis using the computed magnetic field component of the magnetic field and the determined global direction of the magnetic field.

The present invention relates to a golf ball locator apparatus comprising: a passive RFID tag comprising at least one attachment feature for releasable engagement to a golf ball; and an RFID reader comprising: at least one attachment feature for releasable engagement to a head of a golf club; an antenna configured to generate a high frequency electromagnetic field for detecting the passive RFID tag; a signal device operable to provide a signal to a user when the antenna has detected the golf ball; and a power source operable to provide power to the antenna and signal device.

Electronic tracking systems are disclosed for assisting users with locating objects in a sporting environment. One such system includes a ball tracking component that tracks a game ball while moving in the sporting environment, and a heads up display that is worn by the user. This heads up display has an electronic display screen with a transparent display area that dynamically displays images within the user's field of view. A processor, which communicates with the ball tracking component and heads up display, is programmed to detect movement of the game ball, and responsively determine launch characteristics and/or flight characteristics of the moving game ball. The heads up display displays the launch/flight characteristics contemporaneous with an object indication adjacent to or superimposed over the moving game ball as the game ball is visible through the transparent display area of the display screen within the user's field of view.

Systems and methods relating to evaluating the performance of a person playing basketball are described. The systems and methods can be used to provide an evaluation sequence that can determine and evaluate the performance level of a person at one or more basketball skills. The evaluation sequence for the person can include a first sequence of actions that are the same each person being evaluated for a particular skill and a second sequence of actions that is based on the results of the first sequence and may be different for each person. Once the first and second sequences have been completed by the person, the system can determine a performance level for the person for the skills being evaluated.

An exercise machine is disclosed. A vertically oriented console unit comprises: a first cable; a screen; and a motor providing a controllable tension force on the first cable. An auxiliary pulley that is remote from the console unit is disclosed, wherein the first cable is routable over the auxiliary pulley that is remote from the console unit.

An exercise machine is disclosed. A resistance unit comprises: a first cable; and a motor providing a controllable tension force on a first cable. An adjustable screen unit is disclosed, wherein the adjustable screen unit is at least one of tiltable, rotatable, and translatable.

A method and system for use in the game of football to determine ball placement and position, as well as first down demarcations, is described, with various embodiments configured to track the location of a football to determine its position on the field and to determine and display the first down demarcation on the field. Certain embodiments employ software to assist in performing placement determinations, distance determinations, track movement of the ball, first down markers, as well as light emitting modules along a track that extends parallel to the field.