Play device for a rebound sport

Abstract

A play device for a rebound sport with a play area is provided, on which a ball can be played by a player to rebound from an impact position in accordance with a predetermined set of rules of the rebound sport, which includes a sensor system configured to detect two-dimensional first coordinates of the impact position and to transfer the two-dimensional first coordinates to a computing unit configured to determine two-dimensional second coordinates, a size and/or a shape of a target field depending on the first coordinates in accordance with a predetermined specification and to control a projector to project the target field to be optically perceptible by the player on a projection area, wherein the ball can be played by the player on the target field to rebound from the target field in accordance with the set of rules of the rebound sport.

Claims

1. A play device for a rebound sport, the play device comprising: a play area configured to permit a ball to be played by a player to rebound from an impact position of the play area in accordance with a predetermined set of rules of the rebound sport, the ball being played by the player on at least one target field to rebound from the at least one target field in accordance with the predetermined set of rules of the rebound sport; a computing unit; a sensor system including a light grid and a camera, being in communication with the computing unit, and being configured to detect two-dimensional first coordinates of the impact position and to transfer the two-dimensional first coordinates to the computing unit, the light grid being configured to detect only a first coordinate of the two-dimensional first coordinates, the camera having an image processing unit and being configured to capture the play area, and the image processing unit being configured to detect only a second coordinate of the two-dimensional first coordinates; the computing unit being configured to: determine two-dimensional second coordinates, and at least one of a size and a shape of the at least one target field depending on the two-dimensional first coordinates in accordance with a predetermined specification, and control a projector of the play device configured to project the at least one target field on a projection area arranged within the play area to be optically perceptible by the player.

2. The play device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor system comprises a light barrier for each of the two-dimensional first coordinates.

3. The play device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor system comprises a light grid for each of the two-dimensional first coordinates.

4. The play device according to claim 1, wherein: the sensor system comprises a light barrier configured to detect one of the two-dimensional first coordinates and a camera having an image processing unit and being configured to capture the play area, and the image processing unit is configured to detect another of the two-dimensional first coordinates.

5. The play device according to claim 1, further comprising a server configured to at least one of: permit the predetermined specification to be input in the computing unit, and manipulate the predetermined specification in the computing unit.

6. The play device according to claim 1, further comprising a client-computing unit configured to at least one of: remotely input the predetermined specification in the computing unit, and manipulate the predetermined specification in the computing unit.

7. The play device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor system is configured to: detect an impact of the ball in the at least one target field, and be coupled to the computing unit to report back a detection of the impact of the ball to the computing unit.

8. The play device according to claim 7, wherein the computing unit is configured to evaluate the detection reported back and to control the projector to project evaluation information as an evaluation display on the projection area.

9. The play device according to claim 1, wherein: the rebound sport is squash, and the play area includes at least one of a front wall, a side wall, and a floor of a squash court.

10. The play device according to claim 1, wherein: the camera captures a velocity and a direction of the ball before and after an impact of the ball on the impact position, and the image processing unit detects the second coordinate of the two-dimensional first coordinates based on the velocity and the direction of the ball before and after the impact of the ball on the impact position.

11. A squash court comprising: a play area configured to permit a ball to be played by a player to rebound from an impact position of the play area in accordance with a predetermined set of rules of a rebound sport, the ball being played by the player on at least one target field to rebound from the at least one target field in accordance with the predetermined set of rules of the rebound sport; a computing unit; a sensor system including a light grid and a camera, being in communication with the computing unit, and being configured to detect two-dimensional first coordinates of the impact position and to transfer the two-dimensional first coordinates to the computing unit, the light grid being configured to detect only a first coordinate of the two-dimensional first coordinates, the camera having an image processing unit and being configured to capture the play area, and the image processing unit being configured to detect only a second coordinate of the two-dimensional first coordinates; the computing unit being configured to: determine two-dimensional second coordinates, and at least one of a size and a shape of the at least one target field depending on the two-dimensional first coordinates in accordance with a predetermined specification, and control a projector of the play device configured to project the at least one target field on a projection area arranged within the play area to be optically perceptible by the player, wherein the rebound sport is squash, and wherein the play area includes at least one of a front wall, a side wall, and a floor.

12. A method for playing a rebound sport, comprising: playing a ball by a player on a play area to rebound from an impact position of the play area according to a predetermined set of rules of the rebound sport; detecting two-dimensional first coordinates of the impact position by a sensor system including a light grid and a camera, the light grid being configured to detect only a first coordinate of the two-dimensional first coordinates, the camera having an image processing unit and being configured to capture the play area, and the image processing unit being configured to detect only a second coordinate of the two-dimensional first coordinates; determining two-dimensional second coordinates, and at least one of a size and a shape of at least one target field depending on the first coordinates in accordance with a predetermined specification; projecting the at least one target field on a projection area arranged within the play area, the at least one target field being optically perceived by the player; subsequently playing the ball by the player to rebound from the at least one target field in accordance with the set of rules of the rebound sport.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: detecting an impact of the ball in the at least one target field.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: evaluating a detection reported back, and projecting an evaluation information as an evaluation display on the projection area.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic three-dimensional illustration of a squash court,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a first exemplary embodiment of the play device,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a second exemplary embodiment of the play device, and

(5) FIG. 4 shows a three-dimensional schematic illustration of a squash court with a glance towards a front wall during the play.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(6) As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a squash court 1 includes a play device 2. The play device 2 includes a front wall 3. The front wall 3 includes in a lower third an impact line 4 and on the bottom a tin 5. The squash court 1 is confined on the sides by a left side wall 6 and a right-side wall 8, wherein the front wall 3, the left side wall 6 and the right-side wall 8 are marked by an out line 7. Two serve fields 10 are marked on the floor 9 of the squash court 1, wherein a middle line 11 is arranged between the two serve fields 10.

(7) A player 12 stands in the squash court 1 on the floor 9 according to the set of rules and plays with a racket 13 a ball 14 on the front wall 3, the left side wall 6, the right-side wall 8 and/or the floor 9, wherein the ball 14 is supposed to rebound below the impact line 4. If the player 12 serves, the ball 14 is supposed to impact on the front wall 3 above the impact line 4.

(8) The play device 2 includes a sensor system 15, with which two-dimensional first coordinates 16 (x, y) can be detected. According to a first exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the sensor system 15 includes a first light grid 17 and a second light grid 18. A play area 19, that is spanned by the front wall 13, is the area, on which the ball 14 is to be played by the player 12 with the racket 13 during the squash game. It is conceivable that the play area 19 also extends on the left-side wall 6 and/or the right-side wall 8 and/or on the floor 9. The first light grid 17 is configured to detect the vertical coordinate y of the play area 19 and the second light grid 18 is configured to detect the horizontal coordinate x of the play area 19. The front wall 3 further has a projection area 20 that coincides with the play area 19. It is also conceivable that the projection area 20 is smaller than the play area 19 but arranged within the play area 19.

(9) The play device 2 includes a computing unit 21 that is coupled with the light grids 17, 18, wherein the light grids 17, 18 transfer data about the two-dimensional first coordinates 16 detected by them. Further, a predetermined specification is stored in the computing unit 21, according to which two-dimensional second coordinates, the sizes and the shapes of target fields 27, 28 are determined in dependence of the two-dimensional first coordinates 16 by the computing unit 21. The play device 2 further includes a projector 22, with which in particular the target fields 27, 28 are projected on the projection area 20. The play device 2 moreover includes a server 23, with which the predetermined specification can be manipulated in the computing unit 21 and input in the computing unit 21. A remote access in the computing unit 21 is enabled by a client-computing unit 24 of the play device 2 via the server 23.

(10) A second exemplary embodiment of the play device 2 is shown in FIG. 3. The second exemplary embodiment includes a camera 25 instead of the light grid 18, wherein the play area 19 is recorded by the camera 25. The camera 25 includes an image processing unit with which the vertical coordinate y can be detected during the impact of the ball 14 on the play area 19.

(11) When squash is played in the squash court 1 with the play device 2, the player 12 stands in front of the front wall 3 and plays the ball 14 on the play area 19 with the racket 13, so that the ball 14 impacts on the play area 19, whereby an impact position 26 is defined within the play area 19. The sensor system 15 according to the first exemplary embodiment is configured with the first light grid 17 and the second light grid 18 and according to the second exemplary embodiment with the first light grid 17 and the camera 25 such that the two-dimensional first coordinates 16 are detected. As a result of the light grids 17, 18 or the light grid 17 and the camera 25 being coupled with the computing unit 21, data according to the detected two-dimensional first coordinates 16 are transferred to the computing unit 21. A dataset with which the target fields 27, 28 are defined are determined by the predetermined specification stored in the computing unit 21 depending on these data. The position on the projection area 20 on which the target fields 27, 28 are supposed to be arranged, and a size and a shape of the target field 27, 28 are determined by the computing unit 21. The first target fields 27 are formed with a quadratic shape, whereas the second field 28 is formed with a round shape. A boundary 29 is defined as a further target field by the computing unit 21, the target fields 27, 28 are arranged within the boundary 29, and the player 12 is supposed to play the ball 14 in the boundary 29.

(12) The game with the play device 2 takes place for example as follows: The player 12 stands in the serve field 10 assigned to him and plays the ball 14 in the direction to the front wall 3, so that the ball 14 impinges on the play area 19. The location at which the ball 14 impinges on the play area 19 is the impact position 26. The sensor system 15 is configured to permit the two-dimensional first coordinates 16 of the impact position 26 to be detected and to be transferred to the computing unit 21. Two-dimensional second coordinates for the target fields 27, 28 as well as the boundary 29 are determined by the predetermined specification stored in the computing unit 21. Further, the number of target fields 27 and the rectangular shape for the target fields 27 are determined by using the predetermined specification. The target fields 27, 28 as well as the boundary 29 are projected by the projector 22, so that this projection is optically perceptible in the projection area 20 by the player 12.

(13) Further, the impact position 26 is marked by a cross and is also projected by the projector 22 on the projection area 20. It is an object for the player 12 to hit in turn with the ball 14 the first target fields 27 that are arranged within the boundary 29.

(14) The sensor system 15 is further configured to detect if the first target fields 27 are hit by the ball 14. The target field 27 being hit by the ball 14 is then blanked out in the projection of the projector 22, so that the remaining first target fields 27, that are not hit, are visible for the player 12 on the projection area 20. If the player 12 succeeds in hitting all first target fields 27 originally displayed on the projection area 20, the second target field 28 is to be hit with the ball 14. If the second target field 28 is also hit, the object of the player 12 in accordance with the predetermined specification stored in the computing unit 21 is solved. All impact positions 26 on the projection area 20 are marked with crosses for the orientation of the player 12.

(15) The two-dimensional second coordinates are evaluated in the computing unit 21 with respect to the hit precision and the number of the impact positions 26. The result hereto is provided to the player 12 for information in form of an evaluation display 30 in the upper region of the projection field 20.

(16) It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the exemplary embodiments of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(17) 1 squash court

(18) 2 play device

(19) 3 front wall

(20) 4 impact line

(21) 5 tin

(22) 6 left side wall

(23) 7 out line

(24) 8 right side wall

(25) 9 floor

(26) 10 serve field

(27) 11 middle line

(28) 12 player

(29) 13 racket

(30) 14 ball

(31) 15 sensor system

(32) 16 coordinates

(33) 17 first light grid

(34) 18 second light grid

(35) 19 play area

(36) 20 projection field

(37) 21 computing unit

(38) 22 projector

(39) 23 server

(40) 24 client-computing unit

(41) 25 camera

(42) 26 impact position

(43) 27 first target field

(44) 28 second target field

(45) 29 boundary

(46) 30 evaluation display