SOUND DEVICE FOR BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED SPORTS

Abstract

A sound-generating device is adapted to be fitted in a ball or other type of sports equipment and can aid location tracking by blind and visually impaired athletes during game play. The sound generated by the device is adapted for localization by the athlete in each of the x, y, and z planes. A shock sensor can be used to signal a sound generator to produce a different sound when a change of momentum or direction is detected.

Claims

1. A sound-generating device adapted for use in sporting events, the sound-generating device comprising: a circuit comprising a sound generator that produces an audio signal adapted to be localized by an athlete; and a speaker for producing an audible sound from the audio signal.

2. The sound-generating device of claim 1, further comprising: a ball surrounding the circuit and speaker.

3. The sound-generating device of claim 1, wherein the circuit further comprises: a shock sensor connected to the sound generator, wherein the sound generator produces a second audio signal when the shock sensor detects a change in direction of the circuit.

4. The sound-generating device of claim 1, wherein the sound generator produces an audio signal comprising at least one separate frequency for each of a x, y, and z planes; and wherein the at least one separate frequency is adapted for localization by an athlete in each of the x, y, and z planes.

5. The sound-generating device of claim 4, wherein the audio signal associated with the y plane has a frequency greater than 7,000 Hz.

6. The sound-generating device of claim 4, wherein the audio signal associated with the x plane has a frequency less than 1,000 Hz.

7. The sound-generating device of claim 1, wherein the audio signal is complex.

8. The sound-generating device of claim 1, wherein the audible sound has a flat distribution in a first frequency range of about 0-1,400 Hz.

9. The sound-generating device of claim 8, wherein the first frequency range has a gain of about ?60 dB.

10. The sound-generating device of claim 1, wherein the audible sound has a distribution with a drop of about ?124 dB.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] FIG. 1 is a ball incorporating the sound-generating device, according to one embodiment.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a schematic of a sound-generating circuit that can be integrated into a ball.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a waveform of a sound generated by the ball.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] According to embodiments of the disclosure is sound-generating device 100 used in sporting equipment 101 such as balls, pucks, bats, and other items that must be tracked by an athlete during a sporting performance. The device 100 comprises a sound-generating circuit 110 and a speaker 113. In one example embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the sound device 100 is incorporated into a foam ball 101 suitable for use in tennis and is fully contained within the ball 101. The performance characteristics of the ball 101 are nearly the same as a typical tennis ball without a sound device. During play, the sound emitted from the device 100 within the ball 101 assists players in tracking and locating the ball, improving play and leading to longer volleys. While this embodiment discusses a tennis ball 101, the sound device 100 has a flexible form-factor and can be incorporated into various other sports equipment 101, such as a basketball, hockey puck, baseball bat, badminton shuttle cock, and similar items. As shown in FIG. 1, the device 100 includes a circuit 110 including a speaker 113 for emitting the sound.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a simplified diagram of the circuit 110 used to generate the sound of the sound-generating device 100 and may include a sound generator 111, a power-source 112, a shock sensor 114, and an amplifier 115. The sound generator 111 may comprise a microcomputer, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit, a programmable logic array, a logic device, an arithmetic logic unit, a digital signal processor, or another data processor and supporting electronic hardware and software. The sound generator 111 outputs a sound signal and is connected to the amplifier 115, which increases the output signal from the sound generator 111. After amplification, the signal is sent to the speaker 113, which produces an audible sound. The power source 112, such as a battery or capacitor, provides power to the components of the circuit 110. The shock sensor 115 is used to detect changes in momentum or direction of the ball 101 and/or device 100. Any change in momentum initiates a second audio signal from the sound generator 111, which in turn initiates the playing of the sound that indicates the momentum or direction change.

[0014] The sound generated by the device 100 has specific characteristics that aid the athlete in source localization. The sound qualities are based on the fact that the brain exploits different sound qualities to localize sound in each of the x, y, and z planes. For example, the horizontal plane provides both interaural time differences and level differences. The vertical plane does not have binaural cues, as human ears are relatively level on the sides of our heads, and therefore relies on spectral cues characterized by the head-related or anatomical transfer function specific to an individual. Depth is largely conveyed by sound intensity, though reverberation contributes, too. Moreover, sound color such as the varieties of frequencies that convey the meaning or relevance of a sound, and the bandwidth of frequencies are important in a number of dimensions. As a result, in one embodiment, the sound generator 111 produces at least one frequency of sound associated with each of the x, y, and z planes, where the frequency associated with each plane is adapted to improve localization for that particular plane. For sports like hockey, where the puck 101 is largely confined to the x and y planes, the sound associated with the z plane may be omitted.

[0015] By way of further example, in one embodiment, the sound generated by the device 100 is continuous, with the sound changing to a different sound upon a momentum or direction change, then back to the continuous sound. A waveform of this sound is depicted in FIG. 3, which is a Fourier transform of a sound useful for a tennis ball 101. For this sound, in the range of 0-1400 Hz, the sound power distribution is relatively flat, meaning the power is evenly distributed across different frequencies. From 1400 Hz-20000 Hz, the sound drops off to 0 power. The gain is ?60 dB in the flat region and drops to ?124 dB.

[0016] In general, sounds in the vertical plane (y-axis) are best localized when that sound is complex (high color containing many frequencies) and includes components in the >7000 Hz range. The sound can contain either broadband or narrow band (centered around 8000-10,000 Hz). In the horizontal plane (x-axis), when the source of the sound is in front of the athlete, the sound is localizable at frequencies <1000 Hz and comprises a broad band of frequencies. Distance (z-axis) is localized when the sounds are complex. Taken together, a particular sport's demands can be considered in generating a sound that improves play. For example, is the sport device 101 only localized in the x- and z-axes, such as bocce, or are all three dimensions critical, such as in tennis. In some embodiments, the sport device 101 will include sound frequencies in a variety of ranges, having sounds in the range under 1000 Hz along with sounds greater than 7000 Hz with high sound color.

[0017] In a test utilizing the sound-generating device 100, blindfolded participants were able to locate the direction of the sound-generating device 100 with an average angular error of 4.0 degrees at a 30-foot distance compared to an average angular error of 9.5 degrees when locating a standard blind and visually impaired (BVI) tennis rattle ball. The improvement was maintained even after making the rattle sound of the traditional BVI rattle ball continuous. Further, in a tennis match played with both the traditional BVI rattle ball and a ball incorporating the sound-generating device 100, players successfully made contact with the ball incorporating the device 100 100% of the time compared to about 50% for the traditional BVI ball.

[0018] When used in this specification and claims, the terms comprises and comprising and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps, or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

[0019] The invention may also broadly consist in the parts, elements, steps, examples and/or features referred to or indicated in the specification individually or collectively in any and all combinations of two or more said parts, elements, steps, examples and/or features. In particular, one or more features in any of the embodiments described herein may be combined with one or more features from any other embodiment(s) described herein.

[0020] Protection may be sought for any features disclosed in any one or more published documents referenced herein in combination with the present disclosure. Although certain example embodiments of the invention have been described, the scope of the appended claims is not intended to be limited solely to these embodiments. The claims are to be construed literally, purposively, and/or to encompass equivalents.