JPH07106231B2 - Ultrasonic strike determination device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial field of application) The present invention utilizes a waveform deformation and a time difference between an output by an ultrasonic wave and its reflected input, for pitching pitchers in baseball and bat swings of batters. , Strike and ball determination device.

(Prior Art) According to the umpire law of the baseball rules, "the declaration of ball and strike" is established as one of the special duties of umpires.
Conventionally, the judgment of the ball and the strike is based only on the visual judgment of the umpire. Of course, the judgment in this case is based on empirical rules, which may cause inaccuracy and difficulty.

(Problems to be solved by the invention) However, in baseball, the judgment of the above-mentioned umpire's ball and strike is conventionally made only by the visual inspection of the umpire standing behind the catcher, and thus the judgment is inaccurate and difficult. Due to the fact that there is a problem and that there is no objective judgment device in that case, after proving the judgment of the “ball and strike”, it is possible to show evidence of factual evidence. There was a problem that I could not.

The present invention solves the problems as described above, and an ultrasonic type strike capable of accurately and fairly quickly and quickly determining the ball and strike and the bat swing, and displaying the result of the determination. An object is to provide a determination device.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention emits ultrasonic waves in a vertical direction from the surface of the home base plate, and the ultrasonic signals are reflected back to the sphere and the bat. A means for receiving signals is arranged, the position of the reflector is converted from the round-trip time length and wave number coefficient, and the trajectory of the ball and bat in the strike zone is calculated and patterned, and the course of the ball and the strike zone for each batter. The present invention provides an ultrasonic strike detection / determination display device that makes a strike determination based on the relationship between the batter and the batter's bat swing, detects the type of ball, the speed of the ball, and displays the results.

That is, in the present invention, the means for transmitting and generating ultrasonic waves in the vertical direction with respect to the horizontal home base plate and receiving means for the reflected signal thereof are embedded in a matrix shape at intervals less than the diameter of the sphere including the boundary line of the base, and the pitcher has an axis. Set the foot on the pitcher board, hold the ball with both hands once, and then pitch to the batter, the set signal turns on, the above ultrasonic waves are periodically transmitted and output, and an appropriate time is set, that is, the catcher. When it is enough to reach, the set signal is turned off and the transmission output is stopped. The time lag between the transmission output being reflected by the sphere and the bat and being received is converted into a vertical distance from the base plate for each ultrasonic transmission / reception element unit. In addition, the strike range for each batter is registered in advance, and by comparing this with the trajectory of the vertical distance of the ball above, the strike of the ball and the ball are discriminated. , The strike judgment of the pitch is decided as an overall result.

In addition, it is possible to obtain a strike display of a ball, a display of a ball speed, a ball type, a course, etc., and a calculation display of a swing speed of a bat, a trajectory distance between the bat and the ball, etc., by the pattern recognition by the counting means. Is an ultrasonic type strike determination device.

(Operation) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention has the following effects due to the above-mentioned configuration.

A transmitter / receiver element unit for generating and outputting various kinds of ultrasonic waves in a direction perpendicular to the home base plate is embedded in the home base plate at intervals equal to or smaller than a diameter of a sphere. The shape of the home base plate is a pentagon as shown in Fig. 2, and the transmitting and receiving element parts (A11 to Am) have a ball diameter of 7.29 to 7.48 cm from the circumference (9 inch to 9 inch 1/4) of the hardball in the baseball regulations. If so, it is arranged at a minimum as shown by A11 to A74 in FIG. Of course, FIG. 3 is an example, and A11 to A17, A21, A27, A
It is obvious that some of the objects of the present invention can be realized only by 31, A37, A41, A47, and more detailed data analysis can be performed by arranging more than the number shown in FIG.

The transmitting / receiving element section is embedded in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the home base plate, and is provided with a transparent protective cover for preventing signal refraction and interference of other signals, and for protecting the transmitting / receiving element section and for structural reinforcement. To When an ultrasonic wave signal transmitted from an ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving element unit, for example, A11 is reflected by a sphere or a bat, the signal is received by A11. From the frequency (f) and wavelength (in) of the ultrasonic wave, the propagation velocity (v) is given by the following equation (1).

v = f × Entry (1) For example, half (2t) of the time (2t) until the ultrasonic wave transmitted in the vertical direction to the home base plate is reflected by the sphere or bat and received (speed) ( From v), the vertical distance (S) between A11 embedded in the base plate and the ball or bat is given by equation (2).

S = t × v (2) Depending on the vertical distance (height) of the ball, the strike determination of the ball can be made by comparison with the vertical strike zone of each batter, that is, the height between the upper part of the batter's kneecap and the armpit. Can be realized (No.
(See Figure 5b). If the reflected signal is not received within a certain period after the transmission, it is determined that the ball or bat does not pass directly above A11.

It is possible to three-dimensionally display the trajectory of the ball by analyzing and calculating the pitch by many of the ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving element portions embedded in the home base plate as described above. Strikes on the trajectory of the pitch and determination of the ball make a program based on the baseball rules. For example, a pitch is entered from the front of the pentagonal solid in FIG. 5 (a) and falls out vertically, or a pitch entered from the top is judged to be a ball, and FIG. 6a, 6b
As shown in the figure, a pitch that passes a corner of the square A11A17A47A41 in FIG. 3 on the horizontal plane and passes through the strike width of the batter's vertical surface is determined to be a strike.

On the other hand, at the same time, when each of the above ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving element sections traces the trajectory of the batter's bat swing, and the tip of the bat passes through the front surface of the home base plate (A11 to A17 in FIG. 3) from behind, Even if it is a half swing, it is judged as a strike regardless of whether the ball is pitched or not.

Furthermore, in addition to the above-described strike and ball determination, the present invention is capable of performing image processing of pitching trajectory data and pattern type recognition to determine the type of the ball, and also periodic ultrasonic transmission and embedded transmission / reception element It has the feature that the speed of a sphere or bat can be converted from the distance and the time difference and measured and displayed. For example, if the sphere passes directly above A12, A22, A32, A42, and A52 in Fig. 3, if the passage times t2, t3, t4, and t5 after A12 are, the ball speed is "distance ÷ time". Obtained from the average.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the strike determination can be clearly and quantitatively performed for each pitch in the strike zone of each batter by the above-described action, and the result can be displayed and confirmed by a third party. As compared with the conventional judgment based only on the visual inspection of the referee, the strike judgment can be performed more accurately and easily, and further, the ball speed, the kind of the ball, the course, the bat locus, etc. can be obtained.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 3, ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving element portions (A11 to Am) are embedded in the home base plate at intervals equal to or smaller than the diameter of the sphere. The example of embedding in the home base plate is to transmit the ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving element section (A11 to Am) perpendicularly to the home base plate surface as shown in FIGS. 3a to 3c so that the reflected signal can be effectively received. With a transparent protective cover 2, the portion 5 of the true home base plate width dimension 3 (see FIG. 2) is a white-based object, its surroundings 6
Is an object based on black color, is surrounded by an auxiliary object 4 for reinforcing the structure, collecting effect of transmitted and received signals and preventing interference of external signals, and fixed the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving element section (A11 to Am),
The lead wire 7 of the element is connected to the operating portion.

As for the ultrasonic wave transmission, when the set signal is turned on as shown in FIG. 7, the ultrasonic wave transmission / reception element units (A11 to Am) simultaneously output the ultrasonic waves periodically. The output cycle is sufficiently larger than the frequency of ultrasonic waves.

Next, in order to show an embodiment for measuring the vertical height of the pitch or bat, the operation of one of the ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving element units A11 will be described with reference to FIG. When the pitcher starts the pitching motion, the set signal turns on, and two types of ultrasonic waves of wavelength input 1 and input 2 are transmitted simultaneously from A11. The propagation velocities V1 and V2 of the ultrasonic waves of the wavelengths 1 and 2 which are input 1 >> input 2 are V1 >> V2 >> (ball speed). When the sphere was directly above A11 while the output signals (1) to (n) were transmitted and the ultrasonic waves of input 2 were transmitted from (5) to (6), V1 >> V2 >> (ball speed ) Therefore, from the half of the time difference (2t) between the reflection signal 1 and the reflection signal 2 (that is, t) and the velocity (V2), the height (S) from A11 to the sphere is (3).
It becomes an expression.

S = t × V2 (3) Of course, strictly speaking, S = t × V1 × V2 / (V1-V2), but V
Since 1 >> V2, it can be converted to equation (3).

Therefore, as another embodiment, it is obvious that it is possible to emit an ultrasonic wave 1 having a wavelength of 1 from A11 and measure the time when the reflected signal is received. When there is no reflected signal,
It can be determined that there is no reflective object vertically above the receiving element portion in that time zone.

In the above embodiment, the ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving element portions are arranged in the home base plate as shown in FIG. 3, but as an application example thereof, the ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving element portions are arranged and embedded in the peripheral portion of the home base plate. Then, it is clear that it is possible to grasp the trajectory of the sphere outside the base range.

(Effects of the Invention) As is apparent from the above-described embodiments, the present invention arranges ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving elements in a home base plate for baseball, and determines the home base plate of passing objects such as balls and bats from the reflection time in the vertical direction. By using the method of measuring the vertical distance from the, it is to provide a device that accurately and quantitatively determine the strike and ball of the pitch and bat swing for the strike zone of each batter. It has an excellent effect of eliminating the inaccuracy and the difficulty caused by the judgment of the strike and the ball only by the visual check of the umpire. Furthermore, since the pitching speed, the type of ball, the trajectory of the ball, and the trajectory of the bat can be displayed as a result of the above determination, there is an effect that it can be clearly shown to a third party and can be objectively confirmed.

It is also characterized by the fact that it can be recorded and analyzed because it is numerical data.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a shape diagram of a home base plate of a baseball regulation, and FIG. Arrangement example diagram, FIG. 4a ~ 4c is an example of embedding the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving element portion in the home base plate in one embodiment of the present invention, 5a and 5b are explanatory views of the strike zone of each batter, FIGS. 6a and 6b are explanatory views of a strike example of the pitching trajectory of the baseball regulations, FIG. 7 is an ultrasonic wave transmission signal diagram in one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is one in one embodiment of the present invention. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of an ultrasonic wave transmission / reception element part. In FIG. 1, reference numerals 1 ... Ultrasonic transmission element section, 2 ... Ultrasonic reflection reception element section, 3 ... Ultrasonic transmission transmission section, 4 ... Ultrasonic reflection reception circuit section, 5 ... Vertical distance and time counting unit, 6 ... Set signal control unit, 7 ... Bat trajectory counting unit, 8 ... Bat strike determination unit, 9 ...
Bat trajectory and speed display section, 10 ... data of strike zone of each batter, 11 ... trajectory counting section of pitch, 12 ... strike determination section of pitch for each batter, 13 ... strike determination section of pitch, 14 ... ... Strike judgment display for pitching, 15
…… Pitch type and course determination section, 16 …… Pitch type and course display section. 4a to 4c, 1 ... Ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving element section, 2 ... Protective cover, 3 ... True home base plate dimension, 4 ... Reinforcing section, 5 ... True home base plate dimension section, 6 …… True home base plate dimension circumference, 7 …… Lead wire.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── --- Continuation of the front page (72) Yoshimitsu Miura, Yoshimitsu Miura, 3-9-35 Tsukushino, Machida, Tokyo Examiner Yuzo Koike (56) References JP 61-37181 (JP, A) 99272 (JP, U) Actually opened 62-70560 (JP, U)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A means for transmitting an ultrasonic wave in a direction perpendicular to a home base plate surface, and a means for receiving a signal in which the signal is reflected by a pitching ball and a bat, and an ultrasonic wave transmitting output signal and the signal are thrown. And a first counting means for counting the round-trip time length and the fractional counting with the reflected reception signal reflected by the bat, and a second counting means for counting the height from the home base plate based on the first counting result. , Third counting means for converting the previously registered data of the height widths of the upper and lower limits of the vertical strike zone of each batter into the round-trip time length of ultrasonic waves, and the home base plate of the pitch The second count value obtained by converting the vertical distance from the to the time length and the data in which the height widths of the upper and lower limits of the vertical strike zone of each batter are registered in advance, Third to convert to length The comparison operation between the numbers, means for identifying and strike / ball determine whether the strike zone of the batter pitch passes further the first
When the trajectory of the bat is detected by the counting means, the ultrasonic strike determination device is provided with a means for determining a strike regardless of the count value of the pitch, and a display unit for displaying the determination.