ELECTRONIC HOME PLATE FOR BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL GAMES AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC DETERMINATION OF PRESENCE, POSITION AND SPEED OF A BALL RELATIVE TO THE STRIKE ZONE

摘要

An electronic home plate providing assistance to an umpire in determination whether a pitch results in a “strike” or a “ball”. The electronic home plate is implemented with eye-safe LEDs producing light beams extending vertically. If a ball intersects the light beams, the light reflected from the ball is scattered and incident on photodetectors embedded in the home plate. A microcomputer embedded in the electronic home plate calculates the height of the ball crossing the light beams, and if the height falls between the top and bottom boundaries of a strike zone adjusted to the height of the batter, an indication system is activated to produce a “strike” signal. The microcomputer in the electronic home plate is further configured to calculate speed of the ball passing over the home plate, and the lateral position of the ball.

主权项

1. An Electronic Home Plate (EHP) system, comprising:
an EHP housing including a bottom module and an upper member attached to said bottom module and defining a space therebetween, a plurality of first light emitting units embedded in said EHP housing at predetermined positions in proximity to said upper member thereof, each first light emitting unit generating a light beam extending vertically above said upper member of said EHP housing, wherein a cross-section of said light beam varies therealong in a predetermined fashion, at least one photodetector unit embedded in said EHP housing in proximity to said upper member thereof, and a microcomputer unit embedded in said EHP housing and operatively coupled to said first light emitting units and said at least one photodetector unit, said microcomputer unit being configured to determine passage of a ball within boundaries of a predetermined strike zone above said EHP housing based on readings of said at least one photodetector unit.