US009283457B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 9.283.457 B2 Thurman et al. (45) Date of Patent: Mar. 15, 2016 (54) SPORT PERFORMANCE SYSTEM WITH (58) Field of Classification Search BALL SENSING USPC ........... 463/13, 20, 25, 39: 473/438: 434/251, 434/252, 247, 258 (71) Applicant: Wilson Sporting Goods Co., Chicago, See application file for complete search history. IL (US) (56) References Cited (72) Inventors: Robert T. Thurman, Plainfield, IL (US); U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS Kevin L. Krysiak, Chicago, IL (US); David J. Proeber, New Berlin, WI (US); 2,020,484 A 1 1/1935 Turner ........................... 240.64 Bradley L. Gaff, Woodridge, IL (US) 2,307,362 A 1/1943 Dupler .............................. 240.2 (Continued) (73) Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Co., Chicago, IL (US) FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS *) Notice: Subject to anyy disclaimer, the term of this WO 2007084850 A2 7/2007 patent is extended or adjusted under 35 OTHER PUBLICATIONS U.S.C. 154(b) by 11 days. Anonymous: “94Fifty Sensor Basketball', Mar. 4, 2013, pp. 1-6, XP055.134703, Retrieved from the Internet: URL: https://web. (21) Appl. No.: 14/071,515 archive.org/web/20130304204531/http://www.infomotionsports. com/products/94fifty-sensor-basketball/retrieved on Aug. 13, 2014 (22) Filed: Nov. 4, 2013 * pp. 2-5 *. (65) Prior Publication Data (Continued) US 2014/O135150 A1 May 15, 2014 Primary Examiner — Adetokunbo O Torimiro (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Terence P. O'Brien; Todd A. Rathe Related U.S. Application Data (57) ABSTRACT (60) Provisional application No. 61/724,668, filed on Nov. A player training apparatus for use with a portable perfor 9, 2012, provisional application No. 61/798,738, filed mance system. The portable performance system includes a on Mar. 15, 2013, provisional application No. processor, a memory and a display. The training apparatus 61/788,304, filed on Mar. 15, 2013, provisional includes an American-style football, at least one sensor application No. 61/800,972, filed on Mar. 15, 2013, coupled to the football, at least one transmitter coupled to the provisional application No. 61/891.487, filed on Oct. football and operably coupled to the sensor, and a non-tran 16, 2013. sient computer-readable medium containing code. The code directs the processor to: receive input pertaining to motion of (51) Int. Cl. the football resulting from the player performing an act with A63F 9/24 (2006.01) the football; store information related to the input into the A63F 3/00 (2014.01) memory; compare the received input with previously stored (Continued) celebrity information regarding similar football acts per (52) U.S. Cl. formed by a celebrity; and display information relating to the CPC .......... A63B 69/002 (2013.01); G09B 19/0038 input and the comparison to the celebrity information. 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