Don Lin

US Patent:

59545992, Sep 21, 1999

Filed:

Jan 13, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/006534

Inventors:

Don L. Lin - Neshanic Station NJ

Assignee:

Lucent Technologies, Inc. - Murray Hill NJ

International Classification:

A63B 6100

US Classification:

473467

Abstract:

An automated method and apparatus for determining whether a ball in a sport has contacted the ground in or out of bounds as well as where along the boundary the impact occurred. A pair of conductors run adjacent to and beneath the boundary lines of the sport court or field. The two conductors are electrically separated by an insulator, but will contact each other at the point of impact and thereby create an electrical short when a force, such as is caused by the impact of a ball, is applied to the boundary line. The short causes two counter-propagating voltage pulses to travel out from the location of the short towards a detector which detects the pulses and the time delay between receipt of the pulses. The fact of whether pulses were detected is indicative of whether the ball was in or out of bounds, while the time delay between the pulses is indicative of the location along the boundary line where the ball struck the ground.

US Patent:

6175238, Jan 16, 2001

Filed:

Mar 17, 1999

Appl. No.:

9/271085

Inventors:

Don L. Lin - Neshanic Station NJ

Assignee:

Lucent Technologies Inc. - Murray Hill NJ

International Classification:

G01N 2760
G01R 2912

US Classification:

324452

Abstract:

This invention relates to a system and method for economically locating an ESD event with a reasonable degree of accuracy. It performs this function using a binary approach in which one or more binary ESD locator boxes are used. Each of these binary ESD locator boxes incorporates two antennas and performs the function of determining which of these antennas receives the ESD signal first. This determination establishes the ESD event as occurring to one side of a planar surface. By incorporating one or more additional binary ESD locator boxes, the system can determine whether an ESD event occurred within a two dimensional area or within a three dimensional area.