US20250025765A1

US20250025765A1 - Cue stroke monitoring for player community development

Info

Publication number: US20250025765A1
Application number: US18/225,021
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles Francis Chvala; Mark Horton
Original assignee: Seybert's Billiard Corp
Current assignee: Seybert's Billiard Corp
Priority date: 2023-07-21
Filing date: 2023-07-21
Publication date: 2025-01-23

Abstract

Cue stroke monitoring for player development includes the collection of cue stroke metrics for a real-time monitored cue sports player operating a cue in a cue sports game and the matching of the pool cue stroke metrics to a profile of a different cue sports player. Then, cue stroke content is retrieved which maps to the profile of the different cue sports player. Finally, a visualization of the pool cue stroke content is rendered in a mobile computing device of the real-time monitored cue sports player. In this way, temporally and metrically relevant feedback regarding the cue stroke of the monitored cue sports player is fed back to the monitored cue sports player so as to promote the development of the stroke of the cue sports player.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the technical field of cue sports equipment and more particularly to cue performance monitoring.

Description of the Related Art

Cue sports refer to a vast array of sporting games of skill played with a cue and billiard balls in which the cue strikes individual ones of the billiard balls to cause the balls to move along a cloth-covered table bounded by elastic bumpers. Cue sports can be classified according to the nature of the cloth table. In Carom billiards, the cloth table lacks “pockets” and otherwise merely defines a rectangular playing surface. In contrast, in the game of Pool, the table incorporates six pockets. Likewise, the games of Snooker, English billiards, and Russian pyramid the table includes six pockets.
The cue refers specifically to a cue stick. The cue stick, used to strike the billiard ball and in most instances, a “cue ball”, generally is long pole, tapered in form. The basis of all cue sports is the operation of the cue leading up to and following the striking of the billiard ball with the distal tip of the cue while the billiard ball rests on the surface of the table. The operation of the cue is referred to as the “stroke”, which is the movement made by the cueing arm of the player as the player moves the cue towards the billiard ball and following the contacting of the billiard ball with the tip.
Importantly, for a player to perform effectively as a cue sport player, the player must demonstrate a proper stroke. A proper stroke mostly refers to a smooth stroke that moves the cue straight towards the billiard ball on every shot. The concept of a straight stroke is not as simple as one might think and achieving a repeatable, straight, smooth stroke is a matter of frequent practice and natural skill. Factors that play into the achievement of a proper stroke include the manner in which the player holds the cue, the velocity at which the player moves the cue towards the billiard ball and the aiming point of the tip of the cue on the billiard ball. Other elements of a good stroke include follow-through. Follow-through is the aspect of proper stroke known to require the most development time. Follow through permits the player to apply “spin” on the billiard ball so as to manipulate the direction of movement of the ball over time after the tip of the cue has contacted the billiard ball.
Recognizing each of these factors during or even after the performance of the stroke can be challenging and as such, mostly ignored for lack of a practical way to parse each factor analytically. Indeed, the process of stroke occurs over mere seconds and, tactilely is usually not obvious to the player or even casual observers. The integration of the multiple different aspects of the stroke only complicates the ability of an observer to recognize unwanted deviations from ideal during the stroke. It is known to capture video imagery of the stroke for subsequent review and analysis, but even video review of the stroke permits some of the aspects to go undetected and, of course, video review can occur temporally far beyond the occurrence of the stroke so as to result in the loss of connection between the feeling of the stroke by the player and the cognitive recognition by the player of the aspects of the stroke resulting in a loss of an instructional opportunity.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention address technical deficiencies of the art in respect to cue stroke performance monitoring. To that end, embodiments of the present invention provide for a novel and non-obvious method for cue stroke monitoring for player development. Embodiments of the present invention also provide for a novel and non-obvious computing device adapted to perform the foregoing method. Finally, embodiments of the present invention provide for a novel and non-obvious data processing system incorporating the foregoing device in order to perform the foregoing method.
In one embodiment of the invention, a method for cue stroke monitoring for player development includes collecting cue stroke metrics for a real-time monitored cue sports player operating a cue in a cue sports game and matching the pool cue stroke metrics to a profile of a different cue sports player. The method further includes retrieving cue stroke content mapping to the profile of the different cue sports player. Finally, the method includes rendering a visualization of the pool cue stroke content in a mobile computing device of the real-time monitored cue sports player.
In one aspect of the embodiment, the matching includes establishing a communicative link to a social media network, transmitting a query to the social media network over the link with the pool cue stroke metrics and receiving the profile of the different cue sports player from over the link in response to the querying. To that end, the different cue sports player can be registered with the social media network as either a professional cue sports player and an amateur cue sports player. As an alternative, the different cue sports player is an avatar representative of an ideal cue sports player.
In another aspect of the embodiment, the cue stroke content is instructional material correlated to a portion of the metrics with a threshold disparity from counterpart metrics of the different cue sports player. In yet another aspect of the embodiment, the cue stroke metrics are collected from image processing imagery of the real-time monitored cue sports player operating the cue acquired by a mobile computing device of the cue sports player.
In another embodiment of the invention, a data processing system is adapted for cue stroke monitoring for player development. The system includes a host computing platform of one or more computers, each with memory and one or processing units including one or more processing cores. The system also includes a cue stroke monitoring module. The module includes computer program instructions enabled while executing in the memory of at least one of the processing units of the host computing platform to collect cue stroke metrics for a real-time monitored cue sports player operating a cue in a cue sports game, to match the pool cue stroke metrics to a profile of a different cue sports player, to retrieve cue stroke content mapping to the profile of the different cue sports player and to render a visualization of the pool cue stroke content in a mobile computing device of the real-time monitored cue sports player.
In this way, the technical deficiencies of recognizing cue stroke performance are overcome owing to the dual real-time analysis of the video imagery of the stroke of a subject cue sports player and the matching of the analysis to the known performance of a different cue sports player so as to present stroke content to the subject cue sports player contemporaneously with the stroke. The subject cue sports player in turn viewing the content can better adjust the manner in which the subject cue sports player engages a stroke in subject cue sports play while the stroke under analysis remains fresh in the mind of the subject cue sports player.
Additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The aspects of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The embodiments illustrated herein are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration reflecting different aspects of a process of cue stroke monitoring for player development;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting a data processing system adapted to perform one of the aspects of the process of FIG. 1 ; and,

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating one of the aspects of the process of FIG. 1 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention provide for cue stroke monitoring for player development. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, imagery of a cue sports player operating a cue in striking a billiard ball is captured by the mobile device of the player and uploaded to the cloud for stroke classification. The stroke classification as a set of one or more performance parameters is then matched to one or more registered players in a social network directed to cue sports including amateur players of similar performance parameters, professional players demonstrating exemplary performance parameters, and a fictional player (an avatar) defined by ideal performance parameters. Media content is then retrieved for the matching player or players such as a player profile information, player statistics, video instructional materials pertaining to the performance parameters and the like. The media content is then transmitted back to the mobile phone of the cue sports player so as to provide real-time or near real-time instructional data pertaining to the stroke performance of the cue sports player and to identify potential comparable players with whom the cue sports player may engage in ability-matched play whether in the physical presence of one another or virtually over network play.
In illustration of one aspect of the embodiment, FIG. 1 pictorially shows a process of cue stroke monitoring for player development. As shown in FIG. 1 , a computing device 125 such as a smart phone or tablet captures video clip imagery 130 of the stroke of a monitored player 100 operating a cue 115 in striking a billiard ball 120 on a cue sports table 110. The computing device 125 uploads the video clip imagery 130 to a stroke classifier 140 adapted classify the video clip imagery 130 according to one or more stroke parameters 150, for instance deviation from straight line movement, velocity of movement, placement of the hands of the monitored player 100 on the cue 115, position of the monitored player 100 relative to the table 110 and the billiard ball 120, aiming point on the billiard ball 120 of the cue 115 and cue strike location on the billiard ball 120.
One or more of the stroke parameters 150 are then submitted as a key to a player registry 190 in order to identify a matching player 160 matching a threshold number of the stroke parameters 150 stored for the matching player 160. In this regard, the matching of the stroke parameters 150 can be a matching to counterpart parameters for the stroke parameters 150 of the matching player 160 demonstrated by the matching player 160, or to counterpart parameters for the matching player 160 indicative of an aspect of the stroke for which the matching player 160 has instructional expertise. Stroke media content 180 for the matching player 160 is the retrieved from a player content store 170, for instance the player performance statistics of the matching player 160, the stroke parameters of the matching player 160, player profile data for the matching player 160, video imagery of the matching player 160 operating a cue striking a billiard ball, video imagery of instructional content in operating a cue striking the billiard ball by the matching player 160.
Finally, the stroke media content 180 is transmitted to the computing device 125 for rendering in a display of the computing device 125. Of note, however, in an aspect of the embodiment wherein the computing device 125 is a fixed computing apparatus with video capture circuitry, the stroke media content 180 may be transmitted for replay in a mobile device of the player 100 separate from the computing device 125. Oppositely, in an aspect of the embodiment wherein the computing device 125 is the mobile device of the player 100, the stroke media content 180 is transmitted to the same mobile device of the player 100 which had captured the video clip imagery 130 of the player 100 during the stroke.
Aspects of the process described in connection with FIG. 1 can be implemented within a data processing system. In further illustration, FIG. 2 schematically shows a data processing system adapted to perform cue stroke monitoring for player development. In the data processing system illustrated in FIG. 1 , a host computing platform 200 is provided. The host computing platform 200 includes one or more computers 210, each with memory 220 and one or more processing units 230. The computers 210 of the host computing platform (only a single computer shown for the purpose of illustrative simplicity) can be co-located within one another and in communication with one another over a local area network, or over a data communications bus, or the computers can be remotely disposed from one another and in communication with one another through network interface 260 over a data communications network 240. Finally, the host computing platform includes a fixed data store 205 storing therein media content corresponding to different cue sports players registered with a cue sports social media network 280.
In this regard, the host computing platform 200 is communicatively coupled over the data communications network 240 to a remote system 270 supporting the operation of the cue sports social media network 280 in which different cue sports players register, interact with one another through messaging, and record in association therewith in a profile metrics table 235, different stroke performance metrics such as cue velocity, deviation from straight line during stroke, aiming point on a billiard ball and actual striking point on the billiard ball, position of the hands of the associated one of the registered players on the cue during the stroke, body posture during the stroke and position of the body relative to the table and the billiard ball during the stroke. The profile metrics table 235 also stores different cue sports play metrics such as wins, losses and the identities of other players against whom the associated one of the registered players has played.
Notably, a computing device 250 including a non-transitory computer readable storage medium can be included with the data processing system 200 and accessed by the processing units 230 of one or more of the computers 210. The computing device stores 250 thereon or retains therein a program module 300 that includes computer program instructions which when executed by one or more of the processing units 230, performs a programmatically executable process for cue stroke monitoring for player development. Specifically, the program instructions during execution receive from over the data communications network 240, video clip imagery captured by a transmitting one of a multiplicity of remote clients 290. The program instructions process the video clip imagery in a video stroke classifier 225 in order to identify therefrom, one or more different stroke performance parameters evident from the video clip imagery. To that end, the video stroke classifier 225 can include a neural network trained from ground truth annotated training imagery as a classifier for different ones of the stroke performance parameters 215.
Once the video clip imagery has been classified by the video stroke classifier 225 into one or more stroke performance parameters 215, the program instructions query the profile metrics table 235 from over the data communications network 240 with the stroke performance parameters 215 in order to identify a best matching entry corresponding to a specific registered player in the cue sports social media network 280. Of note the best matching entry can be an identical match of one or more of the stroke performance parameters 215, or a threshold matching of one or more of the stroke performance parameters 215 within a threshold difference between the values. Thereafter, the program instructions retrieve from the fixed storage, stroke media content corresponding to the specific registered player and transmit the stroke media content to the transmitting one of the remote clients 290 for display therein.
In further illustration of an exemplary operation of the module, FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating one of the aspects of the process of FIG. 1 . Beginning in block 305, video clip imagery is received from the mobile device of a monitored player. In block 320, the video clip imagery is submitted to a stroke classifier and in block 330, the stroke classifier returns a classification of a stroke visualized in the video clip imagery, including one or more stroke performance parameters. In block 340, a social media network pertaining to cue sports is queried to identify a registered player associated with the one or more stroke performance parameters.
Thereafter, in block 350, the performance metrics of the identified registered player are retrieved. Concurrently, in block 360, imagery such as audio-visual media is retrieved in connection with the identified registered player and, optionally, one or more of the stroke performance parameters. Finally, in block 370, a display is generated combining the performance metrics of the identified registered player and the imagery and the display is transmitted to the mobile device for rendering in the mobile device. In this way stroke performance of the subject player is determined in real time or near real time for the subject player through the convenience of the use of the mobile device of the subject player and the stroke performance is used to enhance the playing experience of the subject player by presenting supplemental information relating to other players including, for example, instructional materials by the other players.
Of import, the foregoing flowchart and block diagram referred to herein illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computing devices according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which includes one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function or functions. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
More specifically, the present invention may be embodied as a programmatically executable process. As well, the present invention may be embodied within a computing device upon which programmatic instructions are stored and from which the programmatic instructions are enabled to be loaded into memory of a data processing system and executed therefrom in order to perform the foregoing programmatically executable process. Even further, the present invention may be embodied within a data processing system adapted to load the programmatic instructions from a computing device and to then execute the programmatic instructions in order to perform the foregoing programmatically executable process.
To that end, the computing device is a non-transitory computer readable storage medium or media retaining therein or storing thereon computer readable program instructions. These instructions, when executed from memory by one or more processing units of a data processing system, cause the processing units to perform different programmatic processes exemplary of different aspects of the programmatically executable process. In this regard, the processing units each include an instruction execution device such as a central processing unit or “CPU” of a computer. One or more computers may be included within the data processing system. Of note, while the CPU can be a single core CPU, it will be understood that multiple CPU cores can operate within the CPU and in either instance, the instructions are directly loaded from memory into one or more of the cores of one or more of the CPUs for execution.
Aside from the direct loading of the instructions from memory for execution by one or more cores of a CPU or multiple CPUs, the computer readable program instructions described herein alternatively can be retrieved from over a computer communications network into the memory of a computer of the data processing system for execution therein. As well, only a portion of the program instructions may be retrieved into the memory from over the computer communications network, while other portions may be loaded from persistent storage of the computer. Even further, only a portion of the program instructions may execute by one or more processing cores of one or more CPUs of one of the computers of the data processing system, while other portions may cooperatively execute within a different computer of the data processing system that is either co-located with the computer or positioned remotely from the computer over the computer communications network with results of the computing by both computers shared therebetween.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
Having thus described the invention of the present application in detail and by reference to embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims as follows:

Claims

We claim:

1. A method for cue stroke monitoring for player development comprising:

collecting cue stroke metrics for a real-time monitored cue sports player operating a cue in a cue sports game;

matching the pool cue stroke metrics to a profile of a different cue sports player;

retrieving cue stroke content mapping to the profile of the different cue sports player; and,

rendering a visualization of the pool cue stroke content in a mobile computing device of the real-time monitored cue sports player.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the matching comprises:

establishing a communicative link to a social media network;

transmitting a query to the social media network over the link with the pool cue stroke metrics; and,

receiving the profile of the different cue sports player from over the link in response to the querying.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the different cue sports player is registered with the social media network as one of a professional cue sports player and an amateur cue sports player.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the different cue sports player is an avatar representative of an ideal cue sports player.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cue stroke content is instructional material correlated to a portion of the metrics with a threshold disparity from counterpart metrics of the different cue sports player.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cue stroke metrics are collected from image processing imagery of the real-time monitored cue sports player operating the cue acquired by the mobile computing device of the cue sports player.

7. A data processing system adapted for cue stroke monitoring for player development, the system comprising:

a host computing platform comprising one or more computers, each with memory and one or processing units including one or more processing cores; and,

a cue stroke monitoring module comprising computer program instructions enabled while executing in the memory of at least one of the processing units of the host computing platform to perform:

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the matching comprises:

establishing a communicative link to a social media network;

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the different cue sports player is registered with the social media network as one of a professional cue sports player and an amateur cue sports player.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the different cue sports player is an avatar representative of an ideal cue sports player.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the cue stroke content is instructional material correlated to a portion of the metrics with a threshold disparity from counterpart metrics of the different cue sports player.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the cue stroke metrics are collected from image processing imagery of the real-time monitored cue sports player operating the cue acquired by the mobile computing device of the cue sports player.

13. A computing device comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions stored therein, the instructions being executable by at least one processing core of a processing unit to cause the processing unit to perform cue stroke monitoring for player development by:

matching the cue stroke metrics to a profile of a different cue sports player;

rendering a visualization of the cue stroke content in a mobile computing device of the real-time monitored cue sports player.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the matching comprises:

establishing a communicative link to a social media network;

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the different cue sports player is registered with the social media network as one of a professional cue sports player and an amateur cue sports player.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the different cue sports player is an avatar representative of an ideal cue sports player.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the cue stroke content is instructional material correlated to a portion of the metrics with a threshold disparity from counterpart metrics of the different cue sports player.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the cue stroke metrics are collected from image processing imagery of the real-time monitored cue sports player operating the cue acquired by the mobile computing device of the cue sports player.