WO2001079858A1

WO2001079858A1 - Miniature sports radar speed measuring device

Info

Publication number: WO2001079858A1
Application number: PCT/US2001/012535
Authority: WO
Inventors: Albert E. Dilz, Jr.
Original assignee: Sports Sensors, Inc.
Priority date: 2000-04-17
Filing date: 2001-04-17
Publication date: 2001-10-25
Also published as: US6666089B2; AU2001251666A1; US6378367B1; US6898971B2; US20020162391A1; CA2406070A1; CA2406070C; US20040159153A1

Abstract

A sensor (10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510) is provided for measuring the speed of a moving sports object, for example, a ball such as a baseball (16) or softball. The sensor is operable over a short range and is preferably mounted in close proximity to the path of the moving object. For measuring the speed of a ball, the sensor is preferably mounted on or in a ball glove (14) or is otherwise mounted on the forearm of a person catching or otherwise receiving or interacting with the ball, for example, by wearing the sensor on such person's wrist. The sensor of the preferred embodiment utilizes CW Doppler radar in the form of a microwave radio frequency transmitter and receiver that has a single-transistor integrated antenna/oscillator.

Description

MINIATURE SPORTS RADAR SPEED MEASURING DEVICE

This International Application claims pπoiity to U S Patent Application Seπal No 09/550,735, filed Apπl Ϊ7 2000, which is a Continuation-In-Pait of

U S PatenlApp cationSenal No 09/233,556, filed Januaiy 20, 1999, now U S Patent No 6,079,269, which is a Continuation of U S Patent Application Seual No 08/796,665, filed Febiuaiy 5, 1997 and now U S Patent No 5,864,061,

U S Patent Application Seual No 09/471,905, filed Decembei 23, 1999, winch is based on U S Piovisional Patent Application Seual No 60/113,378, filed Decembei 23, 1998, and

U S Patent Application Seual No 09/471,906, filed Decembei 23, 1999, which is based on U S Piovisional Patent Application Seual No 60/113,434, filed Decembei 23, 1998 All of the above identified applications aie heieby expiessly lncorpoiated heiem by lefeience

Field ol the Invention:

This invention lelates to speed measuiing devices paiticulaily suited foi use m determining velocity magnitude oi speed of spoits objects, and oie paiticulaily, to low cost, low eneigy radai devices foi use m measuiing the speed of baseballs, baseball bats, golf club heads, auows fiom aicheiy bows, pamt balls fiom pamt ball guns, and othei spoits objects, oi the speed of movements by maitial aitists and othei playeis, paiticulaily duiing naming Background ol the Invention:

Continuous wave (CW) Dopplei ladai technology is commonly utilized to detect a moving object illuminated by the electiomagnetic field of the ladai and pioducmg an electncal signal at a Dopplei fiequency which is a measuie of the lelative speed of the moving object This technology has been pioneeied and developed by the defense mdustiy m the United States, is well documented m textbooks and lepoits, and has found numeious applications in consumei pioducts Secuπty motion sensois, mdustiial position sensois and police ladai units aie examples of cuπent uses of Dopplei ladai systems

Dopplei ladai has been used in spoits applications to measuie the velocities of spoits objects oi playeis lelative to one anothei oi lelative to a lefeience point Examples of spoits ladai in use aie found in U S Patent No

4,276 548 to Lutz and U S Patent No 5,199,705 to Jenkins et al Conventional spoits ladai includes "speed guns" foi measuiing baseball oi softball speed, such as disclosed m the Lutz patent Available spoits ladai units geneially occupy appioximately 200 cubic inches and cost seveial hundied dollais These units aie typically opeiated by a thud peison somewhat lemote fiom the fhiowei and leceivei

Implementation of puoi ait CW Dopplei ladai systems is lelatively complex, geneially involving the use of an RF oscillatoi and signal geneiatoi, an antenna system to ladiate the oscillatoi output into fiee-space and to leceive a poition of the tiansmitted electiomagnetic eneigy that is leflected by the moving object, a tiansmit/ieceive switch, diplexei, oi cnculatoi device if a single antenna is used foi both tiaπsmit and leceive lathei than sepaiate tiansmit and leceive antennas, and vauous local oscillatois, nnxeis, phase-locked-loops and othei "fiont-end" cncuits to heteiodyne, demodulate and detect the Dopplei signal This complexity imposes high cost and size lequuements on the ladai units, which have heietofoie discouiaged the utilization of CW Dopplei technology in consumei applications wheie extiemely small size and low cost aie necessaiy foi piactical end pioduct lealization

In electionics applications urn elated to those discussed above, Dopplei ladai systems using simple homodyne cncuits have been known Such applications include defense applications such as oidnance pioximity fuzes and taiget detectois wheie Dopplei modulation piovides evidence of a taiget encountei Validation of the piesence of taiget signals within a piescnbed Dopplei fiequency passband and the detection of amplitude build-up as the taiget encountei distance decieases aie sufficient foi signal piocessmg and decision making in such systems, obviating the need to accurately measuie oi calculate the specific velocity magnitude oi speed Foi example, foi geneial pioximity sensing applications, meie detection of an liici easing distance signal is satisfactoiy Howevei, applications lequiung a speed measuiement necessitate deteimmation of the specific Dopplei fiequency and a calculation ol a conesponding speed value Such homodyne cncuits aie but among hundieds oi thousands of cncuits and modulation schemes that in some way cany speed mfomiation but which have not been consideied piactical for piovidmg speed measurements Accoidmgly, cncuits of a size oi cost that aie piactical foi consumei applications such as spoits object speed measurement have not been known oi available

Existing Dopplei speed measuiing devices suffei fiom loss of accuiacy due to the inability to place the unit in the line of the moving object, lesultmg in a I eduction in the speed measuiement to the cosine of the angle between the object's velocity vectoi and the line of the Dopplei signal between the unit and the moving object Fuithei, the Dopplei units must be positioned wheie they aie not subjected to damage by collision with the object

Accoidmgly, a need exists foi a low cost, effective, small size, lowpowei device useful foi measuiing and displaying the speed of objects m consumer applications such as spoits and spoits naming Summary ot the Invention: A pnmaiy objective of the piesent invention is to piovide a small size, low cost, low powei device foi measuiing object speed that is piactical foi consumei applications such as spoits It is a paiticulai objective of the piesent invention to piovide a spoits ladai unit foi measuiing and displaying the velocity magnitude oi speed of a spoits object such as a baseball Fuithei objectives of the invention aie to piovide such a speed measuiement appaia us and method foi measuiement of baseball speed, baseball bat speed, foi calibiatmg pamtball maikei speed, foi maitial aits punch and kick speed measuiements and othei applications, particulaily m tiaming Accoiding to piinciples of the piesent invention, theie is piovided a CW Dopplei ladar speed sensoi that is small m size, low m cost, low mpowei consumption and ladiated eneigy, that measuies and displays the speed of an object such as a baseball and displays the measuied speed to a usei Fuithei accoiding to piinciples of the piesent invention, a device is piovided that is adapted foi mounting at 01 neai the path 01 point of leception of the moving object, oi at the "taiget point" at which the moving object is dnected Such positioning facilitates the use of a low powei, shoit lange signal and accmate velocity measuiement The unit piefeiably tiansmits and leceives RF eneigy m a miciowave fiequency lange, piefeiably of a fiequency of appioximately 2 4 GHz oi 5 8 GHz oi lugliei, such as m the 10-25 GHz lange

The device accoidmg to one piefened embodiment of the invention, includes a ladai tiansnurtei and leceivei that employs a single simple CW Dopplei homodyne cucuit piefeiably having an osciUatoi-detectoi that is based on a single tiansistoi, which utilizes lesonant cncuit elements of the oscillatoi as an antenna to ladiate eneigy into fiee-space A poition of the ladiated eneigy stnkes the neaiby moving object and is leflected back to the oscillatoi -antenna cucuit wheie it is mixed with the oscillatoi signal The coheient relationship of the hansmitted and leceived signals m a simple homodyne cncuit pioduces a Dopplei frequency modulation as the distance to the moving object changes

The piefened embodiment of the piesent invention makes use of the phenomena wheieby, at a given sepaiation distance between the ladai and the moving object, the leceived object-reflected signal is exactly m-pl ase with, and leinfoices, the oscillatoi signal, but as the sepaiation distance changes by each one-quaitei wavelength of the hansmitted signal, the total two-way tiavel distance to the object and back changes by one-half wavelength, lesultmg in an out-of-phase oi canceling lelationship between the leceived and tiansmitted signals Each distance change of one-half wavelength lesults in a two-way ladai lound dip change of one wavelength, thus pioducing one complete cycle of modulation As the distance to the moving object changes by successive one-half wavelength liiciements, multiple cycles of modulation aie pioduced The fiequency of this modulating signal is the Dopplei fiequency, which is equal to the velocity of the moving object expiessed in teims of one-half wavelengths of the tiansmitted signal as follows

wheie f_D is the fiequency of Dopplei modulation, v is the lelative velocity of the moving object, λ, is the wavelength of the tiansmitted signal, f, is the fiequency of the tiansmitted signal, c is the magnitude of the velocity of electiomagnetic eneigy pi opagatmg in sunounding medium

(fiee-space in this case) and is equal to the pioduct of fiequency and wavelength In the piefened embodiment of the invention, this lesultmg Dopplei signal which modulates the oscillatoi signal is detected by filteimg it out of the incoming signal amplifying it, filteimg it again and conveitmg it to a digital signal, piefeiably using a zeio-ciossmg detector (ZCD) The output of the ZCD is ideally a squaie wave having a fiequency that is the Dopplei fiequency The detected digitized Dopplei fiequency signal is applied to the input poit of a miciopiocessor, which measuies the time between negative-going zeio-ciossmgs using an mteinal timei The measuiement of zeio-crossmg inteivals aie compaied to ceitain ciiteπa to veiify that a valid signal is bemg processed Then a Dopplei fiequency value is calculated fiom the measuied zeio-ciossmg mfoimationby taking the time between zeio-ciossmgs m the same duection as is equal to the penod of the Dopplei fiequency Using the above foimula, the velocity of the moving object towaid the sensoi foi example the speed of a thiownball appioaching the sensoi, is then calculated The calculated velocity magnitude is displayed on a small liquid ciystal display (LCD)

The ladai unit of the piefened embodiment of the invention is piefeiably located in appioximately a dnect line with, oi at only a slight angle to, the flight of the ball oi othei object whose speed is being measuied It is also piefeiably located such that the object passes withm one oi a few feet of the device somewheie m the path of the object, such as at the endpomt oi point of catch This anangement piefeiably places the object withm a few inches of the ladai unit and moving diiectly toward the unit so that the speed of the object is measuied w±thm close pioximity to the unit In ceitain embodiments of the invention, the antenna of the unit is positioned in oi veiy close to the path of the moving object with a signal piocessmg poition of the unit positioned lemote fiom the antenna and connected to the antenna by a tiansmission line The antenna is piefeiably of a fixed length and, when lemote fiom the othei cucuitiy of the unit, is connected to the cucuitiy with a coaxial, paiallel conductoi oi othei tiansmission line that is impedance matched and designed into the RF detectoi cucuitiy

In the case of a baseball, a pieieued location foi the unit, oi at least the antenna poition of the unit, is on the catching foieaim of the peison catching the ball, piefeiably on the hand oi wnst of the catching playei In one piefened embodiment, the unit is suppoited on oi in a baseball glove woin on the hand of the usei, piefeiably at the web poition theieof oi behind the fingeis of the usei in line with the path of the ball By so locating the unit, oi piovidmg the unit with a shoit lange of effectiveness of less than ten feet, and piefeiably of fiom one to thiee ieet, velocity en ois due to off-line location aze minimized, since the Dopplei fiequency lepiesents the velocity of the object m a duection towaid oi away fiom the ladai unit Glove location of the ladai also allows detection of the appioachmg ball within veiy close pioximity to the unit andjust befoie the baseball enters the glove pocket Alternatively, the unit can be mounted on the catchei's wrist, hand oi elsewheie on the user's foieaim This positioning fixes the lelationship of the unit to the path of the ball and minimizes tiansmittei output powei lequnements, and coiiespondmg batteiy powei supply needs With one piefened embodiment of the invention, transmittei output power can thus be m the oidei of miciowatts, which is much less than the ladiated powei levels of most wueless consumei pioducts such as cellulai and poi table telephones Shoit range detection also avoids false leadings of speed due to the motions oi movement of the thiowei With the baseball speed measuiing ladai unit mounted on the leceivei 's foieaim, such as on a baseball glove, the display is piefeiably positioned on the unit itself facing leaiwaidly so that the leceivei can lead the output upon catching the ball Mounted on the leceivei's wnst, the antemia poition of the ladai unit is piefeiably worn on the fiont of the wnst facing the thiowei while the display is mounted on the back of the wnst so it is visible to the catchei, with both the antenna and display poitions being seemed by the same wnst band, with the band containing a flat cable lnteiconnecting the two poitions The LCD, batteiy, po ei supply, and the two switches aie located m a module on the back of the wnst In this embodiment, the unit can include a leal tune such as that of a conventional digital wustwatch, which can shaie the batteiy and powei cncuit with the speed measuiing device and utilize the display of the device to display time of day oi elapsed time The ladai velocity sensoi can be opeiated fiom a 2 5 VDC batteiy powei supply, lequnmg an aveiage cuiient of less than one milliampeie Thus, a single 3 volt nominal lithium cell capable of 160 milliampeie-houis can powei the sensoi foi a lelatively long duiation Small, inexpensive cylindiical and button configiuation lithium cells with this eneigy capability aie leadily available and aie widely used in consumei pioducts Powei "ON/OFF" and "Reset" switches aie piovided which aie easily opeiated by the non-gloved hand of the leceivei befoie each succeeding thiow is dehveied

The velocity measuiement device of the piesent invention is capable of being mimatuiized and pioduced inexpensively so that it can be used m consumei applications, which, up to now, have not heietofoie been addiessed by the pnoi art It can be built into, oi attached to, a baseball oi Softball glove, to measuie the speed of the ball being caught The ladai can be woin on tluowing aims of peisons "tossing" a ball oi by otheis batting, thiowing, catching oi othei wise dealing with moving objects m spoits oi othei lecieational uses Gloves can be designed to conveniently liicorpoiate the ladai m a pouch, within a glove thumb, fmgei oi heal pad, oi held by stiaps, bands, hook and loop fasteneis oi effective means A ladai unit can be built diiectly into the glove Gloves may be used in vanous spoits applications, and may be consideied to include hand and othei foieaim gaiments oi body fastening structiues oi devices In the piefened embodiments, the unit oi the antenna of the unit is situated behind the glove oi othei taiget with the ladiated and leflected signals passing thiough the glove oi taiget

In ceitain embodiments of the invention, a bat speed measuiing device and method aie piovided m which an RF antenna is positioned m oi near the path of a bat, such as on a post upstanding fiom a home plate oi othei base The post may be a ball suppoit post of a batting tee The antenna is a fixed length antenna having a defined ladiatmg length and connected to the end of a tiansmission line Pieieiably, the antemia is at the top of the tee oi othei post and the tiansmission line extends fiom the antemia thiough the post to a signal piocessoi m oi neai the base oi beyond the base at a location that is out of the path of the swinging bat and immune fiom being stiuck and damaged by the swinging bat The signal piocessoi includes an RF detectoi matched and tuned to the tiansmission line and the antemia and a digital piocessoi that conveits the RF Dopplei signal to numeiical speed measuiement data The piocessoi may include oi be linked to a display oi computei, eithei by wne oi othei solid link oi thiough a wneless cncuit so the measuiement data can be lead by a coach oi the peison swinging the bat This embodiment of the invention is adaptable foi measuimg the speed of a golf club head foi use lmpiovmg a golfei's swing Foi measuiing the speed of implements such as golf clubs and ball bats, location of the device in line with the swing of the implement, such as in a batting cage 01 behind a golfei, with the display lemotely located fiom the device and connected thiough a wneless link to the device, is also piactical In anothei embodiment of the invention, speed measuiement is piovided in maitial aits tiammg to measuie the speed of punches and kicks Piefeiably, a speed measuiement device oi antenna theieof is piovided behind a taiget pad that is held by a coach oi tiamei oi is fixed to a suppoit, so that a tiamee punching oi kicking the pad can have the hand oi foot speed measuied

Also accoidmg to the piesent invention, speed measuiement of othei spoits objects is also piovided m applications wheie small poitable, devices may be used Foi example, pamt ball guns used m suivival games and tiammg, use au piessuie to piopel pamt balls oi maikeis at othei playeis To avoid nijuiy to the playeis being shot with the maikeis, the velocity of the maikeis at the banels of the guns is limited to, foi example, 300 feet per second

To optimize the tiajectoiy of the maikeis, it is desnable to calibiate the guns so that the maikei is as close to the uppei velocity limit without going ovei the limit One embodiment of the invention contemplates the fixing of a speed measuiing unit oi the antemia theieof on the baiiel of the maikei gun closely adjacent the baiiel with the antenna aimed paiallel to the baiiel and the path of the maikei The device is adjusted to piocess Dopplei leadings foi a speed lange of, foi example, 150 to 400 feet pei second To accommodate such speeds, band pass filtei and clock speed settings aie made to diffei fiom those used foi baseballs, etc Depending on the anticipated speed of the object being measuied, such settings should be made to exclude signals below and above the anticipated speed lange to eliminate eiioneous leadings, and the timing should be such that a senes of speed leadings aie made of the speed of the object tiaveling m the lange of the signal

Fuithei, m aicheiy competition, the tiajectoiy of an anow depends on piecise contiol of the speed of the anow leaving the bow As in the paint ball application, the speed measuiing device can be attached to a bow to measuie the speed of an anow leaving the bow The device is piefeiably fixed to an extension foiwaid of the bow, closely adjacent the path of the anow Foi example, the device may be fixed ahead of the tip of the anow when die bow is diawn and at about oi slightly ahead of the midpoint of the anow when the leai of the anow is lesting against the undiawn bowstung The device may, accoidmgly, be fixed on the end of a counterbalance bar that is fixed to and extends foiwaid of the bow

These and othei objectives and advantages of the piesent invention will be moie leadily appaient fiom the following detailed descnption of the of the piefened embodiments of the invention, in which Briet Description of the Drawings:

Fig. 1 is a peispective view of the catching aim of a baseball playei utilizing baseball speed measuiing embodiments of a device embodying piinciples of the piesent invention

Fig. 1A is a peispective view of an alternative embodiment of the speed measuiing device of Fig. 1 Fig. 2 is an exploded peispective view of the speed measuiing device of Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a schematic block diagiam of one embodiment of cucuitiy of the speed measuiing device of Fig. 1

Fig.3 A is a schematic block diagi am of the RF detectoi and antemia poition of the cucuitry of Fig. 3 illustrating an embodmient having a I emote antemia

Fig. 4 is a peispective view of an alternative embodiment of the speed measuiing devices of Figs. 1-3 foi measuiing bat swing speed and utilizing the lemote antenna cucuitiy featuie of Fig. 3A

Fig. 4A is a peispective view of an alternative to the embodiment of Fig. 4, lllustiating a wueless link between the signal piocessoi and a lemote display

Fig. 5 is a peispective view of a fuithei alternative embodiment of the speed measuiing devices of Figs. 1-4 foi measui ing punch and kick speed in maitial aits n aming Fig. 5A is a peispective view of an alternative to the embodiment of Fig. 5

Fig. 6 is a peispective view of a still fuithei alternative embodiment of the speed measuiing devices of Figs. 1-5 foi measuiing maikei speed leaving the banel of a paint ball gun

Fig. 7 is a peispective view of an alternative embodiment, similar to that of Figs. 4 and 4A foi measuiing golf club head speed Fig. 8 is a peispective view of an alternative embodiment, similai to that of Fig. 6 foi measuiing the speed of an anow leaving an aicheiy bow Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment:

Fig. 1 lllustiates one embodiment of a speed measuiing device oi unit 10, accoiding to piinciples of the piesent invention, seemed to the back of the web 12 of a baseball glove 14 on the foieaim of the catching aim 11 of a peison catching a tin own baseball 16 to measuie the speed of the ball The device 10, so secured to the baseball glove 14, is located on the usei's hand in oi withm a few inches of the dnect path of movement of the baseball 16 being caught The device has a two pait plastic housing that includes a foiwaid facing housing 17 and a leaiwaid facing housing 18 In the lllustiated embodiment of the unit 10, the two paits of the housing 17,18 aie seemed togethei to foim a single enclosuie that contains the electiomcs of the unit 10 The foi waid facing housing 17 is seemed by a fastening element 20, foi example, a two pait hook and loop Iastenei such as that sold undei the tiademaik VELCRO, and encloses an antenna 21 (Figs. 2 and 3) with a ladiation pattern having a mam lobe that faces thiough the web 12 of the glove 14 and m the geneial duection of the incoming baseball 16 The learwaid facing housing 18 contains a speed output amiunciatoi, foi example, a visual display 22 such as an LCD having, foi example, a digital leadout of two to foui digits On the leai waid facing housing 18 theie is also provided a pluialiry of usei accessible contiol buttons 25- 27 One button 25 is a unit on off switch A second button 26 is a mode switch that peumts sequential selection of the units of the display 22, foi example, in miles pei houi, kilometeis pei houi, feet pei second oi nieteis pei second A thud button 27 is a leset oi stait button that poweis the tiansmittei foi a predetermined amount of tune, such as ten oi fifteen seconds, aftei which the tiansmittei of the unit will ruin off

As fuithei lllustiated in Fig.2, between the foiwaid and leaiwaid facing housings 17 and 18 is a cncuit boaid 33 that contains the tiansnntting and leceivmg cucuitiy, and a signal piocessmg cncuit board 30 that contains the signal piocessmg and logic of the unit 10 The cncuit boaid 30 includes a batteiy 31 that is leplaceable thiough an access dooi 32 in the leaiwaid facing housing 18 The boaid 33 contains components and cucuitiy of a ti nsmittei/oscillatoi cncuit, which includes the strip tiansmission line lesonatoi/antenna 21 The cncuit boaid 30 contains a signal filtei and piocessoi 34 that piocesses the detected Dopplei signal that is pioduced m the RF cucuit by the moving object, an opeiational amphfiei -based voltage legulatoi chip 35 thatpiovides filteiediegulated voltage to the signal piocessoi chip 34 at about one-half the supply voltage of the batteiy 31 , a micropiocessoi 36 that digitizes output fiom the signal piocessoi 34 and mterpiets the detected signal as a speed leading and communicates the lnterpieted signal to the display 22, and clock and delay cncuits 37, 38, lespectively, that aie used by the miciopiocessoi 36

An alternative embodiment of the unit 10a is lllustiated m Fig. 1A and is configuied foi attachment to the wnst 13 of the catching aim 11 of the peison catching the baseball 16, on the catchei's foieaim, below the elbow, so that the unit is maintained at a constant distance fiom the path of the ball With the wnst mounted unit 10a, foiwaid and leaiwaid facing housings 17a, 18a, lespectively, aie sepaiate enclosmes that aie seemed with a wnst oi aim band 40 on opposite sid s o! the wnst 1 5 ol the catchei so thai the toi waid facing housing 17a Faces the ai living ob]ect 16 while the leaiwaid facing housing 18a faces the catchei The sepaiate housings 17a, 18a aie electncally mtei connected tlnough the conductois ofaiibbon cable 41 contained in the band 40 The foiwaid facing housing 17a contains at least the antemia 21 while the learwaid facing housing 18a contains at least the display 22 and the buttons 25-27 The cu cuit boaid 30 and the components and devices theieon may be contained m eithei housing Piefeiably, the Dopplei sensoi 33 and the Dopplei signal piocessoi 34 aie contained in the foiwaid facing housing 17a m close pioximity to the antenna 21, while the miciopiocessoi 36 and I elated cncuits 37, 38 aie contained in the leaiwaid housing 18a in close pioximity to the display 22

The elect: onics of the units 10, 10a lllustiated in Fig. 3 can be fabπcated utilizing leadily available components The Dopplei sensoi cncuit 33 is piefeiably a CW ladai homodyne osciUatoi-detectoi 50 having an mtegial antemia cncuit by which the moving object 16 is detected The oscillatoi prefeiably opeiates at between 2400-2425 MHZ, but may opeiate at othei fiequencies, typically in the 2,000 to 10,000 MHZ legion The oscillatoi 50 of the piefened embodiment di aws about 0 6 milliampei es fi om a 2 5 VDC powei souice such as the batteiy 31 Paitially because of the location and configuiation of the units 10, 10a, less than ten miciowatts need be tiansmitted into fiee-space by the oscillatoi lesonant elements These elements aie piefeiably of a ship tiansmission line configuiation that includes two electncally equivalent quaitei wave micio-stiip lines that foim iadiatmg elements 21a, 21b of the antemia 21 The elements 21 21 b, along with a tiansistoi Ql and a coil 53, foi a negative lesistance netwoik which oscillates with a capacitoi 21c at the opeiatmg cauiei fiequency of, foi example, 2 4 GHz A tiansmission line 51 and capacitoi 49 aie piovided to pi event paiasitic oscillations m the bias netwoik Capacitoi 52 is a bypass capacitoi which cieates a low impedance to giound foi the camei fiequency, paitially filteimg the earner signal at an outlet 54 at which the leceived Dopplei signal can be extiacted Typical objects the size of a baseball oi softball withm a distance of about two feet fiom the ladai, pioduce a leflected Dopplei fiequency signal havuig an amplitude in the IO to 100 miciovolt range This signal modulates the oscillatoi signal at the Dopplei sensoi output 54 of the sensoi circuit 33 A poition of the modulated oscillatoi signal that has been filtei ed within the oscillatoi cncuit 33 and fed on the outlet 54 mto the signal piocessoi 34 consisting of a commeicially available AC oi capacitively coupled high-gam difteiential amphfiei 55, seveial stages of filtei s 56 and a ZCD 57 The gam of the diffeiential amphfiei 55 is piefeiably set at a gain of about 1000, oi 60 dB The filteis 56 pioduce a 150 to 1200 Hz passband, which coveis the lange of anticipated Dopplei fiequency signals encountei ed m baseball and softball applications with the above oscillatoi fiequency The filteis 56 include, foi example, standaid twin-tee configuiation opeiational amphfiei based 60 Hz and 120 Hz notch filteis 56a, 56b to suppiess AC powei cncuit mteifeience The filteis 56 also include two second-oidei, multiple feedback high-pass filteis 56d, 56e each having a gam, foi example, of 2 7, and each having a 3 dB cutoff fiequency of 160 Hz Next, the filteis 56 include a single oidei passive low-pass filtei 56e having, foi example, a 3 dB cutoff fiequency of 1200 Hz The passband can be tailoied to fulfill specific needs by selection of the coiiesponding low and high pass filtei component values which establish the comei fiequencies The amplified and filteied signal fiom the filteimg stages 56 is fed to the ZCD 57, which is a standaid Schmitt tnggei that uses a commeicial compaiatoi, withpositive feedbackto cieate hysteiesis The ZCD pioduces a squaie-wave which is output and applied to the input of an eight-bit miciopiocessoi 36 The miciopiocessoi 36 is connected to external clock cncuit 37 which piovides a time lefeience to the miciopiocessoi 36 The miciopiocessoi 36 is piogiammed to veirfy the validity of the leceived signal, foi example, by lequumg at least fom consecutive Dopplei fiequency cycles, which causes it to lecogmze the leceived signal as a valid Dopplei signal leading When a leading is deteimined to be a valid Dopplei signal leading, the miciopiocessoi calculates the coiiesponding velocity The miciopiocessoi 36 has an output 61 that communicates a signal lepiesentative of the calculated Dopplei speed measuiement tlnough appiopnate diiveis (not shown) to the LCD 22 foi display The calculation is made by detecting successive negative edge zeio-ciossmgs following the depiession of the leset button 27, which hrggeis a miciopiocessoi mteiiupt that samples the clock 37 to cause the times of each ciossing to be stoied and so the mteivals between them can be calculated The sampling is teiminated aftei 26 successive negative tiansitions are stoied, oi theie has been a dead time of at least 1/6 second since the last tiansition, indicating that the object oi taiget is no longei moving Once the data has been captuied, the diffeiences between tiansition times aie calculated, fiom which the Dopplei fiequency is deteimined In making the calculations, the miciopiocessoi 36 enhances the speed leading validity by staitmg with the diffeience between the fiist two lecoided tune leadings and then looking foi a sequence of at least tlnee consecutive penods that aie withm 25% of each othei If none is found, the process is started ovei and additional leadings aie stoied When tlnee consecutive leadings within 25% of each othei aie found, the data is scanned until tlnee consecutive leadings aie not withm 25% of each othei, wheieupon the calculations aie aveiaged The aveiaged calculated Dopplei fiequency value is then conveited to the selected units and displayed Velocity can be displayed in miles pei houi, kilometeis pei houi oi meteis pei second m the piefened embodiment, selectable by the usei by way of the MODE switch 26, which is a pushbutton switch which, when depiessed, sequentially steps the display 22 tlnough the vanous units, as is convenient foi the usei The electiomcs aie poweied by a power supply foimed of the batteiy 31 which is connected/disconnected by the ON/OFF switch 25, which conhols signal powei to the nnciopiocessoi 36, the signal piocessoi 34 and display 22 Howevei the oscillatoi tiansmittei cncuit powei is contiolled by the READY, oi RESET switch 27 tlnough the nnciopiocessoi 36 when the batteiy powei switch 25 m "ON" Activation of the RESET switch 27 causes the nnciopiocessoi 36 to close a tiansnnttei powei switch 60 which applies electncal powei to the tiansmittei/Dopplei sensoi cncuit 33 foi a piescnbed time mteival (e g 10-15 seconds) contiolled by the time delay cncuit 38, oi until an object velocity signal is calculated as contiolled by the nnciopiocessoi 36, wluchevei occuis fust, aftei which the tiansmittei 33 and signal piocessoi cncuit 34 aie deactivated as the miciopiocessoi causes the switch 60 to ruin "OFF" Activation of the RESET switch 26 causes the nnciopiocessoi 36 to leset the LCD 22, which is holding the pieviously calculated velocity value, and to le-apply powei to the tiansnnttei 33 and signal piocessoi 34 foi peifoimmg the next detection and velocity measuiement In this mannei, the tiansnnttei ladiated output is limited to just the penod of time of actual measuiement usage, and batteiy powei is also conseived

Easily packaged in a volume of about 1-3 cubic inches aie a single tiansistoi oscillatoi-detectoi-antenna circuit 33, signal piocessoi 34 with the Dopplei bandpass amphfiei and the zeio-cioss detectoi, eight-bit nnciopiocessoi velocity calculatoi and tiansnnttei coiitiollei 36, liquid ciystal display 22, single-cell batteiy powei supply 31 and ON/OFF and RESET switches 26, 27 Foi example, the specific embodiment descnbed above can be packaged m a volume of less than two cubic inches using disci ete cncuit components, and, with appiopnate utilization of a custom application-specific integiated cncuit (ASIC) and at a fiequency of about 5 8 GHz, the device can be packaged a volume of appioximately one half cubic inch At highei fiequencies of 10 to 25 GHz, which can be used, the package size will be essentially the piefened size of the display

Moie detailed embodiments of the speed measuiing device descnbed above aie descnbed in pending U S Patent Application Senal Nos 09/471,905 and 09/471,906, lefeued to above

Fig. 4 lllustiates a batting tee 100 which liicorpoiates an alternative embodiment of the speed measuiing device 10 m the foim of a bat speed measuiing device 110 The battmg tee 100 includes a base 103, which may be a home plate as lllustiated, fiom which extends an upstanding post 105 The post 105 has a flexible link 106 theiem and a ball suppoitmg fiee end 107 at the top thereof In use, a battei places the baseball 16 on die fiee end 107 of the post 105 and swings at it with a bat 114

The device 110 includes a fixed length antenna ladiatmg element 121 which replaces the antemia radiating element 21a of cncuit boaid 33 of the embodiment of Fig. 3 The antemia ladiatmg element 121 is contained mside of the post 105 at the top end 107 theieof and is dnected towaid the leai of the plate oi base 103 in the duection fiom which the bat 114 will appioach the ball 16 The element 121 is located lemote fiom the remaining cucuitiy 130 of the device 110, which includes the Dopplei sensoi cncuit 50 of alternative cncuit boaid 33a, as lllustiated in Fig. 3A, as well as the signal piocessoi cncuit 34, the miciopiocessoi 36 and othei components similai to those of the cucuitiy of the device 10 lllustiated in Fig. 3 The antemia element 121 has a fixed ladiatmg length and is connected to the RF detectoi cncuit 50 on the cncuit boaid 33a tlnough a transmission line 120, such as a coaxial cable oi paiallel plate oi wue tiansmission line having minimal ladiation of the RF eneigy tiansmitted to and fiom the antemia The tiansmission line 120 has a shield conductoi 124 that is piefeiably giounded at a giound connection 125 The cncuit 50 is ttmed to the impedance of the line 120 to pioduce optimum opeiatmg efficiency in a conventional mannei

The unit 110 may be mounted m the base 103 in such a way that the display 22 is visible to the battei Alternatively, the display 22 may be located lemote fiom the device 110 oi may be the display oi memoiy of a lemote computei teiminal and connected to the cucuitiy of the device 110 in the base 103 by a cable oi a wueless communications link In Fig.4A, the display 22 is contained m a lemote housing 18a, lllustiated as connected thiough a wueless link 190 between the signal piocessoi 34, which is contained in the device 1 10, and the housing 18a The housing 18a may be located at a coach's station and contain all of the opeiatoi mteiface components of the housing 18 of the embodiment of Fig. 2 The housing 18a may be eithei stationaiy oi hand held, foi example, with battenes contained in a belt pack woin by a coach A wueless communications link includes tiansmnTieceive units, including unit 191 m the lemote housing 18a and unit 192 connected to the ciicuitry 130 m the device 110 The link 190 piefeiably communicates the digital output fiomtlie miciopiocessoi 31 or the output fiomtlie signal piocessoi 34 fiom the device 110 to the I emote housing 18a Commands fiom the buttons 25-27 may also be communicated tlnough the link 190 fiom tlie housing 18a to the unit 110 Piefeiably, latliei than piovidmg a baseball 16 on the tee, a soft foam oi fabnc ball 16a is peimanently attached to the fiee end 107 of the post 105 to minimize mteifeience of the motion of the ball 16a with the bat speed measuiement An alternative method of measuiing bat speed is lllustiated Fig. 4B, wheie the device 110a is mounted along the expected tiajectoiy of a ball hit by a bat, foi example, at the end of a batting cage 109 The unit 110a, oi at least the fixed length antemia radiating element 121 theieof, is mounted in the cage 109 at the appi oximate height of the tee 100 of Figs. 4 and 4A Piefeiably, a standaid batting tee 100a is used with a soft sock oi foam ball fixed to the end theieof at which a battei swings the bat of which the speed is being measuied, so that the movement of an actual ball does not mteifeie with the measuiement of bat speed The unit 110a may be mounted include the display 22 mounted in a way that is visible to the battei , but is piefeiably located lemote fiom the device 1 10a in lemote housing 18b earned by the battei oi a batting coach, and connected tlnough the wueless link 190a between the signal piocessoi 34 of the unit 110a and the housing 18b, smnlai to the unit 110 of Fig. 4A, oi tlnough a cable

In the embodiment of Fig. 5, measuiement of the speed of human body paits is piovided A speed measuiement unit 210, smnlai to the units 10, 110 descnbed above, is located m a taiget pad 200 held by a tia ei oi coach 202 to measuie the speed of punches and kicks fiom a peison 203 in maitial aits tiammg The entue unit 210 may be mounted on the back of taiget pad 200, oi only an antemia ladiatmg element 221 As with the element 121 the embodiment above, the element 221 may be connected tlnough a coaxial cable oi other ftansmrssion line 220 to remaining cucuitiy 230 of the device 210, as lllustiated in Fig. 5A, which includes the Dopplei sensoi cncuit 50 of Fig. 3A, as well as the othei components of the cucuitiy of the device 210 that aie lllustiated foi the device 10 m Fig. 3 The eneigy ladiated from the antemia element 221 passes tlnough the pad 200 and is reflected back fiom the hand 213 or foot 214 of a boxei 201 who is punching oi kicking the pad 200

In Fig. 6, an embodiment of a speed measuiement device 310 is lllustiated mounted on a pamt ball gun 300 to measuie the speed of a pamt ball maikei 301 shot fiom the gun The device 310, so used, piovides a way to cahbiate the gun 300 so that the speed of the maikei 301 appioaches but does not exceed a maximum maikei velocity limit of, foi example, 300 feet pei second A self contained device 310 may be mounted on the banel of the gun 300 as lllustiated in Fig. 6, with the antemia dnected in the duection in which the gun 300 is pointing, oi a I emote antemia element 321 may be mounted on the baiiel close to the banel centeiline, with the lemammg cucuitiy 33a located leaiwaidly of the antenna element 121 and connected to the antemia 121 thiough the tiansmission line 120 Fig. 7 lllustiates a golf club head speed measuiing embodiment 410, which is in most lespects smnlai to the bat speed measuiing device 110 of Figs. 4 and 4A descnbed above It utilizes a golf tee 405 which contains an antenna element 421 similαi to the element 21 and is connected to the cucuitiy 430 in a base 403 The tee 405 may suppoit a soft ladai invisible golf ball 16b, smnlai to the ball 16a of Fig. 4A The cucuitiy 430 may connect to a display on the base 403 oi tlnough a cable or wueless communications link to a lemote housing such as housing 18a of Fig. 4A Similai ly the invention may be used to measuie the speed of ball oi othei spoits object staking and pi opening implements addition to ball bats oi golf clubs With such applications, paiticulaily foi taking bat speed and golf club head speed measuienients, the antemia can be contained withm a methane or othei simulated ball that is fixed to the

The speed of a golf club head 409 may also be measuied using a golf club head speed measuiing embodiment 10a of Fig. 7A, which is m most lespects smnlai to the bat speed measuiing device 1 10a of Fig.4B descnbed above, while a golfei hits conventional golf balls fiom a conventional golf tee The device 410a is piefeiably located behind the tee in line with the flight of the ball, so that the speed of the club head 409 is easily within the field of the antemia 21 while the ball, when it moves, is geneially on the opposite side of the club head fiom the antenna element 21 wheie its motion does not affect the Dopplei leading fim the moving club head The display and the contiols aie connected tlnough a cable oi wueless conmiunications link to a lemote housing such as housing 18b of Fig.4B, which may also contain the buttons and othei contiols The wueless links foi the bat, club head and othei object speed me ιsιιι ιn» ices maybe anyofthe telecommunications links that aie commeicially available, among which aie UHF- RF links, ultiasonic links, optical links and otheis

Fig. 8 lllustiates a anow speed measuiing embodiment 510 foi use ui aicheiy, which is smnlai to the pamt ball maikei speed measuiing embodiment 310 of Fig. 6 A bow 500 is equipped with a speed measuiing device 510 to measuie the speed of an anow 501 shot fiom the bow The device 510 may be self contained and mounted on a countei weight 502 extending fiom the fiont of the bow 500, oi on anothei extension piovided to hold the device 500, piefeiably at a distance L about seven inches forwaid of the fiont of the bow 500 The device 500 is veitically adjustably mounted on the countei weight 502 so that the antemia theieof can be positioned withm about one half inch of the anow 501 The antemia of the device 500 is dnected in the duection fiom which the anow 501 is pointing Altei natively, a lemote antemia element may be mounted on the bow close to the anow with the lemammg cucuitiy and/oi display located elsewheie, coi ected tlnough eithei cable 01 a wueless link

With the vaiious embodiments, the Dopplei fiequencies passed by the filteis and the timing of the samples should be set to best accommodate the anticipated speeds being measuied

Othei applications of the invention can be made Those skilled m the ait will appieciate that the applications of the piesent invention heiem are vaaed, and that the invention is descnbed m piefened embodiments Accoidmgly, additions and modifications can be made without depaiting fiom the piinciples of the invention Accoidmgly, the following is claimed

Claims

1. A method of measuiing the speed of a moving spoits object compnsmg the steps of piovidmg a batteiy poweied device ti at includes a tiansmittei/ieceivei, at least one antemia element, a signal piocessoi having an input comiected to the tiansmittei/ieceivei, and an output aimunciatoi having an input in communication with the signal piocessoi, the annunciator being located lemote fiom the antemia element, positioning the at least one antemia element in line with the path of the moving object the speed of which is to be measuied, locating the tiansmittei/ieceivei, piocessoi and aimunciatoi lemote fiom at least one antemia element with the tiansmission line extending theiebetween, geneiahng a Dopplei signal piopoitional to the speed of the object by pioducmg an RF signal with the tiansmittei/ieceivei, tiansmitting the RF signal to the antemia element and ladiatmg the RF signal fiom the antemia element along the path of the moving object, lefiecting the RF signal fiom the object, leceivmg the leflected signal with the antemia element, tiansmitting the leflected signal fiom the antemia element to the tiansmittei/ieceivei, and detecting the Dopplei signal fiom the leflected signal with the tiansmitter/ieceivei, piocessmg the detected Dopplei signal with the signal piocessoi and pioducmg theiefiom a digital lepiesentation of the speed of the object, and outputtmg the digital lepiesentation of the speed of the object with the aimunciatoi

2. The method of claim 1 wlieiein the hansmittmg of the RF signal between the antemia element and die hans ittei/ieceivei includes tiansmitting the signal ovei a tiansmission line connecting the at least one antemia element to the tiansmittei/ieceivei which is located lemote fiom the antemia element

3. The method of claim 1 fuithei compnsmg a wueless communications link connecting the piocessoi with the aimunciatoi

4. The method of claim 1 foi measuiing the speed of a swinging spoits implement wheiein the positioning step includes the step of piovidmg a post adjacent a peison swinging a spoits object piopellmg implement, the post having a fiee end having the at least one antemia element seemed theieto, and positioning the fiee end in the approximate path of the implement to be swung by the peison, the locating step includes fixing the tiansnnttei Λeceiver, piocessoi and aimunciatoi away fiom the fiee end of the post with the tiansmission line extending fiom the antemia element to the tiansmittei/ieceivei, wheiem, when the peison swings the implement, the speed of the swinging implement is output by pioducmg an RF signal with the transmittei/ieceivei, tiansmitting the RF signal along the tiansmission line and the post to the antemia element at the fiee end of the post and ladiatmg the RF signal fiom the antemia element at the fiee end of the post along the path of the swinging implement, lefiecting the RF signal fiom the implement, leceivmg the leflected signal with the antenna element at the fiee end of the post, tiansmitting the leflected signal fiom the antemia element along the tiansmission line to the tiansmittei/ieceivei, detecting the Dopplei signal fiom the leflected signal with the tiansmittei/ieceivei, piocessmg the detected Dopplei signal with the signal piocessoi and pioducmg theiefiom a digital lepiesentation of the speed of the object, and outputtmg the digital lepiesentation of the speed of the swinging implement with the aimunciatoi

5. The method of claim 3 wheie the implement is a baseball bat and the peison is a battei swinging the baseball bat

6. The method of claim 3 wheiem the implement is a golf club and the peison is a golfei swinging the golf club

7. The method of claim 3 wheiem the positioning step piovidmg a tee that includes a base having the post upstanding veitically fiom the base with the fiee end theieof configiued to suppoit a ball theieon in the appioximate path of the implement to be swung by the peison, and the locating step includes fixing the tiansmittei/ieceivei and piocessoi on the base

8. The method of claim 6 wheiem the output am nciatoi is a digital display, and the locating step includes piovidmg the digital display on the base

9. The method of claim 1 foi measuiing the speed of a baseball wheiem the positioning step includes the step of piovidmg a glove positionable with the at least one antemia element seemed theieto in the appioximate path of a ball to be caught by a peison using the glove

10. The method of claim 1 foi measuiing the speed of body movements of a maitial aits tiainee wheiem the positioning step includes the step of piovidmg a taiget pad having the at least one antemia element seemed theieto, and positioning the pad m the appioximate path of punches oi kicks by the tiamee, the locating step includes fixing the tiansmittei/ieceivei, piocessoi and aimunciatoi away fiom the pad with the tiansmission line extending fiom the antemia element to the tiansmittei/ieceivei, wheiem, when the tiamee punches oi kicks the pad, the speed of a hand oi foot of the tiamee staking the pad is output by pioducmg an RF signal with the tiansmittei/ieceivei, tiansmitting the RF signal along the tiansmission line to the antemia element on the pad and ladiatmg the RF signal fiom the antenna element at the pad along the path of the punches oi kicks, lefiecting the RF signal fiom the hand oi foot of the tiamee, leceivmg the leflected signal with the antemia element at the pad, hansmittmg the leflected signal fiom the antemia element along the tiansmission line to the tiansmittei/ieceivei, detecting the Dopplei signal fiom the leflected signal with the tiansmittei/ieceivei, piocessmg the detected Dopplei signal with the signal piocessor and pioducmg theiefiom a digital lepiesentation of the speed of the hand 01 foot staking the pad, and outputtmg the digital lepiesentation of the speed with the aimunciatoi

11. The method of claim 1 foi measuiing the speed of a aikei shot fiom a pamt ball gun wheiem the positioning step includes the step of piovidmg a pamt ball gun locating at least one antemia element adjacent to the banel theieof pioximate the path of maikeis shot fiom the banel, the locating step includes fixing the tiansmittei/ieceivei, piocessor and aimunciatoi to the gun with the tiansmission line extending fiom the antemia element to the tiansmittei/ieceivei, wheiem, when a maikei is shot fiom the gun, the speed of the maikei leaving the banel is output by pioducmg an RF signal with the tiansmittei/ieceivei, tiansmitting the RF signal along the tiansiinssion line to the antemia element on the baael and ladiatmg the RF signal fiom the antemia element at the banel along the path of the maikeis leaving the banel, lefiecting the RF signal fiom the maikei, leceivmg the leflected signal with the antemia element at the banel, tiansmitting the leflected signal fiomtlie antemia element along the tiansmission line to the tiansmittei/ieceivei, detecting the Dopplei signal fiom the leflected signal with the tiansmittei/ieceivei, piocessmg the detected Dopplei signal with the signal piocessoi and pioducmg theiefiom a digital lepiesentation of the speed of the maikei leaving the banel, and outputtmg the digital lepiesentation of the speed with the amiunciatoi

12. A tee compnsmg a veitically upstanding post having a fiee end confϊguied to suppoit a ball theieon m the appioximate path of a bat to be swung by a peison, at least one antemia element located on the post in close pioximity to the fiee end theieof, a tiansmittei/ieceivei located lemote fiomtlie fiee end of the post and opeiable to tiansmrt andieceive a continuous

RF signal and to detect a Dopplei signal theiefiom, a tiansiinssion line extending along the post and connecting the at least one antemia element to the tiansmittei/ieceivei , a signal piocessoi lemote fiom the fiee end of the post and having an input comiected to the tiansmittei/ieceivei and opeiable to pioduce a digital signal m lesponse to the detected Dopplei signal, and an output aimunciatoi lemote fiom the fiee end of the post and having an input connected to the signal piocessoi

13. A method of measuiing the speed of body movements of a maitial aits tiamee compnsmg the steps of piovidmg a taiget pad having at least one antemia element seemed theieto, and positioning the taiget pad the appioximate path of punches oi kicks by the tiainee, piovidmg a tiansmittei/ieceivei comiected to the at least one antemia element, a signal piocessoi having an input comiected to the ttaiismittei/ieceivei, and a digital display having an input connected to the signal piocessoi, and wlien the tiamee punches 01 kicks the pad, displaying the speed of a hand 01 foot of the trainee staking the pad on lie display by pioducmg an RF signal with the tiansmittei/ieceivei, transmitting the RF signal to the anteima element on the pad and ladiatmg the RF signal fiom the antemia element along the path of the punches 01 kicks, lefiecting the RF signal fiom a hand 01 foot of the tiamee that is staking the pad, leceivmg the leflected signal with the antenna element on the pad, tiansmitting the leflected signal fiom the antemia element to the tiansmittei/ieceivei, detecting a Dopplei signal fiom the leflected signal with the tiansmittei/ieceivei, piocessmg the detected Dopplei signal with the signal piocessoi and in lesponse theieto displaying a numeiical lepiesentation of the punch oi kick speed on the display

14. A method of measuiing the speed of a spoits object compnsmg the steps of pi ovidmg a ti ansmittei/i eceivei , at least one antemia element connected to the ti ansmittei/i eceivei , a signal pi ocessoi having a piocessoi input comiected to the tiansmittei/i eceivei, and a visual display having a display input comiected to the signal piocessoi, positioning the at least one antemia element on a device fiom which the object is shot and foiwaid theieof m close pioximity to the path of the object, when an object is shot fiom the device, displaying on the display a digital lepiesentation of the speed of the object leaving the device by pioducmg an RF signal with the tiansmitter/i eceivei, tiansnnttmg the RF signal via the anteima element and ladiatmg the RF signal fiom the antemia element adjacent the device along the path of the object, lefiecting the RF signal fiom the obj ect, the I effected RF signal containing a Dopplei signal I elated to the speed of the obj ect moving fiom the device, leceivmg the leflected signal with the antemia element adjacent the device, communicating the leflected signal fiom the antemia elenient to the tiansmittei/ieceivei, detecting the Dopplei signal fiom the leflected signal with the traiisimttei/ieceivei, piocessmg the detected Dopplei signal with the signal piocessoi and in lesponse theieto outputtmg a digital lepiesentation of the speed of the object leaving the device on the display

15. The method of claim 13 wheiem the object is a maikei shot fiom a pamt ball gun and wheiem the positioning includes positioning the at least one antemia element adjacent to the banel of a paintball gun m close proximity to the path of maikeis shot fiom the banel, and when a marker is shot fiom the gun, displaying on the display a digital lepiesentation of the speed of the maikei leaving the banel by pioducmg an RF signal with the tiaiismitter/ieceivei, tiansmitting the RF signal via the antemia element and ladiatmg the RF signal fiom the antemia element adjacent the banel along the path of the maikei leaving the banel, lefiecting the RF signal fiomtlie maikei fiomtlie banel, the leflectedRF signal containing a Dopplei signal lelated to the speed of the maikei moving away fiom the banel, leceivmg the leflected signal with the ante ia element adjacent the banel, communicating the leflected signal fiomtlie antemia element to the tiansmittei/ieceivei, detecting the Dopplei signal fiom the leflected signal with the tiansmittei/i eceivei, piocessmg the detected Dopplei signal with the signal piocessoi and lesponse theieto outputtmg a digital lepiesentation of the speed of the maikei leaving the banel on the display

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising: adjusting the target velocity of the paintball gun in response to the detected Doppler signal.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the object is an arrow shot from a bow and wherein: the positioning includes positioning the at least one antemia element on the bow and forward thereof in close proximity to the path of arrows shot from the bow; when an arrow is shot from the bow, displaying on the display a digital representation of the speed of the arrow leaving the bow by producing an RF signal with the transmitter/receiver, transiiήtting the RF signal via the antemia element and radiating the RF signal from the antemia element adjacent the bow along the path of the arrow, reflecting the RF signal from the arrow from the bow, the reflected RF signal containing a Doppler signal related to the speed of the arrow moving fi-om the bow, receiving the reflected signal with the anteima element adjacent the bow, communicating the reflected signal from the antemia element to the transmitter/receiver, detecting the Doppler signal from the reflected signal with the transmitter/receiver, processing the detected Doppler signal with the signal processor and in response thereto outputting a digital representation of the speed of the arrow leaving the bow on the display.