US 12,485,311 B2
System and method for using weather applied metrics for predicting the flight of a football
Douglas Milton Sinton, Palo Alto, CA (US); John Amirault Farley, Lexington, SC (US); and Kenneth Martin Arneson, Alameda, CA (US)
Assigned to Weather Applied Metrics, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Filed by Weather Applied Metrics, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 20, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/085,347.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/291,781, filed on Dec. 20, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0191193 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
Int. Cl. A63B 24/00 (2006.01)
CPC A63B 24/0021 (2013.01) [A63B 2024/0034 (2013.01); A63B 2220/72 (2013.01); A63B 2220/74 (2013.01); A63B 2220/75 (2013.01); A63B 2220/76 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method of determining an impact of weather parameters on a flight of a football at an outdoor football venue, the method comprising:
providing a digital model of the outdoor football venue to a processor;
at the processor, obtaining real-time data for at least one weather parameter at or near the outdoor football venue, wherein the at least one weather parameter is wind and the real-time data is obtained from at least one weather sensor positioned upstream of the outdoor football venue;
at the processor, inputting the real-time data for the at least one weather parameter into a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model;
at the processor, using the CFD model with the inputted real-time data and the digital model of the outdoor football venue to produce three-dimensional wind vectors at grid-points in the digital model of the outdoor football venue;
at the processor, using the three-dimensional wind vectors to calculate in real-time a trajectory of the football at the outdoor football venue based on the real-time data obtained for the at least one weather parameter, the calculated trajectory of the football accounting for the impact of the at least one weather parameter, wherein the trajectory of the football is calculated using a selected cross-sectional area of the football, the cross-sectional area of the football selected based on whether the football is thrown, punted, or kicked; and
displaying on a screen at least one of the calculated trajectory of the football and a calculation of the impact of the at least one weather parameter on the calculated trajectory of the football.