Multiple sensor tracking system and method

• US 10,238,943 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2015
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FlyingTee Tech, LLC
• Original Assignee: FlyingTee Tech, LLC
• Inventors: Vollbrecht, James, Vollbrecht, John, Tawwater, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Mark
• Application Number:
  US14/876,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20160074704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 473168, 473150-156
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0031 at the starting point
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0034 during flight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/004 Multiple detectors or sensors each defining a different zone
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0053 for locating an object, e.g. a lost ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0647 Visualisation of executed movements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0658 Position or arrangement of display
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/0204 Standing on the feet
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/10 Positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/35 Spin
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/808 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0003 Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3605 Golf club selection aids informing player of his average or expected shot distance for each club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3691 Golf courses; Golf practising terrains having a plurality of driving areas, fairways, greens special golf games, e.g. miniature golf, A63B67/02; mats for simulating golf greens A63B69/3661
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3694 for driving only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 : Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/58 : Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/72 : for two-dimensional tracking, e.g. combination of angle and range tracking, track-while-scan radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 : Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 : Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00

Abstract

A system and method for tracking the flight of golf balls at driving range. The system includes a plurality of hitting stations, a plurality of sensors, a computer, and a range surface. Each hitting station in the plurality of hitting stations includes a golf ball, a golf club, a monitor, and a sensor. At least one other sensor in the plurality of sensors is placed outside a hitting station. The flight path of the golf balls being calculated by the computer using parameters by the plurality of sensors. The method includes steps for determining whether a first sensor detected a first parameter and a second parameter, whether a second sensor detected a first and a second parameter, whether a third sensor detected a third parameter, and depicting the flight path of the golf balls using the first parameter, the second parameter, and the third parameter.

Claims

1. A method of detecting and depicting a total travel path of a golf ball hit from a hitting station in a plurality of hitting stations at a driving range, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first parameter associated with said total travel path of said golf ball using at least one sensor in a plurality of sensors, wherein said first parameter is a moment of impact of said golf ball;

transmitting said first parameter from said at least one sensor in said plurality of sensors to a computer having a processor;

determining, using said computer in electronic communication with a first sensor of said least one sensor in said plurality of sensors;

said first sensor having a first sensor type and a first field of detection, whether said first sensor detects said first parameter associated with the total travel path of said golf ball hit, wherein said first field of detection has a substantially unobstructed view of said moment of impact of said golf ball;

determining, using said computer in electronic communication with a second sensor of said least one sensor in said plurality of sensors;

said second sensor having a second sensor type that is different from the first sensor type and a second field of detection that is different from the first field of detection, whether said second sensor detects the first parameter associated with the total travel path, wherein said second field of detection has a substantially unobstructed view of a flight path of said golf ball;

detecting a second parameter associated with said total travel path of said golf ball using said second sensor, wherein said second parameter is said flight path of said golf ball;

transmitting said second parameter from said second sensor to said computer;

determining, using said computer, whether said second sensor detects the second parameter associated with the total travel path;

evaluating, using said computer, both said first sensor and said second sensor to determine whether to use said first parameter or said second parameter when both said first parameter and said second parameter are available;

calculating, using said computer, the total travel path of said golf ball using the first parameter detected by the first sensor and said second parameter detected by the second sensor when both the first sensor and the second sensor detect the first parameter; and

depicting on a display in electronic communication with said computer the calculated total travel path of said golf ball hit from said hitting station at said driving range.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second parameter detected by the second sensor is used to depict said flight path of the golf ball.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether a third sensor in the plurality of sensors detects a third parameter associated with the total travel path.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a ground path is depicted using the third parameter.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the third parameter is the velocity, speed, direction, friction or a combination thereof of the golf ball after an impact point.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first parameter comprises golf ball data, club data or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said golf ball data and said club data comprise club head path, club face angle, club head speed, golf ball launch angle, golf ball side spin, golf ball vertical spin, golf ball initial velocity or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the second parameter comprises shot trajectory data.

9. A method of detecting and depicting a total travel path of a golf ball hit from a hitting station in a plurality of hitting stations at a driving range, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first parameter from at least one sensor in a plurality of sensors;

said plurality of sensors in electronic communication with a computer having a processor;

determining, using said computer in electronic communication with a first sensor of said least one sensor in said plurality of sensors;

said first sensor having a first sensor type, whether said first sensor detects said first parameter associated with the total travel path of said golf ball hit;

determining, using said computer in electronic communication with a second sensor of said least one sensor in said plurality of sensors;

said second sensor having a second sensor type, whether said second sensor detects the first parameter associated with the total travel path;

detecting a second parameter associated with said total travel path of said golf ball using at least one of said sensors in said plurality of sensors;

determining, using said computer, whether the first sensor detects said second parameter associated with the total travel path;

determining, using said computer, whether said second sensor detects the second parameter associated with the total travel path;

evaluating, using said computer, both said first sensor and said second sensor to determine whether to use said first parameter or said second plurality parameter when both said first parameter and said second parameter are available;

calculating, using said computer, the total travel path of said golf ball using the first parameter and second parameter detected by the second sensor when both the first sensor and the second sensor detect the first parameter, but the first sensor does not detect the second parameter; and

depicting on a display in electronic communication with said computer the calculated total travel path hit from said hitting station at said driving range.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first parameter detected by the first sensor is used to depict a flight path when both the first sensor in the plurality of sensors and the second sensor in the plurality of sensors detected the second parameter.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the method further comprises the step of determining whether a third sensor in the plurality of sensors detects a third parameter associated with the total travel path.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a ground path is depicted using the third parameter.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the third parameter is the velocity, speed, direction, friction or a combination thereof of the golf ball after an impact point.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the first parameter comprises golf ball data, club data or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said golf ball data and said club data comprise club head path, club face angle, club head speed, golf ball launch angle, golf ball side spin, golf ball vertical spin, golf ball initial velocity or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the second parameter comprises shot trajectory data.

17. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

said first sensor having a first field of detection, and said first field of detection having a substantially unobstructed view of said moment of impact of said golf ball; and

said second sensor having said second sensor type that is different from said first sensor type and a second field of detection that is different from said first field of detection, and said second field of detection has a substantially unobstructed view of a flight path of said golf ball.

18. A method of detecting and depicting a total travel path of a golf ball hit from a hitting station in a plurality of hitting stations at a driving range, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first parameter from at least one sensor in a plurality of sensors;

said plurality of sensors in electronic communication with a computer having a processor;

determining, using said computer in electronic communication with a first sensor of said least one sensor in said plurality of sensors;

said first sensor having a first sensor type, whether said first sensor detects said first parameter associated with the total travel path of said golf ball hit;

determining, using said computer in electronic communication with a second sensor of said least one sensor in said plurality of sensors;

said second sensor having a second sensor type, whether said second sensor detects the first parameter associated with the total travel path;

detecting a second parameter associated with said total travel path of said golf ball using at least one of said sensors in said plurality of sensors;

determining, using said computer, whether the first sensor detects said second parameter associated with the total travel path;

determining, using said computer, whether said second sensor detects the second parameter associated with the total travel path;

evaluating, using said computer, both said first sensor and said second sensor to determine whether to use said first parameter or said second parameter when both said first parameter and said second parameter are available;

calculating, using said computer, the total travel path of said golf ball using both the first parameter detected by the first sensor and the second parameter detected by the second sensor when both the first sensor and the second sensor detect the first parameter, but the first sensor does not detect the second parameter; and

depicting on a display in electronic communication with said computer the calculated total travel path hit from said hitting station at said driving range.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the method further comprises the step of determining whether a third sensor in the plurality of sensors detects a third parameter associated with the total travel path.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a ground path is depicted using the third parameter.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the third parameter is the velocity, speed, direction, friction or a combination thereof of the golf ball after an impact point.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the first parameter comprises golf ball data, club data or a combination thereof.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said golf ball data and said club data comprise club head path, club face angle, club head speed, golf ball launch angle, golf ball side spin, golf ball vertical spin, golf ball initial velocity or a combination thereof.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein the second parameter comprises shot trajectory data.

25. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

said first sensor having a first field of detection, and said first field of detection having a substantially unobstructed view of said moment of impact of said golf ball; and

said second sensor having said second sensor type that is different from said first sensor type and a second field of detection that is different from said first field of detection, and said second field of detection has a substantially unobstructed view of a flight path of said golf ball.