Golf club determination method, golf club determination device, and golf club determination program

• US 10,276,060 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2015
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nakajo, Shoichi, Tanaka, Hisao
• Primary Examiner(s): Legesse, Nini F
• Application Number:
  US15/110,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20160335911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 473221-223, 473226, 473227, 473409
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

To provide a golf club determination method, a golf club determination device, and a golf club determination program capable of automatically determining the type of a golf club by analyzing a swing of the golf club. A golf club determination device includes a measurement unit that measures a posture of a golf club in an address using an output of an acceleration sensor of an inertial sensor mounted on a golf club; and a determination unit that determines the type of the golf club based on the measured posture of the golf club. Another golf club determination device includes a measurement unit that measures a swing of a golf club using an output of an inertial sensor mounted on the golf club, and a determination unit that determines whether the golf club is a putter based on the measured swing.

Claims

1. A golf club determination method comprising:

measuring a posture of a golf club in an address position using an output of an acceleration sensor of a tri-axial inertial sensor mounted on the golf club, an axis of the tri-axial inertial sensor being set to correspond to a longitudinal direction of a shaft of the golf club, the measuring of the posture of the golf club includes receiving information of an upward force opposite to gravity pressing downward, and dividing the upward force into a first force component along the longitudinal direction of the shaft of the golf club and a second force component of an axis orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and calculating a tilt angle of the longitudinal direction of the shaft with respect to the direction in which gravity acts; and

determining the type of the golf club in use including whether the golf club in use is a putter based on the measured posture of the golf club utilizing the calculated tilt angle and without user input of the type of the golf club.

2. The golf club determination method according to claim 1, wherein,

when it is determined that the golf club in use is not the putter, determining the type of the golf club based on a posture of the golf club in an address, measured using an output of the acceleration sensor.

3. The golf club determination method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

associating the determined type of the golf club and the output of the inertial sensor with each other.

4. The golf club determination method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

after the determination of the type of golf club, reading, from a storage unit in which information regarding a plurality of golf clubs is stored, information regarding the determined type of golf club.

5. The golf club determination method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

when it is determined that the golf club in use is the putter, decreasing data on the output of the inertial sensor.

6. The golf club determination method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

when it is determined that the golf club in use is the putter, lowering a sampling rate of the output of the inertial sensor.

7. A golf club determination device comprising:

a measurement unit that measures a posture of a golf club in an address position using an output of an acceleration sensor of a tri-axial sensor mounted on the golf club, an axis of the tri-axial inertial sensor being set to correspond to a longitudinal direction of a shaft of the golf club, the measuring of the posture of the golf club including receiving information of an upward force opposite to gravity pressing downward, and dividing the upward force into a first force component along the longitudinal direction of the shaft of the golf club and a second force component of an axis orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and calculating a tilt angle of the longitudinal direction of the shaft with respect to the direction in which gravity acts; and

a determination unit that determines the type of the golf club in use including whether the golf club is a putter based on the measured posture of the golf club utilizing the calculated tilt angle and without user input of the type of the golf club.