Topography linked golf aid

• US 20050101415A1
• Filed: 11/10/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sweeney Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sweeney Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Sweeney, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,713,148 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/407
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0034 during flight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/063 Spoken or verbal instructions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0636 3D visualisation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0638 Displaying moving images of recorded environment, e.g. virtual environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0691 Maps, e.g. yardage maps or electronic maps
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/14 Geo-tagging, e.g. for correlating route or track location data with specific information related to that specific location
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/78 Surface covering conditions, e.g. of a road surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3676 for putting A63B69/3608, A63B69/3661, A63B69/3667 and A63B69/3697 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and program for computing a path, starting velocity, aim angle, and aim points for directing a putted golf ball from a point on a golf course to another point and incorporating such data into easily read charts or electronic media is provided. The invention also provides a means of determining the initial launch conditions and actual path a putted golf ball traveled on given its starting and ending ball positions.

Claims

1. A method of providing putting information comprising:

receiving a start position of a golf ball relative to the putting green;

receiving a desired target location relative to the putting green;

calculating a putting parameter for propelling the golf ball from the start position to the target location based on a trajectory corresponding to a desired capture velocity of the ball, wherein the trajectory has a start point substantially corresponding to the start position and an end point substantially corresponding to the target location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the putting parameter comprises an aim angle and an initial velocity.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising calculating an aim point distance relative to the target location based on the aim angle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying indicia indicative of the putting parameters.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the indicia comprise an aim point icon and an initial velocity icon.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the desired capture velocity of the ball.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a green speed parameter; and

calculating a putting parameter based on the green speed parameter.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving topography information corresponding to a putting green; and

converting the topography information into a three dimensional surface model for determining a plurality of trajectories, each trajectory corresponding to a plurality of capture velocities of the ball.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the plurality of trajectories comprises:

computing gradients between adjacent points of the three dimensional surface model along each trajectory; and

predicting a motion of a simulated golf ball moving between the points along the trajectory based on the respective gradients between the adjacent points;

a coefficient of rolling friction of the ball, and an initial condition of the ball.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the initial condition comprises a directional velocity of the ball.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying indicia indicative of a slope direction and slope magnitude of a portion of the putting green.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying indicia indicative of a difficulty of an attempt to propel the golf ball from the position to the target location.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of trajectories are determined for substantially every grid point on the green.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of trajectories are stored for later reference.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the putting parameter is calculated by selecting optimal values from the grid points on the green closest to the position of a golf ball.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the putting parameter is calculated by selecting and averaging optimal values from the grid points on the green closest to the position of a golf ball.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the putting parameter is calculated by selecting optimal values from the grid points on the green closest to the position of a golf ball to use as a basis for calculating the putting parameter for the actual ball coordinate.

18. The method of claim 2 further comprising calculating an aim point distance relative to the initial break coordinates for the target location based on the aim angle.

19. The method of claim 4 wherein the indicia indicative of the putting parameters is displayed with the use of a contour chart.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the contour chart utilizes different colors to represent the putting parameters.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a position of a golf ball relative to the putting green comprises receiving one or more of global positioning data, radio frequency data, optical data, or laser data.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a position of a golf ball relative to the putting green comprises receiving position data input by a user.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting audio indicia indicative of the putting parameters.

24. The method of claim 1 further comprising overlaying on an image stream transmission a visual path trajectory based on calculated putting parameters.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising overlaying on an image stream transmission a visual path trajectory representative of an actual path calculated from a known start point substantially corresponding to the position and a known end point substantially corresponding to the target location.

26. The method of claim 1 further comprising simulating a putt based on a simulated position of a golf ball.

36. The method of claim 1 wherein the putting parameter is adjusted for the effect of grain.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the effect of grain is calculated with the formula:

ρ

′

=ρ

*(δ

*cos(γ

−

β

));

where δ

is the magnitude of grain effect on the ball, γ

is the grain direction in degrees, and β

is the direction the ball is moving.

27. A method of calculating putting information comprising:

determining for a plurality of location coordinates on a putting green optimal trajectories corresponding to a desired capture velocity for a golf ball to move from said location coordinate to an end point;

calculating putting parameters to propel a golf ball along a path substantially following the optimal trajectory.

28. A computer-implemented simulation program for simulating green break characteristics for a green comprising:

code devices for receiving a simulated position of a golf ball relative to the putting green; and

code devices for calculating a putting parameter for propelling the golf ball from the simulated position to a target location based on a trajectory corresponding to a desired capture velocity of the ball, wherein the trajectory has a start point substantially corresponding to the position and an end point substantially corresponding to the target location.

29. A computing device for providing putting information, comprising:

input mechanism for receiving a position of a golf ball relative to the putting green and receiving a desired target location relative to the putting green;

a processor for calculating a putting parameter for propelling the golf ball from the position to the target location based on a trajectory corresponding to a desired capture velocity of the ball, wherein the trajectory has a start point substantially corresponding to the position and an end point substantially corresponding to the target location; and

a display for displaying the putting parameter.

30. The computing device of claim 29, further comprising a storage media for storing a plurality of predetermined trajectories, each trajectory corresponding to a desired capture velocity of the ball.

31. A computer readable media containing program instructions for providing putting information, comprising:

first computer program code for receiving a position of a golf ball relative to the putting green;

second computer program code for receiving a desired target location relative to the putting green;

third computer program code for calculating a putting parameter for propelling the golf ball from the position to the target location based on a trajectory corresponding to a desired capture velocity of the ball, wherein the trajectory has a start point substantially corresponding to the position and an end point substantially corresponding to the target location.

32. A chart for assisting a golfer in determining putting parameters for a green, comprising:

a contour chart representing the topography of the green;

a plurality of visual indicators on the contour chart representing putting parameters for propelling the golf ball from a plurality of start positions to a target location based on previously determined optimal trajectories for each of the start positions to the target location, each optimal trajectory corresponding to a desired capture velocity of the ball.

33. The chart of claim 32 wherein the putting parameters comprise aim distances.

34. The chart of claim 32 wherein the contour chart and visual indicators are displayed on electronic media.

35. The chart of claim 32 wherein the contour chart and visual indicators are displayed on print media.