Methods and apparatuses relating to findable balls
First Claim
1. A portion of a golf ball, the portion comprising:
- a core material having a void;
a semiconductor component disposed at least partially in the void;
a filler material in the void and surrounding the semiconductor component, the filler material being placed in the void in a liquid state and occupying a first volume in the liquid state and the filler material transforming into a solid state which occupies substantially the first volume.
15 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Golf balls and methods and systems for manufacturing golf balls. In one exemplary embodiment, a portion of a golf ball comprises a core material having a void, a semiconductor component disposed at least partially in the void, and a filler material in the void and surrounding the semiconductor component, the filler material being placed in the void in a liquid state and occupying a first volume in the liquid state and the filler material transforming into a solid state which occupies substantially the first volume. Methods for manufacturing golf balls and fixtures and apparatuses for manufacturing golf balls are also described.
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Citations
100 Claims
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1. A portion of a golf ball, the portion comprising:
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a core material having a void;
a semiconductor component disposed at least partially in the void;
a filler material in the void and surrounding the semiconductor component, the filler material being placed in the void in a liquid state and occupying a first volume in the liquid state and the filler material transforming into a solid state which occupies substantially the first volume. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of forming a portion of a golf ball, the method comprising:
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applying a material into a void of a core of a golf ball, the material occupying a first volume when it is applied;
curing the material, the material occupying substantially the first volume after the curing. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of forming a golf ball, the method comprising:
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forming, on a portion of a golf ball, a first segment of a first antenna, the first segment having a first pattern;
forming, on the portion of the golf ball, a second segment of the first antenna after forming the first segment, the second segment having a second pattern. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for forming a portion of a golf ball, the apparatus comprising:
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a dispenser to hold antenna material for at least one of a first segment of an antenna and a second segment of the antenna;
a fixture coupled to the dispenser, the fixture to hold a portion of a golf ball to receive separately the first segment and the second segment. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of manufacturing golf balls, the method comprising:
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moving a first core of a golf ball, held by a first fixture, into a first station;
moving a second core of a golf ball, held by a second fixture, into a second station;
applying a first antenna material in a first pattern onto a first transfer medium and transferring the first antenna material in the first pattern onto the first core;
applying second antenna material in a second pattern onto a second transfer medium and transferring the second antenna material in the second pattern onto the second core, the second core having already received some antenna material in the first pattern;
moving the second core out of the second station and then moving the first core into the second station;
applying third antenna material in the second pattern onto the second transfer medium and transferring the third antenna material onto the first core while the first core is in the second station. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of fabricating a golf ball, the method comprising:
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depositing a filler material into a void on a surface of a core of a golf ball;
depositing a semiconductor component at least partially into the void;
removing any excess filler material from the surface of the core. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of fabricating a golf ball, the method comprising:
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depositing a filler material into a void on a surface of a core of a golf ball;
depositing a semiconductor component at least partially into the void;
curing the filler material at a temperature of less than about 90°
F. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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37. A method of fabricating a golf ball, the method comprising:
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applying an antenna to a core of a golf ball;
coupling a semiconductor component to the antenna;
coating the core after the semiconductor component has been coupled to the antenna with a first material which is compatible with a shell material;
applying the shell material to enclose the core and the semiconductor component and the antenna within the shell material. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
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40. A method of fabricating a golf ball, the method comprising:
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applying an antenna to a core of a golf ball;
coupling a semiconductor component to the antenna;
testing the antenna and the semiconductor component for a radio frequency response;
applying a material to enclose the core and the semiconductor component and the antenna within the material if the radio frequency (RF) response is acceptable. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42)
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43. A method of fabricating a golf ball, the method comprising:
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placing a core of a golf ball into a fixture;
aligning a feature on the core relative to a registration position of the fixture, the feature having a predetermined position relative to a void on the core. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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45. A mold for making a golf ball, the mold comprising:
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a body which is used to form at least a portion of a golf ball, the body having a surface which has a shape and size to form the portion in a desired shape and size, the body having at least one opening on the surface and the body defining a cavity;
a protrusion which retractably extends beyond the opening into the cavity to form a void in a ball material, the void being designed to receive at least a portion of an electrical component of a tag. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48)
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49. A mold for making a golf ball, the mold comprising:
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a body which is used to form at least a portion of a golf ball, the body having a surface which has a shape and size to form the portion in a desired shape and size;
a feature on the surface, the feature to make a void in a ball material, the void being designed to receive at least a portion of an electrical component of a tag, the feature having a wall which has an angle, relative to the body, to allow a formed portion of the golf ball to be removed. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51)
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52. A method for locating a golf ball, the method comprising:
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placing at least one of a golf ball with a radio frequency circuit or a cellular telephone or an RF activated car key or other interference sources in a container which includes a radio frequency shielding layer;
activating a radio frequency transmitter to locate a golf ball. - View Dependent Claims (53)
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54. A container for holding at least one object, the container comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) shielding material which defines a void, the RF shielding material significantly attenuating RF emissions from an RF transmitter which is designed to locate a golf ball, the void to hold at least one of a golf ball with an RF circuit, or a cellular telephone or a car key. - View Dependent Claims (55)
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56. A fixture for holding a portion of a golf ball during fabrication of the golf ball, the fixture comprising:
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a horizontal support which restricts horizontal movement of the portion;
a vertical support which restricts vertical movement of the portion, the horizontal support being capable of vertical movement above the vertical support, wherein the horizontal support is coupled to the portion and the vertical support is coupled to the portion. - View Dependent Claims (57)
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58. A fixture for holding a portion of a golf ball during fabrication of the golf ball, the fixture comprising:
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a first axis support which restricts movement of the portion in the first axis;
a second axis support which restricts movement of the portion in the second axis, the first axis support being capable of free movement along the second axis, and wherein the first axis support and the second axis support are each coupled to the portion. - View Dependent Claims (59)
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60. A golf ball comprising:
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a golf ball material having a void at a surface of the golf ball material;
a semiconductor component disposed at least partially in the void;
a filler material in the void and surrounding the semiconductor component on at least two sides of the semiconductor component. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63)
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64. A golf ball comprising:
a golf ball material having a void at a surface of the golf ball material;
a semiconductor component disposed at least partially in the void, wherein an electrical connection surface of the semiconductor component faces the golf ball material at a side of the void.- View Dependent Claims (65, 66)
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67. A package comprising:
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at least one new golf ball, each containing a radio frequency (RF) circuit to respond to a golf ball locator which transmits an RF signal;
an RF attenuating material which surrounds the at least one new golf ball, the RF attenuating material being part of a packaging for the package. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69)
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70. A method of fabricating a golf ball, the method comprising:
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applying an antenna to a core material of a golf ball;
coupling a semiconductor component to the antenna;
coating the core material, after the semiconductor has been coupled to the antenna, with a sealant to create a sealed core;
shipping the sealed core before applying a shell material to enclose the sealed core. - View Dependent Claims (71)
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72. A golf ball comprising:
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a core material;
an antenna coupled to the core material;
a semiconductor component coupled to the antenna;
a sealant encasing the antenna and the semiconductor component and the core material, wherein the sealant is applied before applying a shell material. - View Dependent Claims (73)
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74. A method of fabricating a golf ball, the method comprising:
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applying an antenna to a core material of a golf ball;
coupling a semiconductor component to the antenna;
storing the core material with the antenna and semiconductor component in a vacuum chamber. - View Dependent Claims (75)
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76. A method of fabricating a golf ball, the method comprising:
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picking a semiconductor component with a robotic arm;
optically detecting a void on a surface of a core material;
placing, with the robotic arm, the semiconductor component into the void.
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77. A method of manufacturing a golf ball, the method comprising:
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controlling an environment to provide a relatively constant temperature and humidity;
applying a conductive ink onto cores of golf balls in the environment. - View Dependent Claims (78)
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79. A golf ball comprising:
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a core material;
at least one of an antenna disposed on the core material and a semiconductor component disposed on the core material;
a sealant encasing the at least one of the antenna and the semiconductor component, wherein the sealant is applied before applying a shell material. - View Dependent Claims (80)
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81. A method of fabricating a golf ball, the method comprising:
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attaching a core to a fixture;
aligning the core to receive a semiconductor component into a void;
attaching the semiconductor component to the void. - View Dependent Claims (82)
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83. An apparatus for fabricating a golf ball, the apparatus comprising:
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a fixture to receive and hold at least one core;
a camera coupled to the fixture, the camera to locate a void on the at least one core;
an arm coupled to the fixture, the arm to dispense a semiconductor component into the void. - View Dependent Claims (84)
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85. A method of fabricating a golf ball, the method comprising:
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attaching at least one core to a fixture;
positioning a dispenser adjacent to a void on the at least one core;
dispensing filler material from the dispenser into the void. - View Dependent Claims (86)
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87. An apparatus for fabricating a golf ball, the apparatus comprising:
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a fixture to receive and hold at least one core;
a dispenser coupled to the fixture to dispense automatically a filler material into a void of the at least one core. - View Dependent Claims (88)
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89. A method of fabricating a golf ball, the method comprising:
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attaching at least one core to a fixture;
positioning a mask over the at least one core;
applying an antenna material, through the mask, onto the core. - View Dependent Claims (90)
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91. An apparatus for fabricating a golf ball, the apparatus comprising:
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a fixture to receive and hold at least one core;
a mask having an opening which has a shape corresponding to at least a portion of an antenna, the mask being coupled to the fixture;
a dispenser coupled to the fixture, the dispenser to apply an antenna material, through the mask, onto the at least one core. - View Dependent Claims (92)
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93. A method of fabricating a golf ball, the method comprising:
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attaching at least one core to a fixture;
inserting a semiconductor component into a void of the one core;
applying automatically an antenna structure onto the one core, the applying including a connection to the semiconductor component. - View Dependent Claims (94)
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95. An apparatus for fabricating a golf ball, the apparatus comprising:
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a fixture to receive and hold at least one core;
a dispenser coupled to the fixture, the dispenser to apply an antenna structure onto the one core which includes a connection to a semiconductor component on the one core.
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96. An apparatus for fabricating a golf ball, the apparatus comprising:
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a fixture to receive and hold at least one core;
an arm coupled to the fixture, the arm to pick a semiconductor component and to place the semiconductor component into a void on the one core. - View Dependent Claims (97)
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98. A method of fabricating a golf ball, the method comprising:
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attaching a core to a fixture;
aligning, through a machine vision system, a feature, on the core, relative to the fixture. - View Dependent Claims (99)
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100. An apparatus for fabricating a golf ball, the apparatus comprising:
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a fixture to receive and hold at least one core;
a camera coupled to the fixture, the camera to locate a feature on the at least one core;
an image recognition system coupled to the camera, the image recognition system causing an alignment of the feature relative to the fixture.
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Specification