Golf range with automated ranging system

• US 20070078018A1
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Frank Mabry, Norman Kellogg, Wayne Hom
• Original Assignee: Frank Mabry, Norman Kellogg, Wayne Hom
• Inventors: Kellogg, Norman, Mabry, Frank, Hom, Wayne
• Application Number:
  US11/487,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20070078018A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/151
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0037 on a target surface or at impact on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0043 Systems for locating the point of impact on a specific surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2063/065 movable or switchable between discrete positions, e.g. after a successful shot
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/025 on rollers or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0683 Input by handheld remote control
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/808 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/357 for golf cups or holes, e.g. flags
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/06 Revolving targets ; Moving targets, e.g. moving or revolving on impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/36 for golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3694 for driving only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/14 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves

Abstract

An automatic golf ball ranging system is provided for retrofitting existing passive golf ranges to include an electronic system for notifying golfers as to the distance between the impact of their golf ball on the range and the golfer'"'"'s target. The automated golf ranging system includes a pod which is preferably self contained to include an independent power supply, one or more microphones for receiving the sound of a golf ball impacting the golf range, a processor for processing the sound made by the golf ball, and visual or audio indicators for providing feedback to the golfer. The processor performs modification, filtration and analysis of the amplitude of the ball impacting the golf range to estimate the distance between golf ball impact and target. In preferred embodiments, the processor filters out ambient background noise and the processor automatically adjusts itself to changing ambient sound levels. Preferably, the processor also considers the time duration of the sound of a golf ball impacting the range when estimating the distance between golf ball impact and target.

Claims

1. A golf ranging system comprising:

a target positioned in proximity to a surface upon which golf balls can impact;

one or more microphones for receiving the sound of a golf ball impacting said surface;

a processor for measuring the amplitude of the sound of a golf ball impacting said surface;

said processor also analyzing the amplitude of the sound of a golf ball impact said surface to provide an estimate as to the distance between said target and a golf ball impact; and

a visual or audio indicator for indicating the estimated distance between said target and a golf ball impact.

2. The golf ranging system of claim 1 wherein said processor filters out ambient background noise when analyzing the amplitude of the sound of a golf ball impacting said surface to provide an estimate as to the distance between said target and a golf ball impact.

3. The golf ranging system of claim 1 wherein said processor measures time duration of the sound of a golf ball impacting said surface, and said processor analyzes the amplitude of sound over a period of time to provide a plurality amplitude measurements, said plurality of amplitude measurements being analyzed by said processor to provide an estimate as to the distance between said target and a golf ball impact.

4. The golf ranging system of claim 3 wherein said processor sums said amplitude measurements to provide an estimate as to the distance between said target and a golf ball impact.

5. The golf ranging system of claim 3 wherein said processor analyzes the amplitude and time duration of the sound of a golf ball impact said surface includes one or more calculations of the change in sound amplitude over time (Δ

A/Δ

t) to provide an estimate as to the distance between said target and a golf ball impact.

6. The golf ranging system of claim 1 wherein said processor includes a band-pass filter for removing sounds considered by the processor in estimating the distance between said target and a golf ball impact.

7. The golf ranging system of claim 6 wherein said band-pass filter removes sound of less than about 20 Hz and above about 200 Hz.

8. The golf ranging system of claim 1 wherein said processor includes a timing filter for removing sounds of predetermined lengths in estimating the distance between said target and a golf ball impact.

9. The golf ranging system of claim 8 wherein said timing filter removes sounds of less than about 0.005 seconds and greater than about 0.250 seconds.

10. The golf ranging system of claim 1 wherein said microphones include a plurality of microphones which produces a plurality of sound signals upon a golf ball impacting said surface, and said plurality of sound signals are summed prior to the processor estimating the distance between said target and a golf ball impact.

11. A method of estimating the distance between the impact of a golf ball upon a surface and a target, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a target positioned in proximity to a surface upon which golf balls can impact;

providing one or more microphones for receiving the sound of a golf ball impact said surface, a processor for measuring the amplitude of the sound of a golf ball impact said surface with said processor also analyzing the amplitude of the sound of a golf ball impacting said surface to provide an estimate as to the distance between said target and a golf ball impact, and a visual or audio indicator for indicating the estimated distance between said target and a golf ball impact;

striking a golf ball so as to impact said surface;

receiving the sound of the golf ball impacting said surface by the one or more microphones;

measuring the amplitude of the sound of the golf ball impacting said surface;

analyzing the amplitude of the sound of a golf ball impacting said surface to provide an estimate as to the distance between said target and the golf ball impact; and

providing a visual or audio indication of the estimated distance between said target and the golf ball impact.

12. The method of estimating the distance between the impact of a golf ball and a target of claim 11 further comprising the step of filtering out ambient background noise when analyzing the amplitude of the sound of a golf ball impacting said surface.

13. The method of estimating the distance between the impact of a golf ball and a target of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

measuring the amplitude of sound over a period of time to provide a plurality amplitude measurements, and

analyzing the amplitude measurements to provide an estimate as to the distance between said target and said golf ball impact.

14. The method of estimating the distance between the impact of a golf ball and a target of claim 13 wherein said step of analyzing the amplitude measurements includes summing the amplitude measurements to provide an estimate as to the distance between said target and said golf ball impact.

15. The method of estimating the distance between the impact of a golf ball and a target of claim 13 wherein said step of analyzing the amplitude and time duration of the sound of a golf ball impacting said surface includes one or more calculations of the change in sound amplitude over time (Δ

A/Δ

t) to provide an estimate as to the distance between said target and said golf ball impact.

16. The method of estimating the distance between the impact of a golf ball and a target of claim 11 further comprising the step of band-pass filtering out of sounds considered by the processor in estimating the distance between said target and said golf ball impact.

17. The method of estimating the distance between the impact of a golf ball and a target of claim 16 wherein said band-pass filtering removes sound of less than about 20 Hz and above about 200 Hz.

18. The method of estimating the distance between the impact of a golf ball and a target of claim 11 further comprising the step of removing sounds of predetermined lengths in estimating the distance between said target and said golf ball impact.

19. The method of estimating the distance between the impact of a golf ball and a target of claim 18 wherein said step of removing sounds removes sounds of less than about 0.005 seconds and greater than about 0.250 seconds.

20. The method of estimating the distance between the impact of a golf ball and a target of claim 11 wherein said microphones include a plurality of microphones which produces a plurality of sound signals upon a golf ball impacting said surface, and the steps further comprise the step of summing the sound signals prior to the processor estimating the distance between said target and said golf ball impact.

21. The method of estimating the distance between the impact of a golf ball and a target of claim 11 wherein the visual or audio indication of the estimated distance between the target and the golf ball impact is provided in the form of subjective feedback which can be altered to provide a golf ranging system having a plurality of skill levels, and the method of estimating the distance between the impact of a golf ball and a target further comprises the step randomly altering the subjective feedback and skill levels to provide randomly changing subjective feedback provided to the golfer.