INTELLIGENT, REAL-TIME GOLF TOURNAMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND TERMINAL FOR USE THEREWITH

• US 20110213474A1
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Egtron, Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Egtron, Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, JeYoung
• Granted Patent: US 8,517,854 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/92
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0037 on a target surface or at impact on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• 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 71/0669 Score-keepers or score display devices

Abstract

Disclosed is a real-time, automatic golf scoring apparatus that can automatically tally golf scores and record the positions of golf shots. The real-time, automatic golf scoring apparatus includes: a storage unit for storing information regarding driver shot positions at holes; a communications unit for receiving position computation information for calculating a current position of a golfer; and a control unit for counting the number of driver shots if a condition on the number of driver shots based on the information regarding the driver shot positions and information regarding the current position of the golfer is satisfied using these means, the system is capable of providing useful real-time information to golf players and of automatically managing play records.

Claims

1. A golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus comprising:

a storage unit for storing information regarding driver shot positions at holes;

a communications unit for receiving position computation information for calculating a current position of a golfer; and

a control unit for counting the number of driver shots if a condition on the number of driver shots based on the information regarding the driver shot positions and information regarding the current position of the golfer is satisfied.

2. The golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines that the condition on the number of driver shots is satisfied, if the golfer enters into the driver shot positions and leaves the driver shot positions after a predetermined period of time.

3. The golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines that the condition on the number of driver shots is satisfied, if the golfer enters into the driver shot positions, leaves the driver shot positions after the predetermined period of time, and a driver shot estimated motion or driver shot estimated sound occurs by which the golfer is estimated to hit a driver shot.

4. The golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage unit further stores information regarding fairway positions in fairway regions of the holes,

wherein the control unit counts fairway shots by accumulating one par if a condition on the number of fairway shots is satisfied based on the information regarding fairway positions and the information regarding the current position of the golfer.

5. The golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus of claim 4, wherein the control unit determines that the condition on the number of fairway shots is satisfied, if the golfer is located in the fairway region, stays at a region of the fairway region for a predetermined period of time, and leaves the region.

6. The golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus of claim 4, wherein the control unit determines that the condition on the number of fairway shots is satisfied, if the golfer is located in the fairway region, stays at a region of the fairway region for a predetermined period of time, leaves the region, and a fairway shot estimated motion or fairway shot estimated sound occurs by which the golfer is estimated to hit a fairway shot.

7. The golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus of claim 6, to wherein the fairway shot estimated motion is a motion of a golfers'"'"' waist.

8. The golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus of claim 4, wherein the storage unit further stores information regarding green region positions in green regions of the holes,

wherein the control unit counts putting shots by accumulation if a condition on the number of putting shots is satisfied based on the information regarding green region positions and the information regarding the current position of the golfer.

9. The golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus of claim 8, wherein the condition on the number of putting shots is determined to be satisfied if the golfer has no motion in a region of the green region for a predetermined period of time.

10. The golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control unit selects positions where the golfer does not move in the green region for the predetermined period of time, determines if there is a position where a putting shot estimated motion or putting shot estimated sound occurs, and, if the position where the putting shot estimated motion or the putting shot estimated sound occurs corresponds to one of the positions where the golfer does not move, determines that the condition on the number of putting shots is satisfied.

11. The golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control unit selects the positions where the golfer does not move in the green region for the predetermined period of time, selects positions where a golf assistant does not move in the green region for the predetermined period of time, determines if there is the position where the putting shot estimated motion or the putting shot estimated sound occurs, and, if the position where the putting shot estimated motion or the putting shot estimated sound occurs corresponds to one of the positions where the golfer does not move and simultaneously corresponds to one of the positions where the golf assistant does not move, determines that the condition on the number of putting shots is satisfied.

12. The golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control unit selects the positions where the golfer does not move in the green region for the predetermined period of time, selects the positions where the golf assistant does not move in the green region for the predetermined period of time, determines if there is a motion assisting in a putting shot of the golf assistant, and, if a position of the motion assisting in the putting shot of the golf assistant corresponds to one of the positions where the golfer does not move and simultaneously corresponds to one of the positions where the golf assistant does not move, determines that the condition on the number of putting shots is satisfied.