METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SHOT TRACKING

• US 20110224011A1
• Filed: 01/14/2011
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: BALARDETA, JOSEPH, DENTON, SCOTT
• Granted Patent: US 8,192,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/222
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0028 Tracking the path of an object, e.g. a ball inside a soccer pitch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0031 at the starting point
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0037 on a target surface or at impact on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/063 Spoken or verbal instructions
• 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 2220/14 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 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• 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 57/00 Golfing accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/46 Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3658 Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications

Abstract

A method for predicting a golfer'"'"'s swing speed, wherein the method comprises determining that the golfer is addressing a golf ball to swing a golf club, monitoring a backswing, determining a transition time, monitoring a downswing, determining an impact time, transmitting data for the golfer'"'"'s swing to a receiver for analysis and generating a golfer'"'"'s swing speed using a length of a shaft of the golf club.

Claims

1. A method for predicting a golfer'"'"'s swing speed, the method comprising:

determining that a golfer is addressing a golf ball to swing a golf club, the golf club comprising a device comprising an accelerometer and a radiofrequency transceiver;

monitoring a backswing of the golfer;

determining a transition time from a backswing to a downswing of the golfer;

monitoring the downswing of the golfer;

determining an impact time of the golf club with the golf ball;

transmitting data for the golfer'"'"'s swing to a receiver for analysis, the data comprising the transition time and the impact time; and

generating a golfer'"'"'s swing speed using a length of a shaft of the golf club, the transition time and the impact time.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein transmitting the data comprises transmitting data on the golfer'"'"'s swing in a single transmission.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein transmitting the data comprises transmitting data in a plurality of transmissions.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the monitoring of the backswing and the monitoring of the downswing occur at a rate of at least 1 kilo-Hertz.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the receiver is a GPS device, Smart Phone, PDA, or computer.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the data for a golfer'"'"'s swing is transmitted at a radiofrequency of 2.4 gigaHertz utilizing the radiofrequency transceiver of the device.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the device further comprises a microprocessor and a battery.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the accelerometer is a multiple axis accelerometer.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the monitoring of the backswing and the monitoring of the downswing occur at a rate of at least 5 kilo-Hertz.

10. A system for predicting a golfer'"'"'s swing speed, the system comprising:

a golf club comprising a club head, a shaft, a grip and a device attached to the grip, the device comprising a microprocessor, an accelerometer and a radiofrequency transceiver, the microprocessor configured to determine that a golfer is addressing a golf ball to swing a golf club, monitor a backswing of the golfer, determine a transition time from a backswing to a downswing of the golfer, monitor the downswing of the golfer, determine an impact time of the golf club with the golf ball, and transmit data for the golfer'"'"'s swing, the data comprising the transition time and the impact time; and

a receiver comprising a microprocessor and a transceiver, the transceiver operating on the first communication protocol, the microprocessor configured to generate a golfer'"'"'s swing speed using a length of a shaft of the golf club, the transition time and the impact time.

11. The system according to claim 10 wherein the microprocessor is configured to transmit the data on the golfer'"'"'s swing in a single transmission.

12. The system according to claim 10 wherein the microprocessor is configured to transmit the data in a plurality of transmissions.

13. The system according to claim 10 wherein the microprocessor is configured to monitor the backswing and monitor the downswing at a rate of at least 1 kilo-Hertz.

14. The system according to claim 10 wherein the receiver is a GPS device, Smart Phone, PDA, or computer.

15. The system according to claim 10 wherein the data for a golfer'"'"'s swing is transmitted at a radiofrequency of 2.4 gigaHertz utilizing the radiofrequency transceiver of the device.

16. The system according to claim 10 wherein the device further comprises a battery.

17. The system according to claim 10 wherein the accelerometer is a multiple axis accelerometer.

18. The system according to claim 10 wherein the microprocessor is configured to monitor the backswing and monitor the downswing at a rate of at least 5 kilo-Hertz.

19. A method for predicting a golfer'"'"'s swing speed, the method comprising:

determining that a golfer is addressing a golf ball to swing a golf club, the golf club comprising a device comprising a battery, a microprocessor, an accelerometer and a radiofrequency transceiver;

monitoring a backswing of the golfer;

determining a transition time from a backswing to a downswing of the golfer;

monitoring the downswing of the golfer;

determining an impact time of the golf club with the golf ball;

transmitting data for the golfer'"'"'s swing to a receiver for analysis, the data comprising the transition time and the impact time; and

generating a golfer'"'"'s swing speed using a length of a shaft of the golf club, the transition time and the impact time.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein the accelerometer us a multiple axis-accelerometer.