SENSING DEVICE AND METHOD USED FOR VIRTUAL GOLF SIMULATION APPARATUS

• US 20140003666A1
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GOLFZON Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: GOLFZON Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Jang, Hyung Wook, Park, Hyun Jin, Yoon, Hyung Sik, Jeong, Hyun Dam
• Granted Patent: US 9,514,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

Disclosed are a sensing device and method used for a virtual golf simulation apparatus in which an image acquired by an inexpensive camera having a relatively low resolution and velocity is analyzed to relatively accurately extract information on physical properties, such as velocity, direction and altitude angle, of a moving ball, and, particularly, in which the moving trajectory of a golf club is relatively accurately calculated from the acquired image to relatively accurately estimate spin of the ball and to reflect the estimated spin of the ball in golf simulation, thereby constituting a virtual golf simulation apparatus having high accuracy and reliability at low costs and further improving reality of virtual golf.

Claims

1. A sensing device used in a virtual golf simulation apparatus, comprising:

a camera unit for acquiring a plurality of frame images of a ball hit by a user who swings at the ball; and

a sensing processing unit comprising a ball image processing means for extracting the ball from each of the frame images to obtain three-dimensional coordinates of the ball and a club image processing means for extracting a moving object of interest from each of the acquired frame images to calculate a moving trajectory of a golf club head from the object of interest, thereby calculating information on physical properties of the moving ball.

2. The sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the club image processing means is configured to receive an image from the ball image processing means and process the received image from which the ball, extracted from each image processed by the ball image processing means, has been removed.

3. The sensing device according to claim 1, further comprising a hitting sensing means for processing each of the images received from the camera unit to sense whether hitting has been performed by the user, thereby confirming impact time.

4. The sensing device according to claim 3, wherein

the ball image processing means is configured to receive a plurality of frame images after impact from the hitting sensing means and to process the received images, and

the club image processing means is configured to receive a plurality of frame images before impact from the hitting sensing means and the images processed by the ball image processing means, and to process the received images.

5. The sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing processing unit is configured:

to calculate information on physical properties including velocity, direction and altitude angle of the moving ball using three-dimensional coordinates of the ball extracted by the ball image processing means; and

to calculate information on physical properties including spin of the moving ball from the moving trajectory of the golf club head calculated by the club image processing means.

6. The sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the club image processing means comprises:

a first processing means for extracting and congregating differences between the respective frame images to extract the moving object of interest and for fitting a straight line with respect to the extracted object of interest; and

a second processing means for calculating a trajectory of a specific portion on the fitted line as the moving trajectory of the golf club head.

7. The sensing device according to claim 6, wherein the club image processing means further comprises a spin estimation means for setting a region of interest of a predetermined size about a position of the ball in a stopped state, for checking the moving trajectory of the golf club head in the region of interest to extract a moving direction of the golf club head, and for estimating spin of the ball therefrom.

8-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A sensing device used in a virtual golf simulation apparatus, comprising:

a camera unit for acquiring a plurality of frame images of a ball hit by a user who swings at the ball; and

a sensing processing unit comprising a first processing means for extracting and congregating differences between the respective frame images to extract a moving object of interest and for extracting a fitted line from the extracted object of interest and a second processing means for calculating a trajectory of a specific portion on the fitted line as a moving trajectory of a golf club head.

12. The sensing device according to claim 11, wherein

the sensing processing unit further comprises a preprocessing means for removing a still portion from each of the acquired images through difference operation and for congregating pixel values of a predetermined number of peripheral pixels with respect to all pixels on the difference operated image to create an image, and

the first processing means and the second processing means perform image processing using the image processed by the preprocessing means.

13. The sensing device according to claim 11, wherein the first processing means comprises:

an object extraction means for extracting and congregating differences between a frame image and another frame image with respect to all frame images to be processed to extract a portion corresponding to the golf club as the object of interest; and

a line fitting means for fitting a straight line with respect to the extracted object of interest.

14. The sensing device according to claim 13, wherein the second processing means comprises:

a trajectory calculation means for inspecting coordinate movement of a specific portion on the fitted line to calculate a moving trajectory; and

a spin estimation means for determining the calculated moving trajectory as the moving trajectory of the golf club head, for extracting a moving direction of the golf club head from the moving trajectory, and for estimating spin of the ball therefrom.

15. The sensing device according to claim 11,

wherein the camera unit includes a plurality of cameras for acquiring a plurality of frame images of the ball hit by the user,

wherein the first processing means extracts and congregates the fitted line with respect to the moving object of interest from each of the images acquired by the respective cameras through two-dimensional analysis, and

wherein the second processing means calculates the trajectory of the specific portion on the fitted line through three-dimensional matching of the fitted line, which has been two-dimensionally analyzed.

16. A sensing method of a sensing device used in a virtual golf simulation apparatus, comprising:

successively collecting images of a predetermined capturing range in which hitting is performed;

analyzing the acquired images to sense whether a user has hit a ball;

extracting and analyzing the ball from a plurality of frame images after impact time when the ball has been hit to calculate information on physical properties of the moving ball (a ball processing step); and

extracting and analyzing a moving trajectory of a golf club head to estimate spin of the moving ball (a club processing step).

17. The sensing method according to claim 16, wherein the ball processing step comprises:

extracting a ball candidate for each frame with respect to the frame images;

converting three-dimensional coordinates of the ball candidate into two-dimensional coordinates to extract at least one two-dimensional trajectory obtained by connecting the ball candidates of the respective frames are connected to each other; and

analyzing the two-dimensional trajectory to extract a trajectory of the ball, thereby obtaining three-dimensional coordinates of the ball on the trajectory of the ball.

18. The sensing method according to claim 16, wherein the club processing step comprises:

extracting and congregating differences between the respective frame images to extract a moving object of interest;

fitting a straight line with respect to the extracted object of interest; and

calculating a trajectory of a specific portion on the fitted line as the moving trajectory of the golf club head.

19. A sensing method of a sensing device used in a virtual golf simulation apparatus, comprising:

acquiring a plurality of frame images of a ball hit by a user who swings at the ball;

extracting a moving object of interest from each of the acquired images;

fitting a straight line with respect to the extracted object of interest;

calculating a trajectory of a specific portion on the fitted line; and

determining the calculated trajectory as a moving trajectory of a golf club head to estimate spin of the moving ball therefrom.

20. The sensing method according to claim 19, wherein the step of extracting the object of interest comprises:

removing a still portion from each of the acquired images through difference operation;

congregating pixel values of a predetermined number of peripheral pixels with respect to all pixels on the difference operated image to create an image; and

extracting and congregating differences between a frame image and another frame image with respect to all frame images to be processed to extract a portion corresponding to the golf club as the object of interest.

21. The sensing method according to claim 19, wherein

the step of acquiring the images comprises acquiring a plurality of frame images through a plurality of stereo type driven cameras, and

the step of calculating the trajectory of the specific portion comprises:

checking corresponding points of the same frame images in a three-dimensional space with respect to the cameras; and

finding an end portion of the fitted line, recognizing the end portion as the golf club head, and checking coordinate movement of the head to calculate a three-dimensional trajectory thereof.

22. The sensing method according to claim 19, wherein the step of estimating spin of the ball comprises:

setting a region of interest of a predetermined size about a position of the ball in a stopped state;

checking the moving trajectory of the golf club head in the region of interest to extract a moving direction of the golf club head; and

estimating spin of the moving ball from the moving direction of the golf club head.