Impact and Sound Analysis for Golf Equipment

• US 20140260637A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Molinari, Arthur
• Granted Patent: US 9,217,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/646
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/165 combined with non-inertial navigation instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/00 Measuring characteristics of vibrations in solids by using direct conduction to the detector G01H9/00, G01H11/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 3/08 Analysing frequencies present in complex vibrations, e.g. comparing harmonics present acoustic presence detection G01V1/001
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/12 by making use of a system excited by impact

Abstract

Golf performance and equipment characteristics may be determined by analyzing the impact between a golf ball and an impacting surface. In some examples, the impacting surface may be a golf club face. The impact between the golf ball and the surface may be measured based on sound and/or motion sensors (e.g., gyroscopes, accelerometers, etc.). Based on motion and/or sound data, various equipment-related information including golf ball compression, club head speed and impact location may be derived. Such information and/or other types of data may be conveyed to a user to help improve performance, aid in selecting golf equipment and/or to insure quality of golfing products.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to:

receive data generated from an impact of a golf ball against a surface, wherein the data includes at least one of;

an audio signal and gyroscopic data;

analyze the impact data to determine one or more characteristics of the impact between the golf ball and the surface; and

generate an output specifying the one or more characteristics of the impact.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein receiving data generated from the impact of the golf ball against the surface includes:

receiving first sound data generated from an impact of a first golf ball with a golf club swung by a user;

receiving second sound data generated from an impact of a second golf ball with the golf club swung by the user,

wherein the first golf ball is differently constructed than the second golf ball, and

wherein analyzing the impact data includes analyzing each of the first sound data and the second sound data.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the first golf ball includes an inner core having a first size and the second golf ball includes an inner core having a second size, greater than the first size, wherein the inner cores of the first and second golf balls are configured to generate an audio signal having a predefined frequency.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein analyzing each of the first sound data and the second sound data includes:

determining whether the predefined frequency is included in the first sound data;

determining whether the predefined frequency is included in the second sound data; and

determining a head speed of the golf club based on whether the audio signal of the predefined frequency is included in the first sound data and the second sound data.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 4, wherein the inner core of the first golf ball is configured to generate the audio signal having the predefined frequency when struck by the golf club with a first predefined head speed, and

wherein the inner core of the second golf ball is configured to generate the audio signal having the predefined frequency when struck by the golf club with a second predefined head speed different from the first predefined head speed.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 4, wherein generating the output includes:

determining a type of golf ball based on the determined head speed of the golf club; and

outputting a recommendation of the type of golf ball.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein analyzing each of the first sound data and the second sound data includes:

determining whether the predefined frequency has a threshold amplitude in the first sound data;

determining whether the predefined frequency has a threshold amplitude in the second sound data; and

determining a head speed of the golf club based on whether the predefined frequency has the threshold amplitude in the first sound data and the second sound data.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the first and second golf balls include a rubber outer core and a resin inner core.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein receiving data generated from the impact of the golf ball against the surface further includes receiving third sound data generated from an impact of a third golf ball with the golf club, and

wherein the third golf ball is differently constructed from the first and second golf balls.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the output includes a recommendation of a type of golf ball for the user.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the surface corresponds to a face of a golf club and wherein the output includes a head speed of the golf club and an impact location between the golf ball and the golf club.

12. A method comprising:

receiving data generated from an impact of a golf ball against a surface, wherein the data includes at least one of;

an audio signal and gyroscopic data;

analyzing the impact data to determine one or more characteristics of the impact between the golf ball and the surface; and

generating an output specifying the one or more characteristics of the impact.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the surface corresponds to a face of a golf club and wherein the output includes a head speed of the golf club and an impact location between the golf ball and the golf club.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving data generated from the impact of the golf ball against the surface includes:

receiving first sound data generated from an impact of a first golf ball with a golf club swung by a user;

receiving second sound data generated from an impact of a second golf ball with the golf club swung by the user,

wherein the first golf ball is differently constructed than the second golf ball, and

wherein analyzing the impact data includes analyzing each of the first sound data and the second sound data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first golf ball includes an inner core having a first size and the second golf ball includes an inner core having a second size, greater than the first size, wherein the inner cores of the first and second golf balls are configured to generate an audio signal having a predefined frequency.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein analyzing each of the first sound data and the second sound data includes:

determining whether the predefined frequency is included in the first sound data;

determining whether the predefined frequency is included in the second sound data; and

determining a head speed of the golf club based on whether the audio signal of the predefined frequency is included in the first sound data and the second sound data.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the inner core of the first golf ball is configured to generate the audio signal having the predefined frequency when struck by the golf club with a first predefined head speed, and

wherein the inner core of the second golf ball is configured to generate the audio signal having the predefined frequency when struck by the golf club with a second predefined head speed different from the first predefined head speed.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein generating the output includes:

determining a type of golf ball based on the determined head speed of the golf club; and

outputting a recommendation of the type of golf ball.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein analyzing each of the first sound data and the second sound data includes:

determining whether the predefined frequency has a threshold amplitude in the first sound data;

determining whether the predefined frequency has a threshold amplitude in the second sound data; and

determining a head speed of the golf club based on whether the predefined frequency has the threshold amplitude in the first sound data and the second sound data.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second golf balls include a rubber outer core and a resin inner core.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving data generated from the impact of the golf ball against the surface further includes receiving third sound data generated from an impact of a third golf ball with the golf club, and

wherein the third golf ball is differently constructed from the first and second golf balls.

22. A method comprising:

receiving first sound data generated from an impact of a first golf ball against a face of a golf club, wherein the data includes an audio signal;

receiving second sound data generated from an impact of a second golf ball against the face of the golf club, wherein the first golf ball is differently constructed than the second golf ball;

analyzing each of the first sound data and the second sound data to determine whether a specified frequency is included in each of the first sound data and the second sound data; and

generating an output based on the analysis of the impact data, the output including a determined golf club head speed.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising generating a recommendation for a type of golf ball based on the determined golf club head speed.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the first golf ball includes an inner core having a first size and the second golf ball includes an inner core having a second size, greater than the first size, wherein the inner cores of the first and second golf balls are configured to generate an audio signal having a predefined frequency.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the head speed of the golf club is determined based on whether the audio signal of the specified frequency is included in the first sound data and the second sound data.