Ball Game Apparatus

• US 20150072811A1
• Filed: 04/18/2013
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: World Golf Systems Limited (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: World Golf Systems Limited (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: Jolliffe, Steven Paul, Jolliffe, David Victor
• Granted Patent: US 9,808,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/570
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

A ball game apparatus comprises a control device (14, 24, 52, 60) which defines a predetermined range of allowable movements of a ball (10, 20, 40, 70) over space and time, sensing means (12, 22, 42) for detecting the actual movements of a ball, comparison means for comparing an actual movement to the predetermined range of allowable movements, and indicating means (16, 34, 54, 62) for indicating the output of the said comparing. The sensing means (12, 22, 42) comprises a multi-axis accelerometer contained in the ball and having accelerometer, gyroscope and/or magnetometer functions. The ball may be activated by an internal magnetically-operated switch (17, 22, 47). The control device and indicating means can be incorporated in the ball itself or in a separate portable computing device.

Claims

1. A ball game apparatus comprising a control device which defines a predetermined range of allowable movements of a ball over space and time, sensing means for detecting the actual movements of a ball, comparison means for comparing an actual movement to the predetermined range of allowable movements, and indicating means for indicating the output of the said comparing.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensing means comprises a multi-axis accelerometer contained in the ball.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensing means is a multi-axis accelerometer with a multi-axis gyroscope and/or a multi-axis magnetometer.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensing means is arranged to detect movements of the ball relative to a plurality of magnets.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the ball incorporate a GPS receiver and the sensing means employs the GPS system.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ball comprises a magnetically-operated switch.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the control device and/or the indicating means are part of a portable computing device.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device and the indicating means are both contained in the ball.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined range of allowable movements covers a sequence of translational accelerations and rotational accelerations.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the ball has a unique code.

11. A golf facility comprising an apparatus according to claim 1, a plurality of balls each having a unique code, and a reception area with a device arranged to allocate a particular ball to a particular player.

12. A golf facility according to claim 11 wherein said indicating means, or at least part thereof, is located in the reception area.

13. A golf facility according to claim 11, comprising a plurality of magnets distributed therearound.

14. A golf facility according to claim 13, wherein, at different locations around the facility, the magnets are arranged in different patterns and/or have different strengths.

15. A ball comprising a control device which defines a predetermined range of allowable movements of the ball over space and time, sensing means for detecting the actual movements of the ball, comparison means for comparing an actual movement to the predetermined range of allowable movements, and indicating means for indicating the output of the said comparing.

16. A ball according to claim 15, wherein the indicating means is a visual display.

17. A ball according to claim 15 and further comprising a magnetically-operated switch.

18. A ball according to claim 17, wherein the switch is a Hall effect device.