GOLF GAME COMPUTER INCLUDING BOUNCE AND ROLL GENERATOR

• US 3,633,008 A
• Filed: 12/03/1969
• Issued: 01/04/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James W. Sanders
• Original Assignee: James W. Sanders
• Inventors: Sanders, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morrison, Malcolm A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Application Number:
  US04/881,770
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 235/151,151.3,151.32 273/32,35,176-177,181,183-184,199 73/379,490
• US Class Current: 473/199
• CPC Class Codes: G06G 7/48 Analogue computers for specific processes, systems or devices, e.g. simulators

Abstract

An improved bounce and roll circuit for use in golf game computing systems. The improved circuit is formed principally of semiconductors and is constructed so that the integration of a signal representing artificial gravity during the bound portion of a ball flight is accomplished by an integrator already present for integrating acceleration due to lift and gravity; and means are provided for continually retriggering the circuit to initiate or continue the bounce and roll portion of the flight of a ball in the event the circuit fails to trigger on the first or any subsequent trigger.

Claims

1. A golf game computing system comprising:

means for determining the theoretical distance of a ball above the ground and including an integrator circuit having a capacitor and means for providing signals representing lift and gravity to said integrator circuit;

a comparator responsive to said determining means for signalling when the ball is theoretically in contact with the ground, a one shot connected to be triggered by said comparator;

a first semiconductor means connected to be caused to conduct in response to the triggering of said one shot;

means responsive to the conduction of said semiconductor means for rendering said lift and gravity signalling means inoperative and for providing a signal representing gravity alone to said integrator;

second semiconductor means responsive to the triggering of said one shot for discharging said capacitor;

timing means operative in response to the conduction of said first semiconductor means;

means responsive to said timing means for disabling said first semiconductor means; and

means, including third semiconductor means, responsive to the triggering of said one shot for connecting said timing means to said disabling means only when said one shot is triggered whereby said first semiconductor means can be disabled only when the ball is theoretically in contact with the ground.

2. A golf game computing system according to claim 1 wherein said determining means includes a second integrator connected to said first integrator to receive a signaL therefrom and generate a signal representing the distance of the ball above the ground and a source of a signal representing the instantaneous velocity of the ball with respect to the vertical connected to said second integrator;

and further including feedback means from said one shot to said comparator for continually retriggering said one shot if said disabling means has not been operated and the signal from said second integrator represents that the ball is in contact with the ground.

3. A golf game computing system according to claim 1 wherein said capacitor is in parallel with said integrator, said means for providing signals representing lift and gravity comprises resistive means connected to the input of said integrator and said means for rendering the lift and gravity signalling means includes switch means for connecting said resistive means to ground and for connecting second resistive means to said integrator to provide said signal representing gravity alone thereto.

4. A golf game computing system according to claim 1 wherein said determining means includes a second integrator connected to said first-named integrator to receive a signal representing vertical velocity alternately due to lift and gravity and gravity alone therefrom, and means for providing said second integrator with another signal representing vertical velocity due to initial direction of a ball hit from a tee.

5. A golf game computing system according to claim 1 wherein said timing means includes a second capacitor in a charging circuit, and means for charging said second capacitor at any one of a plurality of selected rates and including a plurality of resistors having different values;

means for detecting the initial angle of elevation of a ball hit from a tee; and

means responsive to said detecting means for applying a signal to a particular one of said resistors, said resistors and said applying means being arranged so that the rate of charging of said second capacitor is approximate directly proportional to the detected initial angle of elevation.

6. A golf game computing system according to claim 5 wherein said disabling means comprises a unijunction transistor and said connecting means comprises a field effect transistor connected to said second capacitor and to said unijunction transistor.

7. A golf game computing system according to claim 5 further including switch means responsive to conduction of said first semiconductor means for discharging said second capacitor whenever said first semiconductor means is not conducting.

8. A golf game computing system including:

first means for generating a signal representing acceleration on a golf ball in flight due to the effects of lift and gravity thereon;

second means for generating a signal representing acceleration on a golf ball due to gravity alone, integrating means for alternately receiving said signals from said first and second means and for generating signals representing vertical velocity of a golf ball due to lift and gravity and gravity alone, means for determining when the flight of the ball would bring the ball in contact with the ground, and switch means responsive to said determining means for normally effectively connecting said first means to said integrating means and disconnecting said second means therefrom when the ball has not yet theoretically contacted the ground and for effectively disconnecting said first means from said integrating means and connecting said second means thereto when the ball has theoretically contacted the ground.

9. A golf game computer according to claim 8 wherein said integrating means comprises an operational amplifier having a capacitor connected in parallel therewith;

said first means comprises first resistive means connected to the input of said amplifier;

said second means comprises second resistive means connectable across said amplifier; and

said switch means includes a first switch for grounding said first resistive means to disconnect the same from said amplifier and a secoNd switch for connecting said second resistive means across said amplifier.

10. A golf game computing system according to claim 9 wherein said determining means comprises a one shot and a comparator connected thereto to trigger the one shot when the ball is theoretically in contact with the ground.

11. A golf game computing system comprising:

means for computing the theoretical instantaneous displacement of a ball above the ground and providing a first signal representative thereof;

means for generating bounce and roll information and providing a second signal representative thereof;

means responsive to said computing means for triggering said generating means when said first signal indicates that the ball is in contact with the ground; and

means for causing said triggering means to repetitively retrigger said generating means whenever said triggering means fails to initiate operation of said generating means.

12. A golf game computing system according to claim 11 wherein said triggering means comprises a comparator connected to a one shot, and said retriggering means comprises a feedback means from said one shot to said comparator.