APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING OUTPUT INDICATIONS RESPONSIVE TO THE MOVEMENT OF A MOVING BODY

• US 3,818,341 A
• Filed: 10/02/1972
• Issued: 06/18/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Neal M. Burdick
• Original Assignee: Neal M. Burdick
• Inventors: Burdick, Neal M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lynch, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US05/294,380
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 324/161,162,163,165,158MG 73/12,35,167,178T,491,492 235/150.22,151.32 273/184B,185D
• US Class Current: 324/163
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/46 by measuring amplitude of generated current or voltage in general G01R19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 11/1217 using a plurality of operational amplifiers H03H11/1204 takes precedence; parallel-T filters H03H11/1295

Abstract

The present invention contemplates an improved indicator apparatus receiving an input signal from a transducer generated via the movement of a portion of the transducer within a magnetic field, sensing the movement of the portion of the transducer a predetermined distance and developing a sample signal in response thereto, and holding and displaying the developed sample signal, the indicator apparatus integrating the received, input signal and developing the sample signal in response to a sensed, integrated input signal of a predetermined minimum value. The indicator apparatus also generates a trigger signal indicating the development of the sample signal and a control preventing the development of subsequent sample signals until the indicator apparatus is reset. In one form, the indicator apparatus is particularly useful for indicating the velocity of a moving object such as a golf club head or the like, the moving object striking and moving the portion of the transducer to develop the input signal and the developed sample signal being indicative of the velocity of the moving object. In one aspect, the present invention also contemplates an improved active filter providing a relatively high input impedance to differential signals received thereby and providing a relatively low input impedance to common mode signals received thereby, the active filter network receiving and filtering the input signals received via the indicator apparatus. In one other aspect, the present invention also contemplates an improved low pass filter network providing a relatively high impedance to common mode signals and a relatively low impedance to differential signals, the low pass filter network being utilized to filter the input signals received via the indicator apparatus.

Claims

1. Indicator apparatus for providing an output indication responsive to a moving object, comprising:

means generating an input signal, comprising;

transducer means, having a portion engageable with the moving object and being moved a distance thereby, generating the input signal indicative of the movement of the transducer means;

means receiving and integrating the input signal and developing a sample signal indicative of the input signal at a predetermined minimum level of the integrated input signal, including a portion sensing the integrated input signal and generating a trigger signal in response to the developed sample signal, the trigger signal being generated in response to a predetermined distance of movement of the transducer means; and

means receiving the sample signal having a portion holding the sample signal and a portion receiving the trigger signal, providing an output indication indicative of the received sample signal in response to the received trigger signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the input signal generated via the transducer means is indicative of the velocity of the moving object and the developed signal is indicative of the velocity of the moving object.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transducer means is defined further to include:

means producing a magnetic field; and

means supporting a portion of the transducer means generally within a portion of the magnetic field, the moving object striking and moving a portion of the transducer means through a portion of the magnetic field generating the inPut signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the means receiving and integrating the input signal and developing the sample signal is defined further as delaying the developing of the sample signal for a predetermined delay period of time substantially assuring a predetermined distance of movement of the portion of the transducer means through the magnetic field substantially assuring the velocity of the portion of the transducer means being moved through the magnetic field substantially corresponds to the velocity of the moving object, thereby assuring the velocity signal substantially corresponds to the velocity of the moving object.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 defined further to include:

amplifier means interposed between the transducer means and the means receiving and integrating the input signal, the amplifier means receiving and amplifying the input signal in a biased on position thereof;

bias control means connected to the amplifier means biasing the amplifier means in the on position in an activated position of the bias control means; and

means receiving the trigger signal and connected to the bias control means deactivating the bias control means in response to a received trigger signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 defined further to include:

active filter network means interposed between the transducer means and the amplifier means and between the bias control means and the amplifier means, the active filter network means receiving the input signal and the bias control means output signal providing a substantially high impedance to the differential input signals connected thereto from the transducer means and providing a relatively low impedance to common mode input signals and bias control means output signals connected thereto.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the active filter network means includes:

bridge network means having a pair of input-output junctions and a pair of control junctions, the input signal and the bridge network means output signal being connected to the input-output junctions; and

operational amplifier means having an inverting and a noninverting input and an output, the inverting input being connected to one of the control junctions and the output being connected to the other control junction, the bias control means output signal being connected to the noninverting input of the operational amplifier means.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 defined further to include:

low pass filter network means interposed between the transducer means and the means receiving and integrating the input signal, including;

a pair of conductor means carrying the input signal;

capacitor means connected between the pair of conductor means; and

bifilar wound torroidal core means, having the pair of conductor means wound thereabout, providing a relatively high impedance to common mode input signals and a relatively low impedance to differential input signals.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transducer means is defined further to include:

means producing a magnetic field; and

means supporting a portion of the transducer means generally within a portion of the magnetic field, the moving object striking and moving a portion of the transducer means through a portion of the magnetic field generating the input signal; and

wherein the output indicator means includes;

a meter having a meter needle and a meter magnet operating the movement of the meter needle; and

wherein the means producing the magnetic field of the transducer means is defined further as being the meter magnet.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 defined further to include:

means producing a magnetic field having magnetic field vectors extending in a predetermined direction; and

wherein the transducer means is defined further to include;

a loop having an active section and a passive section constructed of a conductive material;

means supporting the loop in an assembled position, the active sectIon extending generally perpendicularly with respect to the magnetic field vectors and the passive section extending generally parallel with respect to the magnetic field vectors, the moving object striking the active section and moving the loop through the magnetic field and causing the input signal to be induced in the loop via the movement of the active section through the magnetic field.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the end of the loop forming the active section extends a distance angularly in a direction generally toward the moving object and opposite the direction of movement of the moving object.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the means supporting the loop is defined further to include:

housing means, having connector receiving openings in electrical communication with the means receiving the input signals; and

a support having a portion removably connectable to the housing means via the connector receiving openings and a portion removably connectable to the loop supporting the loop and providing electrical communication between the loop and the means receiving the input signals; and

wherein the end of the passive sections of the loop opposite the end thereof forming the active section, are removably connectable to the support.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 defined further to include:

bag means having a flexible cover filled with a pellet-like material adjustably supporting the housing means in predetermined positions.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the support includes portions removably connectable to the loop and supporting the loop in alternate assembled positions, one assembled position wherein the angularly oriented portion extends in a direction opposed to the extending direction of the angularly oriented portion in the other assembled position.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the support means is defined further to include:

loop support means, having a pair of fold-lines, the loop being attached to the loop support means and the loop support means being removably connected to the support in a folded position of the loop support means.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the loop is constructed of a conductive material printed on the loop support means.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the transducer means is defined further to include:

a pair of loops connected in series, each loop connected to the loop support means.

18. The apparatus of claim 9 defined further to include:

compensating coil means connected to the transducer means to induce signals in the transducer means generally opposed to input signals induced in the portion of the transducer means disposed within the magnetic field, thereby virtually cancelling the effect of extraneous signals induced in the transducer means and connected to the means developing the sample signal.

19. Indicator apparatus providing an output indication indicative of the velocity of a moving object, along a predetermined path of travel, comprising:

means producing a magnetic field;

transducer means having opposite ends and an active section constructed of an electrically conductive material;

means having a portion connected to one end of the transducer means, opposite the active section portion thereof, supporting the transducer means in a position suspending the active section generally within the magnetic field and extending generally perpendicularly to the magnetic field vectors developed thereby, the active section being strikeable by the moving object and movable a distance thereby through the magnetic field inducing an input signal in the transducer means; and

means connected to the transducer means receiving the input signal and producing an output indication indicative of the input signal and indicative of the velocity of the moving object.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 defined further to include:

means producing a magnetic field having magnetic field vectors extending in a predetermineD direction; and

wherein the transducer means is defined further to include;

a loop having an active section and a passive section constructed of a conductive material;

means supporting the loop in an assembled position, the active section extending generally perpendicularly with respect to the magnetic field vectors and the passive section extending generally parallel with respect to the magnetic field vectors, the moving object striking the active section and moving the loop through the magnetic field and causing the input signal to be induced in the loop via the movement of the active section through the magnetic field.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the end of the loop forming the active section extending a distance angularly in a direction generally toward the moving object and opposite the direction of movement of the moving object.

22. Indicator apparatus providing an output indication indicative of the velocity of a moving object, along a predetermined path of travel, comprising:

means producing a magnetic field;

transducer means having an active section constructed of an electrically conductive material;

means connected to the transducer means supporting the active section of the transducer means generally within the magnetic field and extending generally perpendicularly to the magnetic field vectors developed thereby, the active section being struck by the moving object and moved a distance thereby through the magnetic field inducing an input signal in the transducer means; and

means connected to the transducer means receiving the input signal and producing an output indication indicative of the input signal and indicative of the velocity of the moving object, comprising;

means receiving and integrating the input signal and developing a sample signal indicative of the input signal at a predetermined minimum level of the integrated input signal.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 defined further to include:

means receiving the sample signal having a portion holding the sample signal and providing an output indication indicative of the received sample signal.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the means receiving and integrating the input is defined further to include a portion sensing the integrated input signal and generating a trigger signal in response to the development of the sample signal;

and wherein the means receiving the sample signal is defined further to include a portion receiving the trigger signal, the output indication being provided in response to the received trigger signal.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the means receiving and integrating the input signal is defined further to include:

peak detector means receiving and integrating the input signal and developing the sample signal; and

trigger signal generator means receiving the integrated input signal and producing an output signal in response thereto, having a portion sensing the integrated input signal and the output signal produced in response to the received integrated input signal, the trigger signal being generated in response to a sensed predetermined level of the integrated input signal and a sensed predetermined level of the output signal produced in response to the received integrated input signal.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the trigger signal generator means is defined further to include:

differentiator means receiving the integrated input signal from the peak detector means and producing the output signal in response thereto, the output signal of the differentiator means being responsive to a negative value of the rate-of-change of the integrated input signal with respect to time.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the peak detector means is defined further to include:

inverter amplifier means receiving and inverting the input signal; and

integrator capacitor means connected generally between the input and the output of the inverter amplifier means, the inverter aMplifier means and the integrator capacitor means cooperating to produce the integrated input signal.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the peak detector means is defined further to include:

sample capacitor means;

diode means connecting the sample capacitor means to the integrated input signal at a predetermined level of the integrated input signal, the sample capacitor means being charged when connected to the integrated input signal;

switch means connected to the sample capacitor means biased closed and conducting a current in response to the charge on the sample capacitor means; and

means receiving the current from the switch means and developing the sample signal in response thereto.