Golf club impact and golf ball launching monitoring system

• US 4,136,387 A
• Filed: 09/12/1977
• Issued: 01/23/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Gobush, William, Sullivan, Paul F., Lynch, Francis deS., Hottel, Hoyt C. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Atkinson, Charles E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Krass, Errol A.
• Application Number:
  US05/832,564
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 364/410, 364/565, 364/463, 364/525, 73/12, 73/13, 73/88 A, 73/167, 273/32 A, 273/199 R, 273/62, 273/213, 273/233, 273/176 FA, 273/235 B, 273/77 R, 273/162 D, 273/87 G, 273/87 H, 273/102.2 R, 273/105.5, 273/183 , 273/185, 356/27, 356/28, 356/256
• US Class Current: 473/200
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3658 Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06G 7/48 Analogue computers for specific processes, systems or devices, e.g. simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G06G 7/78 for direction-finding, locating, distance or velocity measuring, or navigation systems

Abstract

Electro-optical sensors measure the location of a plurality of spots on the surface of a golf club head or a golf ball at a minimum of two precisely spaced points in time. The two time points for the club head are just prior to impact with the golf ball. The two time points for the golf ball are just after impact by the club head. From the apparent displacements of the plurality of spots between measurements, the apparatus determines in substantially real time the velocity of the club head or ball and the spin about orthogonal axes.

Claims

1. Apparatus for evaluating translational and rotational motion of at least one sports object comprising:

(a) at least two electro-optical monitoring means;

(b) means for optically enhancing at least one point on said object;

(c) said electro-optical monitoring means each providing an output at at least two discrete times, said output from each electro-optical monitoring means being related to the position within the field of view of each electro-optical monitoring means of said at least one point;

(d) first means, employing the outputs of said electro-optical monitoring means for calculating the spin of said object between said at least two discrete times; and

(e) second means, based on the outputs of said electro-optical monitoring means for calculating the velocity and angle of velocity of said object between said at least two discrete times.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said means for optically enhancing is an area of optically retroreflective material affixed to the object.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said object is a golf club head.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said object is a golf ball.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said object is both a golf club head and a golf ball.

6. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one point comprises at least two spaced apart points on said object.

7. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one point comprises at least three spaced apart points on said object.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 7 wherein said at least two electro-optical monitoring means comprises at least three electro-optical monitoring means.

9. A golf ball launch monitoring system comprising:

(a) at least one optical target affixed to said golf ball;

(b) electro-optical position sensing means for producing a plurality of outputs related to the sensor coordinate positions of said target as seen from at least one angle at at least two discrete closely spaced time points;

(c) target center calculation means for calculating the centroid of said golf ball based upon said plurality of outputs;

(d) spin calculating means for calculating the spin of said golf ball based upon said plurality of outputs; and

(e) initial velocity and angle calculating means for calculating the initial velocity and initial flight angle of said golf ball based upon said plurality of outputs.

10. A golf club head impact monitoring system comprising:

(a) at least one spot of optically retroreflective material affixed to said golf club head;

(b) electro-optical position sensing means for producing a plurality of outputs related to the apparent positions of said at least one spot as seen from a plurality of angles at at least two discrete closely spaced time points;

(c) target center triangulation calculation means for calculating a fixed point with respect to said golf club head based upon said plurality of outputs;

(d) means for calculating the rotational motion of said golf club head based upon said plurality of outputs; and

(e) velocity and angle calculating means for calculating the velocity vector of said golf club head immediately prior to impact based upon said plurality of outputs.

11. Apparatus for evaluating translational and rotational motion of a golf ball comprising:

(a) at least one electro-optical monitoring means;

(b) means for optically enhancing at least one point on said object;

(c) said electro-optical monitoring means providing an output at at least one discrete time, said output being related to the position within the field of view of said at least one electro-optical monitoring means of said at least one point;

(d) first means, based on the outputs of said at least one electro-optical monitoring means for calculating the component of spin of said object in at least one plane between a known time and said at least one discrete time; and

(e) second means, based on the outputs of said at least one electro-optical monitoring means for calculating the velocity and angle of velocity of said object in said at least one plane between said known time and said at least one discrete time.

12. A golf ball launch monitoring system comprising:

(a) at least three spaced-apart electro-optical monitoring means having fields of view;

(b) at least three optically enhanced retroreflective spots on said golf ball;

(c) said electro-optical monitoring means each being operative to provide an output at at least two discrete times, said output being related to the position within the field of view of each electro-optical monitoring means of the one or more of said spots which is in its field of view;

(d) target center triangulation calculator means for calculating the location of the center of said golf ball at said at least two discrete times, said calculating being based on said outputs;

(e) spin calculator means for calculating the spin of said golf ball at least between said two discrete times, said calculating the spin being based on said outputs; and

(f) initial velocity and angle calculator means for calculating the velocity angle of said golf ball at least between said two discrete times, the velocity calculation being based on the calculated displacement of the target center.