Golf swing measurement system
First Claim
1. A golf swing-monitoring system for measuring clubhead speed, comprising:
- a first IR transmitter which transmits a first infrared (IR) beam along a predetermined line toward a tee area;
a first IR sensor for receiving the first IR beam which is reflected from a reflection means mounted to the golf club, said first IR sensor providing a first-sensor output signal indicative of the passage of the golf club through the first IR beam;
a second IR transmitter which transmits a second IR beam along a predetermined line toward the tee area, wherein said second IR beam is substantially parallel to the first IR beam;
a second IR sensor for receiving a second IR beam which is reflected from the reflection means mounted to the golf club, said second IR sensor providing a second-sensor output signal indicative of the passage of the golf club through the second IR beam;
means for detecting the presence of a second-sensor output signal followed by a first-sensor output signal;
means for measuring the difference in time between the second-sensor output signal and the following first-sensor output signal;
means for converting the difference in time to a clubhead-speed value indicative of the clubhead speed;
compensation means for adjusting the clubhead-speed value to a predetermined compensated clubhead-speed value; and
means for displaying the clubhead-speed value.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A technique for measuring golf swing tempo or clubhead speed for a golfer swinging a golf club through a tee area. Two parallel infrared (IR) transmitters transmit respective IR beams along predetermined lines toward the tee area. Respective IR sensors receive respective IR beams reflected from a reflector mounted to the shaft of the golf club, near the clubhead. Each IR sensors provides a respective output signal indicative of the passage of the golf club through a corresponding IR beam. Predetermined sequences of output signals from the IR sensors are detected and the differences in time between various output signals are measured to provide tempo and clubhead speed values for display on a LCD screen. The speed values can be compensated values as obtained from look-up tables.
88 Citations
55 Claims
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1. A golf swing-monitoring system for measuring clubhead speed, comprising:
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a first IR transmitter which transmits a first infrared (IR) beam along a predetermined line toward a tee area; a first IR sensor for receiving the first IR beam which is reflected from a reflection means mounted to the golf club, said first IR sensor providing a first-sensor output signal indicative of the passage of the golf club through the first IR beam; a second IR transmitter which transmits a second IR beam along a predetermined line toward the tee area, wherein said second IR beam is substantially parallel to the first IR beam; a second IR sensor for receiving a second IR beam which is reflected from the reflection means mounted to the golf club, said second IR sensor providing a second-sensor output signal indicative of the passage of the golf club through the second IR beam; means for detecting the presence of a second-sensor output signal followed by a first-sensor output signal; means for measuring the difference in time between the second-sensor output signal and the following first-sensor output signal; means for converting the difference in time to a clubhead-speed value indicative of the clubhead speed; compensation means for adjusting the clubhead-speed value to a predetermined compensated clubhead-speed value; and means for displaying the clubhead-speed value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 32, 33)
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11. A golf swing-monitoring system for swing tempo, comprising:
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an IR transmitter which transmits an infrared (IR) beam along a predetermined line toward a tee area; an IR sensor for receiving the IR beam which is reflected from a reflection means mounted to the golf club, said IR sensor providing a sensor output signal indicative of the passage of the golf club through the IR beam; means for measuring the difference in time between two consecutive sensor output signals; means for converting the difference in time between the two consecutive sensor output signals to a tempo value indicative of the tempo of a golf swing; visual display means for displaying the swing tempo value. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A golf-swing monitoring system for measuring and displaying tempo and clubhead speed parameters for a golfer swinging a golf club having a reflection means mounted thereto through a tee area, comprising:
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a first IR transmitter which transmits a first infrared (IR) beam along a predetermined line toward the tee area; a first IR sensor for receiving a first IR beam which in reflected from the reflection means, mounted to the golf club, said first IR sensor providing a first-sensor output signal indicative of the passage of the golf club through the first IR beam; a second IR transmitter which transmits a second IR beam along a predetermined line toward the tee area, wherein said second IR beam is substantially parallel to the first IR beam; a second IR sensor for receiving a second IR beam which is reflected from the reflection means, mounted to the golf club, said second IR sensor providing a second-sensor output signal indicative of the passage of the golf club through the second IR beam; means for detecting the presence of two consecutive second-sensor output signals followed by one first-sensor output signal; means for measuring the difference in time between the two consecutive second-sensor output signals; means for converting the difference in time between the two consecutive second-sensor output signals to a tempo value indicative of the back swing time, or tempo, of the golf swing; means for measuring the difference in time between the second of the two consecutive second-sensor output signals and the following first-sensor output signal; means for converting the difference in time between the second of the two consecutive second-sensor output signals and the following first-sensor output signal to a clubhead-speed value indicative of the clubhead speed; and visual display means for displaying the tempo value and the clubhead-speed value to the golfer. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for measuring and displaying golf clubhead speed, comprising the steps of:
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transmitting from a first IR transmitter a first infrared (IR) beam along a predetermined line toward a tee area; receiving with a first IR sensor the first IR beam which is reflected from a reflection means mounted to the golf club; providing from the first IR sensor a first-sensor output signal indicative of the passage of the golf club through the first IR beam; transmitting from a second IR transmitter a second IR beam along a predetermined line toward the tee area, wherein said second IR beam is substantially parallel to the first IR beam; receiving with a second IR sensor a second IR beam which is reflected from the reflection means mounted to the golf club; providing from the second IR sensor a second-sensor output signal indicative of the passage of the golf club through the second IR beam; detecting the presence of a second-sensor output signal followed by a first-sensor output signal; measuring the difference in time between the second-sensor output signal and the following first-sensor output signal; converting the difference in time to a clubhead-speed value indicative of the clubhead speed; adjusting the clubhead-speed value to a predetermined compensated clubhead-speed value; and displaying the clubhead-speed value. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for measuring and displaying golf swing tempo, comprising the steps of:
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transmitting from an IR transmitter a first infrared (IR) beam along a predetermined line toward a tee area; receiving with an IR sensor the IR beam which is reflected from a reflection means mounted to the golf club; providing from said IR sensor a sensor output signal indicative of the passage of the golf club through the IR beam; measuring the difference in time between two consecutive sensor output signals; converting the difference in time between the two consecutive sensor output signals to a tempo value indicative of the tempo of a golf swing; displaying the swing tempo value. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method for measuring and displaying tempo and clubhead speed parameters for a golfer swinging a golf club having a reflection means mounted thereto through a tee area, comprising:
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transmitting from a first IR transmitter a first infrared (IR) beam along a predetermined line toward the tee area; receiving with a first IR sensor a first IR beam which is reflected from the reflector mounted to the golf club; providing from the first IR sensor a first-sensor output signal indicative of the passage of the golf club through the first IR beam; transmitting from a second IR transmitter a second IR beam along a predetermined line toward the tee area, wherein said second IR beam is substantially parallel to the first IR beam; receiving with a second IR sensor a second IR beam which is reflected from the reflection means mounted to the golf club; providing from said second IR sensor a second-sensor output signal indicative of the passage of the golf club through the second IR beam; detecting the presence of two consecutive second-sensor output signals followed by one first-sensor output signal; measuring the difference in time between the two consecutive second-sensor output signals; converting the difference in time between the two consecutive second-sensor output signals to a tempo value indicative of the back swing time, or tempo, of the golf swing; measuring the difference in time between the second of the two consecutive second-sensor output signals and the following first-sensor output signal; converting the difference in time between the second of the two consecutive second-sensor output signals and the following first-sensor output signal to a clubhead-speed value indicative of the clubhead speed; and displaying the tempo value and the clubhead-speed value to the golfer. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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Specification