Video system for determining a location of a body in flight

• US 5,938,545 A
• Filed: 06/05/1997
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture, the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Leach, Mark, Cooper, Guy F.
• Primary Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US08/869,932
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 473/409, 473/407, 473/199, 473/152, 473/151, 473/150
• US Class Current: 473/407
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/16 Angular positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/24 Angular displacement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3658 Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction

Abstract

A video system, comprising a pair of digital video cameras and a data prosing system, which is used to determine the location of a golf ball during flight and the location of the golf ball when its flight is completed. The video cameras are fixedly mounted on a golf cart and boresighted to insure that the field of view for one camera overlaps the field of view for the other camera allowing the golf ball to be tracked after the golf ball is struck by the golfer. Each of the video cameras has an image array comprising a plurality of image sensing elements. As the golf ball travels along its flight path a light image of the golf ball is detected by at least one of the image sensing elements of the image array for each camera during a scan of the camera'"'"'s image array. Each camera generates a data bit stream indicating the location of the image sensing elements on the image array which sense the golf ball'"'"'s light image for each scan of the image array. The data bit streams are supplied to the data processing system which then calculates the departure vector, a trajectory path and a circular impact probability (CIP) location for the golf ball when the golf ball lands on the golf course. A monitor provides the golfer with video data indicating the golf ball'"'"'s circular impact probability location.

Claims

1. A video system for tracking a golf ball traveling on a flight path through the atmosphere and for locating said golf ball on a golf course when said golf ball lands on said golf course, said video system comprising:

a mobile vehicle having a body and a T shaped support structure mounted vertically on a top portion of the body of said mobile vehicle;

first and second digital cameras mounted on an underside of said T shaped support structure, each of said first and second digital cameras having a field of view, the field of view of said first digital camera and the field of view of said second digital camera having an overlapping portion wherein the field of view of said first digital camera overlaps the field of view of said second digital camera;

said first and second digital cameras being boresighted to track said golf ball when said golf ball is traveling on said flight path within the overlapping portion of the fields of view of said first and second digital cameras;

said first digital camera having an image array for receiving first and second light images of said golf ball traveling on said flight path when said golf ball is within the overlapping portion of the fields of view of said first and second digital cameras;

said second digital camera having an image array for receiving said first and second light images of said golf ball traveling on said flight path when said golf ball is within the overlapping portion of the fields of view of said first and second digital cameras;

said first digital camera generating a first digital data bit stream indicative of a first position of the first light image of said golf ball and a second position of the second light image of said golf ball received by the image array of said first digital camera;

said second digital camera generating a second digital data bit stream indicative of said first position of the first light image of said golf ball and said second position of the second light image of said golf ball received by the image array of said second digital camera;

data processing means coupled to said first and second digital cameras to receive said first digital data bit stream and said second digital data bit stream, said data processing means processing said first digital data bit stream and said second digital data bit stream to determine a circular impact probability location for said golf ball when said golf ball lands on said golf course; and

data display means connected to said data processing means, said data display means displaying visual data of said circular impact probability location where said golf ball landed on said golf course.

2. The video system of claim 1 wherein said mobile vehicle comprises a golf cart.

3. The video system of claim 1 wherein the image array of said first digital camera comprises a plurality of image sensing elements for receiving said first and second light images of said golf ball traveling on said flight path when said golf ball is within the overlapping portion of the fields of view of said first and second digital cameras.

4. The video system of claim 1 wherein the image array of said second digital camera comprises a plurality of image sensing elements for receiving said first and second light images of said golf ball traveling on said flight path when said golf ball is within the overlapping portion of the fields of view of said first and second digital cameras.

5. The video system of claim 1 wherein said processing means comprises:

a compare register having a first input connected to said first digital camera, a second input connected to said second digital camera and an output;

a first data processor having an input connected to the output of said compare register and an output;

a storage register having an input connected to the output of said first data processor and an output;

a second data processor having an input connected to the output of said storage register and an output; and

an equation processor having an input connected to the output of said second data processor and an output connected to said monitor.

6. The video display system of claim 1 wherein said data display means comprises a television monitor mounted on said mobile vehicle.

7. A video system for tracking a golf ball traveling on a flight path through the atmosphere and for locating said golf ball on a golf course when said golf ball lands on said golf course, said video system comprising:

a mobile vehicle having a body and a T shaped support structure mounted vertically on a top portion of the body of said mobile vehicle;

first and second digital cameras mounted on an underside of said T shaped support structure, each of said first and second digital cameras having a field of view, the field of view of said first digital camera and the field of view of said second digital camera having an overlapping portion wherein the field of view of said first digital camera overlaps the field of view of said second digital camera;

said first and second digital cameras being boresighted to track said golf ball when said golf ball is traveling on said flight path within the overlapping portion of the fields of view of said first and second digital cameras;

said first digital camera having an image array comprising a plurality of image sensing elements, the image sensing elements of said first digital camera receiving first and second light images of said golf ball traveling on said flight path when said golf ball is within the overlapping portion of the fields of view of said first and second digital cameras;

said second digital camera having an image array comprising a plurality of image sensing elements, the image sensing elements of said second digital camera receiving said first and second light images of said golf ball traveling on said flight path when said golf ball is within the overlapping portion of fields of view of said first and second digital cameras;

said first digital camera generating a first digital data bit stream indicative of a first position of the first light image of said golf ball and a second position of the second light image of said golf ball received by the image sensing elements of said first digital camera;

said second digital camera generating a second digital data bit stream indicative of said first position of the first light image of said golf ball and said second position of the second light image of said golf ball received by the image sensing elements of said second digital camera;

a data processing system coupled to said first and second digital cameras to receive said first digital data bit stream and said second digital data bit stream, said data processing system processing said first digital data bit stream and said second digital data bit stream to determine a circular impact probability location for said golf ball when said golf ball lands on said golf course; and

a monitor connected to said data processing system, said monitor being mounted on said mobile vehicle, said monitor providing visual data of said circular impact probability location where said golf ball landed on said golf course.

8. The video system of claim 7 wherein said mobile vehicle comprises a golf cart.

9. A video system for tracking a golf ball traveling on a flight path through the atmosphere and for locating said golf ball on a golf course when said golf ball lands on said golf course, said video system comprising:

a mobile vehicle having a body and a T shaped support structure mounted vertically on a top portion of the body of said mobile vehicle;

first and second digital cameras mounted on an underside of said T shaped support structure, each of said first and second digital cameras having a field of view, the field of view of said first digital camera and the field of view of said second digital camera having an overlapping portion wherein the field of view of said first digital camera overlaps the field of view of said second digital camera;

said first and second digital cameras being boresighted to track said golf ball when said golf ball is traveling on said flight path within the overlapping portion of the fields of view of said first and second digital cameras;

said first digital camera having an image array having a plurality of image sensing elements, the image sensing elements of said first digital camera receiving first and second light images of said golf ball traveling on said flight path when said golf ball is within the overlapping portion of the fields of view of said first and second digital cameras;

said second digital camera having an image array having a plurality of image sensing elements, the image sensing elements of said second digital camera receiving said first and second light images of said golf ball traveling on said flight path when said golf ball is within the overlapping portion of fields of view of said first and second digital cameras;

said first digital camera generating a first digital data bit stream indicative of a first position of the first light image of said golf ball and a second position of the second light image of said golf ball received by the image sensing elements of said first digital camera;

said second digital camera generating a second digital data bit stream indicative of said first position of the first light image of said golf ball and said second position of the second light image of said golf ball received by the image sensing elements of said second digital camera;

a data processing system coupled to said first and second digital cameras to receive said first digital data bit stream and said second digital data bit stream, said data processing system processing said first digital data bit stream and said second digital data bit stream to determine a circular impact probability location for said golf ball when said golf ball lands on said golf course;

a monitor connected to said data processing system, said monitor being mounted on said mobile vehicle, said monitor providing visual data of said circular impact probability location where said golf ball landed on said golf course;

said data processing system comprising;

a compare register having a first input connected to said first digital camera, a second input connected to said second digital camera and an output;

a first data processor having an input connected to the output of said compare register and an output;

a storage register having an input connected to the output of said first data processor and an output;

a second data processor having an input connected to the output of said storage register and an output; and

an equation processor having an input connected to the output of said second data processor and an output connected to said monitor.

10. The video system of claim 9 wherein said mobile vehicle comprises a golf cart.