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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
First Claim
Patent Images

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.

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