System for determining information about a golf club and/or a golf ball

• US 6,456,232 B1
• Filed: 11/22/1999
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sportsmedia Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sportvision, Inc. (Sportsmedia Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: White, Marvin S., Cavallaro, Richard H., Milnes, Kenneth A., Honey, Stanley K., Heinzmann, Fred Judson
• Primary Examiner(s): Lobo, Ian J.
• Application Number:
  US09/444,790
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 342/55, 342/104, 342/107, 342/109, 473/199, 473/101, 473/152, 473/219, 473/221, 473/222, 473/233, 473/257
• US Class Current: 342/107
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0031 at the starting point
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0034 during flight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/46 Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/36 for golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3614 using electro-magnetic, magnetic or ultrasonic radiation emitted, reflected or interrupted by the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3658 Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities

Abstract

A system is disclosed that can determine the speed of a golf club or golf ball, and report that speed in a format suitable for use on a television broadcast, a radio broadcast, the Internet or another medium. In one embodiment, the system includes a set of radars pointed toward the golf ball. Data from the radars is collected and sent to a computer which can determine the speed of the club during a swing, the speed of the ball after being hit, the angle of the path of the ball and/or other related statistics.

Claims

1. A method of determining speed of a golf club and a golf ball using at least two radar units, comprising the steps of:

receiving radar data from said two radar units;

identifying a swing of said golf club;

determining a moment said golf club hit said golf ball;

determining said golf ball'"'"'s speed after being hit;

determining said golf club'"'"'s speed during said golf club swing;

determining an angle of a path of said golf ball; and

reporting said angle, said golf club'"'"'s speed during said golf club swing and said golf ball'"'"'s speed after being hit.

2. An apparatus for determining a speed of a golf club and a speed of a golf ball, comprising:

a first radar unit;

a second radar unit;

a first interface connected to said first radar unit;

a second interface connected to said second radar unit;

means for determining golfball speed in communication with said first interface and said second interface; and

means for determining golf club speed in communication with said first interface and said second interface.

3. A method for determining speed information for a golf club using radar, comprising the steps of:

accessing radar data for multiple moving objects, said radar data is from a set of two or more radar units, said multiple moving objects include said golf club;

identifying a subset of said radar data pertaining to said golf club during a swing; and

determining a speed of said golf club during said swing based on said subset of said radar data.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

receiving information from said radar units; and

processing said information using a frequency-time resolution algorithm, said radar data is a result of said frequency-time resolution algorithm.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein:

said step of determining includes determining a speed of said golf club at a moment when said golf club hits a ball.

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein:

said step of determining includes determining a maximum speed of said golf club during said swing.

7. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of:

detecting said swing using said radar data, said step of determining is performed in response to said step of detecting said swing.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said step of detecting said swing includes the steps of:

performing a frequency-time resolution algorithm on at least a subset of said radar data;

identifying frequency bins with a maximum intensity;

identifying a set of points from said frequency bins meeting predefined swing criteria; and

identifying which point from said set of points is earliest in time, said point earliest in time represents a detection of said swing.

9. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of:

detecting when said golf club hit a golfball using said radar data, said step of determining a speed of said golf club includes the steps of;

creating sets of club data for said two radar units that identify frequencies having a highest intensity for a set of time slices,

determining a set of velocity vectors for said club based on said identified frequencies for time slices that include data from both of said two radar units,

determining speeds for said club for each velocity vector, and

determining an impact speed by identifying a speed that is associated with a velocity vector that is associated with a time near and prior to a time said golf club hit said golf ball.

10. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of:

detecting when said golf club hit a golf ball using said radar data, said step of detecting when said golf club hit a golf ball includes the steps of;

estimating a time of collision,

identifying a set of highest intensity peaks for a group of time slices that are forward in time from said estimated time of collision and within a predetermined time window from said estimated time of collision,

identifying approximations of lines formed by said peaks,

determining which line has a highest sum of intensity values, and

determining a refined time of collision by identifying two points on said line having said highest sum that differ in intensity values by at least a threshold amount, said refined time of collision is a later in time point of said two points.

11. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

detecting when said golf club hit a golf ball; and

determining a speed of said golf ball after said golf club hits said golf ball based on said radar data from at least two radar units.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said step of determining a speed of said golf ball includes the steps of:

creating sets of club data for said at least two radar units that identify frequencies having a highest intensity for a set of time slices;

determining a set of velocity vectors for said ball based on said identified frequencies for time slices that include data from said at least two radar units; and

determining a post impact speed by identifying a speed that is associated with a velocity vector that is associated with a time near and subsequent to a time said golf club hit said golfball.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of:

determining an angle of a path of said golf ball.

14. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

reporting said speed of said golf ball and said speed of said golf club.

15. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

determining and reporting a ratio of said speed of said golf club to said speed of said golf ball.

53. A method according to claim 3, wherein:

said step of determining a speed includes determining a velocity of said golf club during said swing based said identified subset of said radar data, said speed of said golf club is determined based on said velocity.

16. A method for determining speed information for a golfball using radar, comprising the steps of:

accessing radar data for multiple moving objects, said radar data is from a set of two or more radar units, said multiple moving objects include said golf ball;

identifying a subset of said radar data from at least two radar units pertaining to said golf ball; and

determining a speed of said golf ball based on said subset of said radar data.

17. A method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

receiving information from said radar units; and

processing said information using a frequency-time resolution algorithm, said radar data is a result of said frequency-time resolution algorithm.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein:

said step of determining includes determining a moment when a golf club hits said golf ball and determining a speed of said golf club at said moment when said golf club hits said golf ball.

19. A method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of:

detecting when a golf club hit said golf ball, said step of determining is performed in response to said step of detecting.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein said step of detecting when said golf club hit said golf ball includes the steps of:

estimating a time of collision;

identifying a set of highest intensity peaks for a group of time slices that are forward in time from said estimated time of collision and within a predetermined time window from said estimated time of collision;

identifying approximation of lines formed by said peaks;

determining which line has a highest sum of intensity values; and

determining a refined time of collision by identifying two points in said line having said highest sum that differ in intensity value by at least a threshold amount, said refined time of collision is a later in time point of said two points.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein said step of determining a speed of said golf ball includes the steps of:

creating sets of data for at least two radar units that identifies frequencies having a highest intensity for a set of time slices,

determining a set of velocity vectors for said ball based on said identified frequencies for time slices that includes data from both of said at least two radar units;

determining speeds for said ball for each velocity vector; and

determining a post impact speed by identifying a speed that is associated with a velocity vector that is associated with a time near and subsequent to a time said golf club hit said golfball.

54. A method according to claim 16, wherein:

said step of determining a speed includes determining a velocity of said golf ball based said identified subset of said radar data, said speed of said golf ball is determined based on said velocity.

22. A method for determining information about a golf ball using radar information, comprising the steps of:

accessing radar data for multiple moving objects, said radar data is from a set of two or more radar units, said multiple moving objects include said golf ball;

identifying a subset of said radar data from at least two radar units pertaining to said golf ball; and

determining said angle of a path of said golf ball based on said subset of said radar data.

23. A method according to claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

receiving information from said radar units; and

processing said information using a frequency-time resolution algorithm, said radar data is a result of said frequency-time resolution algorithm.

24. A method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of:

detecting when a golf club hits said golfball, said step of determining said angle is based on said step of detecting.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein said step of detecting when said golf club hit said golf ball includes the steps of:

estimating a time of collision;

identifying a set of highest intensity peaks for a group of time slices that are forward in time from said estimated time of collision and within a predetermined time window from said estimated time of collision;

identifying approximation of lines formed by said peaks;

determining which line has a highest sum of intensity values; and

determining a refined time of collision by identifying two points in said line having said highest sum that differ in intensity value by at least a threshold amount, said refined time of collision is a later in time point of said two points.

55. A method according to claim 22, wherein:

said step of determining an angle includes determining a velocity of said golf ball based said identified subset of said radar data, said angle is determined based on said velocity.

26. A method for determining a velocity of a golf club, comprising the steps of:

accessing radar data for said golf club, said radar data is based on measurements of two or more radar units;

identifying a first subset of radar data from a first radar unit, said first subset of radar data pertains to rate of movement of said golf club during a swing;

determining a first speed value for said golf club based on said first subset of radar data;

identifying a second subset of radar data from a second radar unit, said second subset of radar data pertains to rate of movement of said golf club during said swing;

determining a second speed value for said golf club based on said second subset of radar data; and

determining said velocity of said golf club based on said first speed value and said second speed value.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein:

said step of determining a first speed value includes determining a speed of said golf club at a moment when said golf club hits a ball.

28. A method according to claim 26, wherein:

said step of determining a first speed value includes determining a maximum measured speed of said golf club during said swing.

29. A method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of:

detecting said swing using said radar data, said step of determining a first speed value is performed in response to said step of detecting said swing.

30. A method according to claim 29, wherein said step of detecting said swing includes the steps of:

performing a frequency-time resolution algorithm on said radar data;

identifying frequency bins with a maximum intensity;

identifying a set of points from said frequency bins meeting predefined swing criteria; and

identifying which point from said set of points is earliest in time, said point earliest in time represents a detection of said swing.

31. A method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of:

detecting when said golf club hit a golf ball using said radar data, said step of determining a first speed value includes the steps of;

creating sets of club data for said first radar unit and said second radar unit that identify frequencies having a highest intensity for a set of time slices, and

determining a set of speed information for said club based on said identified frequencies for time slices that include data from said first radar unit and said second radar unit.

32. A method according to claim 26 further comprising the step of:

detecting when said golf club hit a golf ball using said radar data, said step detecting when said golf club hit a golf ball includes the steps of;

estimating a time of collision,

identifying a set of highest intensity peaks for a group of time slices that are forward in time from said estimated time of collision and within a predetermined time window from said estimated time of collision,

identifying approximations of lines formed by said peaks,

determining which line has a highest sum of intensity values, and

determining a refined time of collision by identifying two points on said line having said highest sum that differ in intensity values by at least a threshold amount, said refined time of collision in a later in time point of said two points.

33. A method according to claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

detecting when said golf club hit a golf ball; and

determining a velocity of said golf ball after said golf club hits said golf ball based on said radar data.

34. A method according to claim 33, further comprising the step of:

determining an angle of a path of said golf ball.

35. A method according to claim 33, further comprising the step of:

reporting at least a component of said velocity of said golf ball and said velocity of said golf club.

36. A method according to claim 33, further comprising the step of:

determining and reporting a ratio of speed of said golf club to speed of said golf ball.

37. A method according to claim 26, wherein:

said first radar unit and said second radar unit are Doppler radar units.

38. A method according to claim 26, wherein:

said first radar unit and said second radar unit measure radial rate information.

39. A method for determining a velocity of a golfball, comprising the steps of:

accessing radar data for said golf ball, said radar data is based on measurements of two or more radar units;

identifying a first subset of radar data from a first radar unit pertaining to rate of movement of said golf ball;

determining a first speed value for said golf ball based on said first subset of said radar data;

identifying a second subset of radar data from a second radar unit pertaining to rate of movement of said golf ball;

determining a second speed value for said golf ball based on said second subset of said radar data; and

determining said velocity of said golf ball based on said first speed value and said second speed value.

40. A method according to claim 39, further comprising the step of:

detecting when a golf club hit said golf ball, said velocity pertains to movement of said golf ball after said golf club hit said golf ball.

41. A method according to claim 40, wherein said step of detecting when said golf club hit said golf ball includes the steps of:

estimating a time of collision;

identifying a set of highest intensity peaks for a group of time slices that are forward in time from said estimated time of collision and within a predetermined time window from said estimated time of collision;

identifying approximation of lines formed by said peaks;

determining which line has a highest sum of intensity values; and

determining a refined time of collision by identifying two points in said line having said highest sum that differ in intensity value by at least a threshold amount, said refined time of collision is a later in time point of said two points.

42. A method according to claim 39, further comprising the step of:

determining an angle of a path of said golf ball based on said first speed value and said second speed value.

43. An apparatus for determining velocity of a golf club, comprising:

two or more radar units; and

a processor in communication with said two or more radar units, said processor performs a method comprising the steps of;

accessing radar data for said golf club, said radar data is based on measurements of said two or more radar units,

identifying a first subset of radar data from a first radar unit, said first subset of radar data pertains to rate of movement of said golf club during a swing,

determining a first speed value for said golf club based on said first subset of said radar data,

identifying a second subset of radar data from a second radar unit, said second subset of radar data pertains to rate of movement of said golf club during said swing,

determining a second speed value for said golf club based on said second subset of said radar data, and

determining said velocity of said golf club based on said first speed value and said second speed value.

44. An apparatus according to claim 43, wherein said method further comprising the step of:

detecting when said golf club hit a golf ball using said radar data, said step of determining a first speed value is based on said step of detecting when said golf club hit said golf ball.

45. An apparatus according to claim 43, wherein said step of determining a first speed value includes the steps of:

creating sets of club data for said first radar unit and said second radar unit that identify frequencies having a highest intensity for a set of time slices; and

determining a set of speed information for said club based on said identified frequencies for time slices that include data from said first radar unit and said second radar unit.

46. An apparatus according to claim 43, wherein said method further comprises the step of:

determining a club speed based on said velocity; and

reporting said club speed.

47. An apparatus according to claim 43, wherein said method further comprises the step of:

detecting when said golf club hit a golf ball using said radar data, said step of detecting when said golf club hit a golf ball comprises the steps of;

estimating a time of collision,

identifying a set of highest intensity peaks for a group of time slices that are forward in time from said estimated time of collision and within a predetermined time window from said estimated time of collision,

identifying approximations of lines formed by said peaks,

determining which line has a highest sum of intensity values, and

determining a refined time of collision by identifying two points on said line having said highest sum that differ in intensity values by at least a threshold amount, said refined time of collision is a later in time point of said two points.

48. An apparatus for determining a velocity of a golf ball, comprising:

two or more radar units; and

a processor in communication with said two or more radar units, said processor performs a method comprising the steps of;

accessing radar data for said golf ball, said radar data is based on measurements of said two or more radar units,

identifying a first subset of radar data from a first radar unit pertaining to rate of movement of said golf ball,

determining a first speed value for said golf ball based on said first subset of said radar data,

identifying a second subset of radar data from a second radar unit pertaining to rate of movement of said golf ball,

determining a second speed value for said golf ball based on said second subset of said radar data, and

determining said velocity of said golf ball based on said first speed value and said second speed value.

49. A method according to claim 48, wherein said method further comprises the step of:

detecting when a golf club hit said golf ball, said velocity pertains to movement of said golf ball after said golf club hit said golf ball.

50. A method according to claim 49, wherein said step of detecting when said golf club hit said golf ball includes the steps of:

estimating a time of collision;

identifying a set of highest intensity peaks for a group of time slices that are forward in time from said estimated time of collision and within a predetermined time window from said estimated time of collision;

identifying approximation of lines formed by said peaks;

determining which line has a highest sum of intensity values; and

determining a refined time of collision by identifying two points in said line having said highest sum that differ in intensity value by at least a threshold amount, said refined time of collision is a later in time point of said two points.

51. An apparatus according to claim 48, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

determining a velocity of a golf club, said golf club hits said golf ball, said velocity of said golf ball pertains to after said golf club hits said golf ball; and

determining and reporting a ratio of at least a component of said velocity of said gold club to at least a component of said velocity of said golf ball.

52. An apparatus according to claim 48, wherein said method further comprises the step of:

determining an angle of a path of said golf ball based on said first speed value and said second speed value.

56. An apparatus for determining speed information for a golf club, comprising:

one or more radar units; and

a processor in communication with said one or more radar units, and processor performs a method comprising the steps of;

accessing radar data for multiple moving objects, said radar data is from said two or more radsar units, said moving objects include a golf club,

identifying a subset of said radar data pertaining to said golf club during a swing of said golf club, and

determining a speed of said golf club during said swing based on said subset of said radar data.

57. An apparatus according to claim 56, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

receiving information from said radar units; and

processing said information using a frequency-time resolution algorithm, said radar data is a result of said frequency-time resolution algorithm.

58. An apparatus according to claim 56, further comprising:

a first interface in communication with a first radar unit;

a second interface in communication with a second radar unit; and

a data concentrator in communication with said first interface and said second interface, said data concentrator is in communication with said processor, said data concentrator receives information from said first interface and said second interface and provides said information to said processor.

59. An apparatus according to claim 56, wherein:

said step of determining a speed includes determining a velocity of said golf club during said swing based said identified subset of said radar data, said speed of said golf club is determined based on said velocity.

60. An apparatus for determining speed information for a golf ball, comprising:

two or more radar units; and

a processor in communication with said one or more radar units, said processor performs a method comprising the steps of;

accessing radar data for multiple moving objects, said radar data is from said two or more radar units, said multiple moving objects include a golf ball,

identifying a subset of said radar pertaining to said golf ball, and

determining a speed of said golf ball based on said subset of said radar data.

61. An apparatus according to claim 60, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

receiving information from said radar units; and

processing said information using a frequency-time resolution algorithm, said radar data is a result of said frequency-time resolution algorithm.

62. An apparatus according to claim 60, further comprising:

a first interface in communication with a first radar unit;

a second interface in communication with a second radar unit; and

a data concentrator in communication with said first interface and said second interface, said data concentrator is in communication with said processor, said data concentrator receives information from said first interface and said second interface and provides said information to said processor.

63. An apparatus according to claim 60, wherein:

said step of determining a speed includes determining a velocity of said golf ball based said identified subset of said radar data, said speed of said golf ball is determined based on said velocity.