Identifying golf balls

• US 6,607,123 B1
• Filed: 11/09/2000
• Issued: 08/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Topgolf Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: S World Golf Systems Limited
• Inventors: Jollifee, Steven Paul, Emerson, Geoffrey, Jollifee, David Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Application Number:
  US09/646,470
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.01, 235/472.01, 235/375, 235/381, 235/383, 273/182, 273/35.R, 273/14, 273/34.R, 273/62, 273/177.R, 273/213, 273/398, 273/389, 273/394, 273/113, 273/125
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0053 for locating an object, e.g. a lost ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/0006 Automatic teeing devices devices for automatically dispensing balls in general A63B47/002
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3691 Golf courses; Golf practising terrains having a plurality of driving areas, fairways, greens special golf games, e.g. miniature golf, A63B67/02; mats for simulating golf greens A63B69/3661
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3694 for driving only

Abstract

In a golf driving range (10, FIG. 1 not shown) golf balls (21) incorporating uniquely-coded passive transponders are collected by means of a device having a receiving channel (22) which directs the balls past a reader (25) employing RFID technology which reads the codes and supplies this information via a link (32) to a central computer for subsequent display. The reader (25) also actuates a gate (28) to direct the balls to a “reject” receptacle (29) or an “accept” receptacle (30). Similar devices are used for dispensing golf balls (50, FIG. 4 not shown) or supplying balls to an automatic tee device (70, FIG. 5 not shown). Alternatively balls can be identified on or near a tee (84, FIGS. 6 and 7 not shown) on a mat (70).

Claims

1. A golf driving range employing uniquely-coded golf balls wherein a tee of the range incorporates ball-identifying means connected to a computer system so that the computer system knows which ball a player is driving from said tee, the range further comprising means which automatically supply balls one-by-one to said tee, said supply means comprising means for moving each successive ball from a first position in which it can be identified by said ball-identifying means to a second position in which it can be driven from said tee by a player, and wherein the ball-identifying means is arranged in or underneath said tee so that it can identify a ball placed thereon or adjacent thereto.

2. A range according to claim 1, wherein said supply means comprises a channel for supplying each successive ball to said first position, in which it rests on a push rod, the push rod being movable to place the ball in said second position.

3. A range according to claim 1, further comprising means for collecting driven balls and incorporating second ball-identifying means also connected to said computer system.

4. A range according to claim 1, wherein each golf ball incorporates a coded RF-transponder and the ball-identifying means employ RFID technology.

5. A golf driving range employing uniquely-coded golf balls, comprising:

(a) a computer system;

(b) a tee;

(c) a ball-identifying device operable to identify a golf ball and connected to the computer system, whereby the computer system knows which golf ball a player is driving from said tee, wherein the ball-identifying device is located at the tee; and

(d) a ball supplying device operable to supply automatically golf balls one-by-one to the tee, the supplying device comprising a ball displacement device operable to displace each successive ball from a first position in which the ball can be identified by the ball-identifying device to a second position in which the ball can be driven from the tee by a player, wherein the ball-identifying device is arranged in or underneath the tee so that the ball-identifying device can identify a ball placed on the tee or adjacent to the tee.

6. A range according to claim 5, wherein the supplying device comprises a channel operable to supply each successive ball to the first position, in which the ball rests on a push rod, the push rod being movable to place the ball in said second position.

7. A range according to claim 5, further comprising a device operable to collect driven balls and incorporating a second ball-identifying device also connected to said computer system.

8. A range according to claim 5, wherein each golf ball incorporates a coded RF-transponder and the ball-identifying device employs RFID technology.