Apparatuses and methods relating to findable balls

• US 7,691,009 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Topgolf International Inc. (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Radar Golf Incorporated
• Inventors: Cadorniga, Lauro C., Latus, Gerald, Latus, legal representative, Savarese, Chris, Shea, Mark A., Marshall, Noel H. C., McGill, Susan, Fulton, Forrest F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hotaling, II; John M
• Assistant Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US10/672,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20050070375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,384 Days
• Field of Search: 473151-158, 473198-199, 473/351, 473/200, 473/374, 473/358, 473/152, 473/155, 473/357, 473/353, 473/367, 473/361, 473/368, 473/407, 473/570
• US Class Current: 473/353
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0053 for locating an object, e.g. a lost ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0051 Materials other than polybutadienes; Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/004 electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/75 using transponders powered from received waves, e.g. using passive transponders , or using passive reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/40 Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/092 Dispersed materials, e.g. conductive pastes or inks
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/16 incorporating printed electric components, e.g. printed resistor, capacitor, inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10098 Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component

Abstract

Golf balls for use with a system for finding golf balls and methods for making such golf balls. In the case of one exemplary golf ball, the ball includes a shell, a core material and a tag having a diode which is coupled to an antenna which has at least a portion formed from an elastic conductive material, such as an elastic conductive ink. The core material may include a void for receiving at least part of the diode. Other golf balls are described and methods for making balls are also described.

Claims

1. A golf ball, comprising:

a spherical object having an outer spherical surface and having a first void recessed below the outer spherical surface and a second void recessed below the outer spherical surface of said spherical object, the first void being located at a first pole of a first axis of the spherical object and the second void being located at a second pole of the first axis, wherein the spherical object has a center which is the center of the golf ball and wherein the center of the golf ball is on the first axis, wherein the first void and the second void are configured to receive at least one electronic component and wherein the first void has a first solid and closed base and the second void has a second solid and closed base, and wherein the at least one electronic component has a first surface which faces inwardly towards the center of the golf ball and has a second surface which faces outwardly away from the center of the golf ball;

at least one antenna attached to the outer spherical surface, the at least one antenna configured to transmit an RF signal and coupled to the at least one electronic component through a first contact pad and a second contact pad both of which are disposed on the second surface and both of which face outwardly away from the center of the golf ball along the first axis and wherein a portion of the at least one antenna extends over the first void to couple to the first and the second contact pads; and

a shell that encloses said spherical object.

2. A golf ball as in claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna includes a first antenna and a second antenna and wherein a first semiconductor, which is coupled to the first antenna, is disposed at least partially in the first void, and a second semiconductor, which is coupled to the second antenna, is disposed at least partially in the second void and wherein the first antenna is substantially orthogonal to the second antenna.

3. A golf ball as in claim 2 wherein said first semiconductor includes at least one of a RFID circuitry, an integrated circuit, and a diode and the second semiconductor includes at least one of a RFID circuitry, an integrated circuit and a diode.

4. A golf ball as in claim 3 wherein said golf ball is detectable with a handheld transmitting/receiving device over a range of at least 20 feet separating said handheld transmitting/receiving device and said golf ball, and wherein said golf ball has sufficient durability to survive at least 20 standard cannon test hits and the golf ball weighs less than 45.927 grams.

5. A golf ball as in claim 3 wherein the first antenna has at least a portion disposed between an outer spherical surface and an inner curved surface of said shell, and wherein the first antenna is designed to receive a radiofrequency (RF) signal of a first frequency and to re-radiate a return RF signal of a second frequency.

6. A golf ball as in claim 3 wherein the first antenna is made of an elastic conductive material.

7. A golf bail as in claim 3 wherein an adhesive material is between said first void and said first semiconductor and an adhesive material is between said second void and said second semiconductor.

14. A golf ball as in claim 1 wherein a first electrical component is disposed at least partially in the first void and wherein a second electrical component is disposed at least partially in the second void.

8. A golf ball, comprising:

a spherical object having a first void recessed below an outer surface of said spherical object wherein the base of the first void is solid and closed, the spherical object having a center which is the center of the golf ball;

a first antenna configured to transmit an RF signal, the first antenna being disposed on the outer surface;

a first semiconductor having at least a portion disposed within said first void, the first semiconductor having a first contact pad and having a second contact pad and being coupled to the first antenna through the first contact pad and the second contact pad;

an adhesive material between the base of said first void and said first semiconductor, and wherein the first semiconductor has a first surface disposed adjacent to and facing the base of the first void and coupled to the base by the adhesive material, and wherein the first semiconductor has a second surface which is parallel with and opposite to the first surface, and wherein the second surface is adjacent to the outer surface of the spherical object at an upper end of the void which is adjacent to the outer surface, and wherein the first surface of the first semiconductor faces inwardly toward the center of the golf bail and the second surface of the first semiconductor faces outwardly away from the center of the golf ball and wherein the first antenna is coupled to the first contact pad and to the second contact pad, and wherein the first contact pad and the second contact pad face outwardly away from the center of the golf ball along a radius from the center of the golf ball, and wherein a portion of the first antenna extends over the first void to couple to the first and the second contact pads; and

a shell that encloses said spherical object.

9. A golf ball as in claim 8 wherein said first semiconductor includes at least one of a RFID circuitry, an integrated circuit and a diode and wherein the outer surface is a spherical surface and the first void is recessed below the outer surface.

10. A golf ball as in claim 8 wherein said first semiconductor is coupled to the first antenna to form a first tag.

11. A golf ball as in claim 10 wherein said golf ball is detectable with a handheld transmitting/receiving device over a range of at least 20 feet separating said handheld transmitting/receiving device and said golf bail, and wherein said golf ball has sufficient durability to survive at least 20 standard cannon test hits and the golf ball weighs less than 45.927 grams.

12. A golf ball as in claim 11 wherein said first antenna is made of an elastic conductive material.

13. A golf ball as iii claim 12 further comprising a second tag having a second semiconductor which is coupled to a second antenna wherein a second void has a second solid and closed base and wherein said first antenna is patterned as a first radial transmission line and said second antenna is patterned as a second radial transmission line which is substantially orthogonal to said first radial transmission line.

15. A golf ball, comprising:

a spherical object having a first void recessed below an outer surface of said spherical object wherein the base of the first void is solid and closed, the spherical object having a center which is the center of the golf ball;

a first antenna configured to transmit an RF signal, and disposed on the outer surface;

a first electrical component having at least a portion disposed within said first void, the first electrical component having a first contact pad and having a second contact pad and being coupled to the first antenna through the first contact pad and the second contact pad; and

an adhesive material between the base of said first void and said first electrical component and wherein the first electrical component has a first surface disposed adjacent to and facing the base of the first void and coupled to the base by the adhesive material, and wherein the first electrical component has a second surface which is parallel with and opposite to the first surface, and wherein the second surface is adjacent to the outer surface of the spherical object at an upper end of the void which is adjacent to the outer surface, and wherein the first surface of the first electrical component faces inwardly toward the center of the golf ball and the second surface of the first electrical component faces outwardly away from the center of the golf ball and wherein the first antenna is coupled to the first contact pad and to the second contact pad, and wherein the first contact pad and the second contact pad face outwardly away from the center of the golf ball along a radius from the center of the golf ball and wherein a portion of the first antenna extends over the first void to couple to the first and the second contact pads.

16. A golf ball as in claim 15 wherein said first electrical component includes at least one of a RFID circuitry, an integrated circuit and a diode and wherein the center of the golf ball is solid.