One camera club monitor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A single-camera system for monitoring a movement of a striking instrument that impacts with an object comprising:
- (a) a single camera unit having a light sensitive panel that is operable to be focused on a field of view through which the striking instrument passes prior to striking the object, wherein said single camera unit is operable to shutter or gate at least two times as the striking instrument and object pass through the field of view;
(b) three or more contrasting areas on the striking instrument and one or more contrasting areas on the object, said contrasting areas positioned so that light emitting therefrom reaches said light sensitive panels to form images thereon and create image signals when camera shutters are open;
(c) an image analyzer operable to discriminate between the striking instrument contrasting areas and the object contrasting areas and determining the conditions of a path and orientation of the striking instrument through the field; and
(d) a rotatable calibration fixture having a pivot point and a plurality of predetermined contrasting areas, wherein three dimensional positions of the plurality of predetermined contrasting areas are known relative to each other, and wherein the striking instrument has a striking face, and wherein the striking instrument is calibrated such that the single-camera system is operable to identify a position and orientation of the striking face from the striking instrument contrasting areas, wherein a first calibration image of a first perspective view of the calibration fixture and first plurality of contrasting areas and the striking instrument and second plurality of contrasting areas is captured and the calibration fixture is rotated to a second orientation by the pivot point to provide a second perspective view of the calibration fixture and first plurality of contrasting areas and the striking instrument and second plurality of contrasting areas;
wherein the striking instrument is a golf club comprising a club head and a club face and the object is a golf ball, wherein the image analyzer is operable to determine a club head path and face orientation during a swing of the golf club, and wherein the image analyzer is operable to determine a location of impact of the golf ball on the club face with an accuracy of 0.10 inch.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This application relates to a single camera monitoring system useful for determining parameters relating to a striking instrument as it approaches an object. The monitoring system may be used to determine the swing characteristics of a golf club as it approaches and impacts with a golf ball. The accuracy of the single camera system may be comparable to the accuracy of more complex, multi-camera systems. The application also relates to methods for calibrating a single camera system.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A single-camera system for monitoring a movement of a striking instrument that impacts with an object comprising:
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(a) a single camera unit having a light sensitive panel that is operable to be focused on a field of view through which the striking instrument passes prior to striking the object, wherein said single camera unit is operable to shutter or gate at least two times as the striking instrument and object pass through the field of view; (b) three or more contrasting areas on the striking instrument and one or more contrasting areas on the object, said contrasting areas positioned so that light emitting therefrom reaches said light sensitive panels to form images thereon and create image signals when camera shutters are open; (c) an image analyzer operable to discriminate between the striking instrument contrasting areas and the object contrasting areas and determining the conditions of a path and orientation of the striking instrument through the field; and (d) a rotatable calibration fixture having a pivot point and a plurality of predetermined contrasting areas, wherein three dimensional positions of the plurality of predetermined contrasting areas are known relative to each other, and wherein the striking instrument has a striking face, and wherein the striking instrument is calibrated such that the single-camera system is operable to identify a position and orientation of the striking face from the striking instrument contrasting areas, wherein a first calibration image of a first perspective view of the calibration fixture and first plurality of contrasting areas and the striking instrument and second plurality of contrasting areas is captured and the calibration fixture is rotated to a second orientation by the pivot point to provide a second perspective view of the calibration fixture and first plurality of contrasting areas and the striking instrument and second plurality of contrasting areas;
wherein the striking instrument is a golf club comprising a club head and a club face and the object is a golf ball, wherein the image analyzer is operable to determine a club head path and face orientation during a swing of the golf club, and wherein the image analyzer is operable to determine a location of impact of the golf ball on the club face with an accuracy of 0.10 inch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 34)
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23. A method of monitoring a movement of a striking instrument that impacts with an object comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a single camera unit having a light sensitive panel that is operable to be focused on a first field of view; (b) providing a calibration fixture having a pivot point and a first plurality of contrasting areas, wherein three-dimensional positions of the first plurality of contrasting areas are known relative to each other; (c) placing the striking instrument in the calibration fixture at a first orientation within the first field of view, wherein the striking instrument comprises a second plurality of contrasting areas; (d) capturing a first calibration image of a first perspective view of the calibration fixture and first plurality of contrasting areas and the striking instrument and second plurality of contrasting areas; (e) rotating the calibration fixture to a second orientation by the pivot point to provide a second perspective view of the calibration fixture and first plurality of contrasting areas and the striking instrument and second plurality of contrasting areas; (f) capturing a second calibration image of the second perspective view of the calibration fixture and first plurality of contrasting areas and the striking instrument and second plurality of contrasting areas; (g) analyzing the first plurality and second plurality of contrasting areas in the first and second calibration images to create a three-dimensional global coordinate system; (h) placing the striking instrument within the first field of view of the single camera unit to provide a first perspective view of the striking instrument and second plurality of contrasting areas; (i) capturing a first image of the first perspective view of the striking instrument and second plurality of contrasting areas; (j) providing a second perspective view of the striking instrument and second plurality of contrasting areas; (k) capturing a second image of the second perspective view of the striking instrument and second plurality of contrasting areas; (l) analyzing the second plurality of contrasting areas in the first and second images of the striking instrument to determine the three-dimensional positions of the second plurality of contrasting areas; and (m) determining a location of impact of the object on a face of the striking instrument from the three-dimensional positions of the second plurality of contrasting areas. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 35)
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32. A method of monitoring a movement of a striking instrument that impacts with an object comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a single camera unit having a light sensitive panel that is operable to be focused on a first field of view; (b) providing a calibration fixture having a pivot point and a first plurality of contrasting areas, wherein three-dimensional positions of the first plurality of contrasting areas are known relative to each other; (c) placing the striking instrument in the calibration fixture at a first orientation within the first field of view, wherein the striking instrument comprises a second plurality of contrasting areas; (d) capturing a first calibration image of a first perspective view of the calibration fixture and first plurality of contrasting areas and the striking instrument and second plurality of contrasting areas; (e) rotating the calibration fixture to a second orientation by the pivot point to provide a second perspective view of the calibration fixture and first plurality of contrasting areas and the striking instrument and second plurality of contrasting areas; (f) capturing a second calibration image of the second perspective view of the calibration fixture and first plurality of contrasting areas and the striking instrument and second plurality of contrasting areas; (g) analyzing the first plurality and second plurality of contrasting areas in the first and second calibration images to create a three-dimensional global coordinate system; (h) placing the striking instrument within the first field of view of the single camera unit to provide a first perspective view of the striking instrument and second plurality of contrasting areas; (i) capturing a first image of the first perspective view of the striking instrument and second plurality of contrasting areas prior to striking the object; (j) providing a second perspective view of the striking instrument and second plurality of contrasting areas; (k) capturing a second image of the second perspective view of the striking instrument and second plurality of contrasting areas after striking the object; (l) analyzing the second plurality of contrasting areas in the first and second images of the striking instrument to determine the three-dimensional positions of the second plurality of contrasting areas; and (m) determining a location of impact of the object on a face of the striking instrument and at least one of club velocity, attack angle, path angle, droop angle, loft angle, and face angle from the three-dimensional positions of the second plurality of contrasting areas. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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Specification