Impact energy powered golf ball transmitter

• US 7,791,982 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lawrence J. Karr
• Original Assignee: Lawrence J. Karr
• Inventors: Karr, Lawrence J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PIHULIC, DANIEL T
• Application Number:
  US11/772,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20090003136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 367/140, 473/353, 473/407, 320/166
• US Class Current: 367/140
• 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 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0055 with non-spherical insert(s)
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/685 using pulse modulation, e.g. pulse frequency modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01

Abstract

Electrical power can be generated from impact based energy, such as from a golf ball being struck by a golf club. One or more piezo-electric devices, which are embedded in the core of the golf ball, are stressed by the impact and generate energy. Each piezo-electric device generates energy when stressed, which is then rectified and stored in a capacitor circuit. The stored energy in the capacitor circuit is used to power a transmitter to emit energy via an antenna, including all necessary electronics such as an oscillator, a modulator, and various control and logic circuits. The transmitted signals can be received by a hand held locator device. The described impact generated energy powers the transmitter a sufficiently long amount of time for the golfer to locate the golf ball. The impact based energy generation can also be used for other non-golf applications.

Claims

1. A golf ball device that is arranged to emit a radio frequency transmission using energy generated from the impact of the golf ball device with a surface, the golf ball device comprising:

an antenna;

a radio frequency transmitter system that is located in a central area of an inner core of the golf ball device, wherein the radio frequency transmitter system includes an output that is coupled to the antenna, and wherein the radio frequency transmitter system is arranged to emit the radio frequency transmission via the antenna when powered;

an impact power generator that is located in the central area of the inner core of the golf ball device and arranged to generate power in response to impact of the golf ball with the surface, the impact power generator comprising a capacitor circuit, a rectifier circuit and a plurality of piezo-electric devices, wherein the piezo-electric devices are arranged to provide electrical energy to an input of the rectifier circuit in response to mechanical stresses on the piezo-electric devices from the impact of the golf ball with the surface,

wherein an output of the rectifier circuit is coupled to the capacitor circuit, wherein the capacitor circuit is arranged to store charge such that the capacitor circuit acts as a temporarily power supply for the golf ball device; and

wherein the piezo-electric devices include a first piezo-electric device aligned for maximal energy conversion along an x-axis relative to the central area of the inner core, a second piezo electric device aligned for maximal energy conversion along a y-axis relative to the central area of the inner core, and a third piezo electric device is aligned for maximal energy conversion along a z-axis relative to the central area of the inner core, whereby the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis form an orthogonal set.

2. The golf ball device of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency transmitter system is arranged to emit high-frequency energy in the range of approximately 300 MHz to 3 GHz.

3. The golf ball device of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency transmitter system is arranged to emit either a narrowband transmission or a spread spectrum transmission.

4. The golf ball device of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency transmitter system is arranged to modulate signals for transmission, wherein the modulation comprises one or more of:

amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, pulse modulation and phase modulation.

5. The golf ball device of claim 1, the radio frequency transmitter system comprising:

a UHF transmitter and a code generator that are arranged to cooperate with one another to encode the radio frequency transmission with an identifier provided by the code generator such that the golf ball device can be distinguished from other devices by the identifier.

6. The golf ball device of claim 5, wherein the code generator includes an RFID tag.

7. The golf ball device of claim 6, wherein the RFID tag is programmed by an RFID coded radio frequency transmission.

8. The golf ball device of claim 6, wherein the RFID tag is arranged to respond to an RFID coded radio frequency transmission provided by an RFID reader such that the identifier provided by the code generator is communicated back to the RFID reader.

9. The golf ball device of claim 1, the radio frequency transmitter system comprising:

a resonator that is arranged to provide a high-frequency oscillation signal for the radio frequency transmitter system, wherein the resonator comprises one of an electro-magnetic resonator, a cavity-based resonator, a waveguide based resonator, a coil based resonator, a ceramic based resonator, a dielectric based resonator, a quartz crystal resonator, a silicon based MEMS resonator, or any combination thereof.

10. The golf ball device of claim 1, the radio frequency transmitter system comprising:

a control circuit that is arranged to selectively disable transmissions until it is time to transmit a signal such that power usage is conserved.

11. The golf ball device of claim 1, the rectifier circuit comprising one of:

a half wave rectifier, a full wave rectifier, and a bridge rectifier.

12. The golf ball device of claim 1, the an impact power generator further comprising a resistor that is coupled in parallel with each piezo-electric device such that charges in the piezo-electric devices return to their de-stressed state after the mechanical stresses have subsided.

13. The golf ball device of claim 1, the piezo-electric devices in the impact power generator comprising one of a piezo-electric crystal material, a piezo-electric ceramic material, or a piezoelectric plastic film material.

14. The golf ball device of claim 1, the piezo-electric devices comprise a material from the group consisting of:

tourmaline, quartz, topaz, cane sugar, Rochelle salt, berlinite, gallium orthophosphate, perovskite, plastic films, and tungsten-bronze.

15. The golf ball device of claim 1, wherein the rectifier circuit comprises a respective rectifier that is coupled to a corresponding one of the piezo-electric devices, where each respective rectifier is coupled in common to the capacitor circuit.

16. The golf ball device of claim 1, wherein the rectifier circuit comprises a three-phase rectifier circuit.

17. The golf ball device of claim 1, the impact power generator further comprising a resistor that is coupled in parallel with the piezo-electric device, a second resistor that is coupled in parallel with the second piezo-electric device, and a third resistor that is coupled in parallel with the third piezo-electric device, wherein each resistor is arranged such that charges in the piezo-electric devices return to their de-stressed state after the mechanical stresses in each respective piezo-electrical device has subsided.

18. A method for emitting a radio frequency transmission from a golf ball device in response to the impact of the golf ball device with a surface, the method for the golf ball device comprising:

arranging a plurality of piezo-electric devices along separate axes relative to a center of the golf ball device such that each piezo-electric device is oriented for maximal energy conversion along a separate axis relative to the central area of the inner core of the golf ball device such that that maximum conversion of kinetic energy to electrical energy is achieved when the golf ball device is impacted along the axis of the golf ball device most aligned with the corresponding piezo-electric device;

generating electrical energy with piezo-electric devices in response to mechanical stresses on the piezo-electric devices from the impact of the golf ball with the surface;

rectifying the electrical energy generated by the piezo-electric devices and combining the energy from each of the plurality of piezo-electric devices;

storing charge from the rectified and combined electrical energy in a capacitor circuit, wherein the capacitor circuit is arranged to operate as a temporary power supply for the golf ball device;

applying power from the temporary power supply to a radio frequency transmitter system that is located in a central area of the inner core of the golf ball device, wherein the radio frequency transmitter system includes an output that is coupled to an antenna;

enabling high-frequency oscillations in the radio frequency transmitter system when the temporary power supply is operational such that the radio frequency transmitter system is prepared for emission of radio frequency transmissions; and

modulating signals with the high frequency oscillations when the temporary power supply is operational such that the radio frequency transmission is emitted by the radio-frequency transmitter system via the antenna as a modulated signal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the radio frequency transmitter system is arranged to emit either a narrowband transmission or a spread spectrum transmission.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein modulating signals comprises modulating according to a modulation method from the group consisting of amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, pulse modulation and phase modulation, and combinations thereof.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein modulating comprises encoding the radio frequency transmission with an identifier such that the golf ball device can be distinguished from other devices by the identifier in the radio frequency transmission.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising selectively disabling transmissions until it is time to transmit a signal such that power usage from the temporary power supply is conserved.

23. The method device of claim 18, wherein rectifying comprises a rectification method from the group consisting of:

the rectifier circuit comprising one of;

half wave rectification, full-wave rectification, bridge rectification and multi-phase rectification.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising coupling a resistance in parallel with each piezo-electric device such that charges in the piezo-electric device return to a de-stressed state after the mechanical stresses have subsided.

25. The method of claim 18, the piezo-electric devices comprising one of a piezo-electric crystal material or a piezo-electric ceramic material.

26. The method of claim 18, the piezo-electric devices comprise a material from the group consisting of:

tourmaline, quartz, topaz, cane sugar, Rochelle salt, berlinite, gallium orthophosphate, perovskite, piezo-electric plastic film, and tungsten-bronze.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein generating electrical energy with the piezo-electric devices further comprises:

arranging a plurality of piezo-electric devices along separate axis relative to a center of the golf ball device such that each piezo-electric device is oriented for maximal energy conversion along a separate axis relative to the central area of the inner core of the golf ball device such that that maximum conversion of kinetic energy to electrical energy is achieved when the golf ball device is impacted along the axis of the golf ball device most aligned with the corresponding piezo-electric device, and wherein rectifying the energy generated by the piezo-electric device further comprises rectifying and combining the energy from each of the plurality of piezo-electric devices.