Method and apparatus for measuring golf green speeds

• US 8,070,620 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2009
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: Rankin, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, JEFFREY KEITH
• Application Number:
  US12/464,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20090280920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 463/2, 463/3, 463/7, 473/198, 473/222
• US Class Current: 473/222
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/00 Golfing accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/36 for golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3676 for putting A63B69/3608, A63B69/3661, A63B69/3667 and A63B69/3697 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2203/0676 Force, weight, load, energy, speed or acceleration

Abstract

A method, system and golf ball are provided to determine the deceleration of a golf ball and, in turn, the speed of a green. The system may include a golf ball and an offboard display device. The golf ball may include a golf ball body, a motion sensor disposed within the golf ball body to measure acceleration of the golf ball along each of three mutually perpendicular axes, and a transmitter disposed within the golf ball body to transmit data representative of deceleration. The display device may include a receiver to receive data representative of the deceleration of the golf ball from transmitter and a display to provide a representation of the deceleration of the golf ball. At least one of the golf ball and the display device may include a processor to determine deceleration of the golf ball based upon the acceleration measured by the motion sensor.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a golf ball body;

a motion sensor disposed within the golf ball body and configured to measure acceleration of the golf ball along each of three mutually perpendicular axis;

a processor disposed within the golf ball body and configured to determine deceleration of the golf ball based upon the acceleration measured by the motion sensor, the processor also configured to determine a frequency of signals provided by the motion sensor and to await the frequency falling below a predefined threshold prior to determining deceleration of the golf ball; and

a transmitter disposed within the golf ball body and configured to transmit data representative of the deceleration of the golf ball offboard the golf ball.

2. A golf ball according to claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to determine a distance rolled by the golf ball and a time elapsed during rolling of the golf ball, and wherein the processor is configured to determine the deceleration based upon the distance rolled and the time elapsed.

3. A golf ball according to claim 2 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a number of cycles of a sine wave signal provided by the motion sensor, and wherein the processor is configured to determine the distance rolled based upon the number of cycles.

4. A golf ball according to claim 1 further comprising a filter configured to remove a DC offset from a signal provided by the motion sensor prior to determination of the deceleration by the processor.

5. A golf ball according to claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a plurality of deceleration values with each deceleration value being associated with a different respective velocity of the golf ball.

6. A system comprising:

a golf ball comprising;

a golf ball body;

a motion sensor disposed within the golf ball body and configured to measure acceleration of the golf ball along each of three mutually perpendicular axis; and

a transmitter disposed within the golf ball body configured to transmit data representative of deceleration of the golf ball; and

a display device comprising;

a receiver configured to receive data representative of the deceleration of the golf ball from transmitter;

a display configured to provide a representation of a measure of the deceleration of the golf ball, wherein at least one of the golf ball and the display device comprises a processor configured to determine deceleration of the golf ball based upon the acceleration measured by the motion sensor, and wherein the processor is also configured to determine a frequency of signals provided by the motion sensor and to await the frequency falling below a predefined threshold prior to determining deceleration of the golf ball.

7. A system according to claim 6 wherein the processor is configured to determine a distance rolled by the golf ball and a time elapsed during rolling of the golf ball, and wherein the processor is configured to determine the deceleration based upon the distance rolled and the time elapsed.

8. A system according to claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a number of cycles of a sine wave signal provided by the motion sensor, and wherein the processor is configured to determine the distance rolled based upon the number of cycles.

9. A system according to claim 6 further comprising a filter configured to remove a DC offset from a signal provided by the motion sensor prior to determination of the deceleration by the processor.

10. A system according to claim 6 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a plurality of deceleration values with each deceleration value being associated with a different respective velocity of the golf ball.

11. A method comprising:

providing a golf ball having a golf ball body and a motion sensor and a transmitter embedded with the golf ball body;

measuring acceleration of the golf ball along each of three mutually perpendicular axis with the motion sensor;

transmitting data representative of deceleration of the golf ball;

receiving the data representative of the deceleration of the golf ball at a location offboard the golf ball;

determining a frequency of signals provided by the motion sensor and awaiting the frequency falling below a predefined threshold prior to determining deceleration of the golf ball;

displaying a representation of a measure of the deceleration of the golf ball; and

determining the deceleration of the golf ball based upon the acceleration measured by the motion sensor and prior to displaying the representation of the deceleration of the golf ball.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein determining the deceleration occurs prior to transmitting the data representative of the deceleration.

13. A method according to claim 11 wherein determining the deceleration occurs after receiving the data representative of the display.

14. A method according to claim 11 wherein determining the deceleration comprises determining a distance rolled by the golf ball and a time elapsed during rolling of the golf ball, and wherein determining the deceleration is based upon the distance rolled and the time elapsed.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein determining the deceleration comprises determining a number of cycles of a sine wave signal provided by the motion sensor, and wherein determining the distance rolled is based upon the number of cycles.

16. A method according to claim 11 further comprising removing a DC offset from a signal provided by the motion sensor prior to determining the deceleration.

17. A method according to claim 11 wherein determining the deceleration comprises determining a plurality of deceleration values with each deceleration value being associated with a different respective velocity of the golf ball.