Shot Monitoring Watch

• US 8,123,624 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2005
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Theodore Weissenburger Caldwell
• Original Assignee: Theodore Weissenburger Caldwell
• Inventors: Caldwell, Theodore Weissenburger
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US11/243,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20060199659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,336 Days
• Field of Search: 473231-234, 473221-227
• US Class Current: 473/221
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0663 worn on the wrist, e.g. wrist bands
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/46 Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0026 for ice-hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3608 Attachments on the body, e.g. for measuring, aligning, restraining A63B69/0059, A63B69/3673 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/38 for tennis A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities

Abstract

A golf swing monitoring system in the form of a one piece, wrist mounted unit which includes multi-function instrumentation with extremely high degrees of precision that monitors a plurality of critical components of a golf swing. In particular, motion sensors that discriminate finite changes in the timing and speed of the swing are disposed in a housing mounted on a wrist bank analogous to a common wrist watch or timepiece. A third component, user grip pressure, is simultaneously monitored and is similarly housed in the watch housing or casement. The detected parameters are displayed on a LCD which is part of the instrumentation. Finally the calculated values of the swing components can be saved in the memory of the invention. Subsequent swings are compared with those saved and the degrees to which later swings conform or deviate from the values for the saved swing are displayed. The subject invention has a skill level setting, 1 to 5 where 1 is the highest skill level, 5 the least. As the skill level setting approaches 1, there is a much narrower range of tolerance for deviations. Thus the match between the trial or subsequent swing and that saved in the memory of the subject invention must be nearly exact. Conversely, lower skill level settings are more forgiving and offer a wider tolerance for deviation from the saved values of the swing components.

Claims

1. A swing monitoring watch comprising:

a piezo sensor;

an accelerometer;

monitoring circuitry configured to receive signals from the piezo sensor and the accelerometer and configured to determine, based at least in part on one or more received signals, a swing speed of a swing, an elapsed time of a swing and a grip pressure of a swing;

a display configured to display information determined by the monitoring circuitry; and

a wrist strap for mounting the piezo sensor, the accelerometer, the monitoring circuitry and the display to a wrist wherein the mounting of the piezo sensor provides for generation of signals responsive to changes in circumference of the wrist caused by muscle movement.

2. The swing monitoring watch of claim 1 further comprising circuitry for determining a skill level based at least in part on information determined by the monitoring circuitry.

3. The swing monitoring watch of claim 1 comprising an analog to digital signal converter.

4. The swing monitoring watch of claim 1 comprising a micro-processor.

5. The swing monitoring watch of claim 1 wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display.

6. The swing monitoring watch of claim 1 comprising alarm means electrically connected to said monitoring circuitry.

7. The swing monitoring watch of claim 6 wherein the alarm means comprises alarm means configured to selectively provide an audible alarm signal.

8. The swing monitoring watch of claim 6 wherein the alarm means comprises alarm means configured to selectively provide a visual alarm signal.

9. The swing monitoring watch of claim 1 comprising switch means for selectively controlling the operation of said electronic monitoring circuitry.

10. The swing monitoring watch of claim 9 wherein the switch means comprises switch means configured to reset switches connected to said electronic monitoring circuitry and to said display.

11. The swing monitoring watch of claim 1 comprising position marking means on the front of said watch to assist in the positioning of a golf club relative to said strap during a golf swing.

12. The swing monitoring watch of claim 1 wherein the accelerometer comprises a two-axis accelerometer that provides signals to the monitoring circuitry to determine hand speed of a golf swing and elapsed time of a golf swing from take-away or backswing, to contact between a golf club and a golf ball.

13. The swing monitoring watch of claim 1 wherein the piezo sensor comprises a strain gauge configured to provide for the generation of signals responsive to changes in circumference of the wrist caused by muscle movement, the generation of signals for registering, recording and displaying a user'"'"'s grip pressure exerted on a handle or grip of a golf club during a swing.