Method and system for shot tracking

• US 8,192,293 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2011
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Denton, Scott, Balardeta, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US13/007,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20110224011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 437/407
• US Class Current: 473/155
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0028 Tracking the path of an object, e.g. a ball inside a soccer pitch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0031 at the starting point
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0037 on a target surface or at impact on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/063 Spoken or verbal instructions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0691 Maps, e.g. yardage maps or electronic maps
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/14 Geo-tagging, e.g. for correlating route or track location data with specific information related to that specific location
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• 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 57/00 Golfing accessories
• 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 69/3658 Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications

Abstract

A method for predicting a golfer'"'"'s swing speed, wherein the method comprises determining that the golfer is addressing a golf ball to swing a golf club, monitoring a backswing, determining a transition time, monitoring a downswing, determining an impact time, transmitting data for the golfer'"'"'s swing to a receiver for analysis and generating a golfer'"'"'s swing speed using a length of a shaft of the golf club.

Claims

1. A method for predicting a golfer'"'"'s swing speed, the method comprising:

a microprocessor configured to receive data from an accelerometer, the microprocessor configured to;

determine that a golfer is addressing a golf ball to swing a golf club, the golf club comprising a device attached to a grip of the golf club, the device comprising the accelerometer and a radiofrequency transceiver, the device having a main body with a diameter ranging from 20 to 25 mm and a projection body having a length ranging from 1 to 5 mm;

monitor a backswing of the golfer utilizing the accelerometer at a rate of at least 1 kilo-Hertz;

determine a transition time from a backswing to a downswing of the golfer utilizing the accelerometer at a rate of at least 1 kilo-Hertz;

monitor the downswing of the golfer utilizing the accelerometer at a rate of at least 1 kilo-Hertz;

determine an impact time of the golf club with the golf ball utilizing the accelerometer at a rate of at least 1 kilo-Hertz;

transmit data for the golfer'"'"'s swing to a receiver for analysis, the data comprising the transition time and the impact time; and

generate a golfer'"'"'s swing speed using a length of a shaft of the golf club, the transition time and the impact time, wherein the device is in continuous operation between at least a sleep mode, a monitoring mode and a transmission mode, wherein the device consumes less than 600 nano-amps of power in the sleep mode, wherein the device consumes less 200 micro-amps of power during the monitoring mode, and wherein the device consumes less than 12 milli-amps of power during the transmission mode.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein transmitting the data comprises transmitting data on the golfer'"'"'s swing in a single transmission.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein transmitting the data comprises transmitting data in a plurality of transmissions.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the receiver is a GPS device, Smart Phone, PDA, or computer.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the data for a golfer'"'"'s swing is transmitted at a radiofrequency of 2.4 gigaHertz utilizing the radiofrequency transceiver of the device.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the device further comprises a battery.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the accelerometer is a multiple axis accelerometer.

8. A system for predicting a golfer'"'"'s swing speed, the system comprising:

a golf club comprising a club head, a shaft, a grip and a device attached to the grip, the device having a main body with a diameter ranging from 20 to 25 mm and a projection body having a length ranging from 1 to 5 mm, the device comprising a microprocessor, an accelerometer and a radiofrequency transceiver, the microprocessor configured to;

receive data from the accelerometer at a rate of at least 1 kilo-Hertz;

determine that a golfer is addressing a golf ball to swing a golf club;

monitor a backswing of the golfer;

determine a transition time from a backswing to a downswing of the golfer;

monitor the downswing of the golfer;

determine an impact time of the golf club with the golf ball; and

transmit data for the golfer'"'"'s swing, the data comprising the transition time and the impact time; and

a receiver comprising a microprocessor and a transceiver, the transceiver operating on a first communication protocol, the microprocessor configured to generate a golfer'"'"'s swing speed using a length of a shaft of the golf club, the transition time and the impact time, wherein the device is in continuous operation between at least a sleep mode, a monitoring mode and a transmission mode, wherein the device consumes less than 600 nano-amps of power in the sleep mode, wherein the device consumes less 200 micro-amps of power during the monitoring mode, and wherein the device consumes less than 12 milli-amps of power during the transmission mode.

9. The system according to claim 8 wherein the microprocessor is configured to transmit the data on the golfer'"'"'s swing in a single transmission.

10. The system according to claim 8 wherein the microprocessor is configured to transmit the data in a plurality of transmissions.

11. The system according to claim 8 wherein the receiver is a GPS device, Smart Phone, PDA, or computer.

12. The system according to claim 8 wherein the data for a golfer'"'"'s swing is transmitted at a radiofrequency of 2.4 gigaHertz utilizing the radiofrequency transceiver of the device.

13. The system according to claim 8 wherein the device further comprises a battery.

14. The system according to claim 8 wherein the accelerometer is a multiple axis accelerometer.