Method and apparatus for measuring golf green speeds

• US 8,282,499 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2011
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• 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:
  US13/307,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20120077608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 314 Days
• Field of Search: 473/198, 473/222, 463/2, 463/7
• 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 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,

a processor configured to determine a 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 a deceleration of the golf ball,

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, and

a display configured to provide a representation of a measure of the deceleration of the golf ball.

2. A system 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 system according to claim 1 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 system 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 system 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,

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 processor configured to determine a 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 a deceleration of the golf ball, and

a display configured to provide a representation of a measure of the 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 6 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.