Circuit for transmitting a RFID signal

• US 8,446,255 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2010
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: Balardeta, Joseph, Denton, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khan, Omer S
• Application Number:
  US12/950,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20120126946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0705 the battery being connected to a power saving arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs

Abstract

A circuit for transmitting a RFID signal while conserving the battery power for a circuit in continuous operation is disclosed herein. The circuit includes a RFID component, a microprocessor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a battery. The battery preferably has no more than 225 milliamp hours of power. The accelerometer is preferably a multiple axis accelerometer. The circuit is preferably utilized with a device for shot tracking.

Claims

1. A circuit for transmitting a RFID signal while conserving the battery power for the circuit, the circuit comprising:

a battery having no more than 225 milliamp hours of power

a microprocessor in electrical communication with the battery, the microprocessor operating during a sleep mode, a sampling mode, an analysis mode, a monitoring mode and a transmission mode;

a multi-axis accelerometer for determining movement, monitoring movement and communicating the movement to the microprocessor, the multi-axis accelerometer in electrical communication with the microprocessor, the power for the multi-axis accelerometer drawn from the battery, the multi-axis accelerometer only active during the sampling mode, the analysis mode and the monitoring mode;

a gyroscope in electrical communication with the accelerometer, the gyroscope only activated when triggered by the multi-axis accelerometer;

a radiofrequency component in electrical communication with the microprocessor, the radiofrequency component operating at 2.4 giga-Hertz, the power for the radiofrequency component drawn from the battery, the radiofrequency component only operable during a transmission mode, transmitting a signal from the radiofrequency component during the transmission mode,

wherein the circuit is in continuous operation;

wherein the circuit consumes less than 600 nano-amps during the sleep mode, the sleep mode having a time period ranging from 5 seconds to 45 seconds, the accelerometer deactivated during the sleep mode;

wherein the circuit consumes less than 15 micro-amps during the sampling mode, the microprocessor activating the accelerometer during the sampling mode and the accelerometer determining if there is any movement or change from a last sampling mode;

wherein the circuit consumes less than 50 micro-amps during the analysis mode, the accelerometer determining if there is motion activity during the analysis mode;

wherein the circuit consumes less than 200 micro-amps during the monitoring mode, the accelerometer monitoring the motion activity during the monitoring mode and communicating any motion activity to the microprocessor; and

wherein the circuit consumes less than 12 milli-amps during the transmission mode, the radiofrequency component transmitting a signal during the transmission mode.

2. The circuit according to claim 1 wherein the gyroscope operates at or less than 5 milli-amps.

3. The circuit according to claim 1 wherein the gyroscope is triggered when the multi-axis accelerometer determines there is a backswing.

4. The circuit according to claim 1 wherein the sleep mode has a time period ranging from 10 seconds to 30 seconds.

5. The circuit according to claim 1 wherein the gyroscope is a low-power yaw, pitch and roll digital gyroscope.

6. The circuit according to claim 1 wherein the multi-axis accelerometer is preferably a ultra low-power high-performance 3-axes nano accelerometer.

7. The circuit according to claim 1 wherein the RFID component is a single chip 2.4 gigaHertz transceiver.

8. The circuit according to claim 1 wherein the microprocessor 30a is preferably a low pin count, small-package, 8-bit microcontroller.

9. The circuit according to claim 1 wherein the battery is a CR2032 lithium battery.

10. The circuit according to claim 1 wherein the signal comprises data related to the motion activity monitored by the accelerometer.

12. The method according to claim 10 wherein the gyroscope operates at or less than 5 milli-amps.

13. The method according to claim 10 wherein the gyroscope is triggered when the multi-axis accelerometer determines there is a backswing.

14. The method according to claim 10 wherein the sleep mode has a time period ranging from 10 seconds to 30 seconds.

15. The method according to claim 10 wherein the gyroscope is a low-power yaw, pitch and roll digital gyroscope.

16. The method according to claim 10 wherein the multi-axis accelerometer is preferably a ultra low-power high-performance 3-axes nano accelerometer.

17. The method according to claim 10 wherein the RFID component is preferably a single chip 2.4 gigaHertz transceiver.

18. The method according to claim 10 wherein the microprocessor is preferably a low pin count, small package, 8-bit microcontroller.

19. The method according to claim 10 wherein the battery is a CR2032 lithium battery.

11. A method for transmitting a RFID signal while conserving the battery for a circuit in continuous operation, the method comprising:

activating a microprocessor from a sleep mode to a sampling mode, the microprocessor in electrical communication with a multi-axis accelerometer, a gyroscope, a radiofrequency component, a radiofrequency component, and a battery having no more than 225 milli-amp hours of power;

activating the multi-axis accelerometer to determine movement during the sampling mode, the power for the multi-axis accelerometer drawn from the battery;

determining with the multi-axis accelerometer if there is movement during an analysis mode;

monitoring movement with the multi-axis accelerometer during a monitoring mode and communicating the movement to the microprocessor;

triggering the gyroscope during the monitoring mode;

monitoring movement with the gyroscope during the monitoring mode and communicating the movement to the microprocessor; and

transmitting a signal from the radiofrequency component during a transmission mode, the signal comprising data related to the movement monitored by the multi-axis accelerometer, the radiofrequency component operating at 2.4 giga-Hertz, the power for the radiofrequency component drawn from the battery;

wherein the circuit is in continuous operation;

wherein the circuit consumes less than 600 nano-amps during the sleep mode, the sleep mode having a time period ranging from 5 seconds to 45 seconds;

wherein the circuit consumes less than 15 micro-amps during the sampling mode;

wherein the circuit consumes less than 50 micro-amps during the analysis mode;

wherein the circuit consumes less than 200 micro-amps during the monitoring mode; and

wherein the circuit consumes less than 12 milli-amps during the transmission mode.