Automatic golf scoring system that detects shot based upon motion of golfer and caddy

• US 8,517,854 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Egtron, Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Egtron, Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, JeYoung
• Primary Examiner(s): GALKA, LAWRENCE STEFAN
• Application Number:
  US13/127,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20110213474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 473/131, 473/223, 473/283, 473/402, 473/403, 473/406, 473/407, 700 91- 93
• US Class Current: 473/283
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0037 on a target surface or at impact on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• 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 71/0669 Score-keepers or score display devices

Abstract

Disclosed is a real-time, automatic golf scoring apparatus that can automatically tally golf scores and record the positions of golf shots. The real-time, automatic golf scoring apparatus includes: a storage unit for storing information regarding driver shot positions at holes; a communications unit for receiving position computation information for calculating a current position of a golfer; and a control unit for counting the number of driver shots if a condition on the number of driver shots based on the information regarding the driver shot positions and information regarding the current position of the golfer is satisfied using these means, the system is capable of providing useful real-time information to golf players and of automatically managing play records.

Claims

1. A golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus comprising:

a storage unit for storing information regarding driver shot positions at holes;

a communications unit for receiving position computation information for calculating a current position of a golfer; and

a control unit for counting the number of driver shots if a condition to count a driver shot based on the information regarding the driver shot positions and information regarding the current position of the golfer is satisfied, wherein the storage unit further stores information regarding fairway positions in fairway regions of the holes and green region positions in green regions of the holes, and wherein the control unit counts fairway shots per hole by accumulating a fairway shot count, and acknowledging a par for each hole if a condition to count a fairway shot is satisfied based on the information regarding fairway positions and the information regarding the current position of the golfer, and wherein the control unit also counts putting shots per hole by accumulation if a condition to count a putting shot is satisfied based on the information regarding green region positions and the information regarding the current position of the golfer, and wherein the control unit selects the positions where the golfer does not move in the green region for a predetermined period of time, selects positions where a golf assistant does not move in the green region for the predetermined period of time, determines if there is the position where a putting shot estimated motion or a putting shot estimated sound occurs, and, if a position where the putting shot estimated motion or the putting shot estimated sound occurs corresponds to one of the positions where the golfer does not move and simultaneously corresponds to one of the positions where the golf assistant does not move, determines that the condition to count a putting shot is satisfied.

2. The golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines that the condition to count a driver shot is satisfied, if the golfer enters into any one of the driver shot positions and leaves that driver shot position after a predetermined period of time.

3. The golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines that the condition to count a driver shot is satisfied, if the golfer enters into any one of the driver shot positions, leaves that driver shot position after a predetermined period of time, and a driver shot estimated motion or a driver shot estimated sound occurs by which the golfer is estimated to hit a driver shot.

4. The golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines that the condition to count a fairway shot is satisfied, if the golfer is located in the fairway region, stays at a region of the fairway region for a predetermined period of time, and leaves the region.

5. The golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines that the condition to count a fairway shot is satisfied, if the golfer is located in the fairway region, stays at a region of the fairway region for a predetermined period of time, leaves the region, and a fairway shot estimated motion or a fairway shot estimated sound occurs by which the golfer is estimated to hit a fairway shot.

6. The golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus of claim 5, wherein the fairway shot estimated motion is a motion of a golfers'"'"' waist.

7. The golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines if there is a position where a putting shot estimated motion or a putting shot estimated sound occurs, and, if the position where the putting shot estimated motion or the putting shot estimated sound occurs corresponds to one of the positions where the golfer does not move and simultaneously corresponds to one of the positions where the golf assistant does not move, determines that the condition to count a putting shot is satisfied.

8. A golf score real-time automatic counting apparatus comprising:

a storage unit for storing information regarding driver shot positions at holes;

a communications unit for receiving position computation information for calculating a current position of a golfer; and

a control unit for counting the number of driver shots if a condition to count a driver shot based on the information regarding the driver shot positions and information regarding the current position of the golfer is satisfied, wherein the storage unit further stores information regarding fairway positions in fairway regions of the holes and green region positions in green regions of the holes, and wherein the control unit counts fairway shots per hole by accumulating a fairway shot count, and acknowledging a par for each hole if a condition to count a fairway shot is satisfied based on the information regarding fairway positions and the information regarding the current position of the golfer, and wherein the control unit also counts putting shots per hole by accumulation if a condition to count a putting shot is satisfied based on the information regarding green region positions and the information regarding the current position of the golfer, and wherein the control unit selects the positions where the golfer does not move in the green region for a predetermined period of time, selects the positions where a golf assistant does not move in the green region for the predetermined period of time, determines if there is a motion of assisting a putting shot by the golf assistant, and, if a position of the motion of assisting a putting shot by the golf assistant corresponds to one of the positions where the golfer does not move and simultaneously corresponds to one of the positions where the golf assistant does not move, determines that the condition to count a putting shot is satisfied.