Method and system for swing analysis

• US 8,992,346 B1
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Raposo, Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Liddle, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US13/794,227
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 473/131, 473/221, 473/222, 473/233, 473/407, 473/409
• US Class Current: 473/407
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/00 Golfing accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station

Abstract

A method for analyzing 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. A device is positioned or built within a grip of the golf club.

Claims

1. A method for tracking a golfer'"'"'s round of golf, the method comprising:

determining a first location of a GPS device for a golfer on a golf course;

receiving at the GPS device a first signal packet from a first golf club of the golfer that the first golf club struck a golf ball at the first location, the first signal packet comprising a backswing length, a downswing length, a backswing relative speed and a downswing relative speed;

storing on the GPS device the first location on the golf course, an identification of the first golf club, a time that the first golf club struck the golf ball at the first location, the backswing length, the downswing length, the backswing relative speed and the downswing relative speed;

determining a second location of the GPS device for the golfer on the golf course;

receiving at the GPS device a second signal packet from a second golf club of the golfer that the second golf club struck the golf ball at the second location the first signal packet comprising a backswing length, a downswing length, a backswing relative speed and a downswing relative speed;

determining a distance from the first location to the second location; and

storing the distance as a distance for a first shot of the golfer, and storing the backswing length, the downswing length, the backswing relative speed and the downswing relative speed for each shot by the golfer;

wherein the signal packet is sent from a device positioned within a grip of a golf club, the device comprising;

a housing;

a battery having no more than 225 milliamp hours of power, the battery positioned within the housing;

a microprocessor positioned within the housing, the 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 positioned within the housing, 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 radiofrequency component positioned within the housing, the 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, the signal comprising data related to the movement monitored by the multi-axis accelerometer;

wherein the device consumes less than 600 nano-amps during the sleep mode, the sleep mode having a time period ranging from 10 seconds to 30 seconds;

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

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

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

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

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the signal packet is sent from a device positioned within a grip of a golf club, the device comprising:

a housing composed of a polymer material, the housing having a main body;

a battery positioned within the housing;

a microprocessor positioned within the housing, the microprocessor in electrical communication with the battery;

a multi-axis accelerometer for determining movement, monitoring movement and communicating the movement to the microprocessor, the multi-axis accelerometer positioned within the housing, the multi-axis accelerometer in electrical communication with the microprocessor; and

a radiofrequency component positioned within the housing, the radiofrequency component in electrical communication with the microprocessor, the radiofrequency component operating at 2.4 giga-Hertz, the radiofrequency component transmitting a signal comprising data related to the movement monitored by the multi-axis accelerometer.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the signal packet comprises an identification for a golf club.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising uploading the distance for the first shot of the golfer on a golfer'"'"'s web page of a web site.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising determining a location of a GPS device for a golfer on a golf course for every shot of the golfer during a round of golf;

receiving a signal from a golf club of the golfer that the golf club struck a golf ball at a location for a shot of every shot of the golfer during the round of golf; and

recording the location on the golf course, an identification of the golf club and a time that the golf club struck the golf ball at a location for a shot of every shot of the golfer during the round of golf.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising determining a time period between the golfer striking the golf ball at the first location and the golfer striking the golf ball at the second location.

7. The method according to claim 6 further comprising determining if the time period exceeds a time threshold for the time period.

8. The method according to claim 7 further comprising reassigning the distance of the first shot based on a distance for the second shot.

9. A system for tracking a golfer'"'"'s round of golf, the system comprising:

a plurality of golf clubs, each of the plurality of golf clubs comprising a grip with an internal device, the grip attached to a shaft which is attached to a golf club head, the internal device comprising a power source positioned within a housing, means for determining impact, a microprocessor and a RFID component, wherein impact of a golf club of the plurality of golf clubs swung by the golfer activates the impact means to have the microprocessor transmit a signal packet from the RFID component for transmission, the signal packet comprising a type of golf club impacted, a backswing length, a downswing length, a backswing relative speed and a downswing relative speed, the power source comprising a battery, a resistor and a capacitor, the RFID component comprising a RFID transponder and a processor;

a GPS device for receiving the signal from the RFID component, wherein the GPS device stores data for each golf shot swung by the golfer for a round of golf, wherein the GPS device is configured to record the current location of the GPS device, an identification of the golf club used by the golfer for each golf shot and the time that the golf club was used to determine a distance for each golf shot based on a current location and a prior location of a prior golf shot, the GPS device also configured to store the backswing length, the downswing length, the backswing relative speed and the downswing relative speed for each shot swung by the golfer;

wherein the signal packet is sent from the internal device positioned with the grip of at least one of the plurality of golf clubs comprises;

the power source having no more than 225 milliamp hours of power;

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

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

the RFID component positioned within the housing, the RFID component in electrical communication with the microprocessor, the RFID component operating at 2.4 giga-Hertz, the power for the RFID component drawn from the power source, the RFID component only operable during the transmission mode, transmitting a signal from the RFID component during the transmission mode, the signal comprising data related to the movement monitored by the multi-axis accelerometer;

wherein the internal device consumes less than 600 nano-amps during the sleep mode, the sleep mode having a time period ranging from 10 seconds to 30 seconds;

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

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

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

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

10. The system according to claim 9 further comprising a web page for the golfer, the web page at a web site, the golfer storing the round of golf on the web page.

11. The system according to claim 9 wherein impact means is an accelerometer.

12. The system according to claim 9 wherein impact means is a shock switch.

13. The system according to claim 9 wherein impact means is a multiple axis accelerometer.