Movable golf range target with RFID ball identifier

• US 9,035,749 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2011
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edge Technologies, Inc
• Original Assignee: Fs/Sg Ip Holdings, Llc
• Inventors: Luciano, Robert Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLACK-CHILDRESS, RAJSHEED O
• Application Number:
  US13/212,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20120056721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/751 wherein the responder or reflector radiates a coded signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 characterised by the shape

Abstract

A movable golf range target system is described. The movable golf range target system includes an issuing area RFID reader and a movable target. The issuing area RFID reader reads a plurality of RFID golf balls associated with a player account, each RFID golf ball has a unique identification and the issuing area RFID reader is communicatively coupled to an issuing area network communications module. The movable target includes a first enclosed boundary capture component that receives an RFID golf ball in a first capture area, a first target RFID reader associated with the first capture area, a second enclosed boundary component that encompasses the first enclosed boundary component funnel, the second enclosed boundary capture area receives an RFID golf ball in a second capture area, a second target RFID reader is associated with the second capture area and a GPS receiver coupled to the movable target.

Claims

1. A golf range target system comprising:

a plurality of RFID golf balls, in which each RFID golf ball includes a two-dimensional RFID tag that further includes two antennas that are orthogonal to one another;

each RFID golf ball includes an RFID golf ball core that comprises a first split core that receives the two-dimensional RFID tag, wherein the first split core is then melted with a second split core to encase the two-dimensional RFID tag, the RFID golf ball core is further encased by a dimpled molded shell;

a plurality of two-dimensional RFID readers, in which each RFID reader includes a two-dimensional antenna array;

an issuing area two-dimensional RFID reader that includes a two-dimensional antenna array, the issuing area RFID reader configured to read each of the plurality of RFID golf balls associated with a player, wherein each RFID golf ball has a unique identification, the issuing area RFID reader communicatively coupled to an issuing area network communications module; and

a movable target that includes,

a first enclosed boundary capture component configured to receive and capture at least one RFID golf ball in a first capture area to forward into a ball collector,

a first target two-dimensional RFID reader associated with the first capture area,

a second enclosed boundary capture component that encompasses the first enclosed boundary capture component, the second enclosed boundary capture component configured to receive and capture at least one RFID golf ball in a second capture area to forward into a ball collector,

a second target two-dimensional RFID reader associated with the second capture area;

wherein each of said first and second target two-dimensional RFID readers belong to said plurality of two-dimensional RFID readers such that the associated two-dimensional antenna arrays each are arranged just before a corresponding ball collector to read the captured at least one RFID golf balls.

2. The golf range target system of claim 1 further comprising,

a third enclosed boundary capture component configured to receive at least one RFID golf ball in a third capture area, and

a third target two-dimensional RFID reader associated with a third capture area.

3. The golf range target system of claim 1 further comprising a player account that is associated with the golf ball identification from the issuing two-dimensional RFID reader.

4. The golf range target system of claim 1, wherein the player score generates a higher score when the RFID golf ball is read by the first target two-dimensional RFID reader than when the RFID golf ball is read by the second target two-dimensional RFID reader.

5. The golf range target system of claim 1 further comprising a display configured to display a plurality of scores, wherein each score is associated with a separate player.

6. The golf range target system of claim 1 wherein the movable target further comprises a target area network communications module communicatively coupled to the first target two-dimensional RFID reader, and the second target two-dimensional RFID reader.

7. The golf range target system of claim 6 further comprising a server communicatively coupled to the issuing area network communications module and the target area network communications module, the server comprising a database configured to store data comprising:

an association between a plurality of RFID golf balls and a player,

an RFID golf ball identification from the first target two-dimensional RFID reader,

an RFID golf ball identification from the second target two-dimensional RFID reader, and

a geographic location of the movable target.

8. The golf range target system of claim 7, wherein the database is further configured to store a score associated with the player, the score based on a point value associated with a target in which the two-dimensional RFID golf ball associated with the player lands.

9. The golf range target system of claim 8 wherein the server is configured to make one or more scores available for retrieval over a network.

10. The golf range target system of claim 9 further comprising a display configured to display a plurality of scores, wherein each score is associated with a separate player.

11. A golf range target system comprising:

a plurality of RFID golf balls, in which each RFID golf ball includes a two-dimensional RFID tag that further includes two antennas that are orthogonal to one another;

each RFID golf ball includes an RFID golf ball core that comprises a first split core that receives the two-dimensional RFID tag, wherein the first split core is then melted with a second split core to encase the two-dimensional RFID tag, the RFID golf ball core is further encased by a dimpled molded shell;

a plurality of two-dimensional RFID readers, in which each RFID reader includes a two-dimensional antenna array;

an issuing area two-dimensional RFID reader configured to read each of the RFID golf balls associated with a player account, each RFID golf ball having a unique identification, the issuing area RFID reader communicatively coupled to an issuing area network communications module;

a tee area two-dimensional RFID reader configured to read the RFID golf ball at the tee area, said tee area RFID reader communicatively coupled to a tee area network communications module; and

a movable target that includes,

a first enclosed boundary capture component configured to receive and capture at least one RFID golf ball in a first capture area to forward into a ball collector,

a first target two-dimensional RFID reader associated with the first capture area,

a second enclosed boundary capture component that encompasses the first enclosed boundary capture component, the second enclosed boundary capture component configured to receive and capture at least one RFID golf ball in a second capture area to forward into a ball collector,

a second target two-dimensional RFID reader associated with the second capture area;

wherein each of said first and second target two-dimensional RFID readers belong to said plurality of two-dimensional RFID readers such that the associated two-dimensional antenna arrays each are arranged just before a corresponding ball collector to read the captured at least one RFID golf balls;

a target area network communications module communicatively coupled to the first target two-dimensional RFID reader and the second target two-dimensional RFID reader; and

a server communicatively coupled to the issuing area network communications module, the tee area network communications module, and the target area network communications module.

12. The golf range target system of claim 11 wherein the server further comprises a database configured to store data comprising:

an association between a plurality of RFID golf balls and a player,

an RFID golf ball identification from the tee area two-dimensional RFID reader,

an RFID golf ball identification from the first target two-dimensional RFID reader,

an RFID golf ball identification from the second target two-dimensional RFID reader, and

a geographic location of the movable target.

13. The golf range target system of claim 11, wherein the tee area two-dimensional RFID reader is configured to detect an identification of each RFID golf ball placed on the tee area.

14. The golf range target system of claim 11, wherein the database is further configured to store a score associated with the player, the score based on a point value associated with a movable target in which an RFID golf ball associated with the player lands.

15. The golf range target system of claim 11 further comprising a display configured to display a plurality of scores, wherein each score is associated with a separate player.

16. A method for using a golf range target system, the method comprising:

issuing a plurality of RFID golf balls, in which each golf ball includes a two-dimensional RFID tag that further includes two antennas that are orthogonal to one another, each RFID golf ball includes an RFID golf ball core that comprises a first split core that receives the two-dimensional RFID tag, wherein the first split core is then melted with a second split core to encase the two-dimensional RFID tag, the RFID golf ball core is further encased by a dimpled molded shell;

is configured

reading each RFID golf ball with a plurality of two-dimensional RFID readers, in which each RFID reader includes a two-dimensional antenna array;

reading the plurality of RFID golf balls with an issuing area two-dimensional RFID reader, wherein each RFID golf ball has a unique identification, said issuing two-dimensional RFID reader communicatively coupled to an issuing area network communications module;

transmitting the unique identifications of the RFID golf balls from the issuing area network communications module to a server;

storing an association between the plurality of RFID golf balls and a player in a database; and

receiving an RFID golf ball in a movable target that includes;

a first enclosed boundary capture component configured to receive and capture at least one RFID golf ball in a first capture area to forward into a ball collector,

a first target two-dimensional RFID reader associated with the first capture area,

a second enclosed boundary capture component that encompasses the first enclosed boundary capture component, the second enclosed boundary capture component configured to receive and capture at least one RFID golf ball in a second capture area to forward into a ball collector,

a second target two-dimensional RFID reader associated with the second capture area;

wherein each of said first and second target two-dimensional RFID readers belong to said plurality of two-dimensional RFID readers such that the associated two-dimensional antenna arrays each are arranged just before a corresponding ball collector to read the captured at least one RFID golf balls; and

a target area network communications module communicatively coupled to the first target two-dimensional RFID reader, and the second target two-dimensional RFID reader.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising transmitting from the target area network communications module to the server data comprising:

an RFID golf ball identification from the first target two-dimensional RFID reader,

an RFID golf ball identification from the second target two-dimensional RFID reader, and

a geographic location of the movable target.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing in the database a score associated with the player, the score based on a point value associated with a movable target in which an RFID golf ball associated with the player lands.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising generating a higher player score when the RFID golf ball is read by the first target two-dimensional RFID reader than when the RFID golf ball is read by the second target two-dimensional RFID reader.

20. The method of claim 16 comprising displaying a plurality of scores, wherein each score is associated with a separate player.

21. The method of 16 further comprising making one or more scores available from the server for retrieval over a network.