Method and system for shot tracking

• US 9,079,088 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2012
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Denton, Scott, Balardeta, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US13/487,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20120238381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0028 Tracking the path of an object, e.g. a ball inside a soccer pitch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0031 at the starting point
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0037 on a target surface or at impact on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/063 Spoken or verbal instructions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0691 Maps, e.g. yardage maps or electronic maps
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/14 Geo-tagging, e.g. for correlating route or track location data with specific information related to that specific location
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• 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 57/00 Golfing accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/46 Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3658 Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications

Abstract

A method for predicting 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.

Claims

1. A method for predicting a golfer'"'"'s swing speed, the method comprising:

determining that a golfer is addressing a golf ball to swing a golf club, the golf club comprising a device comprising a battery, a microprocessor, an accelerometer and a radiofrequency transceiver, the device positioned on a top end of a grip of the golf club, the device comprising a main body and a projection body having a length ranging from 1mm to 5mm, the microprocessor, battery, the accelerometer and the radiofrequency transceiver within the main body of the device, wherein the accelerometer monitors a movement of the golf club and the golfer addressing the golf ball generates a lack of golf club movement monitored by the accelerometer;

monitoring a backswing of the golfer utilizing the accelerometer of the device at a rate of at least 5 kilo-Hertz;

determining a transition time from a backswing to a downswing of the golfer utilizing the accelerometer of the device;

monitoring the downswing of the golfer utilizing the accelerometer of the device at a rate of at least 5 kilo-Hertz;

determining an impact time of the golf club with the golf ball utilizing the accelerometer of the device;

transmitting data for the golfer'"'"'s swing from the transceiver of the device to a smart-phone for analysis, the data comprising the transition time and the impact time; and

generating on the smart-phone a golfer'"'"'s swing speed using a length of a shaft of the golf club, the transition time and the impact time.