Golf club apparatuses and methods

• US 9,195,781 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2012
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tag Golf LLC
• Original Assignee: Tag Golf LLC
• Inventors: Savarese, Chris, Marshall, Noel H. C., McGill, Susan, Gilliland, Kenneth P., Vickers, Marvin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): RENWICK, REGINALD A
• Application Number:
  US13/633,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20130144411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 463/2, 473/131
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/00 Golf clubs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 55/00 Bags for golf clubs; Stands for golf clubs for use on the course; Wheeled carriers specially adapted for golf bags
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/40 Data acquisition and logging for input to computer G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1481 with optical detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

Methods and systems for managing golf clubs and for collecting golf data, such as golf strokes, are described. In one embodiment, a golf data collection system includes a golf accessory worn on the golfer'"'"'s wrist, such as a watch, equipped with a GPS receiver, impact sensing and motion sensing means, and a transceiver to communicate with golf club tags (e.g. at 2.4 GHz such as Bluetooth). The golf accessory senses the motion of the golf club being swung by the golf and/or senses the impact of the golf club striking the golf ball. When swinging motion or impact is sensed the device uses the transceiver to communicate with golf club tags. The closest golf club (i.e. the club in the golfer'"'"'s hand during the swing) is captured as the club used by the swing based on RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator). Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. A system for collecting golf data, the system comprising:

a set of golf club RFID tags, the set including an RFID tag having an RF transmitter and at least one sensor, wherein the RF transmitter is configured to transmit club data, the club data including one or more of a club identifier or a club status indicator, for the RFID tag; and

a portable device comprising;

a mechanism configured to attach the portable device to a golfer'"'"'s arm or hand,

a processing system,

an RFID receiver coupled to the processing system, wherein the RFID receiver is configured to receive the club data from the RF transmitter of the RFID tag in the set of golf club RFID tags,

an impact sensor coupled to the processing system, wherein the impact sensor is configured to detect a shock transmitted up a golf club to the golfer'"'"'s arm or hand from an impact of the golf club on a golf ball and to provide, in response to detecting the shock, an impact signal to the processing system which indicates that a stroke has occurred, and

a motion sensor coupled to the processing system, wherein the motion sensor is configured to detect motion of the portable device and to provide, in response to detecting the motion, a motion signal to the processing system which indicates whether the portable device is moving;

wherein the processing system is configured to filter the club data received from the RF transmitter based on the motion signal received from the motion sensor.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein the system further comprises:

a satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver in the portable device and coupled to the processing system, wherein the SPS receiver provides position information;

a personal area network (PAN) transceiver in the portable device and coupled to the processing system; and

a tablet computer having (1) a PAN transceiver that is configured to wirelessly communicate with the PAN transceiver in the portable device in order to receive the position information and the club identifier from the portable device and (2) a memory for storing one or more maps of golf courses to mark a location of the stroke on the one or more maps when the club data is filtered in and the impact signal indicates that the stroke occurred, automatically without requiring the golfer to indicate manually the stroke to the system and (3) a display coupled to the memory to display the one or more maps.

3. The system as in claim 1, wherein the portable device further includes a user activatable switch coupled to the processing system, wherein the user activatable switch is configured, when activated by the golfer, to indicate to the processing system that the stroke has been taken and to mark a location of the stroke with the golf club that is determined to be in use based on the club identifier and the club status indicator received from the RFID tag in the set of golf club RFID tags, and wherein the portable device is a global positioning system (GPS) watch or is part of a golf glove or is a GPS arm band.

4. The system as in claim 3, wherein the portable device further comprises a personal area network (PAN) transceiver, and wherein the PAN transceiver is one of (1) a Bluetooth transceiver, or (2) a WiFi transceiver, or (3) a ZigBee transceiver, or (4) an IrDA (Infrared Data Association) transceiver;

and

wherein the club status indicator comprises one or more of an in/out status of the golf club relative to a golf bag or a motion status which indicates whether the golf club is in motion.

5. The system as in claim 4, wherein the at least one sensor of the RFID tag comprises a light sensor configured to determine the in/out status of the golf club relative to the golf bag and configured to determine the motion status of the golf club.

6. The system as in claim 5, wherein the light sensor is configured to determine the out status of the golf club based on one or more light measurements indicating that the golf club has been removed from the golf bag.

7. A system for collecting golf data, the system comprising:

a set of golf club RFID tags each having an RF transmitter and at least one sensor; and

a portable device comprising;

a mechanism configured to attach the portable device to a golfer'"'"'s arm or hand,

a processing system,

an RFID receiver coupled to the processing system, wherein the RFID receiver is configured to receive club data comprising one or more club identifiers and one or more club status indicators from the RF transmitters in the set of golf club RFID tags,

an impact sensor coupled to the processing system, wherein the impact sensor is configured to detect a shock transmitted up a golf club to the golfer'"'"'s arm or hand from an impact of the golf club on a golf ball, and wherein the impact sensor is configured to provide, in response to detecting the shock, an impact signal to the processing system indicating that a stroke has occurred,

a motion sensor coupled to the processing system, wherein the motion sensor is configured to detect motion of the portable device, and

a signal strength circuitry coupled to the processing system, the signal strength circuitry configured to measure one or more signal strengths of signals received from one or more golf club RFID tags in the set, the one or more signal strengths representing one or more distances between the portable device and the one or more golf club RFID tags;

wherein the processing system is configured to determine, from the one or more signal strengths, club data corresponding to the golf club that transmitted the shock, and wherein the processing system is configured to filter the received club data corresponding to the golf club based on the detected motion of the portable device.

8. The system as in claim 7, wherein the system further comprises:

a user activatable switch which is configured, when activated by the golfer, to indicate to the processing system that the stroke has or will be taken and to mark a location of the stroke with the golf club that corresponds to the determined club data;

a satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver in the portable device and coupled to the processing system, wherein the SPS receiver provides position information;

a personal area network (PAN) transceiver in the portable device and coupled to the processing system; and

a tablet computer having (1) a PAN transceiver that is configured to wirelessly communicate with the PAN transceiver in the portable device in order to receive the position information and the club data from the portable device and (2) a memory for storing one or more maps of golf courses to mark the location of the stroke on the one or more maps when the club data is filtered in and the impact signal indicates that the stroke occurred, automatically without requiring the golfer to manually indicate the stroke to the system and (3) a display coupled to the memory to display the one or more maps.

9. The system as in claim 7, wherein the portable device is a global positioning system (GPS) watch or is part of a golf glove or is a GPS arm band or part of an accessory worn on the golfer'"'"'s arm or hand.

10. The system as in claim 9, wherein the portable device further comprises a personal area network (PAN) transceiver, and wherein the PAN transceiver is one of (1) a Bluetooth transceiver, or (2) a WiFi transceiver, or (3) a ZigBee transceiver, or (4) an IrDA (Infrared Data Association) transceiver;

and

wherein the club status indicator comprises one or more of an in/out status of the golf club relative to a golf bag or an in-motion/not-in-motion status of the golf club.

11. The system as in claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor of the golf club RFID tags comprises a light sensor configured to determine the in/out status of the golf club relative to the golf bag or the in-motion/not-in-motion status of the golf club.

12. The system as in claim 11, wherein the RFID receiver in the portable device is part of the PAN transceiver in the portable device and the PAN transceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver;

a tablet computer having (1) a PAN transceiver that is configured to wirelessly communicate with the PAN transceiver in the portable device in order to receive position information and the club identifier from the portable device and (2) a memory for storing one or more maps of golf courses to mark a location of the stroke on the one or more maps when the club status indicator is filtered in and the impact signal indicates that the stroke occurred, automatically without requiring the golfer to indicate manually the stroke to the system and (3) a display coupled to the memory to display the one or more maps.

13. The system as in claim 12, wherein each golf club RFID tag in the set of golf club RFID tags includes a Bluetooth transceiver and the RF transmitter in each golf club tag is part of the Bluetooth transceiver in the golf club tag.

14. The system as in claim 13, wherein the signal strength circuitry is part of the PAN transceiver in the portable device.

15. The system as in claim 11, wherein the light sensor is configured to determine the out status of the golf club based on one or more light measurements indicating that the golf club has been removed from the golf bag.

16. A method performed in a global positioning system (GPS) golf accessory worn by a golfer on the arm or hand, the method comprising:

receiving a golf club identifier and a club status indicator from a golf club RFID tag;

detecting, by an impact sensor in a GPS golf accessory worn by a golfer on an arm or hand, a shock transmitted up a golf club to the golfer'"'"'s arm or hand when the golf club hits a golf ball;

detecting, by a motion sensor in the GPS golf accessory, motion of the GPS golf accessory; and

filtering the received club status indicator based on detecting the motion of the GPS golf accessory.

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein the GPS golf accessory is a watch.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

determining a stroke was taken when the club status indicator is filtered in and the shock is detected;

receiving an input from a user activatable switch, the input confirming the stroke detected by detecting the shock; and

recording the stroke, in response to receiving the input, at a location of the shock detection determined by a GPS receiver in the GPS golf accessory, and wherein the recording is in response to receiving the input.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

receiving, by a Bluetooth transceiver in the GPS golf accessory, the golf club identifier and the club status indicator from a Bluetooth transceiver in the golf club RFID tag.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

receiving, by the Bluetooth transceiver in the GPS golf accessory from the Bluetooth transceiver in the golf club RFID tag, the club status indicator indicating one or more of an in-motion status or a not-in-motion status for the golf club, the in-motion status indicating that the golf club is moving and the not-in-motion status indicating that the golf club is not moving.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the golf club tag RFID tag includes a light sensor configured to determine the in-motion status and the not-in-motion status of the golf club.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

transmitting the golf club identifier for the golf club and transmitting a location of the shock detection determined by a GPS receiver in the GPS golf accessory from the GPS golf accessory to a data processing system that includes a display for displaying one or more maps of one or more golf courses and includes a memory for storing the one or more maps and a processing system for displaying the one or more maps.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the display includes an integrated touch screen to receive inputs relative to the one or more maps.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the light sensor is configured to determine an out status of the golf club based on one or more light measurements indicating that the golf club has been removed from the golf bag.

25. A method for operating a golf GPS rangefinder, the method comprising:

receiving, at an RF receiver of the golf GPS rangefinder, an in-motion status signal from a golf club tag coupled to a golf club, the in-motion status signal based on one or more light-measurements from at least one sensor in the golf club tag;

receiving, at the RF receiver, an impact signal from an impact sensor in a golf accessory configured to be worn on an arm or hand of a golfer, the impact signal indicating that the impact sensor of the golf accessory has detected a shock transmitted up the golf club to the golfer'"'"'s arm or hand;

receiving, at the RF receiver, a motion signal from a motion sensor in the golf accessory, the motion signal indicating that the golf accessory is not moving; and

determining, by a processing system in the golf GPS rangefinder, whether a stroke was taken by the golf club at a location of a GPS receiver in the golf GPS rangefinder based on a relative timing between the received motion signal, the received in-motion status signal, and the received impact signal.

26. The method as in claim 25, wherein the processing system determines the stroke was taken when the received motion signal indicates that the golf accessory was still for a predetermined time before the in-motion status signal and impact signal are received.

27. The method as in claim 26, wherein the method is also performed with a method in a golf club tag, which method in the golf club tag comprises:

determining the in-motion status signal based on a variation in the one or more measurements, wherein the one or more measurements include one or more light measurements over time; and

determining an out-of-bag status signal from the one or more light measurements, the out-of-bag status signal being determined before determining the in-motion status signal.