Method, apparatus, and system for golf product reconfiguration and selection

• US 9,216,330 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2011
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Beck, Christopher J., Casburn, Casey, Rae, John J., Salehi, Aram
• Primary Examiner(s): CUFF, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US13/312,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20120196692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 473/334, 473/407, 473/221
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/068 Input by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/70 Measuring or simulating ambient conditions, e.g. weather, terrain or surface conditions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/72 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/75 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/76 Wind conditions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/00 Golf clubs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications

Abstract

A computer program is disclosed for reconfiguring a property-adjustable golf club. The program receives data input corresponding to a current configuration of an adjustable feature of the golf club, and data input corresponding to trajectory adjustment information. Based on the data input, reconfiguration information is generated, and outputted, that corresponds to one of a plurality of configurations of the adjustable feature of the golf club.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a property-adjustable golf club including;

a golf club head;

a shaft secured to the golf club head;

a first adjustment feature reconfigurable between a first plurality of configurations such that a first property of the golf club varies between each of the first plurality of configurations; and

a second adjustment feature reconfigurable between a second plurality of configurations such that a second property of the golf club varies between each of the second plurality of configurations; and

a computer program for reconfiguring the property-adjustable golf club, the program embodied on a computer-readable medium that, when executed by a computing machine, performs steps comprising;

receiving a first selection of a characteristic of a current trajectory;

receiving a second selection corresponding to desired trajectory information;

sending to a display a visualization of a desired trajectory shape concurrently with a visualization of a current trajectory shape, the desired trajectory shape based at least in part on the desired trajectory information and the current trajectory shape based at least in part on the characteristic of the current trajectory;

receiving a manipulation of the desired trajectory shape to create an updated desired trajectory shape, the updated desired trajectory shape having updated desired trajectory information;

correlating the updated desired trajectory information with a said first configuration of the first adjustment feature and a said second configuration of the second adjustment feature, based at least in part on the current trajectory; and

sending to the display information for the said first configuration and information for the said second configuration.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first adjustment feature comprises a first weight port and a plurality of weight elements interchangeably securable within the first weight port.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first adjustment feature further comprises a second weight port, wherein the plurality of weight elements are interchangeably securable within the second weight port.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the second adjustment feature comprises a shaft connection adapted to interchangeably secure the shaft to the golf club head in any of a plurality of positions.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the second adjustment feature comprises a repositionable sole plate adapted to be secured to the club head in any of a plurality of positions.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the program further performs the step of receiving a selection of environmental information, and wherein the step of correlating the updated desired trajectory information with the said first configuration of the first adjustment feature and the said second configuration of the second adjustment feature is further based on the environmental information.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the step of receiving the selection of environmental information includes receiving location data from a GPS satellite and transmitting the location data to a remote server, wherein the environmental information is received from the remote server based on the location data.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the environmental information corresponds to a property selected from the group consisting of:

an elevation, an average wind speed, a temperature, a degree of cloud cover, and a degree of ground wetness.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first selection is received from an electronic sensory device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein after receiving the first selection of the characteristic of the current trajectory, the computer program performs the step of:

sending to the display the first visualization of the current trajectory shape.