Radar based tracking system for golf driving range

• US 9,339,715 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edge Technologies, Inc
• Original Assignee: Edge Technologies, Inc
• Inventors: Luciano, Robert A. Jr., Grieshaber, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORTELL, JOHN F
• Application Number:
  US13/804,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20130274025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3658 Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/66 Radar-tracking systems; Analogous systems
• 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: G06K 19/04 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A golf ball range target system that includes a golf target, a golf ball dispenser, at least one golf ball, a target sensor, a tracking module, and a client computer is described. The golf target has a known geographic location and includes at least one golf target area. The golf ball dispenser houses golf balls. Each golf ball is associated with a particular player. The tracking module determines a golf ball flight trajectory for the golf ball associated with the particular player. The target sensor determines whether the golf ball has landed in a target area.

Claims

1. A golf ball range target system comprising:

a golf target having a known geographic location that includes at least one golf target area;

a golf ball dispenser that houses a plurality of golf balls;

at least one golf ball associated with a particular player;

a radar tracking module that determines a golf ball flight trajectory for the golf ball associated with the particular player, wherein the golf ball flight trajectory includes a golf ball landing area;

a client computer presents the golf ball trajectory, the golf target on a display and a plurality of player information associated with the player; and

a game of skill associated with hitting a golf ball at a target area and awarding a skill based prize for hitting the ball at the target area;

at least one game of chance that includes a game session for the game of chance that is initiated when the game of skill is initiated;

the game of chance including a random game session result;

a game of chance prize that is awarded according to the random game session result; and

wherein the game of chance prize is awarded only when the golf ball misses the target area.

2. The golf ball range target system of claim 1 wherein the client computer includes a touch screen display.

3. The golf ball range target system of claim 1 wherein each golf ball includes an RFID tag and the target area includes an RFID reader that reads the golf ball with the RFID tag.

4. The golf ball range target system of claim 1 further comprising a server communicatively coupled to the radar tracking module and the client computer, the server further comprises a database that stores at least one of a club speed, a ball speed, a ball travel distance, the golf ball trajectory, and the geographic location of the target area.

19. The golf ball range target system of claim 1 wherein the game of chance includes a spinning wheel, in which the prize is awarded according to the random game result of the spinning wheel.

20. The golf ball range target system of claim 1 wherein the game of chance includes a slot machine reel that spins.

21. The golf ball range target system of claim 1 wherein the game of chance includes a bingo game.

5. A golf ball range target system comprising:

a plurality of golf target areas;

a golf ball dispenser houses a plurality of golf balls;

at least one golf ball associated with a particular player;

a plurality of golf driving range booths that each includes a mat, wherein the golf ball is dispensed on the mat;

a plurality of radar tracking modules, in which each golf driving range booth includes a radar tracking module that tracks each golf ball dispensed on the mat;

the radar tracking module tracks a golf club speed, a ball speed, a ball travel distance;

a reader reads at least one of a near-field communications (NFC) chip, a radio-frequency identification chip, a mag stripe card, and a wireless device;

a plurality of client computers, in which each client computer is associated with each golf driving range booth, each client computer presents a plurality of player information associated with the particular player disposed in the particular golf driving range booth, wherein each client computer displays at least one of the golf club speed, the ball speed and the ball travel distance;

a server communicatively coupled to each radar tracking module and each client computer, the server further comprises a database that stores at least one of the golf club speed, the ball speed, and the ball travel distance for each player; and

a game of skill associated with hitting a golf ball at the golf target areas and awarding a skill based prize for hitting the ball at one of the plurality of target areas;

at least one game of chance that includes a game session for the game of chance that is initiated when the game of skill is initiated;

the game of chance including a random game session result;

a game of chance prize that is awarded according to the random game session result; and

wherein the game of chance prize is awarded only when the golf ball misses the target areas.

6. The golf ball range target system of claim 5 wherein each golf ball includes an RFID tag and each of the target areas includes an RFID reader that reads the golf ball with the RFID tag.

7. The golf ball range target system of claim 5 further comprising a wireless network communicatively coupled to each client computer and each radar tracking module.

8. The golf ball range target system of claim 5 further comprising a game of chance wager and a game of skill wager.

9. The golf ball range target system of claim 5 wherein the plurality of golf target areas further comprises a plurality of movable surface-mounted concentric circles.

10. The golf ball range target system of claim 5 further comprising a plurality of movable surface-mounted hazards.

18. The golf ball range target system of claim 5 wherein the game of chance includes a spinning wheel, in which the prize is awarded according to the random game result of the spinning wheel.

11. A golf ball range target system comprising:

an RFID golf ball that includes an RFID tag;

a unique RFID golf ball identifier associated with the RFID golf ball;

a golf ball dispenser that houses a plurality of RFID golf balls;

a plurality of golf driving range booths that each includes a mat, wherein the RFID golf ball is dispensed on the mat;

a plurality of radar tracking modules, in which each golf driving range booth includes a radar tracking module that tracks each golf ball dispensed on the mat, the radar tracking module tracks a golf club speed, a ball speed, a ball travel distance;

an issuing area RFID reader disposed within the golf driving range booth and associated with the golf dispenser, the issuing area RFID reader reads the plurality of RFID golf balls that are associated with a player, the issuing area RFID reader communicatively coupled to a network communications module;

a plurality of client computers, in which each client computer is associated with each golf driving range booth, each client computer presents a plurality of player information associated with the particular player disposed in the particular golf driving range booth, wherein each client computer displays at least one of the golf club speed, the ball speed and the ball travel distance;

a server communicatively coupled to each radar tracking module and each client computer, the server further comprises a database that stores at least one of the golf club speed, the ball speed, and the ball travel distance for each player;

a plurality of target areas, in which each target area has a known geographic location and wherein each target area reads the RFID golf balls;

a game of skill associated with hitting the RFID golf ball at the golf target areas and awarding a skill based prize for hitting the RFID ball at one of the plurality of target areas;

at least one game of chance that includes a game session for the game of chance that is initiated when the game of skill is initiated;

the game of chance including a random game session result;

a game of chance prize that is awarded according to the random game session result; and

wherein the game of chance prize is awarded only when the golf ball misses the target areas.

12. The golf ball range target system of claim 11 wherein each client computer further comprises a tablet computer having a touch screen display.

13. The golf ball range target system of claim 11 further comprising a wireless network communicatively coupled to each client computer and each radar tracking module.

14. The golf ball range target system of claim 11 further comprising a game of chance wager and a game of skill wager.

15. The golf ball range target system of claim 11 wherein the plurality of golf target areas further comprises a plurality of movable surface-mounted concentric circles.

16. The golf ball range target system of claim 11 further comprising a plurality of movable surface-mounted hazards.

17. The golf ball range target system of claim 11 wherein the game of chance includes a spinning wheel, in which the prize is awarded according to the random game result of the spinning wheel.