Selection support apparatus and selection support method

• US 9,398,138 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2014
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Tatsuya, Iwade, Hirotada
• Primary Examiner(s): Skaarup, Jason
• Application Number:
  US14/259,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20140357427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 473/407
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/34 Angular speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• 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 69/3632 Clubs or attachments on clubs, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence; clubs for swinging exercises in general A63B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

A selection support apparatus acquires a plurality of types of characteristic data representing a swing characteristic of a testing golfer based on a test shot result of a golf club. The apparatus calculates each of recommended values for the testing golfer in association with a plurality of types of characteristic values that characterize a component of a golf club based on the plurality of types of characteristic data. The apparatus selects, based on the recommended values and component information representing a correspondence between components and the plurality of types of characteristic values, a recommended component from components listed in the component information.

Claims

1. A selection support system comprising a selection support apparatus and a measurement apparatus capable of communicating with the selection support apparatus through a network, wherein

the measurement apparatus includes;

a measuring device configured to measure a swing of a testing golfer; and

a terminal device configured to be communicatively connected to the measuring device, the terminal device transmitting a plurality of types of characteristic data representing a swing characteristic of the testing golfer based on a measurement result of the measuring device to the selection support apparatus through the network,

the selection support apparatus includes a storage device, a processor and a transmitter,

the storage device is configured to store component information representing a correspondence between golf club components and a plurality of types of characteristic values that characterize the components,

the processor is configured to convert the plurality of types of characteristic data to a plurality of types of recommended values which corresponding to the plurality of types of characteristic values,

each recommended value is calculated based on the characteristic data, using α

and β

as coefficients, by

recommended value=characteristic data×

α

+β

,

where the coefficients α

and β

are fixed values according to the corresponding types of characteristic values and the fixed values are different for each of the corresponding types of characteristic values,

the processor is further configured to select, based on the plurality of types of recommended values and the plurality of types of characteristic values, a recommended component from components listed in the component information, and

the transmitter is configured to transmit information of the recommended component to the terminal device through the network.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to specify a recommended golf club including the recommended component selected.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of types of characteristic data include a plurality of types out of

data representing an orientation of a face of a head at a time of impact,

data representing a change rate of an orientation of an face with respect to a moving direction of the head within a head moving range from an impact position to a position moved backward by a predetermined distance,

a head speed,

a head track difference between a backswing and a downswing,

a head track difference between a downswing and a follow swing, and

a head track within a head moving range from an impact position to a position moved backward by the predetermined distance.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of types of characteristic values include a plurality of types out of a center-of-gravity angle of a head, a moment of inertia of a head, a center-of-gravity distance of a head, a center-of-gravity depth of a head, a center-of-gravity height of a head, a lie angle of a head, a loft angle of a head, a head volume, a head weight, a flexural rigidity of a shaft, a flexural rigidity distribution of a shaft, a flex of a shaft, a torque of a shaft, and a weight of a shaft.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to select a component having characteristic values closest to the recommended values as the recommended component.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor selects the recommended component based on a distance between the plurality of types of recommended values and the plurality of types of characteristic values on multidimensional coordinates having coordinate axes corresponding to the plurality of types of characteristic values.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of types of characteristic values includes at least a first characteristic value and a second characteristic value,

the plurality of types of recommended values includes at least a first recommended value and a second recommended value corresponding to the first and second characteristic values, and

the processor selects the recommended component based on a distance value calculated by a formula:

distance=√

[{(characteristic value−

the first recommended value)/γ

}²+{(the second characteristic value−

the second recommended value)/δ

}²],

where γ and

δ

are weighting coefficients.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor selects a plurality of recommended components from components listed in the component information.

6. A selection support method executed by a selection support apparatus in a system, the system including the selection support apparatus and a measurement apparatus capable of communicating with the selection support apparatus through a network, the measurement apparatus including a measuring device configured to measure a swing of a testing golfer;

and a terminal device configured to communicatively connected to the measuring device, the method comprising;

a characteristic data acquisition step of acquiring a plurality of types of characteristic data representing a swing characteristic of the testing golfer based on a measurement result of the measuring device;

a calculation step of converting the plurality of types of characteristic data to a plurality of recommended values;

a selection step of selecting a recommended component from components listed in a component information; and

a transmission step of transmitting information of the recommended component to the terminal device through the network,

wherein the component information represents a correspondence between golf club components and a plurality of types of characteristic values that characterize the components,

the plurality of types of recommended values correspond to the plurality of types of characteristic values,

in the calculation step, each recommended value is calculated based on the characteristic data, using α and

β

as coefficients, by

recommended value=characteristic data×

α

+β

,

where the coefficients α and

β

are fixed values according to the corresponding types of characteristic values and the fixed values are different for each of the corresponding types of characteristic values, and

in the selection step, the recommended component is selected based on the plurality of types of recommended values and the plurality of types of characteristic values.