Golf swing measurement and analysis system

• US 9,504,895 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Golf Impact, LLC
• Original Assignee: Golf Impact, LLC
• Inventors: Davenport, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weatherford, Syvila
• Application Number:
  US13/686,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20130085007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 473/233
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/063 Spoken or verbal instructions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/00 Measuring of physical parameters relating to sporting activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/53 Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/56 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• 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 69/36 for golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3614 using electro-magnetic, magnetic or ultrasonic radiation emitted, reflected or interrupted by the golf club
• 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: G08B 13/14 by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A golf club head includes a club face with at least one impact sensor, where the sensor has a passive piezoelectric element that is integrated into the club face, the passive piezoelectric element being able to generate a signal when an impact force is applied to the club face. An energy storage assembly includes a battery, a capacitor, or both. An energy harvesting assembly includes a signal divider with at least one input and at least two outputs, the at least two outputs providing a known ratio of a given input signal, wherein the at least one input of the signal divider is electrically coupled to one or more of the piezoelectric elements and a first of the at least two signal divider outputs is electrically coupled to the energy storage assembly.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a club face with at least one impact sensor, the at least one sensor including a passive piezoelectric element and being integrated into the club face, the at least one sensor operable to generate an impact signal when an impact force is applied to the club face, wherein the impact signal is generated during an entire duration of the impact force applied to the club face;

an energy storage assembly including at least one of a battery and a capacitor;

an energy harvesting assembly including a signal divider with at least one input and at least two outputs, the at least two outputs providing a ratio of the impact signal, wherein;

(1) the at least one input of the signal divider is electrically coupled to the at least one sensor, and

(2) a first of the at least two outputs of the signal divider is electrically coupled to the energy storage assembly; and

a signal processing assembly electrically coupled to a second of the at least two outputs of the signal divider and to an acceleration measurement assembly, wherein the signal processing assembly is operable to process signals, including at least one of sampling, digitizing, storing, formatting, and wireless transmission.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 further comprising:

an antenna including at least one electrically-conductive element, one of the at least one electrically-conducting elements being a surface of the golf club head.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the acceleration measurement assembly comprises at least one acceleration sensor and is operable to measure acceleration in three separate orthogonal axes.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the golf club head has a coefficient of restitution of at most 0.830.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 further comprising:

a hosel that is selectively detachable from a golf club shaft.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

the second of the at least two outputs of the signal divider carries at least one signal indicative of an impact force between the club face and an object.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

the second of the at least two outputs of the signal divider carries at least one signal indicative of characteristics of impact pressure forces experienced in a localized section of the club face.

8. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

the second of the at least two outputs of the signal divider carries at least one signal indicative of a spatial force profile across the club face'"'"'s surface.

9. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

the second of the at least two outputs of the signal divider carries at least one signal indicative of a location of impact on the club face.

10. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

the second of the at least two outputs of the signal divider carries at least one signal indicative of the duration of impact on the club face.

11. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

the second of the at least two outputs of the signal divider carries at least one signal indicative of a dynamic time varying spatial force profile across the club face.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the passive piezoelectric element requires no electrical energy input to produce an electrical output.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the energy harvesting assembly includes the club face, the at least one impact sensor, electrical connections to the energy storage assembly, and supplies energy to active electronic components.

14. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the signal divider divides the impact signal produced by the impact sensor and produces at least one output for signal processing and at least one output for providing energy to the energy storage assembly.

15. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the ratio represents the impact signal produced by the impact sensor divided by an output of the signal divider.

16. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first of the at least two outputs of the signal divider is configured to provide a first portion of the impact signal to the energy storage assembly, and wherein the second of the at least two outputs of the signal divider is configured to provide a second portion of the impact signal to the signal processing assembly, the ratio enabling the signal processing assembly to receive the second portion with a same shape characteristic as the impact signal.

17. A method for making a golf club head comprising:

providing a club face with at least one impact sensor that is a passive piezoelectric element integrated into the club face, the passive piezoelectric element being operable to generate an impact signal when an impact force is applied to the club face, wherein the impact signal is generated during an entire duration of the impact force applied to the club face;

connecting an input of a signal divider to the passive piezoelectric element to receive the impact signal;

connecting a first output of the signal divider to an energy storage assembly to at least partially charge a battery that is used to power a component of the golf club head, and

connecting a second output of the signal divider to signal processing circuitry within the the golf club head,

wherein the first and second outputs are supplied with a ratio of the impact signal, such that a first amplitude of the impact signal goes to the first output and a second amplitude of the impact signal goes to the second output.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein providing the club face includes constructing the club face to have a coefficient of restitution of at most 0.830.