Method, apparatus, and system for golf product reconfiguration

• US 9,573,029 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• 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
• Application Number:
  US14/942,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20160096088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 473/221, 473/407
• 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 golf club including at least one adjustable feature capable of being configured between a plurality of configurations; and

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

sending to a display a visualization of a current trajectory shape, the current trajectory shape based at least in part on current trajectory information;

receiving a manipulation of the current trajectory shape to create a desired trajectory shape;

correlating the desired trajectory shape with at least one configuration of the plurality of configurations based on the current trajectory information; and

sending to the display an identification of the at least one configuration.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjustable feature includes 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 at least one adjustable 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 1, wherein the at least one adjustable feature comprises a shaft connection adapted to interchangeably secure a shaft of the golf club to a club head of the golf club in any of a plurality of positions.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjustable feature comprises a repositionable sole plate adapted to be secured to a club head of the golf club in any of a plurality of positions.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer program further performs the step of receiving a selection of environmental information, and wherein the step of correlating the desired trajectory shape 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 current trajectory information is received from a selection on the computing machine.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the visualization of the current trajectory shape is displayed concurrently with a visualization of the desired trajectory shape.

11. A system comprising:

a golf club including at least one adjustable feature capable of being configured between a plurality of configurations; and

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

receiving a first input of a current configuration of the plurality of configurations;

receiving a second input including current trajectory information;

sending to a display a visualization of a current trajectory shape, the current trajectory shape based at least in part on the current trajectory information;

receiving a manipulation of the current trajectory shape to create a desired trajectory shape;

correlating the desired trajectory shape with an updated configuration of the plurality of configurations based on the current trajectory information and the current configuration; and

sending to the display an identification of the updated configuration.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one adjustable feature includes a first weight port and a plurality of weight elements interchangeably securable within the first weight port.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one adjustable feature further comprises a second weight port, wherein the plurality of weight elements are interchangeably securable within the second weight port.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one adjustable feature comprises a shaft connection adapted to interchangeably secure a shaft of the golf club to a club head of the golf club in any of a plurality of positions.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one adjustable feature comprises a repositionable sole plate adapted to be secured to a club head of the golf club in any of a plurality of positions.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the current trajectory information is received from a selection on the computing machine.

17. A system comprising:

a golf club including at least one adjustable feature capable of being configured between a plurality of configurations; and

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

displaying a visualization of an initial trajectory;

receiving a first input of a current shot shape;

receiving a second input of a current trajectory height;

displaying a visualization of a current trajectory, the current trajectory based on the current shot shape and the current trajectory height;

receiving a manipulation of the current trajectory shape to create a desired trajectory shape, the desired trajectory shape being indicative of a desired shot shape and a desired trajectory height;

correlating the desired trajectory shape with at least one configuration of the plurality of configurations based on the current shot shape and the current trajectory height; and

displaying an identification of the updated configuration.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one adjustable feature comprises a shaft connection adapted to interchangeably secure a shaft of the golf club to a club head of the golf club in any of a plurality of positions.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one adjustable feature includes a first weight port, a second weight port, and a plurality of weight elements interchangeably securable within the first and second weight ports.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one adjustable feature comprises a repositionable sole plate adapted to be secured to a club head of the golf club in any of a plurality of positions.