Golf aid including heads up display

• US 9,597,574 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Leech, Nicholas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US14/291,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20150057095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 473/152, 473/353
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0028 Tracking the path of an object, e.g. a ball inside a soccer pitch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0034 during flight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0053 for locating an object, e.g. a lost ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0056 for statistical or strategic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0666 worn on the head or face, e.g. combined with goggles or glasses
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0691 Maps, e.g. yardage maps or electronic maps
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/35 Spin
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/802 Ultra-sound sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/806 Video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• 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 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 : Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 : Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0072 : with a specified number of layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/008 : with means for improving visibility, e.g. special markings or colours illuminating or reflecting means A63B43/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/06 : with illuminating devices ; with reflective surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3605 : Golf club selection aids informing player of his average or expected shot distance for each club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3608 : Attachments on the body, e.g. for measuring, aligning, restraining A63B69/0059, A63B69/3673 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3658 : Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 : Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 : Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/66 : Radar-tracking systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 : Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/66 : Sonar tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/66 : Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 : Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 : comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 : comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0141 : characterised by the informative content of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 : Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 : slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 : with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 : Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 : characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 : Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 : Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 : with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

A golf aid for displaying one or more golf-related statistics to a user includes a golf ball tracking system for tracking a flight of a golf ball, a heads up display, and a processor in communication with the golf ball tracking system and the heads up display. The heads up display is configured to be worn on the user'"'"'s head and display an image within the user'"'"'s field of view. The processor is configured to compute one or more shot statistics from the tracked flight of the golf ball and display the one or more computed shot statistics within the field of view of the user via the heads up display. The one or more shot statistics include at least one of an initial ball speed, a spin rate, a carry, and a remaining distance to the pin.

Claims

1. A golf aid for displaying one or more golf-related statistics to a user, the golf aid comprising:

a golf ball tracking system for tracking a flight of a golf ball;

a heads up display configured to be worn on the user'"'"'s head and display an image within a field of view of the user;

a processor in communication with the golf ball tracking system and the heads up display, the processor configured to;

compute one or more shot statistics from the tracked flight of the golf ball;

wherein the one or more shot statistics include at least one of an initial ball speed, a spin rate, a carry, and a remaining distance to the pin; and

display the one or more computed shot statistics within the field of view of the user via the heads up display.

2. The golf aid of claim 1, wherein the golf ball tracking system includes one or more sensors disposed on the heads up display.

3. The golf aid of claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of a camera, a radar, or a lidar sensor.

4. The golf aid of claim 1, wherein the golf ball tracking system includes a launch monitor.

5. The golf aid of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

maintain one or more play statistics relating to a plurality of golf shots;

wherein the one or more play statistics include at least one of a total number of strokes for a round, a score relative to par, a number of fairways hit, a number of greens in regulation, and an average number of puts per green; and

display the one or more play statistics within the field of view of the user via the heads up display.

6. The golf aid of claim 1, wherein the processor displays the shot statistics for only a predetermined amount of time following a shot.

7. The golf aid of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to use the tracked flight of the golf ball to display an enhanced image of the golf ball flight within the field of view of the user via the heads up display.

8. A golf aid for displaying one or more golf-related statistics to a user, the golf aid comprising:

a golf ball tracking system for tracking a flight of a golf ball;

a heads up display configured to be worn on the user'"'"'s head and display an image within a field of view of the user;

a processor in communication with the golf ball tracking system and the heads up display, the processor configured to;

compute one or more shot statistics from the tracked flight of the golf ball;

maintain one or more play statistics relating to a plurality of golf shots;

display the one or more computed shot statistics, the one or more play statistics, and an enhanced image of the golf ball flight within the field of view of the user via the heads up display.

9. The golf aid of claim 8, wherein the one or more shot statistics include at least one of an initial ball speed, a spin rate, a carry, and a remaining distance to the pin;

and

wherein the one or more play statistics include at least one of a total number of strokes for a round, a score relative to par, a number of fairways hit, a number of greens in regulation, and an average number of puts per green.

10. The golf aid of claim 8, wherein the golf ball tracking system includes one or more sensors disposed on the heads up display.

11. The golf aid of claim 10, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of a camera, a radar, or a lidar sensor.

12. The golf aid of claim 8, wherein the golf ball tracking system includes a launch monitor.

13. The golf aid of claim 8, wherein the processor displays the shot statistics for only a predetermined amount of time following a shot.

14. A non-transitory, computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for execution by a processor to perform steps comprising:

receiving an indication of a tracked flight of a golf ball from a sensor;

computing one or more shot statistics from the tracked flight of the golf ball;

wherein the one or more shot statistics include at least one of an initial ball speed, a spin rate, a carry, and a remaining distance to the pin; and

displaying the one or more computed shot statistics within the field of view of the user via a heads up display configured to be worn on the user'"'"'s head.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions for causing the processor to perform the steps of:

maintaining one or more play statistics relating to a plurality of golf shots;

wherein the one or more play statistics include at least one of a total number of strokes for a round, a score relative to par, a number of fairways hit, a number of greens in regulation, and an average number of putts per green; and

displaying the one or more play statistics within the field of view of the user via the heads up display.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions for causing the processor to use the tracked flight of the golf ball to display an enhanced image of the golf ball flight within the field of view of the user via the heads up display.