Impact and sound analysis for golf equipment

• US 9,607,525 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Leech, Nicholas A., Molinari, Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bloss, Stephanie
• Application Number:
  US13/839,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20140260635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 702/48, 736/45
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 3/04 Frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

Golf performance and equipment characteristics may be determined by analyzing the impact between a golf ball and an impacting surface. In some examples, the impacting surface may be a golf club face. The impact between the golf ball and the surface may be measured based on sound and/or motion sensors (e.g., gyroscopes, accelerometers, etc.). Based on motion and/or sound data, various equipment-related information including golf ball compression, club head speed and impact location may be derived. Such information and/or other types of data may be conveyed to a user to help improve performance, aid in selecting golf equipment and/or to insure quality of golfing products.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for determining an amount of compression of a golf ball that, when executed, cause an apparatus to:

record sound generated from an impact of a golf ball against a surface;

generate data corresponding to the sound, wherein the data includes an audio signal corresponding to the sound of the impact between the golf ball and the surface;

extract component frequency information from the audio signal;

determine an amount of compression of the golf ball upon impact with the surface based on the component frequency information;

automatically direct the golf ball to a first area after determining the amount of compression is within a predefined compression range, else

automatically direct the golf ball to a second area after determining the amount of compression is not within the predefined compression range; and

generate an output specifying the amount of compression of the golf ball.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining the amount of compression of the golf ball upon impact is performed by:

identifying a frequency of the audio signal having a greatest amplitude from the component frequency information, and

looking up an amount of compression corresponding to the identified frequency having the greatest amplitude using a pre-defined frequency-to-compression table.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

select the pre-defined frequency-to-compression table from a plurality of pre-defined frequency-to-compression tables based on at least one of;

a composition of the golf ball and a distance from the surface which the golf ball is launched.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

determine whether the determined amount of compression of the golf ball is within the predefined compression range; and

in response to determining the amount of compression is within the predefined compression range, the output generated includes a validation of a quality of the golf ball.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

determine an amount of ambient noise; and

select a height from which to drop the golf ball to the surface based on the amount of ambient noise.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein selecting the height from which to drop the golf ball includes:

determining a height at which the impact between the golf ball and the surface is expected to have a sound intensity exceeding an intensity of the ambient noise.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein selecting the height from which to drop the golf ball includes:

determining a height at which the impact between the golf ball and the surface is expected to have a sound intensity exceeding an intensity of the ambient noise by a specified amount.

8. A system for determining an amount of compression of a golf ball, comprising:

a microphone for receiving sound generated from impact of a golf ball against a surface;

a computing apparatus including a processor;

memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing apparatus to;

generate data from the sound received via the microphone, wherein the data includes an audio signal corresponding to the sound of the impact between the golf ball and the surface;

extract component frequency information from the audio signal;

determine an amount of compression of the golf ball upon impact with the surface based on the component frequency information;

automatically direct the golf ball to a first area after determining the amount of compression is within a predefined compression range, else

automatically direct the golf ball to a second area after determining the amount of compression is not within the predefined compression range; and

generate an output specifying the amount of compression of the golf ball; and

an output device providing at least one of visual, audio, or textual output relating to the amount of compression of the golf ball.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein determining the amount of compression of the golf ball upon impact is performed by:

identifying a frequency of the audio signal having a greatest amplitude from the component frequency information, and

looking up an amount of compression corresponding to the identified frequency having the greatest amplitude using a pre-defined frequency-to-compression table.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing apparatus to:

select the pre-defined frequency-to-compression table from a plurality of pre-defined frequency-to-compression tables based on at least one of;

a composition of the golf ball and a distance from the surface which the golf ball is launched.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing apparatus to:

determine whether the determined amount of compression of the golf ball is within a predefined compression range; and

in response to determining the amount of compression is within the predefined compression range, the output generated includes a validation of a quality of the golf ball.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising a movable arm configured to direct the golf ball to the first area or the second area.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing apparatus to:

determine an amount of ambient noise; and

select a height from which to drop the golf ball to the surface based on the amount of ambient noise.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein selecting the height from which to drop the golf ball includes:

determining a height at which the impact between the golf ball and the surface is expected to have a sound intensity exceeding an intensity of the ambient noise.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein selecting the height from which to drop the golf ball includes:

determining a height at which the impact between the golf ball and the surface is expected to have a sound intensity exceeding an intensity of the ambient noise by a specified amount.

16. A method for determining an amount of compression of a golf ball, comprising:

recording sound generated from an impact of a golf ball against a surface;

generating, by a computing device, data corresponding to the sound, wherein the data includes an audio signal corresponding to the sound of the impact between the golf ball and the surface;

extracting, by the computing device, component frequency information from the audio signal;

determining, by the computing device, an amount of compression of the golf ball upon impact with the surface based on the component frequency information;

automatically directing the golf ball by a movable arm to a first area after determining the amount of compression is within a predefined compression range, else

automatically directing the golf ball by the movable arm to a second area after determining the amount of compression is not within the predefined compression range; and

generating an output specifying the amount of compression of the golf ball.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the amount of compression of the golf ball upon impact is performed by:

identifying, by the computing device, a frequency of the audio signal having a greatest amplitude from the component frequency information, and

looking up, by the computing device, an amount of compression corresponding to the identified frequency having the greatest amplitude using a pre-defined frequency-to-compression table.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

selecting, by the computing device, the pre-defined frequency-to-compression table from a plurality of pre-defined frequency-to-compression tables based on at least one of;

a composition of the golf ball and a distance from the surface which the golf ball is launched.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, whether the determined amount of compression of the golf ball is within a predefined compression range; and

in response to determining the amount of compression is within the predefined compression range, generating the output to include a validation of a quality of the golf ball.