Golf club grip with user notification and tracking capability

• US 9,694,263 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2016
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tag Golf LLC
• Original Assignee: Tag Golf LLC
• Inventors: Savarese, Chris, McGill, Susan
• Primary Examiner(s): NWUGO, OJIAKO K
• Application Number:
  US15/011,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20160220876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 235375-385, 340540, 3405721-5729
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/833 Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/15 with identification means that can be read by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/14 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/06 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/16 Caps; Ferrules
• 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

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses related to golf club grips with attached or embedded RFID tags are described. In an embodiment, a RFID tag is attached to or embedded into a golf club grip and a RFID reader incorporated into a personal computing device may read or capture information associated with the RFID tag. The device may be configured to provide notifications to the golfer based on the captured information.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing executable instructions, which when executed cause a near field communication (NFC) enabled device to perform a method comprising:

detecting, by an NFC enabled device, a presence of an NFC tag coupled with a golf grip;

determining whether a regrip condition of the golf grip is met based on the detecting; and

providing, in response to determining the regrip condition is met, a notification indicating the golf grip is due for replacement.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein detecting the presence of the NFC tag includes tapping the NFC enabled device against the NFC tag coupled with the golf grip.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the NFC enabled device includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and wherein the method further includes capturing a location, in response to detecting the presence of the NFC tag, of a use of the golf grip.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the regrip condition includes one or more of a preset number of uses of the golf grip, a preset amount of time, or a preset number of rounds of golf.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 4, wherein detecting the presence of the NFC tag includes detecting a first use of the golf grip coupled with the NFC tag, and wherein determining the regrip condition of the golf grip is met includes determining the preset amount of time elapsed after the first use.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 4 further comprising receiving, by the NFC enabled device, grip usage data from the NFC tag, wherein the grip usage data includes data for a first use of the golf grip coupled with the NFC tag.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein detecting the presence of the NFC tag includes detecting an interaction between the NFC enabled device and the NFC tag after the first use of the golf grip coupled with the NFC tag, and wherein determining the regrip condition of the golf grip is met includes determining that the interaction is the preset number of uses of the golf grip after the first use.

8. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a near field communication (NFC) enabled device, a presence of an NFC tag coupled with a golf grip;

determining whether a regrip condition of the golf grip is met based on the detecting; and

providing, in response to determining the regrip condition is met, a notification indicating the golf grip is due for replacement.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting the presence of the NFC tag includes tapping the NFC enabled device against the NFC tag coupled with the golf grip.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the NFC enabled device includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and wherein the method further includes capturing a location, in response to detecting the presence of the NFC tag, of a use of the golf grip.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the regrip condition includes one or more of a preset number of uses of the golf grip, a preset amount of time, or a preset number of rounds of golf.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the presence of the NFC tag includes detecting a first use of the golf grip coupled with the NFC tag, and wherein determining the regrip condition of the golf grip is met includes determining the preset amount of time elapsed after the first use.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising receiving, by the NFC enabled device, grip usage data from the NFC tag, wherein the grip usage data includes data for a first use of the golf grip coupled with the NFC tag.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein detecting the presence of the NFC tag includes detecting an interaction between the NFC enabled device and the NFC tag after the first use of the golf grip coupled with the NFC tag, and wherein determining the regrip condition of the golf grip is met includes determining that the interaction is the preset number of uses of the golf grip after the first use.

15. An NFC enabled device, comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) receiver configured to detect a presence of an NFC tag coupled with a golf grip;

a processor configured to determine whether a regrip condition of the golf grip is met based on the presence of the NFC tag; and

a display configured to provide, in response to determining the regrip condition is met, a notification indicating the golf grip is due for replacement.

16. The NFC enabled device of claim 15, wherein detecting the presence of the NFC tag includes tapping the NFC enabled device against the NFC tag coupled with the golf grip.

17. The NFC enabled device of claim 16, wherein the NFC enabled device includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and wherein the processor is configured to capture a location, in response to detecting the presence of the NFC tag, of a use of the golf grip.

18. The NFC enabled device of claim 15, wherein the regrip condition includes one or more of a preset number of uses of the golf grip, a preset amount of time, or a preset number of rounds of golf.

19. The NFC enabled device of claim 18, wherein the RFID receiver is configured to receive grip usage data from the NFC tag, and wherein the grip usage data includes data for a first use of the golf grip coupled with the NFC tag.

20. The NFC enabled device of claim 19, wherein detecting the presence of the NFC tag includes detecting an interaction between the NFC enabled device and the NFC tag after the first use of the golf grip coupled with the NFC tag, and wherein the processor is configured to determine the regrip condition of the golf grip is met when the interaction is the preset number of uses of the golf grip after the first use.