Recommendation engine

• US 9,744,422 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2016
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Ripp, Patrick A., Kline, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US15/276,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20170007901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: 473407, 473409
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0028 Tracking the path of an object, e.g. a ball inside a soccer pitch
• 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 69/3605 Golf club selection aids informing player of his average or expected shot distance for each 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: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

Generally, described are methods, apparatuses and systems for a recommendation engine which determines a recommendation based upon a terrestrial parameter and an overall factor unrelated to the terrestrial parameter. The recommendation engine may receive as inputs: (1) some data relating to the terrestrial parameter and (2) some data relating to user operation of a mechanical device. An overall factor may be calculated or obtained, at least in part, from the data relating to user operation of the mechanical device. And based upon the data relating to the terrestrial parameter and the overall factor, a recommendation may be determined and transmitted. In one embodiment, as part of the transmission process, the recommendation may be displayed to a user requesting the recommendation.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor performs the steps of:

a. receiving data characteristic of a user operating a golf club, wherein the data characteristic of the user comprises an average attack angle of the user based on multiple swings of the user, and obtained via a swing sensing device associated with the user or the golf club;

b. determining, via a selector module, a recommended golf club specific to the user, wherein determining the recommended golf club specific to the user includes identifying a bounce recommendation based on the average attack angle of the user, the recommended golf club selected from at least two possible golf clubs having different bounces; and

c. transmitting information indicative of the recommended golf club.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the data characteristic of a user operating a golf club further comprises an average shaft lean of the user swinging the golf club at a point of impact, and wherein determining, via the selector module, the recommended golf club specific to the user includes identifying the bounce recommendation based on the average attack angle and the average shaft lean.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the data characteristic of a user operating a golf club further comprises a swing speed of the user, and wherein determining, via the selector module, the recommended golf club specific to the user includes identifying the bounce recommendation based on the average attack angle and the swing speed of the user.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the multiple swings of the user are three swings.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the golf club is a wedge-type golf club.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the data characteristic of a user operating a golf club comprises an overall factor based on an effective attack angle computed from the average attack angle and average shaft lean.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein determining the recommended golf club specific to the user includes identifying a bounce recommendation based on the effective attack angle.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein determining the recommended golf club specific to the user includes identifying a golf club characteristic selected from the group consisting of bounce angle, camber, sole radius, and sole width.

9. In a system implementing a computing device and a swing sensing device, a method comprising:

a. receiving, via the computing device, first data characteristic of a swing of a user generated by the swing sensing device;

b. calculating, via the computing device, second data based on the first data, the second data including an attack angle and a shaft lean;

c. determining, via the computing device, an overall bounce factor based on the second data;

d. selecting, via the computing device, a bounce recommendation based on the overall bounce factor; and

e. displaying, via the computing device, the bounce recommendation.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second data further comprises an average attack angle obtained based on multiple swings by the user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second data further comprises an average shaft lean obtained based on multiple swings of the user and obtained at a point of impact.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein step (c) comprises:

calculating the overall bounce factor (OBF) based on the following formula (1);

OBF=Average Attack Angle+(Average Shaft Lean/2). 

 

(1)

13. The method of claim 9, wherein step (d) includes selecting a bounce recommendation from one of a high bounce, a mid bounce, and a low bounce.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the second data further includes a swing speed of the user, and step (d) comprises:

selecting a higher bounce angle for a higher swing speed and selecting a lower bounce angle for a lower swing speed.

15. A system comprising:

a. a swing sensing device configured to obtain data corresponding to a characteristic golf swing based on multiple swings of a user, the swing sensing device further including;

i. a sensor configured to obtain the data corresponding to a characteristic golf swing based on multiple swings of a user, and

ii. a transceiver configured to transmit the obtained data corresponding to a characteristic golf swing based on multiple swings of a user; and

b. a display device configured to determine and display a bounce recommendation based at least in part on the data corresponding to a characteristic golf swing based on multiple swings of a user, the display device further including;

i. a transceiver configured to receive from the swing sensing device the obtained data corresponding to a characteristic golf swing based on multiple swings of a user,

ii. a factor determination module configured to determine an effective attack angle based on the data received from the sensor,

iii. a memory device configured to store information defining a recommendation set, the recommendation set correlated to effective attack angle,

iv. a selector configured to determine a bounce recommendation from the recommendation set based on the determined effective attack angle, and

v. a display configured to display the bounce recommendation.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the sensor is attachable to a golf club shaft, and wherein the display device is a mobile communication device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the data corresponding to a characteristic golf swing based on multiple swings of a user obtained by the sensor includes an average attack angle and an average shaft lean based on the multiple swings of a user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the effective attack angle is calculated as average attack angle+(average shaft lean/2).

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the data corresponding to a characteristic golf swing based on multiple swings of a user obtained by the sensor includes swing speed of the user, and the bounce recommendation is based at least in part on the swing speed of the user.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the bounce is one of:

high bounce, mid bounce, and low bounce.