Ball game apparatus

• US 9,808,677 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2013
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: World Golf Systems Limited (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: World Golf Systems Limited (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: Jolliffe, David Victor, Jolliffe, Steven Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): DENNIS, MICHAEL DAVID
• Application Number:
  US14/395,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20150072811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• 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: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

A ball game apparatus comprises a control device (14, 24, 52, 60) which defines a predetermined range of allowable movements of a ball (10, 20, 40, 70) over space and time, sensing means (12, 22, 42) for detecting the actual movements of a ball, comparison means for comparing an actual movement to the predetermined range of allowable movements, and indicating means (16, 34, 54, 62) for indicating the output of the said comparing. The sensing means (12, 22, 42) comprises a multi-axis accelerometer contained in the ball and having accelerometer, gyroscope and/or magnetometer functions. The ball may be activated by an internal magnetically-operated switch (17, 22, 47). The control device and indicating means can be incorporated in the ball itself or in a separate portable computing device.

Claims

1. A golf facility, comprising:

a plurality of balls;

a plurality of holes;

a control device which defines a predetermined range of allowable movements of the balls over space and time, wherein the predetermined range of allowable movements includes a sequence of translational accelerations and rotational accelerations, wherein the sequence includes a valid sequence of shots for each hole, wherein the predetermined range of allowable movements includes specific movements of a ball to define a movement signature, wherein each hole has a respective movement signature for identifying valid strokes for that hole;

sensing means for detecting the actual movements of the ball;

comparison means for comparing an actual movement to the predetermined range of allowable movements; and

indicating means for indicating the output of the comparing.

2. A golf facility according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of balls each have a unique code.

3. A golf facility according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined range of allowable movements includes the route taken by each ball through the apparatus.

4. A golf facility according to claim 1, comprising a reception area with a device arranged to allocate a particular ball to a particular player.

5. A golf facility according to claim 4, wherein said indicating means, or at least part thereof, is located in the reception area.

6. A golf facility according to claim 4, comprising a plurality of magnets distributed therearound.

7. A golf facility according to claim 6, wherein, at different locations around the facility, the magnets are arranged in different patterns and/or have different strengths.

8. A golf facility according to claim 6, wherein the sensing means is arranged to detect movements of each ball relative to said plurality of magnets.

9. A golf facility according to claim 1, wherein the sensing means comprises a multi-axis accelerometer contained in each ball.

10. A golf facility according to claim 1, wherein the sensing means is a multi-axis accelerometer with a multi-axis gyroscope and/or a multi-axis magnetometer.

11. A golf facility according to claim 1, wherein each ball incorporates a global positioning system (GPS) receiver and the sensing means employs the GPS.