Golf ball and caddie system

• US 9,833,683 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2014
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Thurman, Robert T, Vrska, Michael, Simonutti, Frank M
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): VANDERVEEN, JEFFREY S
• Application Number:
  US14/509,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20150105173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0056 for statistical or strategic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

An apparatus including a golf ball comprising an internal sensor, and an internal wireless communicator. The internal wireless communicator adapted to communicate parameters sensed by the sensor to external electronics, wherein the external electronics are configured to determine if the golf ball went into a cup based upon the parameters.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a golf ball comprising;

an internal sensor comprising an accelerometer; and

an internal wireless communicator to communicate parameters sensed by the sensor to external electronics; and

a remote computing device comprising the external electronics, wherein the external electronics are configured to;

determine if the golf ball went into a cup based upon the parameters;

determine a first travel characteristic of a first putt of the golf ball from a ball position zone at a first session by comparing values of signals received from the accelerometer of the internal sensor of the golf ball;

determine a second travel characteristic of a second putt of the ball from the ball position zone at a second session by comparing values of signals received from the accelerometer of the internal sensor of the golf ball;

compare the first travel characteristic to the second travel characteristic based upon different sensed parameters of the first putt and the second putt to determine a relative green speed; and

indicate a recommended putt vector and putt force based upon the determined relative green speed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the remote computing device comprises a display and is configured to present a simulated green, a simulated hole position and a simulated ball position, wherein the cup comprises a simulated cup at the simulated hole position and wherein the external electronics are configured to determine if the golf ball went into the simulated cup on the simulated green from the simulated ball position based upon the parameters.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the simulated green, simulated hole position and the simulated ball position based upon a prior putt on a real green, to a real hole position from a real ball position, the simulated ball position being within a predefined zone on the green containing the real ball position.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external electronics are configured to determine and audibly or visibly indicate a degree to which the ball achieves a predetermined characteristic from a strike of the ball to a no slip rolling condition.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the predetermined characteristic comprises time or distance.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external electronics are configured to determine a three-dimensional trajectory of the ball in terms of break and curvature of a putt and a putt distance for the golf ball based on the parameters.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external electronics are configured to determine initial launch conditions of the golf ball in terms of a numerical value for each of initial velocity, spin and launch angle of the golf ball during a chip or pitch.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external electronics are configured to concurrently pair to and communicate with a plurality of golf balls.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external electronics are configured to determine, display and store a putt line based upon the parameters sensed by the sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the external electronics are configured to group putts into groups based upon their associated stored putt line.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external electronics are configured to:

store putting results from a zone of ball positions on a green during a first session, wherein the green may comprise a plurality of different zones and wherein the zone is one of the plurality of different zones;

differentiate stored putting results from an earlier session based upon whether the stored putting results are for putts originating inside the zone or outside the zone; and

display a statistical comparison of the stored putting results from the zone during the first session with stored putting results from the zone during an earlier session.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the zone comprises an annular ring about a cup on the green.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the zone comprises the region of the green having a predetermined elevation range with respect to an elevation of the cup.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the putting results are based upon the number of putts moving the golf ball from a ball position within the zone into the cup.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the external electronics are configured to store putting results from a plurality of different zones and ball positions on the green and to display statistical comparison of the results from the different zones.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the zone comprises an annular ring about a cup on the green.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external electronics are configured to

indicate, visibly or audibly, the relative green speed of the second session relative to the first session.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external electronics are configured to indicate a plurality recommended putt options for a current ball position on a green, each option comprising at least one of a different putt vector and putt force based upon the determined green speed for a current session and a current ball position relative to a cup on the green.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external electronics further include an output device, wherein the external electronics present a graphical representation on the output device, and wherein the graphical representation comprises a diagram of a green and stroke results from different locations on the green.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the graphical representation comprises a heat map of made putts from initial ball locations on the green.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the graphical representation further comprises an indication of a number of stroke attempts from different initial locations of the golf ball.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the graphical representation comprises a heat map of strokes indicating a percentage of made putts from on the green.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the graphical representation comprises a heat map of strokes indicating a percentage of landed greens from strokes of the golf ball initiated from off the green.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external electronics are configured to determine if the golf ball went into the cup based upon a sensed pattern of translational movement or rotation of the ball.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external electronics are configured to determine a characteristic of entrance of the ball into the cup, the characteristics selected from a group of characteristics consisting of:

(A) the ball rolling across a side of the cup and directly to a bottom of the cup;

(B) the ball rolling across the side of the cup and against a back of the cup before reaching the bottom of the cup;

or (C) the ball rolling at least partially along the side of the cup before reaching the bottom of the cup based upon the pattern of translational movement or rotation of the ball; and

store the characteristic of entrance of the ball into the cup.

26. An apparatus comprising:

a golf ball comprising;

an internal sensor comprising an accelerometer; and

an internal wireless communicator to communicate parameters sensed by the sensor to external electronics, wherein the external electronics are configured to determine if the golf ball went into a cup based upon the parameters, wherein the at least one sensor carried by the golf ball comprises an accelerometer and wherein the external electronics are configured to distinguish between different entry characteristics of the ball into a cup based upon signals from the accelerometer and to store each determined different entry characteristic for each putt, the different entry characteristics selected from a group of characteristics consisting of;

(A) the ball rolling across a side of the cup and directly to a bottom of the cup;

(B) the ball rolling across the side of the cup and against a back of the cup before reaching the bottom of the cup;

or (C) the ball rolling at least partially along the side of the cup before reaching the bottom of the cup.

27. An apparatus comprising:

a golf ball carrying a sensor; and

an indicator in communication with the sensor to output a notification pertaining to a freshness status of the golf ball based on signals from the sensor.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein indicator is carried by the golf ball.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the indicator changes color and/or brightness based upon a freshness status determined based upon signals from the sensor.