Device and method for calculating golf statistics

• US 9,943,744 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SkyHawke Technologies LLC (SkyHawke Technologies)
• Original Assignee: SkyHawke Technologies LLC (SkyHawke Technologies)
• Inventors: Meadows, James W., Root, Richard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper, Tramar
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, ANH-VO V
• Application Number:
  US13/843,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20140277630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,859 Days
• Field of Search: 700 91
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0046 Mechanical means for locating the point of impact or entry
• 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: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0045 Transmission from base station to mobile station G01S5/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

A location-aware device includes a position determination sensor that determines a position of the location-aware device. A receiver receives, from a tag coupled to a golf club, data corresponding to an output of a sensor included in the tag. A processor associates the data received from the tag with the determined position, and processes the data received from the tag to determine whether to register a golf shot as having occurred at the determined position. A memory stores a golf shot determined to be registered by the processor along with the determined position.

Claims

1. A location-aware device comprising:

a position determination sensor that determines a position of the location-aware device;

a receiver that receives, from a tag coupled to a golf club, data corresponding to an output of a sensor included in the tag;

a processor that associates the data received from the tag with the determined position, and processes the data received from the tag to determine whether to register a golf shot as having occurred at the determined position; and

a memory configured to store a golf shot determined to be registered by the processor along with the determined position,

wherein, during processing of the data received from the tag to determine whether to register a golf shot, the processor is configured to compare the data received from the tag to previously stored other data received from the tag to determine whether a current swing occurred at a same location as a previous swing within a predetermined margin of error distance,

wherein in the processing of the data received from the tag to determine whether to register a golf shot when the current swing has occurred at the same location as the previous swing, the processor is configured to select the data relating to the current swing as a last data stored in association with the determined position as the registered golf shot at the determined position,

wherein the processor is configured to automatically select the last data as the registered golf shot in response to a subsequent swing detection at a different location when a distance from the determined position to the different location is greater than the predetermined margin of error distance,

wherein the margin of error distance is determined in part on the golf club used to hit the golf shot at the determined position.

2. The location-aware device of claim 1, wherein

the receiver is a transceiver.

3. The location-aware device of claim 1, wherein

the data received from the tag includes information indicating that the data corresponds to a golf shot.

4. The location-aware device of claim 1, wherein

processing the data to determine whether to register a golf shot includes comparing the data corresponding to the output of the sensor to a predetermined threshold value, and registering a golf shot as having occurred at the determined position when the data corresponding to the output of the sensor exceeds the predetermined threshold value.

5. The location-aware device of claim 1, wherein

the data received from the tag corresponds to an output of an accelerometer included in the tag, and

processing the data to determine whether to register a golf shot includes comparing the data corresponding the output of the accelerometer to a predetermined threshold value, and registering a golf shot as having occurred at the determined position when the data corresponding the output of the accelerometer exceeds the predetermined threshold value.

6. The location-aware device of claim 1, wherein

the data received from the tag corresponds to an output of a light sensor included in the tag, and

processing the data to determine whether to register a golf shot includes comparing the data corresponding the output of the light sensor to a predetermined threshold value, and registering a golf shot as having occurred at the determined position when the data corresponding the output of the light sensor exceeds the predetermined threshold value.

7. The location-aware device of claim 1, wherein

the data received from the tag corresponds to an output of a position sensor included in the tag, and

processing the data to determine whether to register a golf shot includes comparing a change in position indicated by the data corresponding the output of the position sensor to a predetermined threshold value, and registering a golf shot as having occurred at the determined position when the data corresponding the change in position indicated by the data corresponding the output of the position sensor exceeds the predetermined threshold value.

8. The location-aware device of claim 1, wherein

the data received from the tag corresponds to an output of a tilt sensor included in the tag, and

processing the data to determine whether to register a golf shot includes comparing a change in tilt indicated by the data corresponding the output of the tilt sensor to a predetermined threshold value, and registering a golf shot as having occurred at the determined position when the data corresponding the change in tilt indicated by the data corresponding the output of the tilt sensor exceeds the predetermined threshold value.

9. The location-aware device of claim 1, wherein

the data received from the tag corresponds to an output of a gyro sensor included in the tag, and

processing the data to determine whether to register a golf shot includes comparing a change in orientation indicated by the data corresponding the output of the gyro sensor to a predetermined threshold value, and registering a golf shot as having occurred at the determined position when the data corresponding the change in orientation indicated by the data corresponding the output of the gyro sensor exceeds the predetermined threshold value.

10. The location-aware device of claim 1, wherein

the memory stores the data received from the tag that is associated with the determined position by the processor each time data is received from the tag.

11. The location-aware device of claim 1, wherein

processing the data received from the tag to determine whether to register a golf shot includes detecting that the location-aware device has moved greater than a predetermined distance from the determined position, and registering a golf shot as having occurred at the determined position based on the detecting.

12. The location-aware device of claim 11, wherein

the predetermined distance is 25 yards.

13. The location-aware device of claim 1, wherein

the receiver receives, from the tag, an indication that the tag is in an active state.

14. The location-aware device of claim 1, wherein

the processor computes a golf shot probability value based on the data corresponding to the output of the sensor.

15. The location-aware device of claim 14, wherein

processing the data received from the tag to determine whether to register a golf shot includes comparing the computed golf shot probability value to a predetermined threshold value.

16. The location-aware device of claim 14, wherein

the processor computes the golf shot probability value by weighting data corresponding to outputs of a plurality of sensors included in the tag.

17. The location-aware device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display that displays an indication that a golf shot has occurred at the determined position.

18. A method comprising:

determining, by a position determining sensor, a geospatial position;

receiving, from a tag coupled to a golf club, data corresponding to an output of a sensor included in the tag;

associating, by a processor, the data received from the tag with the determined position;

determining, by the processor based on the data received from the tag, whether to register a golf shot as having occurred at the determined position; and

storing, in a memory, a golf shot determined to be registered by the processor along with the determined position,

wherein determining whether to register a golf shot includes comparing the data received from the tag to previously stored other data received from the tag to determine whether a current swing occurred at a same location as a previous swing within a predetermined margin of error distance,

wherein in determining whether to register a golf shot when the current swing has occurred at the same location as the previous swing, the processor is configured to select the data relating to the current swing as a last data stored in association with the determined position as the registered golf shot at the determined position,

wherein the processor is configured to automatically select the last data as the registered golf shot in response to a subsequent swing detection at a different location when a distance from the determined position to the different location is greater than the predetermined margin of error distance,

wherein the margin of error distance is determined in part on the golf club used to hit the golf shot at the determined position.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored therein that when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

determining a geospatial position;

receiving sensor data corresponding to an output of a sensor included in a tag coupled to a golf club;

associating, by the one or more processors, the sensor data with the determined position;

determining, by the one or more processors based on the received sensor data, whether to register a golf shot as having occurred at the determined position; and

storing, in a memory, a golf shot determined to be registered along with the determined position,

wherein determining whether to register a golf shot includes comparing the data received from the tag to previously stored other data received from the tag to determine whether a current swing occurred at a same location as a previous swing within a predetermined margin of error distance,

wherein in determining whether to register a golf shot when the current swing has occurred at the same location as the previous swing, the one or more processors are configured to select the data relating to the current swing as a last data stored in association with the determined position as the registered golf shot at the determined position,

wherein the processor is configured to automatically select the last data as the registered golf shot in response to a subsequent swing detection at a different location when a distance from the determined position to the different location is greater than the predetermined margin of error distance,

wherein the margin of error distance is determined in part on the golf club used to hit the golf shot at the determined position.