GOLF GAMING SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20090036237A1
• Filed: 08/01/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bango LLC
• Original Assignee: Pro Tee Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Sutton, George, Whitebook, Mark, Powers, Lyle, Nipper, J. Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 9,283,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/409
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0012 Comparing movements or motion sequences with a registered reference
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0028 Tracking the path of an object, e.g. a ball inside a soccer pitch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0031 at the starting point
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0034 during flight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0037 on a target surface or at impact on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/004 Multiple detectors or sensors each defining a different zone
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0043 Systems for locating the point of impact on a specific surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0046 Mechanical means for locating the point of impact or entry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/005 Keeping track of the point of impact or entry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0053 for locating an object, e.g. a lost ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0056 for statistical or strategic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/18 Inclination, slope or curvature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/35 Spin
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/44 Angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/62 Time or time measurement used for time reference, time stamp, master time or clock signal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/72 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/74 Atmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/75 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/76 : Wind conditions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/78 : Surface covering conditions, e.g. of a road surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/802 : Ultra-sound sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 : Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 : with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 : Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0006 : Computerised comparison for qualitative assessment of motion sequences or the course of a movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 : Tracking a path or terminating locations
• 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
• 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 69/3623 : for driving A63B69/3608, A63B69/3658, A63B69/3661, A63B69/3667 and A63B69/3691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3658 : Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction

Abstract

The present inventions relate to golf gaming systems and methods for evaluating a golfer'"'"'s performance and facilitating golf gaming and competition. Specifically, The present invention provides methods, locations, installations, devices and systems adapted and arranged for observing, processing, analyzing and communicating data and images of individual or group golf gaming performance with respect to golf balls in play in three-dimensional environments.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating a golfer'"'"'s performance and facilitating a golf game comprising:

a) providing a golfing installation comprising;

i) a tee area, further comprising a launch monitoring system (LMS); and

ii) a target field comprising an impact detection system (IDS) comprising one or more sensor means disposed in a network within or proximate to the target field;

b) detecting via the LMS one or more parameters of a golf ball struck by a golf club within the tee area, one or more parameters of a golf club swing used to hit the golf ball, or any combination thereof;

c) analyzing via software for flight modeling the one or more parameters of the golf ball, the golf club swing, or any combination thereof, to determine a flight model comprising a predicted trajectory, a predicted landing position, and a predicted landing time of the golf ball;

d) gathering impact data via the IDS, the impact data comprising a landing position and an impact time for each ball that impacts within the network;

e) correlating the flight model with the impact data to determine a true impact position for the golf ball;

f) generating additional positional data for the golf ball by analyzing the flight model and the true impact position;

g) integrating the flight model, the true impact position and the additional positional data to generate a set of integrated performance data; and

h) generating a representation of the integrated performance data and presenting the representation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein integrating the flight model, the true impact position and the additional positional data is performed to predict the final segments of travel of the golf ball and a final position of the ball.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the additional positional data further comprises analyzing one or more factors selected from the group consisting of:

the one or more parameters of the golf ball;

the one or more parameters of the golf club swing used to hit the golf ball, actual target field characteristics, and virtual target field characteristics.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the actual and virtual target field characteristics comprise three-dimensional topography of the terrain, type of the terrain, frictional characteristics of the terrain, or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the type of the terrain and the frictional characteristics of the terrain are determined by the type of playing surface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters of the golf ball is selected from the group consisting of:

time from the impact of the club head on the ball, time from the impact of the club head on the ball to the exit of the ball from the detection zone, velocity of the ball, trajectory of the ball within the detection zone, direction of spin of the ball, rate of spin of the ball, angular momentum of the ball, axis of spin of the ball, azimuth angle of the ball, lift and drag coefficients of the ball, brand of the ball, ambient temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity, wind direction, angle of ascent of the ball, angle of descent of the ball, wind velocity, and wind density.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters of the golf club swing is selected from the group consisting of:

club head measurements, club head location at impact, club head speed, face angle, loft angle, swing path, rotation speed and rotation direction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters is detected using radio-wave measurement, light-wave measurement, photo-optical position sensing, acoustic measurement, capacitive proximity-sensing, inductive proximity-sensing, active transponders, passive transponders, color-determinative optical sensing, pattern-determinative optical sensing, or any combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor means includes radio-wave measurement, light-wave measurement, acoustic measurement, capacitive proximity-sensing, inductive proximity-sensing, active transponders, passive transponders, or any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the golf ball comprises means for inductive proximity-sensing, active transponders, passive transponders, or any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the passive transponder is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and the one or more sensor means are configured to read, process and discriminate data of a first RFID of the golf ball and discriminate the data of the first RFID from an RFID of another golf ball.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation is a graphic representation, numerical representation, audio representation, video representation, or any combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the representation is accessible to more than one golfer or observer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the representation is made available to the golfers or observers via a computerized network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the computerized network is the Internet.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the representation and integrated performance data is stored on storage means and made available at one or more later times to the players or observers via a computerized network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the representation, integrated performance data, or any combination thereof, is used to calculate a statistical measurement of the golfer'"'"'s performance.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the statistical measurement is used to determine a handicap or recommend a club type for a future golf shot.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the statistical measurement is used to determine a prognostication of required number of future shots to complete a hole.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the results of step g) or step h) are compared to prior results of step g) or step h) for the same golfer to facilitate a game between the golfer and the golfer'"'"'s historical results.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the results of step g) or step h) are compared to the results of step g) or step h) for one or more additional golfers to facilitate a game between the golfer and the one or more additional golfers.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the one or more additional golfers use the same tee as the golfer, a different tee in the same facility as the golfer, or a different tee in a different facility as the golfer.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the results of step g) or step h) are compared to historical results from one or more additional golfers to facilitate a game between the golfer and the one or more additional golfers.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the golfing installation further comprises a plurality of tee areas.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the tee area further comprises a golf ball dispenser.

26. A method for evaluating, comparing and discriminating between a first golfer'"'"'s performance and at least one second golfer'"'"'s performance to facilitate a golf game comprising:

a) providing a golfing installation comprising;

i) at least a first and second tee area, each tee area further comprising a launch monitoring system (LMS); and

ii) a target field comprising an impact detection system (IDS) comprising one or more sensor means disposed in a network within or proximate to the target field;

b) detecting via the LMS one or more parameters of a first golf ball struck by a first golf club within the first tee area, one or more parameters of a swing of the first golf club used to hit the first golf ball, or any combination thereof;

c) detecting via the LMS one or more parameters of a second golf ball struck by a second golf club within the first or a second tee area, one or more parameters of a swing of the second golf club used to hit the second golf ball, or any combination thereof;

d) analyzing via software for flight modeling the one or more parameters of the first golf ball, the swing of the first golf club, or any combination thereof, to calculate a first flight model comprising a predicted trajectory, a predicted landing position, and a predicted landing time of the first golf ball;

e) analyzing via software for flight modeling the one or more parameters of the second golf ball, the swing of the second golf club, or any combination thereof, to calculate a second flight model comprising a predicted trajectory, a predicted landing position, and a predicted landing time of the second golf ball;

f) gathering impact data via the IDS, the impact data comprising a landing position and an impact time for each ball that impacts within the network;

g) correlating the first and second flight model with the impact data to determine a true impact position for the first golf ball and the second golf ball;

h) generating additional positional data for the first golf ball and the second golf ball by analyzing the first and second flight models and the true impact positions for the first golf ball and the second golf ball;

i) integrating the first and second flight models, the true impact positions for the first golf ball and the second golf ball and additional positional data for the first golf ball and the second golf ball to generate a set of integrated performance data for the first golf ball and the second golf ball;

j) comparing the integrated performance data of the first golf ball with the integrated performance data of the second golf ball to discriminate between the performance of the first golfer and the at least one second golfer; and

k) generating a representation of the results of step i), step j) or any combination thereof and presenting the representation.