RADAR BASED TRACKING SYSTEM FOR GOLF DRIVING RANGE

• US 20130274025A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edge Technologies, Inc
• Original Assignee: Robert A. Luciano, Jr.
• Inventors: Luciano, Robert A. Jr., Grieshaber, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,339,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3658 Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/66 Radar-tracking systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/751 wherein the responder or reflector radiates a coded signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A golf ball range target system that includes a golf target, a golf ball dispenser, at least one golf ball, a target sensor, a tracking module, and a client computer is described. The golf target has a known geographic location and includes at least one golf target area. The golf ball dispenser houses golf balls. Each golf ball is associated with a particular player. The tracking module determines a golf ball flight trajectory for the golf ball associated with the particular player. The target sensor determines whether the golf ball has landed in a target area.

Claims

1. A golf ball range target system comprising:

a golf target having a known geographic location that includes at least one golf target area;

a golf ball dispenser configured to house a plurality of golf balls;

at least one golf ball configured to be associated with a particular player;

a tracking module configured to determine a golf ball flight trajectory for the golf ball associated with the particular player, wherein the golf ball flight trajectory includes a golf ball landing area;

the tracking module configured to measure a ball roll for the golf ball, wherein the ball roll is measured from the golf ball landing area to a roll stop area; and

a client computer configured to present the golf ball trajectory, the ball roll, and the golf target on a display.

2. The golf ball range target system of claim 1 wherein the client computer includes a touch screen display.

3. The golf ball range target system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of golf driving range booths that each includes a mat, wherein the golf ball is dispensed on to the mat;

each golf driving range booth includes a tracking module; and

the client computer configured to present a plurality of player information associated with the particular player.

4. The golf ball range target system of claim 1 further comprising a game selection module presented on the client computer, wherein the game selection module enables the player to select from a plurality of different games.

5. The golf ball range target system of claim 4 wherein the game selection module includes at least one game of skill, in which an award is provided when the golf ball associated with the player lands in the golf target.

6. The golf ball range target system of claim 4 wherein the game selection module includes at least one game of chance that further comprises, a game session for the game of chance that is initiated when the golf ball is struck;

a random result for the game session; and

a prize that is awarded according to the random game session result.

7. The golf ball range target system of claim 1 further comprising a server communicatively coupled to the tracking module and the client computer, the server further comprises a database configured to store at least one of a club speed, a ball speed, a ball travel distance, the golf ball trajectory, the ball roll, and the geographic location of the target.

8. A golf ball range target system comprising:

a golf target having a known geographic location that includes at least one golf target area;

a golf ball dispenser configured to house a plurality of golf balls;

at least one golf ball configured to be associated with a particular player;

a plurality of golf driving range booths that each includes a mat, wherein the golf ball is dispensed on the mat;

a plurality of tracking modules, in which each golf driving range booth includes a tracking module configured to track each golf ball dispensed on the mat;

the tracking module configured to track a golf club speed, a ball speed, a ball travel distance;

a reader configured to read at least one of a near-field communications (NFC) chip, a radio-frequency identification chip, a mag stripe card, and a wireless device;

a plurality of client computers, in which each client computer is associated with each golf driving range booth, each client computer configured to present a plurality of player information associated with the particular player disposed in the particular golf driving range booth, wherein each client computer is configured to display at least one of the golf club speed, the ball speed and the ball travel distance; and

a server communicatively coupled to each tracking module and each client computer, the server further comprises a database configured to store at least one of the golf club speed, the ball speed, and the ball travel distance for each player.

9. The golf ball range target system of claim 8 wherein each client computer further comprises a tablet computer having a touch screen display.

10. The golf ball range target system of claim 8 further comprising a wireless network configured to be communicatively coupled to each client computer and each tracking module.

11. The golf ball range target system of claim 8 further comprising a wagering area that includes at least one of a game of chance and a game of skill.

12. The golf ball range target system of claim 8 wherein the golf target further comprises a plurality of surface targets, in which the surface targets include a plurality of lights around the target area.

13. The golf ball range target system of claim 8 wherein the golf target further comprises a plurality of movable surface-mounted concentric circles.

14. The golf ball range target system of claim 8 wherein the golf target further comprises a plurality of movable surface-mounted hazards.

15. A golf ball range target system comprising:

an RFID golf ball that includes an RFID tag;

a unique RFID golf ball identifier associated with the RFID golf ball;

a golf ball dispenser configured to house a plurality of RFID golf balls;

a plurality of golf driving range booths that each includes a mat, wherein the RFID golf ball is dispensed on the mat;

a plurality of tracking modules, in which each golf driving range booth includes a tracking module configured to track each golf ball dispensed on the mat;

the tracking module configured to track a golf club speed, a ball speed, a ball travel distance;

an issuing area RFID reader disposed within the golf driving range booth and associated with the golf dispenser, the issuing area RFID reader configured to read the plurality of RFID golf balls that are associated with a player, the issuing area RFID reader communicatively coupled to a network communications module;

a plurality of client computers, in which each client computer is associated with each golf driving range booth, each client computer configured to present a plurality of player information associated with the particular player disposed in the particular golf driving range booth, wherein each client computer is configured to display at least one of the golf club speed, the ball speed and the ball travel distance;

a server communicatively coupled to each tracking module and each client computer, the server further comprises a database configured to store at least one of the golf club speed, the ball speed, and the ball travel distance for each player; and

a target having a known geographic location that is configured to read the RFID golf balls that land in a capture area that are associated with the player.

16. The golf ball range target system of claim 15 wherein each client computer further comprises a tablet computer having a touch screen display.

17. The golf ball range target system of claim 15 further comprising a wireless network configured to be communicatively coupled to each client computer and each tracking module.

18. The golf ball range target system of claim 15 further comprising a wagering area that includes at least one of a game of chance and a game of skill.

19. The golf ball range target system of claim 15 wherein the golf target further comprises a plurality of surface targets, in which the surface targets include a plurality of lights around the target area.

20. The golf ball range target system of claim 15 wherein the golf target further comprises a plurality of movable surface-mounted concentric circles.

21. The golf ball range target system of claim 15 wherein the golf target further comprises a plurality of movable surface-mounted hazards.