COMBINING STATISTICALLY DETERMINED CAPABILITIES OF A GOLFER WITH GOLF COURSE DATA TO AID SHOT SELECTION

• US 20150126308A1
• Filed: 07/08/2014
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Percentageplay Golf, LLC
• Original Assignee: Percentageplay Golf, LLC
• Inventors: Penn, Kurt, Rosales, Guillermo Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 10,207,170 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/407
• 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: G06F 2218/00 Aspects of pattern recognition specially adapted for signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

A system for aiding the selection of a golf shot by a golfer on a hole of a golf course, comprising means for retrieving statistics indicative of past performances by the golfer for each of a plurality of golf club types, means for retrieving data regarding the hole of the golf course, means for analyzing the retrieved statistics in concert with the data regarding the hole of the golf course, means for selecting one of the golf club types as the statistically preferred golf club type for the golf shot, and means for displaying the selected golf club type to the golfer.

Claims

1. A method for aiding the selection of a golf shot by a golfer on a hole of a golf course, comprising:

retrieving statistics indicative of past performances by the golfer for each of a plurality of golf club types;

retrieving data regarding the hole of the golf course;

analyzing the retrieved statistics in concert with the data regarding the hole of the golf course;

selecting one of the golf club types as the statistically preferred golf club type for the golf shot; and

displaying the selected golf club type to the golfer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

collecting the statistics indicative of past performances in a database upon the golfer using the golf club types at the golf course.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising

collecting the statistics indicative of past performances in a database upon the golfer using the golf club types at locations different from the golf course.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the statistics indicative of past performances include information on mean golf ball travel distance, information on variance of golf ball travel distance, information on mean golf ball directional orientation, and information on variance of golf ball directional orientation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving data regarding the hole of the golf course includes one or more of retrieving a location of the golfer'"'"'s current position, a location of fairways, a location of greens, a location of bunkers, a location of hazards, and a location of roughs.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the retrieved statistics about a given golf club type by

identifying a current location and a set of candidate landing locations on the golf course;

generating a statistical distribution based on mean and variance information for the given golf club type;

programmatically overlaying the statistical distribution on a programmatic representation of the hole of the golf course; and

determining, for each of the candidate landing locations, a respective likelihood that the golf shot will result in a golf ball landing in that candidate landing location.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, for each of the candidate landing locations for which a likelihood was determined

identifying a subsequent set of candidate landing locations for a subsequent golf shot;

determining a subsequent set of respective likelihoods that the subsequent golf shot will result in a golf ball landing in each of the subsequent set of candidate landing locations; and

taking into account the subsequent set of respective likelihoods in selecting one of the golf club types as the statistically preferred golf club type.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising

iteratively repeating the steps of

identifying a current location on the golf course,

identifying a set of candidate landing locations on the golf course, and

determining, for each of the candidate landing locations, a respective likelihood that the golf shot will result in a golf ball landing in that candidate landing location;

wherein for each iteration, the current location on the golf course is taken to be one of the candidate landing locations of a prior iteration.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting one of the golf club types as the statistically preferred golf club type for the golf shot by

calculating, for each of the golf club types, a respective expected score for the hole;

comparing the calculated expected scores; and

selecting the golf club type having the lowest expected score for the hole.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising

determining a preferred directional line for the golf shot;

and

visually identifying a line of aim likely to result in the golf shot following the preferred directional line.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising

displaying a graphical representation of the golf course;

displaying a boundary of a geographic region on the graphical representation of the golf course; and

displaying a likelihood that the golf shot will result in the golfer'"'"'s golf ball landing in the geographic region.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying multiple boundaries and displaying multiple respective likelihoods associated with the boundaries.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the boundary corresponds to a physical feature of the hole, wherein the physical feature is one of a green, a bunker, a fairway, a rough, and a hazard.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising

providing an indication of an alternative golf club type for use on the golf shot;

allowing the golfer to select the alternative golf club type;

analyzing statistics indicative of past performances by the golfer with the alternative golf club type;

determining likely outcomes for the golf shot based on the alternative golf club type; and

providing an expected score for the hole for the alternative golf club type.

15. A software system for aiding the selection of a golf shot by a golfer on a hole of a golf course, the software system comprising:

computer readable code stored on a non-transitory data storage component in operative communication with a processor for a computing device, wherein the computer readable code, when executed on the processor, causes the computing device to;

retrieve statistics indicative of past performances by the golfer for each of a plurality of golf club types;

retrieve data regarding the hole of the golf course;

analyze the retrieved statistics in concert with the data regarding the hole of the golf course;

select one of the golf club types as the statistically preferred golf club type for the golf shot; and

display the selected golf club type to the golfer.

16. The software system of claim 15, wherein the computer readable code, when executed on the processor, causes the computing device to

collect the statistics indicative of past performances in a database upon the golfer using the golf club types at the golf course.

17. The software system of claim 15, wherein the computer readable code, when executed on the processor, causes the computing device to

collect the statistics indicative of past performances in a database upon the golfer using the golf club types at the golf course

18. The software system of claim 17, wherein the statistics indicative of past performances include information on mean golf ball travel distance, information on variance of golf ball travel distance, information on mean golf ball directional orientation, and information on variance of golf ball directional orientation.

19. The software system of claim 15, wherein the computer readable code, when executed on the processor, causes the computing device to retrieve data regarding the hole of the golf course including one or more of a location of the golfer'"'"'s current position, a location of fairways, a location of greens, a location of bunkers, a location of hazards, and a location of roughs.

20. The software system of claim 15, wherein the computer readable code, when executed on the processor, causes the computing device to analyze the retrieved statistics about a given golf club type by

identifying a current location and a set of candidate landing locations on the golf course;

generating a statistical distribution based on mean and variance information for the given golf club type;

programmatically overlaying the statistical distribution on a programmatic representation of the hole of the golf course; and

determining, for each of the candidate landing locations, a respective likelihood that the golf shot will result in a golf ball landing in that candidate landing location.

21. The software system of claim 20, wherein the computer readable code, when executed on the processor, causes the computing device, for each of the candidate landing locations, to

identify a subsequent set of candidate landing locations for a subsequent golf shot;

determine a subsequent set of respective likelihoods that the subsequent golf shot will result in a golf ball landing in each of the subsequent set of candidate landing locations; and

take into account the subsequent set of respective likelihoods in selecting one of the golf club types as the statistically preferred golf club type.

22. The software system of claim 20, wherein the computer readable code, when executed on the processor, causes the computing device to

iteratively repeat the steps of

identifying a current location on the golf course,

identifying a set of candidate landing locations on the golf course, and

determining, for each of the candidate landing locations, a respective likelihood that the golf shot will result in a golf ball landing in that candidate landing location;

wherein for each iteration, the current location on the golf course is taken to be one of the candidate landing locations of a prior iteration.

23. The software system of claim 15, wherein the computer readable code, when executed on the processor, causes the computing device to select one of the golf club types as the statistically preferred golf club type for the golf shot by

calculating, for each of the golf club types, a respective expected score for the hole;

comparing the calculated expected scores; and

selecting the golf club type having the lowest expected score for the hole.

24. The software system of claim 23, wherein the computer readable code, when executed on the processor, causes the computing device to

determine a preferred directional line for the golf shot;

and

visually identifying a line of aim likely to result in the golf shot following the preferred directional line.

25. The software system of claim 15, wherein the computer readable code, when executed on the processor, causes the computing device to

display a graphical representation of the golf course;

display a boundary of a geographic region on the graphical representation of the golf course; and

display a likelihood that the golf shot will result in the golfer'"'"'s golf ball landing in the geographic region.

26. The software system of claim 25, wherein the computer readable code, when executed on the processor, causes the computing device to display multiple boundaries and displaying multiple respective likelihoods associated with the boundaries.

27. The software system of claim 25, wherein the boundary corresponds to a physical feature of the hole, wherein the physical feature is one of a green, a bunker, a fairway, a rough, and a hazard.

28. The software system of claim 15, wherein the computer readable code, when executed on the processor, causes the computing device to

provide indications of alternative golf club types for use on the golf shot;

allow the golfer to select one of the alternative golf club types;

analyze statistics indicative of past performances by the golfer with the alternative golf club type;

determine likely outcomes for the golf shot based on the alternative golf club type; and

provide an expected score for the hole for the alternative golf club type.

29. The software system of claim 15, wherein the computer readable code, when executed on the processor, causes the computing device to

display a predicted score for the golfer based on the retrieved statistics for the hole.

30. A system for aiding the selection of a golf shot by a golfer on a hole of a golf course, the software system comprising:

means for retrieving statistics indicative of past performances by the golfer for each of a plurality of golf club types;

means for retrieving data regarding the hole of the golf course;

means for analyzing the retrieved statistics in concert with the data regarding the hole of the golf course;

means for selecting one of the golf club types as the statistically preferred golf club type for the golf shot; and

means for displaying the selected golf club type to the golfer.

31. The system of claim 30, further comprising

means for collecting the statistics indicative of past performances in a database upon the golfer using the golf club types at the golf course.

32. The system of claim 30, further comprising

means for collecting the statistics indicative of past performances in a database upon the golfer using the golf club types at locations different from the golf course.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the statistics indicative of past performances include information on mean golf ball travel distance, information on variance of golf ball travel distance, information on mean golf ball directional orientation, and information on variance of golf ball directional orientation.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein means for retrieving data regarding the hole of the golf course includes retrieving one or more of retrieving a location of the golfer'"'"'s current position, a location of fairways, a location of greens, a location of bunkers, a location of hazards, and a location of roughs.

35. The system of claim 30, wherein the means for analyzing the retrieved statistics comprises

means for identifying a current location and a set of candidate landing locations on the golf course;

means for generating a statistical distribution based on mean and variance information for the given golf club type;

means for programmatically overlaying the statistical distribution on a programmatic representation of the hole of the golf course;

means for identifying a set of candidate landing locations on the golf course; and

means for determining, for each of the candidate landing locations, a respective likelihood that the golf shot will result in a golf ball landing in that candidate landing location.

36. The system of claim 35, further comprising

means for identifying a subsequent set of candidate landing locations for a subsequent golf shot;

means for determining a subsequent set of respective likelihoods that the subsequent golf shot will result in a golf ball landing in each of the subsequent set of candidate landing locations; and

means for taking into account the subsequent set of respective likelihoods in selecting one of the golf club types as the statistically preferred golf club type.

37. The system of claim 35, further comprising

means for iteratively repeating the steps of

identifying a current location on the golf course;

identifying a set of candidate landing locations on the golf course; and

determining, for each of the candidate landing locations, a respective likelihood that the golf shot will result in a golf ball landing in that candidate landing location

wherein for each iteration, the current location on the golf course is taken to be one of the candidate landing locations of a prior iteration.

38. The software system of claim 30, wherein the means for selecting one of the golf club types as the statistically preferred golf club type includes

means for calculating, for each of the golf club types, a respective expected score for the hole;

means for comparing the calculated expected scores; and

means for selecting the golf club type having the lowest expected score for the hole.

39. The system of claim 30, further comprising

means for determining a preferred directional line for the golf shot;

and

means for visually identifying a line of aim likely to result in the golf shot following the preferred directional line.

40. The system of claim 30, further comprising

means for displaying a graphical representation of the golf course;

means for displaying a boundary of a geographic region on the graphical representation of the golf course; and

means for displaying a likelihood that the golf shot will result in the golfer'"'"'s golf ball landing in the geographic region.

41. The system of claim 40, further comprising

means for displaying multiple boundaries and displaying multiple respective likelihoods associated with the boundaries.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein the boundary corresponds to a physical feature of the hole, wherein the physical feature is one of a green, a bunker, a fairway, a rough, and a hazard.

43. The system of claim 30, further comprising

means for providing an indication of an alternative golf club type for use on the golf shot;

means for allowing the golfer to select the alternative golf club type;

means for analyzing statistics indicative of past performances by the golfer with the alternative golf club type;

means for determining likely outcomes for the golf shot based on the alternative golf club type; and

means for providing an expected score for the hole for the alternative golf club type.