Three-dimensional object path tracking

• US 6,095,928 A
• Filed: 12/10/1998
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Goszyk, Kurt A.
• Original Assignee: Goszyk, Kurt A.
• Inventors: Goszyk, Kurt A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gerrity, Stephen F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sands, Rhonda E.
• Application Number:
  US09/209,506
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 348/39, 348/218, 348/383, 348/38, 348/14, 348/580, 348/585, 348/581, 345/158, 473/222, 473/156, 473/209, 473/212, 356/139.03, 273/DIG. 24
• US Class Current: 473/222
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0034 during flight
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/22 Field hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football American football A63B2243/007
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 American football
• 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 69/0002 for baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0024 for hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0026 for ice-hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0071 for basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3614 using electro-magnetic, magnetic or ultrasonic radiation emitted, reflected or interrupted by the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/38 for tennis A63B61/006, A63B69/0073 and A63B69/0097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves

Abstract

Capturing the path of an object moving through a sensing volume defined by a three-dimensional (3D) coordinate system. First, second, and third angle detectors are mounted in a common housing positionable at a vertex of a sensing cone encompassing the sensing volume, said first, second, and third detectors being separated from one another by known, fixed distances. Each detector receives a respective light beam from the object having a respective angle relative to a respective reference line of the 3D coordinate system, and provides a signal corresponding to said respective angle. At successive samples, successive coordinate positions of the object within the sensing volume are determined, given the first, second, and third angles at each said sample to determine said path, and the path is displayed.

Claims

1. A system for capturing the path of an object moving through a sensing volume defined by a three-dimensional (3D) coordinate system, comprising:

(a) a common housing positionable at a vertex of a sensing cone encompassing the sensing volume;

(b) first, second, and third angle detectors mounted in the common housing, said first, second, and third detectors being separated from one another within said housing by known, fixed distances, wherein each said detector is for receiving a respective light beam from the object having a respective angle relative to a respective reference line of the 3D coordinate system, and for providing a signal corresponding to said respective angle;

(c) means for determining, at successive samples, successive coordinate positions of the object within the sensing volume given the first, second, and third angles at each said sample to determine said path; and

(d) means for displaying said path.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein means (d) comprises means for displaying said path and an ideal object path for comparison thereto.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising memory means for storing said ideal path, wherein means (d) comprises means for displaying said path and said ideal path superimposed over each other for enhancing the comparison of said path with said ideal path.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said object is a golf club head of a golf club;

said path is a swing trajectory of the golf club head.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising means for determining, from said successive coordinate positions, the speed and acceleration of the golf club head at a point along said path where said path intersects a predetermined golf tee location, wherein means (d) comprises means for displaying said path, speed, and acceleration.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein means (d) comprises first and second liquid crystal displays (LCDs) for displaying top and back perspective views, respectively, of said path and an ideal golf club head path for comparison thereto.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising a divergent light source incorporated within the common housing and for shining a divergent cone of light coincident within the sensing cone, wherein the golf club head comprises means for reflecting the light from the divergent light source as the first, second, and third light beams.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising said means for reflecting, wherein said means for reflecting comprises an at least partially-spherical reflector attachable to said golf club.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a light sensor mounted within said common housing above said angle detectors, wherein said reflector is attachable via a snap-on means to a shaft of said golf club near said golf club head and comprises a flat reflector portion adapted to reflect the light from the divergent light source as a fourth light beam directed at said light sensor at a point along said path, the system further comprising means for determining a club head face angle at a predetermined point of impact in accordance with the light sensed by said light sensor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said object comprises a divergent light source for providing the first, second, and third light beams.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said object is a projectile.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising said projectile, said projectile comprising a divergent light source for providing the first, second, and third light beams.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said first, second, and third detectors each comprise a respective solid state incident angle detector (IAD) having two adjacent photodiode elements, each respective IAD comprising means for determining the respective angle based upon the ratio of light from the respective light beam falling on the two adjacent photodiode elements of the respective IAD.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said first, second, and third detectors each comprise a respective solid state position sensitive detector (PSD) having a continuous strip of photosensitive surface, each respective PSD comprising means for determining the respective angle based upon the position at which the respective light beam falls on the strip.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said first and second reference lines are a line connecting said first and second angle detectors and said third reference line is the Z axis of the 3D coordinate system.