Analysis system of golf ball and head information using lasers and 4 axis light sensing

• US 8,052,543 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2006
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X-Golf Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Seung Whan Choi
• Inventors: Choi, Seung Whan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Masud
• Application Number:
  US11/913,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20080153613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,015 Days
• Field of Search: 473/156, 473/407, 473/131, 473/218, 473/409, 73/120.1, 702/141
• US Class Current: 473/407
• 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 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/16 Angular positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/805 Optical or opto-electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/74 with powered illuminating means, e.g. lights
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• 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 69/3658 Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/052 characterised by provision for recording or measuring trainee's performance devices for psychotechnics, e.g. for vehicle drivers A61B5/16, A61B5/18

Abstract

An analysis system of golf ball and club head data using lasers and 4-axis light sensing is provided, which includes a horizontal sensor array including a plurality of light sensors arranged in straight lines, the horizontal sensor array receiving light from a light source; a vertical sensor array installed to protrude from the floor at a perpendicularly offset angle, the vertical sensor array receiving a laser beam from a laser; a control unit deriving position coordinates of the golf ball in space using data of the silhouette of the golf ball detected by the horizontal and vertical sensor arrays, and calculating ball speed, club head speed, a ball directional angle, a ball launch angle, a club head path, a ball quality, and a flight distance, using the position coordinates of the golf ball; and a display unit displaying the calculated values on a screen under control of the control unit.

Claims

1. An analysis system of golf ball and club head data using lasers and 4-axis light sensing, the analysis system comprising:

a horizontal sensor array installed on a floor and including a plurality of light sensors arranged in straight lines a predetermined distance apart from each other, the horizontal sensor array receiving light from a light source installed thereabove so as to detect the silhouette of a golf ball or a club head according to movements of the golf ball or club head;

a vertical sensor array installed to protrude from the floor at a perpendicularly offset angle, the vertical sensor array receiving a laser beam from a laser installed to the rear thereof so as to detect the silhouette of the golf ball when the golf ball passes through the laser beam;

a control unit deriving position coordinates of the golf ball in space using data of the silhouette of the golf ball detected by the horizontal and vertical sensor arrays, and calculating ball speed, club head speed, a ball directional angle, a ball launch angle, a club head path, a ball quality, and a flight distance, using the position coordinates of the golf ball; and

a display unit displaying the calculated values on a screen according to the control of the control unit,

wherein the horizontal sensor array is composed of a first horizontal sensor array having a predetermined number of light sensors arranged in a predetermined number of rows, a second horizontal sensor array spaced a predetermined distance from the first horizontal sensor array and having a predetermined number of light sensors arranged in a predetermined number of rows, and a third horizontal sensor array spaced a predetermined distance from the second horizontal sensor array and having a predetermined number of light sensors arranged in a predetermined number of rows,

the horizontal and vertical sensor arrays indicate regions in which a silhouette is detected as ‘

1’ and

regions in which a silhouette is not detected as ‘

0’

,

the club head path is calculated using first to third silhouette data of the club head detected by the first to third horizontal sensor arrays so that an imaginary arc passing the first to third club head silhouettes is obtained, and a curvature of the arc is calculated so as to determine the trajectory of the club head before and after an impact of the club head with the golf ball, and

the ball quality is obtained by deriving a lean of a tangent against the imaginary arc and is determined using the lean of the tangent and the launching direction of the golf ball.

2. The analysis system according to claim 1,

wherein the ball speed is calculated using a distance, where the golf ball covers while moving three-dimensionally past each of the sensor arrays, over a time.

3. The analysis system according to claim 2,

wherein the time is calculated using a golf ball silhouette block index difference when the golf ball passes each of the sensor arrays, divided by a sampling frequency.

4. The analysis system according to claim 1,

wherein the club head speed is calculated using a distance, where the club head covers while moving three-dimensionally past each of the sensor arrays, over a time.

5. The analysis system according to claim 4,

wherein the time is calculated using a club head silhouette block index difference when the club head passes each sensor array, divided by a sampling frequency.

6. The analysis system according to claim 1,

wherein the directional angle of the ball is calculated using the position of the ball silhouette detected by the third horizontal sensor array.

7. The analysis system according to claim 6,

wherein the launch angle of the golf ball is calculated by deriving coordinates of the silhouette of the golf ball detected by the third horizontal sensor array and coordinates of the silhouette of the golf ball detected by the vertical sensor array, deriving a linear equation for a straight line connecting the laser to coordinates of the silhouette of the golf ball detected by the vertical sensor array, substituting the ball silhouette coordinates detected by the third horizontal sensor array into the derived linear equation so as to derive the position coordinates of the ball, and using the position coordinates to calculate the launch angle.

8. The analysis system according to claim 7, wherein the ball silhouette coordinates detected by the third horizontal sensor array and the ball silhouette coordinates detected by the vertical sensor array are respective position coordinates of a specific light sensor, and are derived using the position coordinates.

9. The analysis system according to claim 1, wherein the flight distance is calculated using the ball speed, the club head speed, the directional angle, the launch angle, and the club head path.