Device for shot tracking

• US 8,272,970 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2011
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Balardeta, Joseph, Denton, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US13/089,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20110281670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 473/222
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/17 Counting, e.g. counting periodical movements, revolutions or cycles, or including further data processing to determine distances or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0669 Score-keepers or score display devices

Abstract

A device for tracking a golfer'"'"'s shot during a round of golf wherein the device comprises a housing, a battery having no more than 225 milliamp hours of power, a microprocessor and an accelerometer. The accelerometer is preferably a multiple axis accelerometer. The circuit is preferably utilized with a device for shot tracking.

Claims

1. A device for tracking a golfer'"'"'s shot during a round of golf, the device comprising:

a housing;

a battery having no more than 225 milliamp hours of power;

a microprocessor in electrical communication with the battery;

a multi-axis accelerometer for determining movement, monitoring movement and communicating the movement to the microprocessor, the multi-axis accelerometer in electrical communication with the microprocessor;

a radiofrequency component in electrical communication with the microprocessor, the radiofrequency component transmitting a signal comprising data related to the movement monitored by the multi-axis accelerometer;

wherein the device consumes less than 600 nano-amps during a sleep mode, the sleep mode having a time period ranging from 10 seconds to 30 seconds;

wherein the microprocessor operates during the sleep mode, a sampling mode, an analysis mode, a monitoring mode and a transmission mode of the device.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein the radiofrequency component is only operable during a transmission mode, wherein the radiofrequency component transmits the signal from the radiofrequency component during the transmission mode.

2. A device for tracking a golfer'"'"'s shot during a round of golf, the device comprising:

a housing;

a battery having no more than 225 milliamp hours of power;

a microprocessor in electrical communication with the battery;

a multi-axis accelerometer for determining movement, monitoring movement and communicating the movement to the microprocessor, the multi-axis accelerometer in electrical communication with the microprocessor;

a radiofrequency component in electrical communication with the microprocessor, the radiofrequency component transmitting a signal comprising data related to the movement monitored by the multi-axis accelerometer;

wherein the device consumes less than 600 nano-amps during a sleep mode, the sleep mode having a time period ranging from 10 seconds to 30 seconds;

wherein the power for the multi-axis accelerometer is drawn from the battery, and the multi-axis accelerometer is only active during a sampling mode, an analysis mode and a monitoring mode of the device.

4. A device for tracking a golfer'"'"'s shot during a round of golf, the device comprising:

a housing having a main body and a projection body extending from the main body, the projection body having a length ranging from 1 mm to 5 mm and the main body having diameter ranging from 20 mm to 25 mm;

a battery having no more than 225 milliamp hours of power, the battery positioned within the housing;

a microprocessor positioned within the housing, the microprocessor in electrical communication with the battery;

a multi-axis accelerometer for determining movement, monitoring movement and communicating the movement to the microprocessor, the multi-axis accelerometer positioned within the housing;

a radiofrequency component positioned within the housing, the radiofrequency component in electrical communication with the microprocessor, the power for the radiofrequency component drawn from the battery; and

wherein the device consumes less than 600 nano-amps during a sleep mode, the sleep mode having a time period ranging from 10 seconds to 30 seconds;

wherein the microprocessor operates during the sleep mode, a sampling mode, an analysis mode, a monitoring mode and a transmission mode of the device.

5. The device according to claim 4 wherein the multi-axis accelerometer is in electrical communication with the microprocessor, the power for the multi-axis accelerometer is drawn from the battery and the multi-axis accelerometer is only active during a sampling mode, an analysis mode and a monitoring mode of the device.

6. The device according to claim 4 wherein the radiofrequency component is only operable during a transmission mode, wherein the radiofrequency component transmits a signal during the transmission mode, the signal comprising data related to the movement monitored by the multi-axis accelerometer.

7. The device according to claim 4 wherein the housing is composed of a rubberized material formed around the battery and a circuit board, the circuit board comprising the microprocessor, the radiofrequency component and the multi-axis accelerometer.

8. The device according to claim 4 wherein the microprocessor is configured to deactivate transmissions of the signal when a threshold number of signals are transmitted by the device and a receipt signal is not received by the device.

9. The device according to claim 8 wherein the threshold number of signals preferably ranges from 5 to 50, more preferably from 15 to 30 and is most preferred to be 20 and each signal transmitted consumes approximately 2 milliamps of power.