Method and system for power conservation of a RF device during shipping

• US 9,289,670 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2011
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Balardeta, Joseph, Denton, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Deodhar, Omkar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Wei
• Application Number:
  US13/100,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20120015752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,785 Days
• Field of Search: 463/39, 473/131, 473/136
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0031 at the starting point
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/14 Geo-tagging, e.g. for correlating route or track location data with specific information related to that specific location
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3658 Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for conserving battery power during shipping for an impact activated device for transmitting a radiofrequency signal. The method comprises forming an impact activated device for transmitting a radiofrequency signal. The shot tracking device is shipped in commerce and received at a retailer. The shot tracking device is stored at the retailer, wherein the battery has at least 90% of its capacity until paired with a receiver.

Claims

1. A method for conserving battery power during shipping for an impact activated device for transmitting a radiofrequency signal, the method comprising:

forming an impact activated device comprising

a battery having no more than 225 milli-amp hours of power,

a microprocessor in electrical communication with the battery, the microprocessor operating during a sleep mode, a sampling mode, an analysis mode, a monitoring mode and a transmission mode,

a motion activation component, and

a radiofrequency component in electrical communication with the microprocessor, the radiofrequency component only operable during a transmission mode,

wherein the shot tracking device only operates in the sleep mode and the sampling mode until the shot tracking device is paired with a receiver;

shipping the shot tracking device in commerce;

receiving the shot tracking device at a retailer; and

storing the shot tracking device at the retailer, wherein the battery has at least 90% of its capacity until paired with a receiver.

2. The method for conserving battery power according to claim 1 wherein the device further comprises 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, the power for the multi-axis accelerometer drawn from the battery, the multi-axis accelerometer only active during the sampling mode, the analysis mode and the monitoring mode.

3. The method for conserving battery power according to claim 1 wherein the device comprises a housing composed of a polymer material, the 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 a diameter ranging from 20 mm to 25 mm.

4. The method for conserving battery power according to claim 1 wherein the radiofrequency component operates at 2.4 giga-Hertz, the power for the radiofrequency component being drawn from the battery.

5. The method for conserving battery power according to claim 1 wherein the sleep mode has a time period ranging from 10 seconds to 30 seconds.

6. The method for conserving battery power according to claim 1 wherein the device consumes less than 600 nano-amps during the sleep mode.

7. The method for conserving battery power according to claim 2 wherein a signal is transmitted from the radiofrequency component during the transmission mode, the signal comprising data related to the movement monitored by the multi-axis accelerometer.

8. A method for conserving battery power during shipping for an impact activated device for transmitting a radiofrequency signal, the method comprising:

forming an impact activated device comprising

a housing composed of a polymer material, the 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 a diameter ranging from 20 mm to 25 mm,

a battery having no more than 225 milli-amp hours of power,

a microprocessor in electrical communication with the battery, the microprocessor operating during a sleep mode, a sampling mode, an analysis mode, a monitoring mode and a transmission mode, the sleep mode having a time period ranging from 10 seconds to 30 seconds,

a motion activation component, and

a radiofrequency component in electrical communication with the microprocessor, the radiofrequency component only operable during a transmission mode,

wherein the shot tracking device only operates in the sleep mode and the sampling mode until the shot tracking device is paired with a receiver;

shipping the shot tracking device in commerce;

receiving the shot tracking device at a retailer; and

storing the shot tracking device at the retailer, wherein the battery has at least 90% of its capacity until paired with a receiver.

9. The method for conserving battery power according to claim 8 wherein the device consumes less than 600 nano-amps during the sleep mode.

10. The method for conserving battery power according to claim 8 wherein the device consumes less than 50 micro-amps during the analysis mode.

11. The method for conserving battery power according to claim 8 wherein the device consumes less than 200 micro-amps during the monitoring mode.

12. The method for conserving battery power according to claim 8 wherein the device consumes less than 12 milli-amps during the analysis mode.

13. The method for conserving battery power according to claim 8 wherein the radiofrequency component operates at 2.4 giga-Hertz, the power for the radiofrequency component being drawn from the battery.

14. The method for conserving battery power according to claim 8 wherein the device further comprises 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, the power for the multi-axis accelerometer drawn from the battery, the multi-axis accelerometer only active during the sampling mode, the analysis mode and the monitoring mode.