Interactive golf game with automatic scoring

• US 9,526,968 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2014
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas P. Foley
• Original Assignee: Thomas P. Foley
• Inventors: Foley, Thomas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAHAM, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US14/546,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20150072796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 473150-155, 473/176, 473/192, 473/169, 473221-225
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2220/801 Contact switches
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/15 with identification means that can be read by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/357 for golf cups or holes, e.g. flags
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/40 Golf cups or holes
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/16 Caps; Ferrules
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/02 Special golf games, e.g. miniature golf or golf putting games played on putting tracks; putting practice apparatus having an elongated platform as a putting track
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0616 Means for conducting or scheduling competition, league, tournaments or rankings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0669 Score-keepers or score display devices

Abstract

A golf game system is provided, including at least one ball, at least one club and at least one hole area. The club has a striking sensor for sensing a striking action of the club on the ball, and a score display for displaying a score related to the striking action. The hole area has a tee for placing the ball and a hole for receiving the ball, wherein the hole has a ball-in-the-hole sensor for communicating with the club. Scores are automatically printed for players at game conclusion, and club scores are erased to allow reuse by subsequent players.

Claims

1. A game system, comprising:

at least one ball, said at least one ball comprising a passive electronic identification unit storing a ball, identification code identifying said at least one ball;

at least one club comprising a striking sensor for sensing a striking action of the at least one club on the at least one ball, an electronic interrogator for interrogating the passive electronic identification unit to retrieve the ball identification code, and a score display for displaying a score related to the striking action; and

at least one hole area comprising;

a tee for placing the at least one ball, and

a hole for receiving the at least one ball, the hole having at least one of a tag readable by the at least one club and a ball-in-the-hole sensor for communicating with the at least one club;

wherein the at least ball comprises a plurality of balls, each of the balls having a ball identification code different from other ball identification codes;

wherein the at least one club comprises a plurality of clubs;

wherein the at least one hole area comprises a plurality of hole areas, the tee for each of the hole areas having a hole identification code different from the hole identification codes of other holes; and

wherein each of the plurality of clubs is configured to read the ball identification code of one of the plurality of balls to pair with said one of the plurality of balls for an entirety of a game and to erase such pairing after the game.

2. The game system of claim 1, further comprising an erase tag readable by each of the plurality of clubs to instruct said each of the plurality of clubs to erase the pairing.

3. A game system, comprising:

at least one ball;

at least one club comprising a striking sensor for sensing a striking action of the at least one club on the at least one ball, a tag reader, and a score display for displaying a score related to the striking action; and

at least one hole area comprising;

a tee for placing the at least one ball,

a hole for receiving the at least one ball, and

an electronically identifiable tag, readable by the tag reader in the at least one club, identifying said at least one hole area;

wherein the at least one club is configured to record a score separately for each of said at least one hole area in response to reading the tag.

4. A game system, comprising:

at least one ball;

at least one club comprising a striking sensor for sensing a striking action of the at least one club on the at least one ball, and a score display for displaying a score related to the striking action;

at least one hole area comprising;

a tee for placing the at least one ball, and

a hole for receiving the at least one ball, the hole having at least one of an electronic tag readable by the at least one club and an electronic ball-in-the-hole sensor for communicating with the at least one club; and

a course tee tag, wherein practice strokes prior to game play at course holes are inhibited from storage and display until the course tee tag is recognized by the club;

wherein the at least one club and the at least one ball are sealed to protect the at east one club and ball from weather conditions.

5. A game system, comprising:

at least one ball;

a least one club comprising a striking sensor for sensing a striking action of the at least one club on the at least one ball, and a score display for displaying a score related to the striking action;

at least one hole area comprising;

a tee for placing the at least one ball, and

a hole for receiving the at least one ball, the hole having at least one of an electronic tag readable by the at least on club and an electronic haft-in-the-hole sensor for communicating with the at least one club; and

a “

no-score”

tag, wherein practice strokes after normal conclusion of hole strokes are inhibited from storage and display by allowing the club to read the “

no-score”

tag at either an extra “

ball-collecting”

hole or for replaying final stroke(s) at any course hole, until a subsequent tag is read by the club;

wherein the at least one club and the at least one ball are sealed to protect the at least one club and ball from weather conditions.

6. A game system, comprising:

at least one ball, said at least one ball comprising a passive electronic identification unit storing a ball identification code identifying said at least one ball, wherein the passive electronic identification unit requires no power source to provide power thereto;

at least one club comprising a striking sensor for sensing a striking action of the at least one club on the at least one ball, an electronic interrogator for interrogating the passive electronic identification unit to retrieve the ball identification code, and a score display for displaying a score related to the striking action; and

at least one hole area comprising;

a tee for placing the at least one ball, and

a hole for receiving the at least one ball;

wherein the at least one ball comprises a plurality of balls, each of the balls having a ball identification code different from other ball identification codes;

wherein the at least one club comprises a plurality of clubs; and

wherein each of the plurality of clubs is configured to read the ball identification code of one of the plurality of balls to pair with said one of the plurality of balls for an entirety of a game and to erase such pairing after the game.

7. The game system of claim 6, further comprising an erase tag readable by each of the plurality of clubs to instruct said each of the plurality of clubs to erase the pairing.

8. A game system, comprising:

at least one ball;

at least one club comprising a striking sensor for sensing a striking action of the at least one club on the at least one ball, a tag reader, and a score display for displaying a score related to the striking action; and

at least one hole area comprising;

a tee for placing the at least one ball,

a hole for receiving the at least one ball, and

an electronically identifiable tag, readable by the tag reader in the at least one club, identifying said at least one hole area.

9. A game system, comprising:

at least one ball;

at least one club comprising a striking sensor for sensing a striking action of the at least one club on the at least one ball, and a score display for displaying a score related to the striking action;

at least one hole area comprising;

a tee for placing the at least one ball, and

a hole for receiving the at least one ball, and

a course tee tag, wherein practice strokes prior to game play at course holes are inhibited from storage and display until the course tee tag is recognized by the club.

10. A game system, comprising:

at least one ball;

at least one club comprising a striking sensor for sensing a striking action of the at least one club on the at least one ball, and a score display for displaying a score related to the striking action; and

at least one hole area comprising;

a tee for placing the at least one ball, and

a hole for receiving the at least one ball, and

a “

no-score”

tag, wherein practice strokes after normal conclusion of hole strokes are inhibited from storage and display by allowing the club to read the “

no-score”

tag at either an extra “

ball-collecting”

hole or for replaying final stroke(s) at any course hole, until a subsequent tag is read by the club.

11. A game system, comprising:

at least one ball;

at least one club comprising a striking sensor for sensing a striking action of the at least one club on the at least one ball, and a score display for displaying a score related to the striking action; and

at least one hole area comprising;

a tee for placing the at least one ball, and

a hole for receiving the at least one ball, the hole having an electronic tag readable by the at least one club.

12. The game system of claim 11, wherein the hole also has an electronic ball-in-the-hole sensor for communicating with the at least one club.

13. The game system of claim 11, wherein the at least one club comprises a rechargeable battery.

14. The game system of claim 13, further comprising a charger for the rechargeable battery.

15. The game system of claim 11, wherein the at least one club comprises a replaceable battery.