GB2414416A

GB2414416A - Golf ball distance monitoring

Info

Publication number: GB2414416A
Application number: GB0510274A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Olav Georg Stang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-05-24
Filing date: 2005-05-20
Publication date: 2005-11-30
Also published as: GB0411532D0; GB0510274D0

Abstract

A golf ball monitoring system has an RFID (radio frequency identification transponder) unit included in each golf ball, and the target area is provided with antenna means 13 coupled to data processing means 15 for detecting the passage of a golf ball. Preferably the target area is on a golf practice driving range, although it can be on a golf links. Preferably there is a plurality of balls with respective unique identifiers. There are various possible modes of monitoring the passage of the golf ball and presenting information relating thereto.

Description

Golf Ball Distance Monitoring The present invention relates to the

monitoring and measurement of'the distance to which golf balls are driven, particularly <en drvmg ranges In the game of golf, it is often desirable to know how tar a ball has been driven On a golf course or links, it Is usually possible to determine this by pacing out the distance or lo walking to the position of the ball and knowmg the distances of nearby landmarks Hovv- ever, the use of driving ranges Is now widespread. In a drug range, the golfer stands In a driving booth and drives a considerable number of balls out onto a target region resembling a fairway It would be extremely tune-consumJng for the golfer to walk out and retrieve each ball individually Further, there Is generally a row of driving booths sharing the same Is target area, which makes it impossible for a golfer to walk out onto that area. I'he goll'er therefore has to follow the flight of the hall by eye, and Judge the distance which it travels This is Inconvenient and Inaccurate.

The general object of the invention Is to provide a means whereby the distance ho travelled by a golt'ball can be measured more conveniently.

According to its mam aspect, the Invention provides a golf ball monitoring system wherein the golf ball Is provided with an REID (radio frequency identification transponder) unit and the target area Is provided with antenna means coupled to data processing means 2.s for detecting the passage of the golf ball. Prel'erably the target area is on a golf practice driving range, although it can be OF a goll'lnks. Preferably there is a plurahty of balls with respective unique Identifiers Further aspects of the invention relate to various modes ol' mowtorng the passage ofthe golf ball and the presentation of infonnation relating thereto A golf ball monitoring system embodying the invention will now be described nil detail, by way of example and with reference to the drawing, which shows the system m diagrammatic t'onn he drawing is a plan view ot' a goli' practice driving range composing a row ol' driving booths 10-1, 10-2, 10-3, etc facing a driving target area 11 (If there is a large number of booths, they are typically arranged in a concave arc.) Each booth has a respec- tve antenna 12, typically located under its mat or its floor. which detects the presence of a golf ball on the tee area in the booth The target area I I has a set of antennas 13 located lo over it so that the presence and/or passage of the ball Is detected by ad jacent antennas If desired. there may be a similar set of antennas 14 positioned across the first set: '1-he antennas 13 and 14 are preferably burled In the target area. I I so that they are out of sight and protected from damage when the area I I Is being treated 'I'he antennas I 9, 13, and l are all coupled to a data. processing unit 15, which Is also coupled to respective display units i 16 in the booths F.-'ach gol1' ball used on the range has an REID unit embedded In it 'thus unit must obviously be sufficiently robust to withstand the Farces and distortions which occur when the ball Is struck by a golfclub Each RFJD unit has a unique Identification which Is recog o razed by the data processing unit (or any preprocessing units not shown, provided between the antennas and the data processing unit 15) Each ball Is therefore recognzcd and dis- tngushed from other balls being driven by the same or other golfers, In a well-known man- ner using well-establshed REID technology s In the simplest mode of' operation, the system registers the existence ova hall when the ball us placed on the tee position In a driving booth (by means of the antennas I2) The system then monitors the antennas 13 to detect the landing of the ball on the target area I I The antennas are spaced so that at least one will detect the ball regardless ol'cxactly where the ball lands 'll'he system Identifies which antenna the hall has landed near enough to to Rio he detected' this therefore gives the distance to which the ball has been driven 'I'he system displays this distance on the display screen 16 m the relevant booth.

Obviously, rfthe hall Is detected by two adjacent antennas, the distance can be given as the distance to say the nearer of those two antennas (t'or this, the antennas should he located sightly nearer than their nominal distances) Alternatively, the distance can be given as an Intermediate value of the distances of the two antennas (t'or tiers, the overlap zone in which a ball is detected by two antennas should be roughly the same width as the zone In which It is detected by a single antenna).

If desired, the antennas may be operated In variable power mode (with the transmit lo power, receive power sensitivity, or both being varied), with the detection distance ucreas- mg as the power Is increased This permits measurement of the antenna-to- ball distance from at least two antennas, with a substantial increase In the accuracy of distance measure- ment The antennas 14 may be used similarly, to detect and measure the angular positron of the ball In a more elaborate mode of operation, the movement of the ball may be monitored In flight. This Information may be of Interest as an Indication of the character or quality of so the drive, eg the degree of loft with which the ball was struck This may be done by detecting the time when the ball leaves the antenna 12 and the time when it is detected by the antennas 13 For this mode, the ball detection must obv' ously be sufficiently rapid to enable the tunes to be detected to an adequate degree ot'accu :s racy This will generally require the R.FID units to operate at relatively high frequencies For this mode, the identity of the ball Is known from its initial positioning on the tee area of the booth, and the antennas] 3 and 14 may then be operated to search for that specific iden tty They may also be operated to Initially recognize the simple presence of the ball, fol lowed by a second phase In which the precise position of the ball is Identified after the ball has come to rest Altenatvely or addtionally7 the movement of the ball during, the first part of its Bight may be measured by a separate antenna to determine the initial speeds angle of flight.

and/or spin ofthe ball s In a further more elaborate mode of operation, the point of fall of the ball (the Initial location of the ball when it first falls onto the target area) Nay be Identified, followed by Identification oftle position where it finally comes to rest This hformaton may similarly be of Interest as an indication of the character or quality of the drive, eg the degree of loft with which the ball was struck. (Again7 to identify the point of fall' the system must opera lo ate sufficiently rapidly) This will enable the flight (carry) and roll distances of the ball to be measured separately.

The antennas are shown arranged so that one set measures distance and the other set measures angle If the brie of driving booths Is long enough and curved enough, then this arrangement will result In some Inaccuracy for some of the booths Tle system may then calculate corrections according to which booth the ball was driven from If this is done then the antenna arrangement may be any form of grid, eg a square or rectangular grid The simplest display mode, described above, involves the display of the position of so each ball as it lands (or soon after) The system may however display flight characteristics (if the system Is operated in a more elaborate monitoring mode) 'I'he system may also be arranged to accumulate the results of a series of shots and display venous statistical proper ies of the series, eg the average distance and the spread of shot distances.

The REID units us the balls may be simple passive units However, it may he desir able for them to be powered, using either simple (non- rechargeable) or rechargeable power sources (using either ohmic contacts or induction).

If the REID units are powered, they can be designed so that they can et'fectvely be so turned on at the booth 10, eg by the antenna 12 This will smphf'y the detection of the hall by the antennas 13 and 14, by reducing the information handhug load on the system, which s we only have to detect and distinguish between the "active" balls The number of active halls will generally be far fewer than the total number of balls played during a session The "on" period of the RFID unit will be set to somewhat greater than the maximum tune which a golfer can be expected to take in positioning and addressing the ball In the driving booth plus the maximum reasonable time of flight of the ball I'he RFID unit m a ball may Include a timer which Is set when the ball leaves a booth 10 (or continuously reset at long as the ball Is m the booth), or it may be powered by a capacitor which is kept charged while the hall is In the booth and runs down after the required "on" period once the lo ball leaves the booth.

Tt will be convenient, though generally not essential. t'or the RFTI:) units to be pro- grammable with their Identifications. They may be reprogrammable If desired, although there will generally be little need for reprogramming.

The RFID units can also be used in conjunction with a ball finder on a golf links

Claims

Claims 1 A golf hall monitoring system wherein the golf hall is provided

with an RF1D (radio frequency dentf'caton transponder) unit and the target area is provided with antenna means coupled to data processing means t'or detecting the passage o!'thc golf ball 2 system according to claim 1 wherein the antenna means comprise a set of arcuate lo antennas at dffercnt radial distances 3 A system acc<.,rdmg to claim 2 wherein the antenna means further includes a set ol' radial antennas s 4 A system according to any previous claim wherein there Is a plurality of balls with respective unique Identifiers A system according to any previous claim including booth means provided with further antenna means for monitoring the departure ot'the golf ball from the bootleg.

6 A system according to any previous claim wherein the RI<ID unit Is arranged to have a limited "active" period 7 A system according to any previous clang wherein the antenna means and data processing means are arranged to interpolate between antennas 8 A system according to any previous claim wherem the data processing means is arranged to provide statstica.l mfirmaton on a sequence of shots JO 9 golf ball monitoring system substantially as herein described Any feature of novelty or combination thereof within the meaning of Article 4T 1 of the International Convention (Paris Convention)