ITMI20132128A1 - METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THE TRACKING OF A GOLF BALL - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION OF INDUSTRIAL INVENTION

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method and system for tracking and locating specially prepared objects, such as for example a golf ball.

TECHNICAL RETROSPECTIVE

In the game of golf, one of the problems often faced is locating the ball after it has been hit with the club. Due to the small size of the ball itself and the morphology, often irregular and with numerous natural obstacles (e.g. trees, bushes, tall grass, ponds) of the playing field, it is not always easy or even impossible to find the ball. The loss of the ball or even the delayed finding can cause penalties for the player, as well as the risk of losing the ball for good.

At the state of the art there are several attempts to solve this problem. On the website www.prazza.com there is a device that uses an external device that by connecting in radio frequency with a special ball equipped with a chip allows, through arrows displayed on an LCD screen, to find the ball in an average range of 40-50. m. This technology requires a superstructure and dedicated equipment that significantly increase costs, forcing the golfer to equip himself with and carry around a bulky device with a limited range of action

In a different sector for different purposes, but with some affinity to the present problem, a system is known for tracing people, animals or moving objects (e.g. children, pets or luggage carried by people). This system is described for example on the website www.indiegogo.com/projetcs/bluetracker. The system is based on Bluetooth communication (e.g. Bluetooth Long Range 4.0) between a transmitter associated with a target (e.g. a dog) and a mobile device (e.g. a smartphone). The transmitter is also equipped with a GPS position fixer. When the connection is established, the transmitter communicates the position via GPS coordinates to the mobile device which must also be prepared for this technology. In this way the mobile device can locate the dog (in our example) with the limited accuracy of the GPS position.

A similar solution transferred to the case of golf balls, would not solve the problem, as localization using only the GPS would in most cases be insufficient given the error tolerance of the GPS system (10-15 meters).

The object of the present invention is to provide a technology that overcomes, at least in part, the disadvantages of currently available systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This result has been achieved, in accordance with the present invention, through the implementation of a method for tracing a golf ball by means of a mobile device, the ball being modified to detect the coordinates of its position on the basis of a positioning system satellite and to transmit it through a short / medium range communication system, the mobile device being equipped with a display and a communication system able to receive the information transmitted by the ball, the method including the steps of: intercepting by means of the device movable coordinates of the position of the golf ball; graphically represent, by means of the display of the mobile device, the approximate position of the ball; monitor the distance of the mobile device from the position identified by the detected coordinates; when the monitored distance is less than a predetermined threshold, detect the position of the ball by means of the link through a short / medium range (or proximity) communication system and graphically represent the approximate position of the ball by means of the display of the mobile device. ball.

Advantageously, the satellite positioning system includes GPS, the short / medium range (or proximity) communication system includes a Bluetooth device and the mobile device is a smartphone.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the step of graphically representing the position of the ball comprises the display on the display of the mobile device a symbol associated with the ball superimposed on the image acquired by means of a photographic lens or a camera or video camera integrated in the mobile device. .

The object of the present invention is also a golf ball adapted to be able to interact with the aforementioned method and system.

According to the present invention, a system is also provided comprising one or more components suitable for implementing the aforesaid method.

A computer program, software application or program product implementing the above method is also produced when executed on a computer, telephone or any device equipped with data processing capabilities.

Thanks to the present invention it is possible to realize a flexible and easy-to-use system which allows to locate suitably prepared golf balls. Another advantage deriving from the present invention is to partially allow the exploitation of existing components (the smartphone only needs to be equipped with the appropriate application) and not to require the provision of a dedicated infrastructure (except for the structural modification of the ball).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

These and further advantages, purposes and characteristics of the present invention will be better understood by every technician from the following description and from the attached drawings, relating to examples of embodiment having an illustrative character, but not to be understood in a limiting sense, in which:

- Figure 1 represents the general architecture of a system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 schematically shows a generic computer used in the system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 schematically represents a visualization of the presumed position of the golf ball by means of the display of the mobile device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 shows an example of visualization of the presumed position of the golf ball in the last meters, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 schematically represents the steps of a method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention is applicable to numerous types of products and objects, but finds its particular evolution with the game of golf, in particular for the tracking and retrieval of the balls, in the event that, once that have been hit by the player, are not immediately visible on the main path of the playing field. The traceability of the balls with the system and method according to the present invention also makes it possible to perform various calculations and statistics on the style and accuracy of the individual players. We do not consider here the issues related to international regulations that limit the use of electronic instruments, such as computers or smartphones, during official competitions; we only point out that it may be necessary to suspend or inhibit some functions of a smartphone used for the purposes of the present invention during official competitions. With the method and system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first (approximate) location of the ball is made by means of the GPS: the ball communicates its GPS position to the mobile device available to the golfer. This communication takes place by means of a short / medium range communication system such as the Bluetooth connection. There are Bluetooth systems, e.g. Bluetooth Long Range 4.0 which have a sufficiently wide range of action to be able to cover the presumable distance between player and ball (max m 800) Once the player reaches the approximate area (corresponding to the GPS cell communicated by the ball itself) the localization system via Bluetooth comes into operation. Those skilled in the art will understand that other short / medium range communication systems or protocols can be used alternatively or in addition, such as proximity systems, such as the so-called NFC (Near Field Communication) or based on radio frequencies (e.g. protocol RFID).

With a possible implementation of the method and system according to the present invention, the position is represented on the screen of the mobile device as if it were visible with the camera of the device itself. The idea of the system is based on the intuition of linking two objects that a golfer normally has with him (the ball and the mobile phone), to allow the player to always be in virtual visual communication with the ball he is playing with, avoiding him from having to go and look for her. This will make his game more fun and less tiring, as well as fascinate him with cutting-edge technology

As shown in Figure 1, the system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a module 101 which is preferably installed on a mobile device 103 (e.g. a smartphone). This module is a software application, for example an iPhone App that uses tools normally available on a smartphone: at least one short / medium range or proximity 105 transmitter (e.g. Bluetooth, RFID, infrared, NFC); GPS detector 107; camera 109. A golf ball 111 is arranged to communicate with the device 103 by means of a short / medium range communication system (e.g. Bluetooth) and with the GPS satellite system to detect one's position. Inside the ball there are the following components: Bluetooth transmitter or transceiver 113 (or other short / medium range communication device), GPS detector 115 (or other system for determining geographic coordinates) and appropriate battery 117 to provide the energy needed. Optionally, an internal switch system could be provided to ensure that the electronic devices are powered only when necessary.

The 111 ball is externally a very normal golf ball with dimensions and weight within the regulatory limits (about 45 grams and 4 centimeters in diameter). The material it is made of can be different, we can make balls with a rubber core and a special resin shell, others all composed of resin. In our case, in fact, the core with which it is made does not cause technical alterations, the electronic board that includes the various modules is inserted inside the ball during the production phase, without this changing the size or shape of the same. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electronic board is made up of three main components, the Bluetooth chip, the Gps module and the battery, all assembled with SMD technology.

Device 103, controlled by module 101 (e.g. the smartphone application) connects with the ball 111 making the latter visible to the player, representing for example its position on the screen (display) of the mobile device. It should be noted that all the technologies on which the project is based are normally included in current Smartphones (Bluetooth, Gps, Camcorder, etc.), so you don't need to provide adapters or, worse still, ask manufacturers for changes. Obviously the Bluetooth transmitter must have an adequate range: at the state of the art there are Bluetooth transmitters that can cover a radius of 800 m. The ball detects its position by means of the GPS 107 device and communicates it to the mobile device 103 by means of Bluetooth communication. Once the player, based on the GPS location, arrives in the vicinity of the ball (in the area where the GPS position cannot give further indications), control passes to the Bluetooth transmitter that can guide the player to the ball.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ball is always in stand-by. The player, after opening the Application on his Smartphone 103 (e.g. an Apple iPhone with the appropriate App), establishes communication with the ball 111, "signing it" (ie establishing an association between the ball and the mobile device). From that moment the ball is associated with a specific mobile device; it will obviously be possible to use the same ball with another mobile device after repeating the initial initializations and provided that the other mobile device is equipped with an appropriate software application. The characteristics of the software application may vary according to the hardware device (e.g. smartphone) on which it must be installed, as well as the characteristics of the hardware device: the essential thing is that they are able (both the software and the hardware) to communicate and interact with the GPS and Bluetooth transmitters (or other proximity or short / medium range protocol) of the ball. Once hit, the ball goes from stand-by to active and starts transmitting the Bluetooth signal for about 10 minutes, sending its GPS position. Module 101 (e.g. the App) receives the information and represents it on the screen of the mobile device, so that the player can track the ball. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, this representation takes place by exploiting the image of the video camera of the mobile device and representing a symbol (e.g. a luminous dot) on the screen, so that the user has the illusion of seeing the point in the ball fell after being hit. The player, following the indications related to the GPS position, will arrive in the vicinity of the ball, as much as the accuracy margin of the GPS coordinates allows (about 10 meters). At this point, the Bluetooth of the mobile phone will intervene and will connect to that of the ball bringing the player precisely where the ball fell. After 10 minutes, the ball returns to stand-by and will remain so until it is hit again. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the passage between the "stand-by" and "active" state occurs by means of an electronic circuit present inside the ball equipped with a receptor of physical impulses (e.g. sounds, vibrations, accelerations ) that will perceive the hit inflicted on the ball by generating an electrical signal through a chip such as the PIC24F16KA102 produced by Microchip Technology or similar products; the chip activates the microcontroller of the ball making it a transmitter for the set time, at the end of which it automatically returns to stand-by.

Figure 2 represents a generic computer used in the system according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. This generic description includes any equipment with processing capabilities, albeit with different levels of sophistication and functionality (e.g. computers, mobile terminals, smartphones, servers, network routers, proxy servers). The computer 250 is composed of several units which are connected in parallel to a system bus 253. In detail, one or more microprocessors 256 control the operations of the computer; a RAM memory 259 is used directly as working memory by the microprocessors 256, while a ROM memory 262 contains the basic code for the initial system loading activities (bootstrap). Several peripheral units are connected to a local bus 265 by means of suitable interfaces. In particular, such peripheral units can comprise a mass memory consisting of hard-disk 271 and a reader for CD-ROM diskettes and / or optical disks (e.g. DVD or BlueRay) 274. Furthermore the computer 250 can comprise input devices 277 (e.g. keyboard, mouse, track point,) and output 280 (e.g. screen, printer). A Network Interface Card 283 is used to connect the computer 250 to a network. A bridge unit 286 constitutes the interface between the system bus 253 and the local bus 265. Each microprocessor 256 and the bridge unit 256 can operate as a "master agent" and require exclusive access to the system bus 253 to transmit information. An arbitrator 289 handles requests for access to the system bus 253, avoiding conflicts between the requestors. Similar considerations apply to slightly different systems or systems based on different network configurations. Other components in addition to those described may be present in specific cases and for particular implementations (e.g. handheld computers, portable phones, etc.).

As explained above, the relationship between the transmitting ball and the smartphone according to an embodiment of the method and system of the present invention is managed through the Bluetooth long range signal, which allows the smartphone to receive GPS coordinates regarding the position of the ball. Our application decodes the data received and displays the position of the ball through an icon on the camera / video camera of the mobile phone; at that point the player moves towards the marked point, until he enters the range of 10-15 m (the tolerance of modern GPS) and is guided precisely on the ball by our application that interacts with the Bluetooth present on the smartphone.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the techniques known as triangulation and trilateration are used: the triangulation technique is used to identify the point where the ball is positioned after it has been hit; the trilateration technique is a technique that allows you to calculate distances between points using the properties of triangles.

Geodetic triangulation is a technique based on the determination, from a stationing base, of three fundamental values of a second point of the territory: distance as the crow flies from the station, horizontal angle, zenith angle, in addition to the determination of the instrumental height and the height of the collimating prism (or staff).

Topographic triangulation consists in ideally connecting a series of points in the ground forming a network of adjacent triangles, to determine the planimetric coordinates.

The positions of the points of interest are calculated based on the measurement of the angles and two known points. The distances are calculated from these angles and are subsequently used to calculate the exact position of the point of interest. Calculating the distance between two inaccessible points Suppose you want to know the height of a mountain, the distance between a man on a beach and a boat or, more generally, you want to calculate the length of a segment that cannot be measured directly. You can proceed as follows:

We construct any imaginary triangle, with one of the vertices in one of the two points of which we want to know the distance and the base l passing through the other point, as shown in the figure. Now, with the help of some measuring instruments (for example a sextant), the angles adjacent to the base l, that is α and β, are calculated. At this point the triangle is completely known; in fact, from trigonometry it is known that, in a right triangle.

Trilateration is a technique that allows you to calculate distances between points using the properties of triangles. The trilateration is based on the determination of three fundamental values on the basis of which only one triangle can be constructed: from a base segment the position of the vertex of the triangle is identified which, returned to scale, is able to represent a relief on a reduced scale while maintaining the position of the points detected in a mutual and certain geometric relationship.

Trilateration, like topographic triangulation, consists in ideally connecting a series of points in the ground forming a network of adjacent triangles, to determine the planimetric coordinates and, while the first uses the measurement of the sides, the second uses the measurement of the angles. The intersections of the surfaces of three spheres is located by formulating the equations for the three sphere surfaces and then solving the three equations for three unknowns, x, y and z.

To simplify the calculations, the equations are formulated so that the centers of the spheres are on the z = 0 plane. Furthermore, the formulation is such that one center is at the origin, and another is in the x axis. Equations can be formulated in this way since any three non-collinear points lie in a single plane. After finding the solution, it can be transformed back to the original three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system.

Figure 3 schematically shows the screen of the mobile device 103 in which the position of the ball is represented, as if it were visible to the observer. This function allows an easy interface between the user of the device and the ball. In fact the application is able to recognize the transmitting devices (the balls) according to the Mac Address that these devices will display, the App receives the GPS coordinates via the Bluetooth Long Range of the ball, the App decodes them and displays the surrounding environment through the smartphone camera in an augmented reality mode, displaying the point where the ball is on the camera after calculating its direction and distance.

By augmented reality (in English augmented reality, abbreviated AR), or computer-mediated reality, we mean the enrichment of human sensory perception by means of information, generally manipulated and conveyed electronically, which would not be perceptible with the five senses. The elements that "increase" reality can be added through a mobile device, such as a smartphone, with the use of a PC equipped with a webcam or other sensors, with vision devices (eg. Projection glasses on the retina), listening (earphones) and manipulation (gloves) that add multimedia information to the reality already normally perceived. The "additional" information can actually also consist in a decrease in the amount of information normally perceived through the senses, again in order to present a situation that is clearer or more useful or more amusing. Also in this case we speak of AR. There are two main types of augmented reality:

- Augmented reality on mobile device. The mobile phone (or smartphone) must preferably be equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS), a magnetometer (compass) and must be able to display a video stream in real time, as well as an Internet connection to receive online data. The mobile phone frames the surrounding environment in real time; content layers are superimposed on the real world, from geo-located Point of Interest (POI) data to 3D elements.

- Augmented reality on computers. It is based on the use of markers, (ARtags), stylized drawings in black and white that are shown to the webcam, are recognized by the computer, and on which multimedia contents are superimposed in real time: video, audio, 3D objects, etc. . Augmented reality applications are usually based on Adobe Flash technology. Figure 4 shows a possible representation of the user interface that serves to guide the player in the last meters, in which the search is entrusted to BlueTooth communication (or other short-range communication system, e.g. NFC). On the basis of a possible practical implementation of the method according to the present invention, the assisted search shown in Figure 4 takes place in this way: a ping from smartphone to receiver (integrated in the ball) is performed, measuring the response time, for example by asking for the GPS coordinates (but any other query might be fine); the transceiver integrated in the ball receives the request and provides a response. The smartphone (or rather its software application) measures the time of this operation and calculates the distance from the ball. With BlueTooth communication, it is not possible to determine the direction in which to search (north, east, south or west): in this case, to determine the direction in which to move, the player must rotate the smartphone which at that point by signal (e.g. acoustic) it makes the player understand in which direction he should go; if the player starts walking in the right direction, this is appropriately signaled (for example, the acoustic signal increases as the ball approaches). The method can be assisted by the visual part of the App which places the ball point on the smartphone screen.

The diagram of Figure 5 schematically shows the sequence of steps of the method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The method is aimed at locating a modified golf ball in order to put it in communication with a mobile device (e.g. smartphone) by means of a short / medium range communication protocol (e.g. Bluetooth). The mobile device (e.g. smartphone) connects to a ball, tying it to itself: from this moment (until the link is deleted or replaced with another) the ball will be associated with this mobile device. The method begins with step 501 in which the mobile device receives the geographic coordinates of the ball's position (e.g. GPS) via the Bluetooth connection (or other protocol that allows short / medium range communications). This communication requires the ball to be able to detect these coordinates (e.g. by means of a GPS card) and to send them (by means of a transmitter e.g. Bluetooth (or other as long as it is compatible with a receiving mobile device). shown to the user of the mobile device (i.e. the golf player) for example by means of a graphic representation (step 503): in a preferred embodiment of the method according to the present invention, this representation consists in modifying the image of the video camera so that by pointing in the direction of the ball its position is simulated (which will initially be approximate). In step 505, the method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention verifies whether the mobile device (and therefore presumably the golfer using the method ) is within a predefined radius of the ball's position based on its GPS coordinates when the player is out of this range, the method continues to represent the virtual image that provides the user of the mobile device with approximate indications about the position of the ball: the control in this case continues to loop back to step 503 and then to the verification step 505. When the device enters a predefined range (e.g. 10 meters) the control passes to step 507 in which the device represents the position of the ball by means of information derived directly from a short / medium range or proximity communication system (it could be the same Bluetooth used previously, but also a other system, e.g. NFC or RFID). At this point the player is guided to the exact position of the ball. The method continues until the ball is found (condition 509). The found condition can be represented in different ways according to the system settings: for example it can be predefined that below a threshold distance between the device and the ball (e.g. 10 cm) the ball is considered found; or you can ask the player to select a "found" button. In any case, upon retrieval, the check goes to the final step 511, otherwise the method repeats steps 505, 507 and 509. It is clear that, if the device accidentally goes out of the predefined radius, the 505 check would give a negative result and the check it would return to step 503 where the position given by the GPS coordinates would be represented.

In practice, the details of execution may in any case vary in an equivalent manner as regards the individual construction elements described and illustrated and the nature of the materials indicated without departing from the idea of the solution adopted and therefore remaining within the limits of the protection conferred by this patent. . A person skilled in the art can make many modifications to the solution described above in order to satisfy local or specific requirements. In particular, it should be clear that, despite having provided implementation details referring to one or more preferred embodiments, omissions, substitutions or variations of some specific characteristics or of some steps of the method described may be applied as a result of design or design requirements. realization.

The method and system according to the implementations described above are based on the combination of GPS technologies and a short / medium range communication system (e.g. BlueTooth). Other technologies available on the market could alternatively be used in place of or in addition to those mentioned above such as, just to give an example, the technology called Time to Flight which allows you to integrate all the necessary components in very small dimensions, making it suitable for the purposes of present invention. Or another geographic coordinate location technology could replace GPS.

Another possible additional option is to provide a method for making hypothetical assumptions about the direction taken by the ball in flight, using the so-called "dead reckoning" technique. The Dead Reckoning or Estimated Navigation technique uses speed monitoring and angular direction. This data is used if the GPS satellite signal is lost to keep track of the position with respect to a known starting point. Several techniques can be used to measure angular speed and direction when GPS signal reception is lost or poor:

- Accelerometer that detects changes in speed and direction

- Compasses to determine the direction

By way of example, the hardware structures can take on different appearances or include different modules; the term computer includes any device (e.g. phones, smartphones, palmtops) equipped with a processing capacity for the execution of software programs or parts of them. Programs can be structured differently or implemented in any form. In the same way, memories can take multiple embodiments or be replaced by equivalent entities (not necessarily consisting of tangible supports). Programs can take any form suitable to perform their functions and can be written in any programming language or presented in the form of software, firmware or microcode, both in object code and in source code. The programs themselves can be stored on any type of support as long as it is readable by a computer; by way of example, the media can be: hard disks, removable disks (e.g. CD-ROM, DVD or Blue Ray Disc), tapes, cartridges, wireless connections, networks, telecommunication waves; the supports can be, for example, of the electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, mechanical, infrared or semiconductor type. In any case, the solution according to the present invention can be implemented by means of software, hardware (also integrated in chips or semiconductor materials) or a combination of hardware and software.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS 1. Method of tracking a golf ball by means of a mobile device, the ball being modified to detect the coordinates of its position based on a satellite positioning system and to transmit it through a short / medium range communication system, the mobile device being equipped with a display and a communication system suitable for receiving the information transmitted by the ball, the method comprising the steps of: - intercept the coordinates of the position of the golf ball by means of the mobile device; - graphically represent, by means of the display of the mobile device, the approximate position of the ball; - monitor the distance of the mobile device from the position identified by the detected coordinates; - when the monitored distance is less than a predetermined threshold, detect the position of the ball by means of the connection through a short / medium range communication system and graphically represent the approximate position of the ball by means of the display of the mobile device. Method according to claim 1, wherein the satellite positioning system includes the GPS system and the short / medium range communication system includes a Bluetooth device. Method according to one of the preceding claims wherein the mobile device is a smartphone. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the display is adapted to represent images captured by means of a photographic lens and the step of graphically representing the approximate position of the ball comprises: - capture an image using the photographic lens pointed in the approximate direction of the ball; - process the captured image so that it shows the presumed position of the ball; - represent the processed image by means of the display. Method according to one of the preceding claims in which the step of detecting the position of the ball by means of the connection through a short / medium range communication system comprises: - establish communication between the mobile device and the ball by means of the short / medium range communication system; - exchanging information between the ball and the mobile device by means of a signal according to the short / medium range means of communication; - measure a value indicative of the time taken by the signal to be received by the mobile device; - estimate a distance based on the measured value. 6. Golf ball to be used for carrying out the method of one of the preceding claims comprising: - a GPS receiver capable of detecting the coordinates of one's position on the basis of the GPS system; - at least one receiver-transmitter module with short / medium range communication protocol suitable for receiving communications and transmitting GPS coordinates; - a battery to power the receiver and the transceiver. The ball of claim 6 further comprising a switch for changing the status of the ball from stand-by to active, the transmission of coordinates occurring only during the active state. The ball of claim 7 comprising a microprocessor which controls the functions of the GPS receiver and the receiver-transmitter module. 9.A computer program for tracking a golf ball by means of a mobile device, the ball being modified to detect the coordinates of its position based on the GPS system and to transmit it through a short / medium range communication system, the device mobile being equipped with a display suitable for representing images captured by means of a photographic lens, and with a short / medium range communication system suitable for receiving the information transmitted by the ball according to one of claims 1 to 5, when the program is performed on a data processing system. 10. A system comprising one or more components adapted to implement the method of claims 1 to 5.