JP7438568B2 - Golf practice/support equipment and programs - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a golf practice/assistance device and program that have a function of providing golf information regarding golf to golf players and a function useful for golf practice.

For example, a GPS receiver can be used to display the distance from the current location to greens, bunkers, etc. and the course layout, or to accurately and easily record the hit position of the ball during golf play. There is a golf support device (Patent Document 1, etc.). The device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a position information acquisition unit that communicates with a GPS satellite and acquires its own position information, a position information recording unit that records the position information, and a position information recording unit that records the layout of holes on a golf course. Layout information recording means for recording visually recognizable layout image information together with its latitude and longitude information, and hit locus display processing means for plotting position information on the layout image to display a hit locus. It is equipped with the following.

According to the invention of Patent Document 1, by checking the hit trajectory after playing, it is possible to check and reflect on the content of the play, check the course layout beforehand or during play, and check the green and bunker from the current position during play. By checking the distance to etc., you can plan your play strategy.

JP2003-339929

Improvements to conventional golf support devices have mainly focused on increasing the types of golf-related information provided and adding golf-related functions. As devices become more multifunctional, the types of antennas and sensors used also increase, making the overall device larger. Additionally, it includes functions that will not be used at the location where the device is taken, and this poses an issue in terms of portability, along with the increased size of the device.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a golf practice/assistance device according to the present invention includes (1) a speed measurement sensor for measuring the speed of a moving object, a position measurement section for determining the current position, and the position measurement section. a first control section that accesses a golf course data storage means that stores and holds course layout information of the golf course based on the current position determined in the above, reads out the course layout, and outputs it to a first display section; The second control section calculates the speed of the golf ball and club head moving with the swing of the golf club based on the output, and outputs information based on the calculated speed to the second display section. What is based on speed may be the speed itself (swing speed, ball speed), or information obtained based on it (estimated flight distance, etc.).

The speed measurement sensor corresponds to the Doppler sensor 31 in the embodiment. The speed measurement sensor only needs to be able to detect and output information for measuring speed, like the Doppler sensor of this embodiment, and does not necessarily have to be able to detect and calculate the actual speed. The golf course data storage means corresponds to the golf course data storage section 12 in the embodiment. In the embodiment, it is installed integrally within the case, but as described in the modification, it may be set separately on a server or the like.

In the present invention, the first control section is operated to execute the golf support mode (golf navigation mode in the embodiment) in which course layout information is displayed on the first display section based on the current position, and the output from the speed measurement sensor is executed. It is possible to execute a golf practice mode in which the second control section acquires the information, calculates the swing speed and ball speed, and outputs the results etc. to the second display section.

(2) A first case main body and a second case main body are separable, and the second case main body includes the speed measurement sensor and communication for transmitting the output of the speed measurement sensor to the first case main body. an interface, the first case body includes a communication interface that receives the output of the speed measurement sensor sent from the second body case, the position measurement section, the first control section, and the first case body. 2 control units.

Since the speed measurement sensor is not essential during the execution of the golf support mode (golf navigation mode in the embodiment) in which the first control unit is operated and course layout information is displayed on the first display unit based on the current position, The second case body and the first case body are separated. Therefore, the first case body can be used alone, making it compact and convenient to carry. In particular, when operating this golf support mode, the user is moving around the golf course, so it is preferable that the device be small and lightweight because it will not be a hindrance to carrying.

On the other hand, during practice, both the first case body and the second case body are used, the second control unit acquires the output from the speed measurement sensor, calculates the swing speed and ball speed, and displays the results on the second display. Activates the golf practice mode that is output to the department. Normally, when practicing golf, you actually hit a golf ball at the driving range, practice swings in your garden or other places, but you don't have to move over a wide range, and the second case body is connected to the first case body. By using both at the same time, there is no problem even if the entire device becomes somewhat larger. In addition, the control unit and man-machine interface (input means such as switches and output means of the display unit) for executing the golf practice mode are incorporated into the first case body, and are also used for executing the golf support mode. By doing so, the entire device can be further downsized.

In addition, when the second control section operates, the second case body and the first case body can operate and communicate together because the second control section acquires the output of the speed measurement sensor, so the installation position of the second display section is , may be on the second case main body side, or may be on the first case main body side as in the embodiment. When the second display section is installed in the first case body, the first display section and the second display section may be used in common as actual hardware components. Furthermore, each display section may be provided separately from each case main body, and each control section may output necessary information to the display section.

(3) The first case body includes a determination unit that determines whether or not the second case body is connected, and when the second case body is not connected to the first case body, the first case body It is preferable that the second control unit is configured to operate when the first control unit operates and the second case body is connected to the first case body. By automatically switching the operating mode (control unit that operates) depending on the presence or absence of the second case body, it is convenient because the user can operate in the mode suitable for each connection situation without having to make a special mode switch. . Of course, even if a function is provided to switch the automatically operating control unit, such switching may be performed preferentially and execution in another mode may be performed by manual operation or the like.

(4) The first display section and the second display section may be provided in the first case main body. By arranging the first display section and the second display section together, it is possible to set the display section at an easy-to-see location on the entire case. In other words, even if both displays are installed separately, both displays will be placed in easy-to-see locations, so users will be able to easily see the display no matter which mode they run and which display displays the display. Can be secured. (5) Furthermore, the first display section and the second display section may be configured in common. Doing this is preferable because it not only reduces costs by reducing the number of parts, but also makes it more compact as a whole.

(6) The first control unit and the second control unit may be configured by the same CPU. By configuring the control units that implement the respective functions using the same CPU, not only the device configuration including the interface with the input/output unit can be simplified and downsized, but also the programs to be executed can be easily switched.

(7) A club type input section for specifying a club type to be used, and the second control section estimates using the obtained speed and a coefficient associated with the club type specified by the club type input section. It is preferable to include a distance calculation function for calculating flight distance, and store the estimated flight distance obtained by the distance calculation function in the storage unit in association with the club type. The club type input section is realized by the switch 19 in the embodiment. The storage section is preferably provided in the first case body as in the embodiment. Since the estimated flight distance measured in the golf practice mode is stored in the storage section of the first case body, the data stored in the storage section can be read and written even after the second case body is removed.

(8) The first control unit draws a mark at a position corresponding to the current position determined by the position measurement unit in the course layout displayed on the first display unit, and the obtained estimated flight distance of the club type to be used. It is preferable to include a function of reading the distance from the storage section and displaying it on the first display section. The mark corresponds to the personal icon I of the embodiment. By displaying the current position and estimated flight distance, it is possible to easily understand whether or not the selected club type will reach the target location.

(9) The estimated flight distance may be displayed by drawing a circle centered on the mark and having the estimated flight distance as a radius. By drawing a circle, you can visually and intuitively recognize the ball, and you can also predict where the ball will fly if you hit it diagonally due to a miss.

(10) The estimated flight distance displayed on the first display unit may be at least one of an average value, a maximum value, and a minimum value. By displaying the average value, you can predict where the ball will land if it flies normally, and by displaying the highest and lowest values, you can predict where the ball will land if it hits too well or misses the ball. This is preferable because the position can be predicted.

(11) The second control unit has a function of displaying the hole layout of the golf course on the first display unit or the second display unit, and the distance calculation unit a ball stopping point candidate display function that draws a circle whose radius is the estimated flight distance calculated by It may be a point specified on the circumference of a circle drawn by the function. The hole layout may be a virtual golf course or a real golf course. In either case, it is possible to practice more closely resembling actual golf play.

(12) The hole layout may be related to an actual golf course stored in the golf course data storage unit. This is preferable because the simulation can be performed using the hole layout of an actual golf course.

(13) The second control unit has a function of displaying the actual golf course course layout stored in the golf course data storage means on the first display unit or the second display unit, and a function of displaying the actual course layout of the golf course stored in the golf course data storage means. Find the intersection of the reference line set in the course layout and the circumference of a circle whose radius is the estimated flight distance calculated by the distance calculation unit, centering on the specified point, and based on the found intersection. The ball stopping point may be determined by using the above function, and a function of displaying the determined point may be provided. In this way, the stopping position of the ball can be automatically determined, which simplifies the user's need to specify the stopping position every time he or she makes a shot.

(14) The reference line may indicate a strategy route for holes in the course layout. In this case, the intersection of the strategy route and the circumference can be set as the stopping position, and the position can be easily determined.

(15) The strategy route is a line connecting a predetermined position on the teeing ground to a predetermined position on the green, and if the line is non-straight, it is specified by one or more reference points indicating the position where the direction changes. It is best to configure it so that In this way, a strategy route can be set based on less information.

(16) The reference line may be a fairway boundary line and/or a course boundary line of the course layout. In this case, the intersection points of the two paired boundary lines and the circumference can be determined, and a predetermined position (for example, the midpoint) on the line (chord/arc) connecting the two intersection points can be set as the stopping position. .

(17) A function of displaying the course layout of a golf course on the first display section or the second display section, and upon receiving the designation of a target point on the displayed course layout, the distance from the current position to the target point. At the same time, the club accesses the estimated flight distance storage means that stores the estimated flight distance for each type of club, and uses it when hitting the ball toward the target point based on the calculated distance and the estimated flight distance for each club type. It is preferable to have a function of determining a club type suitable for the club and reporting information regarding the determined club type. In this way, the club type can be easily selected.

(18) The apparatus may further include a function of notifying the estimated flight distance of the determined club type and the determined distance. In this way, it can be easily determined whether the club type determined by the device is correct.

(19) The program of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the golf practice/assistance device described in any one of (1) to (18) above.

In the present invention, there is a golf support mode in which course layout information is displayed on the first display section based on the current position, and a second control section obtains the output from the speed measurement sensor, calculates the swing speed and ball speed, and calculates the swing speed and ball speed. Both golf practice modes in which results and the like are output to the second display section can be executed. In particular, if the first case main body and the second case main body are made separable, the size can be adjusted according to the place where it will be used, and the device will not become unnecessarily large, making it suitable for portability.

It is a figure showing an example of a usage mode. It is a figure showing an example of a usage mode. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure showing an example of a display screen. It is a figure showing an example of a display screen. It is a diagram showing an example of a hole layout in a virtual golf course and holes on software stored in the device. It is a figure explaining other embodiments. It is a figure explaining other embodiments. It is a figure explaining other embodiments. It is a figure explaining other embodiments.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The golf practice/support device of this embodiment displays the course layout of an actual golf course, measures the current position, and notifies the player's movement as well as the current position and remaining distance to the green in real time. It has a golf support function and a golf practice function that calculates and outputs the head speed of the golf club, the speed of the ball actually hit, estimated flight distance, etc.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrams showing an example of how the golf practice/assistance device of the present invention is used. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2(a), the golf practice/support device 10 is installed at a predetermined position behind a golfer 1 who swings a golf club 2. As shown in FIGS. A specific installation position is such that the detection range of the golf practice/assistance device 10 includes a point where the head 2a of the golf club 2 during swing moves at maximum speed. As an example, as shown in FIG. 1, the impact position on the ball 4 is near the lowest point of the movement trajectory 3 of the head 2a of the golf club 2, and the movement speed of the head 2a usually reaches the maximum speed near this position. Therefore, the installation position is on the tangent 5 of the lowest point of the movement trajectory 3 and behind the golfer 1. In this case, the distance between the ball 4 and the golf practice/assistance device 10 is approximately 1 meter. As will be described later, this golf practice/assistance device 10 has a built-in Doppler sensor, so it is installed so that the opening surface 11a of the antenna of the Doppler sensor directly faces the ball 4 (facing the tangent 5). Ru.

This installation position corresponds to the case where the club used is a club other than a putter, and the ball 4 may not be provided. In other words, when the golf practice/assistance device 10 places the ball 4 and actually hits the ball, it measures both the head speed and the ball speed at the same time every time the ball is swung, and the golf practice/assistance device 10 measures both the head speed and the ball speed at the same time without placing the ball 4 (even if the ball 4 is placed). If you practice swing without actually hitting the ball, only the head speed will be measured.

On the other hand, when the club used is a putter, the installation position is as shown in FIG. 2(b). In other words, the golf practice/assistance device is located diagonally in front of the golfer 1, more specifically, at a position approximately 20 cm in front of the ball 4 as seen from the golfer 1, and further approximately 20 cm ahead in the direction in which the ball 4 is launched. Put 10. Then, the opening surface 11a of the antenna of the golf practice/assistance device 10 is made to face about 1 m from where the ball 4 rolls. In this usage mode, in order to measure the ball speed, it is essential that the golfer 1 actually hits the ball 4. The speed measurement area of the golf practice/assistance device 10 is set to a fixed area where the ball B rolls, and since there is no movement trajectory of the head 2'a of the putter 2' within the measurement area, the head speed can be measured. Cannot be measured. Therefore, only the velocity of the ball is measured.

FIG. 3 shows a preferred embodiment of the golf practice/assistance device 10 according to the present invention. This golf practice/assistance device 10 includes a first case body 21 and a second case body 22, and both case bodies 21 and 22 are removable. A connecting mechanism is provided on the side surfaces of both case bodies 21 and 22, and the side surfaces are aligned and brought into contact to connect. When connected, they form one housing. With this connection, the first connector 23 and the second connector 36 disposed on each side are coupled, electrically conductive, and data can be transmitted and received as well as power can be supplied. Further, by connecting the first and second connectors 23 and 36, the first and second case bodies 21 and 22 may be mechanically connected.

The first case body 21 incorporates elements constituting golf support functions such as golf navigation. That is, inside the first case main body 21, there is a position measuring section 11 that receives a GPS signal and calculates the current position, a golf course data storage section 12 that stores golf information such as the course layout of a golf course in advance, and a position measuring section 11 that receives a GPS signal and calculates the current position. A control unit 13 that accesses the golf course data storage unit 12 based on the current position information from the measurement unit 11, acquires information regarding the golf course, and controls outputting it to an output device, and a display device 14 and a display device 14 that constitute the output device. It includes a speaker 15, a connection state detection section 16 that detects whether or not the second case body 22 is connected, and a battery 17 that serves as a power source when being carried. Furthermore, the first case body 21 also includes a storage device 18, various switches 19, and a communication interface 20.

The golf course data storage section 12 is comprised of a recording medium such as an internal memory and a removable external recording medium (such as a micro SD memory card). The golf information stored in the golf course data storage unit 12 includes data regarding the actual golf course (course layout of each hole, position of objects on the course such as the golf course green and bunker), and the like. These pieces of information can be similar to those disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-57189 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-339929.

The control unit 13 includes a microcomputer including a CPU, ROM, RAM, flash memory, various peripheral circuits, interfaces, and the like. When the power switch is turned on, the control unit 13 is supplied with power from the battery 17 and starts operating. The control unit 13 deploys the OS and application programs recorded in the flash memory onto the RAM using the boot loader recorded in the ROM, and executes the OS and application programs on the RAM to perform various processes described below. and realize various functions.

The storage device 18 is for recording calculation results, and may be a non-removable internal storage device or a slot portion (including a read/write function) for attaching a removable recording medium such as an SD memory card. . The recording medium/device constituting this storage device 18 may be shared with the golf course data storage section 12 in the actual device.

The connection state detection unit 16 detects whether or not the second case body 22 is attached to the first case body 21. For example, the connection state detection unit 16 detects whether or not the second case body 22 is attached to the first case body 21. ), when a pressure-sensitive/contact type switch (sensor) such as a limit switch is placed and the two case bodies 21 and 22 are connected, the switch turns ON (or OFF) and the two case bodies 21 and 22 are separated. This can be achieved by setting the switch to turn OFF (or ON) when the second case body 22 is removed from the first case body 21. At this time, it is preferable that the switch is flush with the surface of the first case body 21 or slightly recessed inside, and the switch is pressed using a protrusion or the like provided on the second case body 22. In this way, when the first case body 21 is carried alone, it is possible to prevent the switch from being pressed by mistake and erroneously determining that the second case body 22 is connected. In addition, the sensor is not limited to a direct contact type, and a non-contact type such as a proximity sensor can also be used. The detection result of this connection state detection section 16 is given to the control section 13.

The display device 14 is formed from an LCD, an organic EL display, or the like. The battery 17 may be a primary battery such as a dry battery, or a rechargeable secondary battery such as a rechargeable battery. The switch 19 includes a power switch for turning on/off the power and an operation switch for giving various instructions. Further, a touch panel may be provided on the surface of the display device 14, and the touch panel may be used as an operation switch.

The control unit 13 determines the operation mode based on the detection result from the connection state detection unit 16. That is, the control unit 13 uses an application program to realize a golf support function (golf navigation mode) such as golf navigation, and calculates the head speed of the golf club, the ball speed of the actually hit ball, estimated flight distance, etc. It is equipped with an application program for realizing a golf practice function (golf practice mode) to output, and is executed by switching between them. In the present embodiment, when the first case body 21 is used alone without the second case body 22 being connected, the control unit 13 executes the golf navigation mode and moves the second case body 22 to the first case body 21. In the state connected to the case body 21, the control unit 13 executes the golf practice mode.

In this way, the control unit 13 automatically switches between the golf navigation mode and the golf practice mode based on the detection result of the connection state detection unit 16, but a manual mode changeover switch is provided as the switch 19, and the user The mode may be switched based on an instruction. In this case, a manual mode switching function based on user instructions and an automatic switching function can coexist. That is, for example, when the first case main body 21 and the second case main body 22 are in a connected state, when the control section 13 automatically switches to the golf practice mode based on the detection result from the connection state detection section 16. When the golf navigation mode is selected by the mode changeover switch, the control unit 13 switches the program to be executed to the golf navigation mode. As a result, for example, if you bring the first case body 21 and the second case body 22 to a golf course and practice with them connected before playing, then When playing a round, you can switch to golf navigation mode and carry it with you on the course. In other words, when the user removes the second case body 22 to use it in the golf navigation mode, it is possible to prevent the user from leaving the second case body behind.

The control unit 13 executing the golf navigation mode accesses the golf course data storage unit 12 based on the position information (longitude and latitude) from the position measurement unit 11 and reads out information on the golf course currently being played. Then, the corresponding course is read out from the current position information and drawn on the display device 14. An example of a display screen drawn on this display device 14 is shown in FIG. In this figure, the player's own icon I is drawn in the center of the display screen to indicate where he or she is, and the layout of the hole currently being played is drawn so that the green is on top. This allows you to know the direction toward the green as well as the location, size, and shape of ponds, bunkers, etc. around the green. Also, a concentric circle line L is drawn overlapping the layout of the hole with the player's own icon I at the center. This will give you an idea of the approximate distance to the pond or bunker. By displaying the course layout in this way, the user can confirm how to approach each hole even if it is his or her first time playing the course.

Furthermore, a remaining distance display area R1 is set at the bottom right of the screen. That is, in the golf course data storage unit 12, the position of the green edge and the position of the center of the green are registered as green information. Therefore, the control unit 13 calculates the distance between the current position and the center of the green, and displays the remaining distance to the center of the green ("149" in the figure). Also, find the intersection between the line connecting the current position and the center of the green and the green edge, find the distance between the found intersection and the current position, and display the remaining distance to the green edge (in the figure, "132 ”). Furthermore, a directional arrow Y pointing from the current position to the center of the green is drawn.

Furthermore, any point can be registered based on switch operations or the like. Specifically, the control unit 13 acquires the current position from the position measurement unit 11 when the point registration process is received by operating a switch or the like, and registers the current position. This arbitrary point can be used, for example, to register the point where the ball was actually hit. If any point thus registered exists within the hole layout displayed on the display screen, a point registration icon I0 is drawn at the corresponding position. Furthermore, the distance from the registered position to the current position of the own icon I is determined and displayed in the flight distance display area R2 prepared at the lower left of the display screen ("138" in the figure). Further, it is possible to register a plurality of points, and the position information of each registered point is recorded in the storage device 18 for each hole in the order of registration. As a result, by registering the position where the ball is hit each time, it is possible to record the locus of play on the actual golf course, and also to draw each hole layout on the display device 14 together with the position registration icon I0. This allows you to check the actual trajectory of play on the display screen.

Further, in the upper area of the display screen of the display device 14, an icon I1 indicating the remaining battery level, an icon I2 indicating the hole number currently being played, and an icon I3 (L ( (left side)/R (right side)) and an icon I4 (yd (yards)/m (meters)) indicating the unit of distance display. Furthermore, the time is displayed at the right end of the information area.

Furthermore, as will be described later, this embodiment includes a golf practice mode, in which the estimated flight distance for each club type can be recorded. Therefore, when using the golf navigation mode, when the control unit 13 recognizes the designation of the club type (count), it reads the estimated flight distance for the designated club type from the storage device 18 and displays it on the course layout display screen. Display overlapping. At this time, the estimated flying distance may be displayed as a number in text, or a circle with a radius corresponding to the estimated flying distance may be drawn on the display screen with the self-icon I as the center. In particular, when the estimated flight distance is shown in a circle, it is important to check whether the selected club type is appropriate in relation to the remaining distance, and if the launch direction deviates from the desired direction, it will be difficult to check whether the club type is appropriate or not, and if the launch direction deviates from the desired direction, it will be difficult to check if the club type is appropriate or not, and if the club type deviates from the desired direction. This is preferable because it allows you to visually and intuitively understand the possibility of being caught.

The club type can be specified by operating a club selection switch provided as a type of switch 19 for selecting and specifying the club type. The control unit 13 then calculates the estimated flight distance from the selected club type, head speed, ball speed, and other information. Specifically, when the control unit 13 recognizes that the club selection switch is pressed (for example, a "short press"), it cycles through club types in the following order.
"1W → 3W → 5W → 3I → 4I → 5I → 6I → 7I → 8I → 9I → W (wedge) → Pt (putter)"

In addition, in accordance with this club type tour, the control unit 13 displays the currently selected club type display area set at a predetermined position on the display screen of the display device 14 using "W, I, t and 7 segments" as appropriate. Displays the type of club that is currently being used. In other words, if wood (1W, 3W, 5W) is selected, the selected number will be displayed as "W", and iron (3I, 4I, 5I, 6I, 7I, 8I, 9I) will be displayed. If a wedge (W) is selected, only “W” is displayed, and if a putter (Pt) is selected, the selected number is displayed. displays only "t" (P can also be displayed using 7 segments).

Furthermore, as will be described later, when equipped with a function to obtain the maximum and minimum values of the estimated flight distance measured in the golf practice mode, the control unit 13 calculates the maximum and minimum values of the estimated flight distance measured in the golf practice mode, in addition to the above estimated flight distance (average value). It is best to display the value and minimum value together. An example of a display layout in such a case is to draw concentric circles (S0: average value, SH: maximum value, SL: minimum value) centered on the self-icon I, as shown in FIG. As a result, it is possible to more accurately predict the range of the destination of the ball in the case of a hit that is too good and the ball flies too far (maximum value) or a miss (minimum value), and the type of club can be appropriately selected.

As described above, in the golf navigation mode, the control unit 13 draws the course layout of the hole currently being played on the display screen of the display device 14, and also draws the own icon at a point corresponding to the current position on the course layout. Draw I. Therefore, when you specify any point on the displayed course layout as the point you want to hit (target point), the control unit 13 calculates the distance from the current position to the specified point, and in order to hit the ball at that distance. It is preferable to have a function of determining a suitable club type and displaying information regarding the determined club type. At this time, it is advisable to display the distance to the point as well.

That is, as will be described later, information (average value, maximum value, minimum value, etc.) regarding the estimated flight distance for each type of club is recorded in the storage device 18 or the like. Therefore, the distance to the point thus determined is compared with the estimated flight distance (for example, average value) of each club type, and the closest club type is determined. Further, the club type is not limited to this, and may be a club type with the closest estimated flight distance among those with a larger estimated flight distance.

Then, the control unit 13 preferably displays the type of club type and estimated flight distance as information on the determined club type. When the estimated flight distance is displayed together with the average value, maximum value, and minimum value, and the distance to the point is also displayed, it is easy to judge whether or not the club type is appropriate.

Furthermore, in the golf navigation mode, actual play can be recorded by using the above-mentioned point registration function and club type designation function. When hitting a ball, the user operates the switch 19 to register the location where the ball will be hit and the type of club to be used. Starting with the first hit, the control unit 13 associates the position where the ball was hit with the type of club used at that time and registers them in the storage device 18. Since the flight distance of the ball hit this time is the distance between the current registered position and the next registered position, the control unit 13 calculates the actual flight distance and compares the distance between the hit point and the next registered position. , club type and actual distance are registered in association with each other. Thereby, the control unit 13 determines the average flight distance, maximum flight distance, and minimum flight distance for each club type, and displays them on the display device 14. At this time, for example, by displaying the actual flight distance and the estimated flight distance together (simultaneously/alternately), it is possible to recognize the difference between the estimated flight distance and the actual flight distance. While playing, the user can successively display the estimated flying distance and the actual flying distance and check the discrepancy between them to see whether the conditions on that day are flying well or not compared to the normal estimated flying distance. In addition, the player can recognize the extent of the impact and appropriately select the type of club to actually use when playing after that day based on the displayed estimated flying distance + club type.

Further, although the flight distance is displayed when a club type is selected, the actual flight distance may be used instead of the estimated flight distance acquired during the golf practice mode as described above. The estimated flight distance is simply calculated for convenience based on swing speed, ball speed, etc., and does not necessarily represent the actual flight distance due to factors such as coefficients used during calculation. Therefore, the control unit 13 has a function of displaying information based on the user's past actual flight distance for the same club type as the flight distance displayed when the club type is selected. In this case, the information based on the actual flight distance may be the average value of the actual flight distances, or may be the maximum or minimum actual flight distance, similar to the estimated flight distance described above. Furthermore, whether to output the actual flight distance or the estimated flight distance can be made an alternative selection based on a switch operation, or both can be displayed.

Further, by registering the historical data of the actual flying distance in association with date (time and date) information, the control unit 13 can display information based on the actual flying distance based on today's play, for example. In this way, the actual flight distance is displayed that is closer to the playing environment such as the player's condition and the course condition on that day, making it easier to formulate a strategy. In particular, when it comes to clubs that are used many times, such as a driver on the teeing ground or a favorite club used on the fairway, being able to check the actual flight distance on that day is helpful in determining the direction of launch, It can provide useful information for making an appropriate selection of count.

Furthermore, since the control unit 13 recognizes which golf course is currently being played, the information based on the above-mentioned actual play (hitting position, club type, flying distance, etc.) is It is preferable to register the golf course in association with information that specifies the golf course (golf course name, identification code, etc.). In this way, if you play multiple times at the same golf course, information based on the actual flight distance at that golf course (average flight distance, maximum flight distance, minimum flight distance, etc. for each club type) will be displayed. That's good.

Further, even if the mode that displays the actual flight distance is selected, there may be no actual flight distance data for the selected club type, so the control unit 13 It would be good to have a function to read and display the distance. In particular, as mentioned above, when you select the actual flight distance limited to that day's play or the actual flight distance limited to that golf course, the type of club selected for the next hit may be used for the first time. Therefore, it is a good idea to display the estimated flight distance as reference information. In that case, the estimated flight distance is displayed so that it can be seen.

Furthermore, by using a removable recording medium such as a memory card as the storage device 18, or by using a communication interface with a USB or other predetermined wired or wireless external device, the actual play data stored in the storage device 18 can be stored. The information collected and recorded based on the information can be transferred to an external device such as a personal computer, where it can be managed or displayed on a large screen.

Inside the second case body 22, there is a microwave Doppler sensor 31 with an output frequency of 24.15 GHz, and an output signal of the Doppler sensor 31 (a signal in which one wave corresponds to 6 mm of movement of the golf club head) is amplified. An amplifier 32 and a comparator 33 that compares the signal amplified by the amplifier 32 with a reference value and outputs a Doppler pulse (a high level signal when the signal is greater than or equal to the reference value, and a low level signal when it is smaller than the reference value). It includes components used only in the practice mode, a communication interface 34 necessary for transmitting and receiving data, etc. to and from the first case main body 21, and a second connector 36. Further, the side surface of the second case body 22 is also provided with a protrusion 35 for causing the connection state detection section 16 in the first case body 21 to detect the connection. A control unit such as a CPU that performs arithmetic processing and control for executing the golf practice mode, switches as a man-machine interface, and an output device (display device) are mounted on the first case body 21. It is used for both purposes.

As a result, when using the golf navigation mode, the second case body housing the Doppler sensor etc. that is unnecessary for the mode can be removed and the first case body 21 operates independently, making it compact and portable to the golf course. And it doesn't get in the way when you carry it around while playing. On the other hand, when using the golf practice mode, by connecting the second case main body 22 and the first case main body 21, it is possible to use a control unit and a man-machine interface mounted on the first case main body 21. The overall size of the device combined with the case body is not very large, and while it is a device that can execute two modes, it is possible to reduce costs by sharing many devices and parts.

The sensors and various electronic circuits inside the second case body 22 operate based on the battery 17 inside the first case body 21. That is, by connecting the first case body 21 and the second case body 22, power is supplied from the first connector 23 to the second case body 22 via the second connector 36.

The analog signal amplified by the amplifier 32 and the pulse signal output from the comparator 33 are given to the control unit 13 via the communication interface 34 → second connector 36 → first connector 23 → communication interface 20. The analog signal amplified by the amplifier 32 is converted into a digital signal by an A/D converter built in the control section 13.

When the second case body 22 is connected to the first case body 21, the control unit 13 executes the golf practice mode. Therefore, the control unit 13 determines the swing speed based on these signals. That is, as described above, when the power is turned on, the analog waveform obtained by amplifying the output of the Doppler sensor 31 with the amplifier 32 is threshold-processed and encoded with the comparator 33, and a Doppler pulse is sent from the comparator 33 to the controller 13. is input. Therefore, the control unit 13 uses a built-in counter to determine the period of the Doppler pulse, and determines the speed of the moving object. If the moving object is a golf club head, the head speed is determined, and if the moving object is a ball, the ball speed (initial velocity) is determined. As this specific calculation algorithm, various calculation algorithms can be used, in addition to the technique disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-86845.

Furthermore, since this device specializes in measuring head speed when swinging a golf club, it stores speed data from the start of the swing to the end, and then calculates the maximum speed of the swing from the accumulated data. It's good to do that.

Further, when only practicing swinging without placing the ball, the control unit 13 can easily determine the head speed using the above-mentioned known algorithm. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the ball is actually hit, the control unit 13 simultaneously determines the ball speed and head speed. This is because the moving speed of the head as the golf club swings gradually increases from the start of the swing, reaches its maximum speed around the time before and after hitting the ball, and then gradually slows down. On the other hand, at the beginning of the swing of the golf club, the ball remains stationary and its moving speed is 0. When the ball hits the ball and is struck by the head, the ball moves and its speed increases. There is a difference between the peak of the change in head speed and the peak of the change in ball speed (the peak of ball speed occurs with a delay). Therefore, since two speed peaks occur, the respective speeds can be determined. Specifically, both speeds can be determined using, for example, the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-86845.

Further, the ball speed is not limited to what is determined based on the Doppler pulse as described above, and for example, the signal output from the amplifier 32 (the signal obtained by amplifying the Doppler signal output by the Doppler sensor 31) is The D-converted data may be separately stored in a memory, and the calculation may be performed by performing frequency spectrum analysis (for example, fast Fourier transform (FFT), etc.) on the A/D-converted data stored in the memory. The golf ball is smaller and farther away than the head. Even with input signals such as small-level Doppler signals due to small reflected waves and disadvantageous signal-to-noise ratios, FFT uses frequency decomposition to disperse noise components over the entire frequency and extract signal components as line spectra. A sufficient SN ratio for analysis can be ensured.

Further, it is preferable to start storing data in the memory on the condition that a swing is detected. In this way, there is no need to constantly accumulate data, and the load required for memory update processing is reduced. At this time, the swing determining function may determine that there is a swing when the period of the Doppler signal based on the Doppler signal output by the Doppler sensor 31 has a periodic pattern corresponding to the swing of the golf club. The control unit 13 displays the determined speed on the display device 14 or stores it in the storage device 18.

Furthermore, this device is equipped with a club selection switch as a switch 19 for selecting and specifying the club type according to the club to be used. The button elements constituting the switch 19 are the same as those used in the golf navigation mode, and the control unit 13 recognizes the operation of the same switch as a different instruction depending on the mode being executed. The control unit 13 then calculates the estimated flight distance from the selected club type, head speed, ball speed, and other information. Specifically, when the control unit 13 recognizes that the club selection switch is pressed (for example, a "short press"), it cycles through club types in the following order.
"1W → 3W → 5W → 3I → 4I → 5I → 6I → 7I → 8I → 9I → W (wedge) → Pt (putter)"

In addition, in accordance with this club type tour, the control unit 13 displays the currently selected club type display area set at a predetermined position on the display screen of the display device 14 using "W, I, t and 7 segments" as appropriate. Displays the club type that is currently being used. In other words, if wood (1W, 3W, 5W) is selected, the selected number will be displayed as "W", and iron (3I, 4I, 5I, 6I, 7I, 8I, 9I) will be displayed. If a wedge (W) is selected, only “W” is displayed, and if a putter (Pt) is selected, the selected number is displayed. displays only "t" (P can also be displayed using 7 segments).

The control unit 13 includes an estimated flight distance calculation function. This estimated flight distance calculation function calculates the estimated flight distance from the ball speed and the type of club used when actually hitting the ball, and calculates the estimated flight distance from the head speed and the type of club used when practicing. It is a function. Specifically, a coefficient for ball speed and a coefficient for bed speed are set in advance for each club type (a table of club types and coefficients is provided), and a coefficient corresponding to the club type is set for ball speed or head speed. The multiplied value is the estimated flying distance. Note that the presence or absence of a ball may be designated manually by manual operation, or may be automatically recognized by a device provided with various sensors.

The measurement results are stored in the storage device 18. In accordance with instructions based on the operation of the switch 19, the control unit 13 reads out the past history stored in the storage device 18 and displays it on the display device 14, or calculates and displays the average value of the past measurement results. It has a function of displaying on the device 14. The average value is the average value of the club type selected from the history (up to 500 records) recorded in the storage device 18. Further, the control unit 13 extracts the highest value and the highest value for each club type and displays them together.

Further, as explained in the golf navigation mode, when the actual flight distance is calculated by point registration etc. and recorded together with the type of club used, the control unit 13 calculates the actual flying distance by registering a point etc. and records it together with the type of club used. It is preferable to read out the actual flight distance, calculate a correction value from the difference/ratio with the estimated flight distance, and use the correction value to correct the estimated flight distance. In addition, when it comes to actual flight distance, for example, with a driver or the like, a full shot is often taken in actual play, but with a large iron or the like, a half shot is often taken based on the remaining distance. Therefore, when in golf navigation mode, information on whether or not to use it as data when calculating the average value of the actual flight distance (whether or not you made a full shot) is also recorded as additional information, and this correction value is used as additional information. When calculating, it is preferable to use the average value of the actual flight distance in the case of a full shot based on the additional information. The display of the actual flight distance in the golf navigation mode may also be determined from shots that meet certain conditions, such as full shots.

Next, the "training mode", which is one of the golf practice modes, will be explained. The training mode assumes a virtual golf course, and allows you to play around the virtual course in a game-like manner. There is a ``Full Round'' where you play 1 to 18 holes in one set, and a ``Hole Designation'' where you complete a set of 1 to 18 holes. . By operating a hole designation switch prepared as a switch 18, a play style of "full round" or "hole designation" is selected. In this embodiment, 18 holes are prepared, so for example, each time the hole designation switch is pressed, "Full round" → "Hole designation (No. 1)" → "Hole designation (No. 2)" →... The selection changes as follows: "Hole designation (No. 18)" → "Full round" →... Of course, the specification can be made easier by increasing the number of switches.

The course layout of the virtual course (18 holes in total) used in the training mode is stored in the storage device 18 of the first case body 21 or the golf course data storage section 12 and displayed on the display device 14.

An example of the layout of one hole is the hole layout shown in FIG. 6. The user then proceeds with the game based on the layout diagram of the hole to be played. Further, the holes on the software executed by the control unit 13 are simply divided into zones according to distance, as shown in FIG.

This training mode reads the stored map data of a virtual golf course (course) (distance from teeing ground to cup, position of penalty zones such as OB and water hazards, etc.), and uses it to read out the map data of the virtual golf course (course) (distance from teeing ground to cup, position of penalty zones such as OB and water hazards, etc.), and The estimated flight distance is calculated from the speed or ball speed, the remaining distance to the cup is determined, and the calculated remaining distance and the number of strokes so far are displayed on the display device 14, and finally the cup is in (the remaining distance is a threshold value). Repeat until below).

In other words, the control unit 13 calculates the estimated flight distance based on the head speed or ball speed, subtracts the calculated estimated flight distance from the remaining distance at the ball shot position, and calculates the estimated flight distance based on the ball's stopping point (the next ball shot position). Find the remaining distance at the position) and add "1 stroke" to the number of strokes. The control unit 13 displays the determined remaining distance and number of strokes on the display device 14. Furthermore, if the stopping point of the ball (the next ball shot position) obtained by adding the estimated flight distance to the current position is a penalty area such as a water hazard or OB, the control unit 13 flashes the remaining distance for a few seconds and then The penalty is added to the number of strokes and the remaining distance is corrected, and the corrected number of strokes and remaining distance are displayed. The remaining distance is determined by setting the boundary position of the water hazard on the teeing ground side as the shot position of the next ball when the ball enters a water hazard, and calculating the distance from there to the cup. Furthermore, when the ball enters the OB zone, the previous shot position is set as the next shot position, and the distance from there to the cup is set as the remaining distance after correction. In other words, the remaining distance from the previous shot (the distance obtained by adding the estimated flight distance from the previous shot to the current remaining distance) becomes the corrected remaining distance.

Then, when the stopping point of the ball is in the green area (the green is turned on), the microcontroller 14 lights up the "NICE ON" logo on the display device 14. Furthermore, on the green, the unit of distance changes from "yard" to "m" (meter).

Furthermore, when the remaining distance becomes 1 m or less, it is regarded as a cup-in, and the control unit 13 displays a display expressing cup-in on the display device 14 for several seconds. Further, when the remaining distance is in the range of 1 to 3 meters, it is set as "OK" (one stroke plus hole out), and the control unit 13 displays OK on the display device 14 for several seconds.

Furthermore, a function is provided to use the course layout of an actual golf course stored in the golf course data storage section 12 as the course layout used in this training mode. As a result, it is possible to enjoy the simulation as if playing on an actual golf course, for example, at a golf driving range, or to use it for practice before actual play.

Actually, the user selects the golf course to be used from a menu screen (not shown). As described above, the golf course data storage unit 12 stores data about the actual golf course as one type of golf information (course layout of each hole, position of objects on the course such as golf course greens and bunkers), etc. is stored, the control unit 13 accesses the golf course data storage unit 12, reads out the course layout for the specified golf course, and draws the course layout of a predetermined hole on the display device 14. At this time, the predetermined hole to be drawn is the same as the virtual golf course in the training mode described above. If "full round" is selected, in which all holes are played in order from the first hole, the first hole is the predetermined hole to be drawn. Thereafter, when the play of that hole is completed, the next hole becomes the predetermined hole. Further, when "hole designation" to play a designated hole is selected, the designated hole becomes the predetermined hole to be drawn.

The user specifies the place to hit the ball (shot position) on the hole to be played, which is drawn on the display device 14 . This can be specified, for example, by providing a touch panel on the display screen of the display device 14 and touching an arbitrary point on the course layout drawn on the display device 14. The control unit 13 sets the point on the course layout touched by the touch panel as a shot position, and draws a predetermined icon (mark) at the shot position. The user can check whether the shot position is correct by looking at the icon. If the position of the drawn icon is different from what the user expects, the user touches the display device 14 (touch panel) again to reset the shot position.

In an actual golf game, the first shot is made from a teeing ground. Therefore, the user can specify the tee shot position by touching any point within the teeing ground on the course layout drawn on the display device 14. Furthermore, if you touch the area outside the teeing ground, you can practice your second and subsequent shots when playing at an actual golf course. In other words, by specifying various points near the green, you can practice aiming at the green from various points, and you can practice strategies for hitting the second shot onwards in case you miss your tee shot. I can do it.

Furthermore, since the first shot in an actual play is a tee shot from the teeing ground, the golf course data storage unit 12 is stored in advance at a predetermined position within the teeing ground (a preset position such as the center of the area, the center of the front end, etc.). ) may be registered, and the control unit 13 may determine the registered predetermined position in the teeing ground as the read shot position. In this way, the shot position is automatically determined, eliminating the need for the user to specify it manually.

The control unit 13 recognizes the club type specified via the club selection switch, calculates the estimated flight distance from the swing speed or ball speed using the estimated flight distance calculation function, and creates a course layout centered on the determined shot position. Draw concentric circles of estimated flight distance on the display.

The user specifies a predetermined position on the concentric circle of the displayed estimated flight distance. When a ball is actually hit, the direction of the ball is estimated based on the actual direction of the ball, and the intersection of the direction of the ball and the concentric circles is specified. Also, if you are just practicing swinging, specify an arbitrary point. This designation is performed by touching a corresponding position on the displayed concentric circles when a touch panel is placed on the display device 14. Furthermore, if there is no touch panel, the control unit 13 draws a mark (cursor) indicating a candidate stop position for the ball at an arbitrary point on the displayed concentric circles. Then, the user operates the cursor keys prepared as the switch 19, moves the mark indicating the above-mentioned stop position candidate along the concentric circle of the estimated flight distance, and selects an arbitrary position to specify it. .

This designated point becomes the point where the next ball is hit (shot position). Further, displaying the flight distance, remaining distance to the hole, etc. is the same as in the golf navigation mode and the golf practice mode. This process is repeated until the hole is completed. Furthermore, when the ball lands on the green, as in the above-described training mode, if the ball reaches a predetermined distance to the cup position, it may be considered to be in the cup, or an additional stroke may be added to indicate an OK putt.

This simulation data is recorded in the storage device 18, imported into an external device such as a personal computer, and can be displayed, stored, and processed on that personal computer as well. In addition, if performance data from actual play is stored for the course being simulated, the control unit 13 reads out the average value, maximum value, minimum value, etc. of the data, and displays and compares it also during this simulation. Display etc.

The results of the simulation using the course layout of an actual golf course are stored in the storage device 18, and when executed in the golf navigation mode at the actual golf course, the control unit 13 The simulation results stored in the device 18 can be read out and output to the display device 14. This allows you to check the simulation results during actual play and use them as a reference for hole strategy.

FIG. 7 and subsequent figures show another algorithm for executing a training mode (simulation) using the course layout of an actual golf course. In the embodiment described above, the stopping position of the ball is determined by the user specifying an arbitrary point on a concentric circle that corresponds to the estimated flight distance centered on the shot position. This is because although this device can calculate the estimated flight distance of a shot ball, it cannot detect the direction in which the ball flies. Therefore, in the above embodiment, the user is allowed to specify by manual operation. By allowing the user to designate the ball in this way, when the ball is actually hit, the stopping position can be determined according to the flight direction of the ball, making it possible to perform a simulation that is closer to the actual play. On the other hand, it is complicated in that it is necessary to specify the stopping position of the ball each time a shot is made. Therefore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 and subsequent figures, the golf practice/assistance device 10 (control unit 13) is provided with a function of automatically determining the stopping position of the ball.

In order to realize the function of automatically determining the stop position of the ball, the above-described embodiment is used as data about the actual golf course stored in the golf course data storage unit 12 in relation to the course layout of each hole. In addition to the above information, location information for identifying the boundary line between fairway and rough should also be registered. The positional information for specifying the position of this boundary line is information indicating the absolute position of any point on the boundary line and the order in which each point is arranged. This allows the boundary line between fairway and rough to be recreated by connecting the absolute positions of adjacent points with a straight line or the like. The more points on the boundary line that are registered, the closer to the shape of the actual fairway can be reproduced. In addition, location information for identifying the boundaries of ponds and other water hazards, the outer rim of the green, and the location of the outer rim of each hole is also registered. do. The location information for identifying the boundary line of these water hazards, the outer edge of the green, and the outer edge of the hole is the location information for identifying the boundary line between the fairway and the rough. Similar to information, this is information indicating the absolute position information of arbitrary points on each boundary line or outer periphery, and the order in which each point is arranged. Furthermore, position information (absolute position information) of the cup is also registered in the golf course data storage section 12 .
The algorithm for implementing the function of automatically determining the stop position of the ball is as follows.

[Determining tee shot position]
First, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the control unit 13 determines the position P of the tee shot. This determination may be made in response to a user's designation as in the above-described embodiment, or may be made at a predetermined position within the teeing ground registered in the golf course data storage unit 12 (such as the center of the area, the center of the front end, etc.). may be automatically set to a preset position).

[Determining the ball stopping position: Based on both sides of the fairway]
Next, the control unit 13 recognizes the club type specified via the club selection switch, and calculates the estimated flight distance from the swing speed or ball speed using the estimated flight distance calculation function. The control unit 13 determines the intersection points A and B between the concentric circle S of the estimated flight distance r centered on the shot position P and both sides of the fairway F (border line with the rough), and determines the intersection points A and B. Find the midpoint Q of the connecting virtual line KS. That is, the control unit 13 extracts the points registered as position information in order to identify the boundary line with the fairway trough that exists near the circumference of the concentric circle S, and from the information indicating the order of each point, the concentric circle S Find two consecutive points that exist across the circumference of , and find the intersection of the line segment connecting those two points and the concentric circle S. The control unit 13 executes such processing on both sides of the fairway F to obtain the respective intersection points A and B.

The control unit 13 determines the stopping position of the ball based on the determined midpoint Q. Specifically, the position of the midpoint Q is set as the stop position. Then, the control unit 13 places an icon indicating the stop position (indicated as an "x" in the figure, but it may be an icon resembling a ball or other various types) at a position on the course layout display corresponding to the determined stop position. draw). The reason why the midpoint of the virtual line KS formed by the straight line connecting the two intersection points A and B is determined as the ball stop position in this way is that calculation processing can be performed easily. Note that the illustrated concentric circles S and virtual line KS are for explaining the algorithm of the calculation processing of the control unit 13, and these concentric circles S and virtual line KS are not actually displayed on the display device 14.

[Shots after the second shot]
In the case of a second or subsequent shot, the control unit 13 sets the ball stop position automatically determined in conjunction with the previous shot as the current shot position. As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 13 calculates the estimated flight distance from the swing speed or ball speed using the estimated flight distance calculation function in the same way as described above, and calculates the estimated flight distance centered at the hit point (current shot position). The intersection points A1 and B1 between the concentric circle S1 of r1 and both sides of the fairway F (boundaries with the rough) are found, and the midpoint Q1 of the virtual line KS1 connecting the intersections A1 and B1 is found. Then, the control unit 13 determines the stopping position of the ball based on the determined midpoint Q1. Here, the position of the midpoint Q1 is determined as the ball stopping position. Then, the control unit 13 places an icon indicating the stop position (in the figure, it is an "X", but it may be an icon resembling a ball or other various types) at a position on the course layout display that corresponds to the determined stop position. Draw.

[Green-on processing]
As shown in FIG. 8, when the concentric circle based on the estimated flight distance intersects the green G like the concentric circle S3, the control unit 13 determines that the green is on. The determination as to whether or not the ball intersects with the green G is made based on whether or not there is an intersection between the outer periphery of the green registered in the golf course data storage unit 12 and concentric circles based on the estimated flight distance. If the intersection exists, the control unit 13 determines that the green is on.

If the green is on, the control unit 13 determines the stopping position of the ball on the green. That is, the control unit 13 finds the intersection of the concentric circle S3 and the boundary line of the green G, finds the midpoint of the virtual line connecting the intersections, and determines the position where the green is turned on based on the midpoint. Such processing can be executed by replacing both sides of the fairway with the boundary line of the green in the process of finding the intersections of both sides of the fairway (boundaries with the rough) and the concentric circles S, S1.

[Holeout processing]
The control unit 13 reads the position information of the cup position registered in the golf course data storage unit 12, and calculates the distance (remaining distance) from the green-on position to the cup position. If the calculated remaining distance is less than or equal to a predetermined distance (for example, 1 m), it is regarded as a chip-in, the process for the hole is ended, and play of the next hole is started.

The golf practice/assistance device of this embodiment can also estimate the distance of a putt. Therefore, if the remaining distance to the cup exceeds the predetermined distance, the control unit 13 subtracts the estimated flight distance obtained from the putt from the remaining distance from the position where the green is turned on to the cup. Find the remaining distance. If the remaining distance after the putt is less than or equal to a predetermined distance (for example, 1 m), it is regarded as a cup-in, and the control unit 13 displays a display representing cup-in on the display device 14 for several seconds. Further, when the remaining distance is in the range of 1 to 3 meters, it is set as "OK" (one stroke plus hole out), and the control unit 13 displays OK on the display device 14 for several seconds.

In addition, processing based on the putt is omitted, and the position where the ball is on the green is determined, and if the distance between that position and the cup is within a predetermined distance (for example, 1 m), it is determined that the chip has been chipped in, and if the distance is greater than the predetermined distance, it is determined that the green is on. may be controlled by adding one stroke as the number of putts and assuming that the player has holed out. Further, instead of adding one putt if the player simply hits the green, a predetermined number of putts may be added depending on the distance to the cup.

[Processing when both sides of the fairway are unavailable]
As shown in FIG. 7, for example, the estimated flight distance r4 of a ball hit from a teeing ground may be too short to reach the fairway. Then, the intersections between the concentric circle S4 of the estimated flight distance r4 and both sides of the fairway F cannot be found. In this case, the control unit 13 uses both sides of the hole instead of both sides of the fairway. That is, since the golf course data storage unit 12 also registers position information for specifying the position of the outer periphery of the hole, the same process as described above for both sides of the fairway, that is, the fairway and rough Processing is performed by replacing the position information for specifying the position of the boundary line with position information for specifying the position of the outer periphery of the hole.

That is, the control unit 13 extracts points registered as position information in order to specify the outer periphery of a hole existing near the circumference of the concentric circle S4, and extracts points registered as position information, and determines the circumference of the concentric circle S4 from information indicating the order of arrangement of each point. Find two consecutive points that straddle the two points, and find the intersection of the line segment connecting those two points and the concentric circle S4. The control unit 13 calculates the respective intersection points A'' and B'' by executing such processing on both sides of the hole. Then, the control unit 13 determines the midpoint Q4 of the virtual line KS that connects the intersections A'' and B'', and determines the stopping position of the ball based on the determined midpoint Q. The position of point Q4 is set as the stop position.Then, the control unit 13 places an icon indicating the stop position (indicated as an " drawing (which can be of various other types).

Further, there are cases where the estimated flight distance of a ball hit toward the green is short and the ball stops at a position between the fairway and the green (see concentric circle S2 in FIG. 8). In such a case, since it is not possible to find the intersections between the concentric circle S2 and both sides of the fairway, the control unit 13 finds the intersections A2 and B2 between both sides of the hole and the concentric circle S2, and creates a virtual line connecting the intersections. The stopping position of the ball is determined based on the midpoint of the line KS2.

[Determination of ball stopping position (Modification 1): Based on hole side]
In the above-described embodiment in which the stopping position of the ball is automatically determined, the stopping position is determined based on the midpoint Q between both sides A and B of the fairway, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 13 makes the determination based on the midpoint of intersections A' and B' between both sides of the hole and the concentric circle S. That is, since the golf course data storage unit 12 also registers position information for specifying the position of the outer periphery of the hole, the same process as described above for both sides of the fairway, that is, the fairway and rough Processing is performed by replacing the position information for specifying the position of the boundary line with position information for specifying the position of the outer periphery of the hole. In other words, even if there are intersections between the concentric circle and both sides of the fairway, the above-described "processing when both sides of the fairway are unavailable" is executed. In this way, the stopping position of the ball can be determined using the same algorithm regardless of whether there is an intersection between the fairway and the concentric circles.

However, depending on the hole, there may be a large forest on either the left or right side, and the area on one side of the fairway may be extremely wide. In such a case, if you take the midpoint between both sides of the hole, there is a risk that the ball will stop at a position that is off the fairway or in some cases in the woods. In this case, it is preferable to have a function of determining a predetermined position within the fairway as the ball stopping position. Such a function, for example, determines the midpoint of an imaginary line connecting the intersections with both sides of the hole, and determines whether the midpoint is within the fairway. If it is within the fairway, the midpoint position is determined as the ball stopping position. On the other hand, if the ball is outside the fairway, find a predetermined position within the fairway on the virtual line KS, such as the intersection with the side of the fairway that is closer to the midpoint position, and determine the stopping position of the ball based on that position. do. If such an intersection point does not exist, this means that the ball has not reached the fairway, so the midpoint of the virtual line is determined as the stopping position of the ball.

[Determination of ball stop position (Modification 2)]
In the above-described embodiment and modification example 1, an imaginary line is found that connects the concentric circles whose radius is the estimated flight distance with the shot position as the center, and the intersections of the fairway, green, or both sides of the course, and the line inside the imaginary line is The point was taken as the stopping position of the ball. This imaginary line is also a chord between two intersection points on the circumference of concentric circles, and if the midpoint of the imaginary line is the stopping position of the ball, it will be shorter than the estimated flight distance.

Therefore, it is preferable to set the stopping position of the ball at a predetermined position on the circumference of the concentric circle. Specifically, the control unit 13 finds the midpoint of arc AB, where A and B are the intersections of the concentric circle and both sides of the fairway, and determines that position as the ball stopping position. The midpoint of this arc AB, for example, using the midpoint Q of the straight virtual line KS connecting the above-mentioned intersections A and B, intersects the radius passing from the center P (shot position) of the concentric circle S to the midpoint Q. Find a point on the circumference of the concentric circle S and use that point as the stopping position of the ball. The calculation process is not limited to the determination based on the midpoint Q of the virtual line KS as described above, and calculation processing for determining the midpoint of the arc AB may be performed. By determining the stop position of the ball on the circumference of the concentric circle S in this manner, the stop position of the ball will be at the position corresponding to the estimated flight distance, which is preferable in that accurate simulation can be performed.

The predetermined position on the circumference of the above-mentioned concentric circles is determined as the stopping position of the ball, not only the midpoint of the arc between both sides of the fairway, but also the arc between the intersections of the concentric circle and both sides of the green. It is preferable to use the midpoint of the hole to find the green-on position, or to find the stopping position of the ball using the midpoint of the arc between the intersections of the concentric circles and both sides of the hole.

Taking as an example the case where the ball is hit from the teeing ground in Figure 7 and the estimated flight distance r2 is too short to reach the fairway, the width of both sides of the hole is longer than the width of the fairway, so the stopping position of the ball is There is a large difference in flight distance between setting the midpoint Q4 of string A″B″ and setting the midpoint Q4′ of arc A″B″, so the midpoint Q4′ of arc A″B is set as An accurate simulation can be performed by setting the stop position to .

Taking the second shot in FIG. 8 as an example, if the estimated flight distance is between the fairway and the green, such as when the concentric circles of the estimated flight distance are "S2", then the intersection point A2 on both sides of the hole , B2, the midpoint of the virtual line (string) KS2 is the stopping position of the ball. Even though the estimated flight distance is beyond the fairway, the midpoint of the virtual line KS2 is beyond the fairway. However, if the ball's stopping position is determined to be on the circumference of the concentric circle S2 of the estimated flight distance as in this modification, such a contradiction does not occur.

In particular, if the course layout of the hole is dogwrecked or the hole is wide, and the distance between the two intersections of the concentric circles and the two sides of the hole is long, an imaginary line connecting the intersections with a straight line ( The difference is large because the stopping position of the ball is determined on the concentric circle (arc) and the stopping position of the ball is determined on the concentric circle (arc).

Therefore, it is possible to set the stopping position of the ball on a concentric circle as in this modified example, or to use the midpoint of the virtual line, which is easy to perform calculations, to set the stopping position of the ball between two intersection points on the concentric circle. If the distance exceeds a reference value, it may be set on concentric circles (the midpoint of the arc between two intersection points).

[Ball stop position correction function]
The control unit 13 is preferably provided with a position correction function for the automatically determined stopping position of the ball. That is, for example, when touch panels are arranged in an overlapping manner on the display device 14, when the control unit 13 detects that the user has dragged the icon indicating the stop position of the ball, the control unit 13 moves the stop position in accordance with the drag. The movement at this time is preferably on a virtual line or on concentric circles. In addition, if there is no touch panel, the control unit 13 receives a movement direction instruction from a cursor key prepared as a switch 19, and displays an icon indicating a stop position in the specified movement direction on an imaginary line or concentric circles. Moving.

[Treatment of water hazards, etc.]
The golf course data storage unit 12 also registers position information (boundary lines) for identifying areas such as water hazards. Therefore, the control unit 13 determines whether the stop position of the ball determined by the various algorithms described above is within the water hazard, and if it is within the water hazard, the control unit 13 moves the ball to a predetermined position on the near side of the water hazard. The stop position is determined and one additional stroke is added. The predetermined position on the near side of such a water hazard is, for example, the intersection of the boundary line of the water hazard (on the opposite side of the green) and the straight line passing through the initially determined stopping position of the ball in the water hazard and the cup position. and determine the corresponding intersection at the predetermined position.

[Visualization of calculation processing]
In the embodiment described above, an icon indicating the stop position is drawn without drawing the concentric circles S or the virtual line KS, but the control unit 13 also draws the concentric circles S of the estimated flying distance r. , a function of drawing a virtual line KS in addition to the concentric circles S may be provided.

[Embodiment using strategy route]
The algorithm for automatically determining the stopping position of the ball is not limited to the above-mentioned examples. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a strategy route RT is registered for each hole, and the ball is determined to stop on the strategy route RT.

That is, position information for specifying the strategy route RT is registered in the golf course data storage unit 12 in association with each hole. This strategy route RT connects from a predetermined position (for example, the center) of the teeing ground to the green (cup). The positional information for specifying this strategy route RT includes the absolute position of any point on the strategy route RT, and the location information for specifying the position of the boundary line between fairway and rough, as well as the absolute position of any point on the strategy route RT. This is information indicating the sort order. By registering the position information of many positions on the line indicating the strategy route RT, even complex curves can be reproduced and a more accurate strategy route can be created.

As shown in FIG. 9, in a dog-legged course, the strategy route RT is specified by a curved line or a polygonal line. If the strategy route is curved in this way, the positional information for specifying the strategy route RT is the predetermined position in the teeing ground, the predetermined position in the green (cup position), and the curved inflection point. Register the location information of the point. The more inflection points you register, the more smoothly you can set a route that follows the course layout. On the other hand, as the number of registered routes decreases, the reproduced strategy route RT becomes a linear polygonal line, making it impossible to reproduce a smooth curve, but it is possible to reduce the amount of memory used.

For short holes and other holes with a straight course layout, the strategy route RT may be specified by a straight line connecting the teeing ground and the cup. In the case of such a straight line, the positional information for specifying the strategy route RT will register the absolute positions of at least two points: a predetermined position within the teeing ground and the green (cup). Of course, position information for multiple points on a straight line may be registered.

Since the actual cup position varies depending on the day, it is best to set the strategy route RT using the center of the green as a virtual cup position. In addition, the strategy route RT actually varies depending on the influence of trees and other obstacles planted on the course and the player's flight distance, but if there is a route recommended or exemplified at a golf course, etc. , it is a good idea to use it.

[Stopping position determination process]
The actual ball stopping position is determined as follows. The control unit 13 recognizes the club type specified via the club selection switch, calculates the estimated flight distance from the swing speed or ball speed, and creates a concentric circle S of the estimated flight distance r centered on the point P where the ball was hit. The intersection point Q' with the strategy route RT is determined, and the position of the intersection point Q' is determined as the stopping position of the ball. For example, the intersection point Q' between the concentric circle S and the strategy route RT is determined from among the position information registered to specify the strategy route RT. It is determined by acquiring the position information of two positions and finding the intersection between the line connecting the two positions and the circumference of the concentric circle S. Then, an icon indicating the stop position is drawn at a position on the course layout display corresponding to the determined ball stop position. For the second and subsequent shots, the same procedure is used to find the stopping position of the ball, and the process is repeated until the ball is holed out. Other processing can be similar to that described above. By setting the strategy route RT in this way, the process of determining the stopping position of the ball for each shot can be easily performed.

[User registration process for strategy route]
Although the strategy route RT is registered in the golf course data storage unit 12 at the time of shipment or by updating the data after purchase, it is preferable to provide a function for user registration. That is, the control unit 13 displays the course layout of the holes to be registered on the display device 14 according to instructions from the user. The user specifies an arbitrary point in the displayed course layout by touching it. At this time, touch the route from the teeing ground to the green in order. The control unit 13 draws the designated point with a circle or other mark, and also draws a straight line connecting adjacent points. As a result, a strategy route consisting of polygonal lines is drawn superimposed on the course layout. If the user is satisfied with the displayed strategy route, the user presses a confirm button or the like. When the control unit 13 detects that the confirm button is pressed, it registers the currently displayed strategy route (the point touched by the user) as information about the strategy route in the user data.

Further, it is preferable that each point for specifying a strategy route in the user data has a function of moving the position in an edit mode, deleting a set point, or adding a new point. With this, it is possible to set a strategy route according to the improvement of the user's technical ability. In this way, the user can set an appropriate strategy route according to the balls he owns, the flight distance, etc., and can perform simulations and practices that are more suitable for actual battles.

It is also good to have a function that allows you to edit the strategy routes that are registered as standard. That is, when such a strategy route is reproduced by connecting a plurality of registered points (inflection points), each point can be moved. The edited strategy route may be updated by overwriting, or may be saved separately as user data.

Further, in the embodiment, one strategy route is prepared as standard for each hole, but a plurality of strategies may be set and the user can select one when using the strategy route. The multiple strategy routes include, for example, "general men," "women's," (the strategy route from ladies tees), "long distance hitter," and "beginner" (for those with short distances).

In use, the control unit 13 determines the stopping point of the ball based on either the user data strategy route or the standard strategy route. As to which one to use, instructions from the user may be accepted each time, or if user data is available, the user data may be used with priority.

In each of the above modes, the control unit 13 preferably has a function of determining the hit rate when the ball is actually hit. The hit rate can be determined based on the head speed and the speed (initial velocity) of the ball launched. In other words, when the ball is successfully punched (high hit rate), the head 2a of the golf club 2 crushes and pushes out the ball 4, and the ball 4 receives repulsive force from its own elastic restoring force and from the head 2a. The ball speed (initial velocity) increases due to the moment of inertia. On the other hand, if the ball cannot be punched cleanly (poor hit: low contact rate), the above-mentioned repulsive force is small, the moment of inertia received from the head 2a is also small, and the ball speed becomes slow. Therefore, the control unit 13
The meet rate is calculated from meet rate = ball speed/head speed.

The control unit 13 totals the meet rate for each club type, determines the average value, the highest value, and the lowest value, and records them in the storage device 20 or displays them on the display device 14. By looking at the average value for each type of club, users can objectively recognize which clubs they are good at, with a high meet rate, and which clubs they are bad at, with a low meet rate, and this can be useful for building subsequent practice plans. . In addition, by looking at the highest and lowest values, you can determine which club types have a stable meet rate and which club types have an unstable meet rate from the difference between them. For club types with a stable hitting rate, if the head speed is constant, the variation in flight distance will be small, but if the hitting rate is not stable, the variance in flying distance will be large even if the head speed is constant. Become. The estimated flight distance obtained from the head speed may be multiplied by a coefficient based on the hit rate to obtain the actual predicted flight distance.

As this coefficient, the meet rate may be simply used as it is, or a table of multipliers for the meet rate may be prepared and the multipliers for the meet rate may be used. The higher the meet rate, the larger the multiplication rate becomes.

In the case of the golf practice mode, as described above, by outputting the meet rate as a measurement result to the display device 14, the user can recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each club type. The meet rate can be displayed simply as text, or in graphics such as a bar graph or concentric circles to show the average value, maximum value, and minimum value, so that the range of variation can be intuitively understood for each club type. You can also do it.

In addition, when operating in Golf Navi mode, the estimated flight distance (average value) and range of dispersion (maximum/minimum) when a club type is selected from the current position are calculated and displayed, taking into account the hit rate. The distance may be determined and displayed.

Furthermore, in a training mode using the course layout of an actual golf course, processing that takes into account the meeting rate will make it more realistic. That is, when the hit rate is low, the estimated flight distance decreases, but the ball often does not fly straight (slices/hooks) due to missed shots. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, when the meet rate is below the reference value, the control unit 13 determines a position shifted by a predetermined angle θ from the attack route RT as the ball stopping position. That is, the control unit 13 determines the intersection point Q'' between the concentric circle S', where the estimated flight distance has become shorter due to the decrease in the hit rate, and the correction line rotated by the angle θ from the strategy route RT, and determines the intersection point Q'' when the ball stops. By using the angle, if the flight distance is short, the amount of deviation from the strategy route RT will be small, but if the flight distance is long, the amount of deviation from the strategy route RT will be large. It becomes something.

The angle θ may be a fixed value, or may be increased as the meet rate is lower, so that the angle θ becomes more curved (deviates from the strategy route). As for the direction of shift, it can be randomly determined each time, or it can be shifted in a predetermined direction, or if the meet rate is less than a reference value, it can be shifted to the right or left of the user. It may also be possible to inquire whether to shift, wait for an instruction from the user, and then shift in the indicated direction. The predetermined direction may be such that the device always shifts to one side, or may be specified by the user. If it is determined to some extent whether to turn to the right or left when the user makes a miss shot, the latter method will more closely approximate the actual situation.

The next shot is processed using the ball's stopping position, which is deviated from the strategy route, as the shot position. That is, once the estimated flight distance is determined based on the swing, etc., the intersection of a concentric circle centered on the stop position of the misaligned ball and the attack route RT is determined, and that point is determined as the stop position of the next ball.

Furthermore, when the ball deviates from the strategy route RT in this way, or because the flight distance is too short or too long, the stopping position of the ball may deviate from the fairway, such as the rough. In this case, when actually hitting the ball from such a position, it is easy to make a miss shot, so when hitting from a position other than the fairway, the estimated flight distance is multiplied by a predetermined coefficient to shorten the flight distance. It would be even more interesting if it had a function to randomly shift the strategy route RT by a predetermined angle θ.

Each result stored in the storage device 14 in each mode can be transferred to a personal computer and stored in the storage device of the personal computer, allowing a large amount of data to be stored and managed over a long period of time. Furthermore, by displaying the data recorded in this way on a computer screen, it becomes easier to view, and by performing more complex arithmetic processing and statistical processing, it is also possible to perform more detailed analysis.

Further, in each of the embodiments described above, golf information such as the course layout of a golf course is registered in the golf course data storage section 12, and the control section 13 accesses the golf course data storage section 12 to obtain necessary data. is read out and subjected to various processing, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, part or all of the information to be registered in the golf course data storage section 12 is registered in the server. The golf practice/assistance device has a function of communicating with such a server, and the control unit 13 accesses the server as appropriate, acquires necessary information, and executes processing.

In this case, the information to be registered on the server includes not only information common to multiple users such as the course layout of the golf course, but also user-specific information such as the strategy route set by the user for use in training mode. obtain. Common information can be accessed and acquired by each person, and user-specific information is identified by an ID or the like so that only the user himself/herself can access it. Furthermore, each result stored in the storage device 14 in each mode is also registered in the server as user-specific information, and after accessing and acquiring the server when using the average flight distance etc., each of the above-mentioned processing is performed. It may also be executed.

In each of the embodiments and modified examples described above, the first and second case bodies 21 and 22 are integrated by directly connecting the first connector 23 and the second connector 36 provided on the side surfaces thereof. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and both connectors 23 and 36 may be connected by a connecting cable. In that case, a connection cable that can send not only signals but also power may be used, and power may be supplied from the first case body 21 to the second case body 22, or from the second case body 22 side. However, a separate battery or the like may be provided and the second case main body 22 may be independently driven.

Furthermore, the data communication between the first case main body 21 and the second case main body 22 is not limited to a wired communication such as a connection cable, but may be performed using infrared rays or other wireless communication. In that case, the first case main body 21 and the second case main body 22 become separate units, and each can be installed and used at an appropriate position.

Note that when data communication is performed between the two case bodies using a connection cable or wireless communication, the determination of whether or not the second case body 22 is connected is based on, for example, a switch provided on the first case body 21. Alternatively, the determination may be made based on whether or not a signal is sent from the second case main body 22 side.

10 Golf practice/support device 11 Position measurement section 12 Golf course data storage section 13 Control section 14 Display device 15 Speaker 16 Connection state detection section (judgment means)
17 Battery 21 First case body 22 Second case body 31 Doppler sensor (speed measurement sensor)

Claims (3)

a function of displaying an image of the golf course based on golf course information;
a function of displaying a strategy route for the golf course based on positional information for identifying a strategy route for the golf course;
A function to edit the strategy route,
has
The function to display the strategy route of the golf course is
displaying a strategy route specified by a curve or polygonal line that curves at a predetermined position on the golf course and reaches a predetermined position within the green;
The function to edit the strategy route is
A function for editing a strategy route registered in a standard displayed by the display function , which is capable of moving an inflection point that curves at the predetermined position of the golf course in the strategy route registered in the standard. A device that has the function of a function of displaying an image of the golf course based on golf course information;
a function of displaying the strategy route of the golf course based on positional information for identifying the strategy route;
A function to edit the strategy route,
has
The function to display the strategy route is
If the golf course is a dogleg course, displaying a strategy route specified by a curve or polygonal line that curves at a predetermined position within the teeing ground and reaches a predetermined position within the green;
The function to edit the strategy route is
A function for editing a strategy route registered in a standard displayed by the display function , the predetermined position within the teeing ground of the golf course being the dogleg course in the strategy route registered in the standard. A device that has the function of making it possible to move an inflection point that is curved at a certain angle. A program for causing a computer to implement the functions of the device according to claim 1 or 2.

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