KR102608451B1 - Virtual golf device and method of operating virtual golf device providing real images of green area - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a virtual golf device that provides an actual image of a green area and a method of operating the virtual golf device. The virtual golf device includes a calculation unit that performs a calculation process to calculate the movement of a virtual golf ball corresponding to the hit real golf ball when the user hits a real golf ball, and the virtual golf ball in a virtual golf course. An image processing unit that forms a moving image as calculated in the calculation process, and a display unit that displays the formed image, wherein the image of the virtual golf course includes different first type and second type images, The virtual golf course may be expressed as the first type image in a hitting stage other than the putting stage and may be expressed as the second type image in the putting stage.

Description

A virtual golf device that provides a real image of the green area and a method of operating the virtual golf device {VIRTUAL GOLF DEVICE AND METHOD OF OPERATING VIRTUAL GOLF DEVICE PROVIDING REAL IMAGES OF GREEN AREA}

The present invention relates to a virtual golf device that provides an actual image of a green area and a method of operating the virtual golf device.

Recently, as the golf population has increased, screen golf, which allows users to enjoy golf using virtual golf devices, has become widely popular. In screen golf, images of the golf course are displayed on a screen, giving the feeling of playing a real golf game outdoors, while saving time and money compared to playing in an outdoor field. Screen golf is suitable for time and economic reasons. For this reason, it is popular with busy modern people who find it difficult to play golf on an actual golf course. As the number of people using screen golf games increases and users' expectations rise, the demand for more diverse services is increasing. In particular, in screen golf, reality is essential to give users the feeling of playing on a real golf course, and continuous research is needed to further improve reality.
The technology behind the present invention is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0008745 (January 25, 2021) and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009-544107 (December 10, 2009).

The present invention was invented in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides a virtual golf device and a method of operating the virtual golf device that can improve the reality of screen golf by displaying an actual photographic image of the green area on the screen during the putting stage. It is for that purpose.

Other objects of the present invention can be clearly understood from the following description and accompanying drawings.

The virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention to achieve the above object performs a calculation process to calculate the movement of the virtual golf ball corresponding to the hit real golf ball when the user hits the real golf ball. A calculation unit, an image processing unit for forming an image of the virtual golf ball moving in a virtual golf course as calculated in the calculation process, and a display unit for displaying the formed image, wherein the images for the virtual golf course are mutually exclusive. It includes different first type and second type images, and the virtual golf course may be represented by the first type image in a hitting phase other than the putting phase and may be represented by the second type image in the putting phase.

In the virtual golf device, the virtual golf course models an actual golf course, the first type image includes a graphic image of the actual golf course, and the second type image includes the actual golf course. You may include actual photographic images of the course.

A method of operating a virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes, when a user hits a real golf ball, a calculation step of calculating the movement of a virtual golf ball corresponding to the hit real golf ball, on a virtual golf course. An image forming step of forming an image in which a virtual golf ball moves as calculated in the calculation process, and a display step of displaying the formed image, wherein the images of the virtual golf course are of different first and second types. It includes an image, and the virtual golf course may be expressed as the first type image in a hitting step other than the putting step and may be expressed as the second type image in the putting step.

According to the virtual golf device and operating method of the virtual golf device of the present invention, the reality of screen golf can be improved by displaying an actual photographic image of the green area on the screen during the putting step.

1 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display showing a drawn area.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the process of an operation method applicable to the virtual golf device of FIG. 1.
Figures 4 to 7 are diagrams showing individual processes in the operating method of Figure 3.
Figure 8 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a system in which a plurality of virtual golf devices are connected through a network.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail through examples. The purpose, features, and advantages of the present invention will be easily understood through the following examples. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. The embodiments introduced herein are provided to ensure that the disclosed content is thorough and complete and to enable the idea of the present invention to be sufficiently conveyed to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Accordingly, the present invention should not be limited by the following examples.

Although terms such as first and second are used in this specification to describe various elements, the elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish the elements from one another. Additionally, when an element is referred to as being on top of another element, it means that it can be formed directly on top of the other element or that a third element can be interposed between them.

In the drawings, the sizes of elements, or the relative sizes between elements, may be somewhat exaggerated for a clearer understanding of the present invention. Additionally, the shapes of elements shown in the drawings may change somewhat due to variations in the manufacturing process. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed in this specification should not be limited to the shapes shown in the drawings unless otherwise specified, and should be understood to include some degree of modification.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of a screen showing a green area.

Referring to Figure 1, the virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a hitting plate 10, a control unit 20, a detection unit 30, an input unit 40, a sound unit 50, and a display unit 60. Includes.

The hitting plate 10 is an area where the user is positioned to hit a golf ball. Although not shown in the drawing, an auto tee that can move up and down is installed on the hitting plate 10, so that the user can use the hitting golf ball through the auto tee. The ball may be provided automatically.

The control unit 20 controls the overall operation of each component of the virtual golf device. For example, the control unit 20 can control the auto tee installed on the hitting plate 10 so that a golf ball for hitting is provided from the auto tee according to the time when the user hits. The control unit 20 includes a calculation unit 21, an image processing unit 22, and a storage unit 23. The calculation unit 21 calculates a trajectory assuming that the golf ball flies in the physical state based on the physical state of the golf ball hit by the user. The image processing unit 22 forms a golf-related image, and the formed image is transmitted to the display unit 60 and displayed to the user. The storage unit 23 stores various data necessary for the operation of the calculation unit 21 or the image processing unit 22. For example, the image processing unit 22 forms a golf course image of a golf course, and the storage unit 23 can store golf course data for forming a golf course image. In the virtual golf device according to this embodiment, there are two types of images shown as the first type and the second type, and for this, the storage unit 23 stores the first type of golf course data and the second type of golf. Course data can be saved separately. The storage unit 23 may further store data other than golf course data.

The detection unit 30 is used to determine physical state information about the golf ball by detecting the movement of the golf club or the movement of the golf ball hit by the user when hitting the golf ball. As the detection unit 30, the golf Sensing means such as a camera or detection sensor that can capture the movement of a club or golf ball may be used. Various sensing methods such as image sensing, light emission/reception sensing, and laser sensing may be applied to the sensing means, and through these sensing methods, the movement of the golf club or the state information of the golf ball hit by the user can be determined. The cameras, detection sensors, etc. may be used alone or together, and only one unit may be used, or multiple units may be used as needed.

The input unit 40 is used to receive various information from the user, and a keyboard or mouse can be used. A login system that requires the user to log in before providing the service may be applied to screen golf. When the login system is applied, the user must enter his or her ID or password, and the input unit 40 may be used at this time. Additionally, the input unit 40 can be used in screen golf, such as when the user selects the golf course he or she wants to play or the difficulty level of play.

The sound unit 50 may include an audio device such as a speaker, through which it guides the user on the progress of the game and generates various sound effects according to the progress of the game.

The display unit 60 includes devices such as a projector and screen. The projector projects the golf course and golf ball images onto the screen so that they can be displayed on the screen, and the screen displays the projected images to show to the user.

The virtual golf device is a device that is installed on a screen golf course to allow screen golf to be played. When a user plays screen golf, the operation process of the virtual golf device is as follows. When the user hits a golf ball, the sensor 30 detects the physical state, such as the movement of the golf club or the speed or direction of movement of the golf ball hit by the user. The information detected by the detection unit 30 is transmitted to the control unit 20, and the calculation unit 21 of the control unit 20 assumes that the user has hit a golf ball on an actual outdoor golf course based on the transmitted information. Calculate what kind of trajectory the golf ball will show at this time. The trajectory of a golf ball can be calculated only by the movement of the golf ball, or it can be calculated by taking into account the movement of the golf club at the time of hitting. When the calculation process is completed, the image processing unit 22 of the control unit 20 forms an image of a virtual golf ball (the golf ball in the screen image is called a 'virtual golf ball') moving according to the calculated trajectory, and the formed The image is displayed by the display unit 60, and at this time, the virtual golf ball flies along the calculated trajectory and then the virtual golf course in the screen (the golf course in the screen image is called 'virtual golf course') is specified. It lands at the point, and the user continues the next hit from the point where the virtual golf ball landed.

The virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention displays golf course images having different first-type video images and second-type video images. The first type of video image includes an image generated by computer graphics, and the second type of video image includes an actual photographic image. In conventional screen golf, the virtual golf course displayed on the screen is modeled after the golf course of an actual golf course and created by computer graphics processing of the golf course of the actual golf course. The virtual golf device of the present invention uses computer graphics like the conventional one. It displays not only images (type 1 video images) but also actual images made of actual photos (type 2 video images). Specifically, when displaying the green area where the hole cup is, unlike conventional screen golf, a photo image of an actual golf course can be displayed on the screen. Figure 2(a) shows a screen displaying a first type video image, and Figure 2(b) shows a screen displaying a second type video image. Comparing Figures 2(a) and (b), the screen in Figure 2(a) is formed with computer graphics, which may give the feeling of playing a computer game and thus reduce realism, but Figure 2(a) The screen in b) is a real photo, so it can give the feeling of being on a real golf course and greatly improve the reality of screen golf. Hereinafter, the operation process of the virtual golf device for appropriately displaying the first and second type video images will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating the process of the operation method applicable to the virtual golf device of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 4 to 7 are diagrams showing individual processes of the operation method of FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 3, the overall operation process of the virtual golf device for displaying various types of video images includes first to sixth steps (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, and S6). In the first step (S1), the user hits the golf ball, in the second step (S2) the trajectory of the golf ball is calculated, and in the third step (S3), an image of the virtual golf ball moving as calculated is displayed, In the fourth step (S4), the landing position of the virtual golf ball is checked, in the fifth step (S5), when the virtual golf ball lands on the green area, a second type video image is displayed, and in the sixth step (S6) ), a first type video image is displayed when the virtual golf ball does not land in the green area. Below, the individual processes of the first to sixth steps (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, and S6) will be described in detail.

Referring to FIG. 4, in the first step (S1), the user hits a golf ball placed on the hitting plate. In general, hitting a golf ball includes shots that hit a golf ball and make it float, and putting that rolls a golf ball. Hitting at this stage mainly refers to hitting a golf ball that makes it float.

Referring to FIG. 5, in the second step (S2), the calculation unit 21 calculates the trajectory of the hit golf ball. For the calculation process, the information detected by the sensing unit 30 (information indicating the physical state of the golf club or golf ball) is transmitted to the calculating unit 21, and the calculating unit 21 calculates the information based on the sensing information. Calculate the trajectory of the golf ball. Here, data representing the physical state of the golf ball include the moving speed of the golf ball (V), the azimuth angle (ϕ) representing the direction on the horizontal plane of the golf ball flying by hitting, and the up and down indicating the angle at which the golf ball is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. There may be angle (θ), spin value (S) of the golf ball, etc. Based on the above data, the calculation unit 21 calculates the movement of the hit golf ball assuming it is on an actual golf course. The calculated trajectory (T) may include various information such as the distance the golf ball moves, the distance the golf ball rolls after it flies and falls on the floor of the golf course, and the location where the golf ball lands after flying.

Referring to FIG. 6, in the third step (S3), an image of the result of the user hitting a golf ball is displayed on the screen. When the trajectory T is calculated in the calculation unit 21, the image processing unit 22 forms an image of a virtual golf ball moving according to the trajectory T on a virtual golf course, and the formed image is displayed on the display unit 60. displayed. Although not shown in the drawing, in the fourth step (S4), the control unit 20 checks the landing position of the virtual golf ball and, if it lands on the green area, executes the fifth step (S5) and performs the fifth step (S5). If the landing occurs, the sixth step (S6) is performed.

In the fifth and sixth steps (S5, S6), a screen for the next hit is displayed on the screen. Referring to FIG. 7, when the next hit corresponds to putting, the green area is displayed as a photographic image (second type video image) formed by photographing an actual golf course. If the next hit does not correspond to putting (when a golf ball is hit using a golf club other than a putter), the virtual golf course is displayed as a normal graphic image (first type video image). As shown in FIG. 7, when the green area is displayed as a photographic image of an actual golf course, the user can strongly feel like putting on an actual golf course, and thus the reality of screen golf can be greatly improved.

The first type video image may be formed using computer graphics and then stored in the database of the storage unit 23. When a virtual golf course in a specific area is displayed on the screen, data of the area is extracted from the database and the related image is displayed. can be formed. The second type video image may be formed by taking a photo at an actual golf course, and the captured photo data may be stored in the database of the storage unit 23. There may be various ways to extract and display the second type video image stored in the database. For example, after dividing the green area into a plurality of areas, photographic images of each divided area are obtained and stored in the storage unit 23, and the location where the virtual golf ball lands is confirmed through the calculation process. Then, there may be a way to display the photo image of the drawn area on the screen by extracting the photo image of the division area to which the location belongs (for example, assuming that the drawn area is divided into A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5, each The green area photo images I1, I2, I3, I4, and I5 in the classification area are obtained and stored in the storage unit 23, and in this state, according to the user's strike, the virtual golf ball lands in area A3 of the green area. Then, the I3 image can be extracted from the storage unit 23 and displayed on the screen).

Figure 8 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, the virtual golf device according to this embodiment includes a plurality of booths 101, 102, and 103. Each booth (101, 102, 103) is configured identically. For example, the first booth 101 has a hitting plate 101a, a simulator device 101b with a kiosk screen, a screen 101c, etc., and the other booths 102 and 103 also have the same components. Although not shown in the drawing, each booth (101, 102, 103) is further equipped with other devices, including cameras for detecting the movement of golf balls and projectors for projecting images. In each booth (101, 102, 103), multiple users can take turns playing golf. Alternatively, in each booth (101, 102, 103), the user can play solo while being separated from users of other booths. The simulator device 101b of the virtual golf device according to this embodiment may be equipped with the image processing unit of the above-described embodiment, and may display an actual photographic image of the green area in the putting stage through the image processing unit.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a system in which a plurality of virtual golf devices are connected through a network.

Referring to FIG. 9, a system in which virtual golf devices are connected to a network includes a plurality of screen golf courses 100, a server unit 200, and a storage unit 300. The screen golf course 100 is equipped with a virtual golf device as shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 to enable screen golf play. The virtual golf device provided in the screen golf course 100 is connected to the server unit 200 through a wired or wireless network. Each screen golf course 100 serves as a service provider that provides screen golf services to users when they log in. The server unit 200 may be a central server used by a service provider operating a plurality of screen golf courses 100 to manage virtual golf devices provided in each of the plurality of screen golf courses 100. A user who wants to use the screen golf service first logs in to receive the service, and the server unit 200 can confirm the user's identity when logging in and determine whether to approve the login. For this purpose, the server unit 200 is equipped with a storage unit 300 that stores information necessary to verify the user's identity. In the storage unit 300, information about a plurality of users is stored separately for each user. Personal information, play information, setting information, etc. may be stored in the storage area for each user. The personal information is used to verify the identity of the user and can be used in the login process, etc. The play information includes the user's past play records or the user's personal records (average distance for each club, average number of strokes, etc.) that can be obtained from past play records. The setting information includes information about settings made by the user. For example, the golf course the user has played in the past, play difficulty level, play method, preferred operating conditions, etc. can be stored as setting information. The user may find it inconvenient to input various options each time he plays, but if the user does not input the selection, the selection may be automatically set based on the setting information.

The storage unit 300 may store golf course data of a golf course in addition to user personal information. The golf course data may include a first type video image formed from a computer graphics image and a second type video image formed from an actual photographic image of an actual golf course.

In this way, various user information and golf course data are stored in the storage unit 300, so that the virtual golf devices of the screen golf course 100 that are wired and/or wirelessly connected to the server unit 200 are stored in the storage unit 300. The information stored in can be commonly used, and there is no need to separately store user information and golf course data in each virtual golf device of the screen golf course 100.

The virtual golf device of the screen golf course 100 may be equipped with an image processing unit as described above. Through the image processing unit, an actual photographic image of the area drawn in the putting step can be displayed.

Although we have looked at specific embodiments of the present invention above, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. . Accordingly, the disclosed embodiments should be considered from an illustrative rather than a restrictive perspective. The scope of the present invention is indicated in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the equivalent scope should be construed as being included in the present invention.

100: Screen golf course
200: Server unit
300: storage unit
10: striking plate
20: control unit
30: detection unit
40: input unit
50: Sound department
60: display unit

Claims (3)

When a user hits a real golf ball, a calculation unit that performs a calculation process to calculate the movement of a virtual golf ball corresponding to the hit real golf ball;
an image processing unit that forms an image of the virtual golf ball moving on a virtual golf course as calculated in the calculation process; and
a display unit that displays the formed image;
Contains,
The image of the virtual golf course includes different first type and second type images, and the virtual golf course is represented by the first type image in hitting steps other than the putting step, and the first type image in the putting step. Can be expressed as two types of images,
The virtual golf course is modeled after an actual golf course,
The first type image includes a graphic image of the actual golf course, and the second type image includes a physical photographic image of the actual golf course.
Virtual golf device. According to paragraph 1,
Further comprising a storage unit for storing the virtual golf course data,
The virtual golf course data includes first type golf course data for the first type image and second type golf course data for the second type image. When the user hits a real golf ball, a calculation step of calculating the movement of a virtual golf ball corresponding to the hit real golf ball;
An image forming step of forming an image in which the virtual golf ball moves on a virtual golf course as calculated in the calculation process; and
A display step of displaying the formed image;
Contains,
The image of the virtual golf course includes different first type and second type images, and the virtual golf course is represented by the first type image in hitting steps other than the putting step, and the first type image in the putting step. Can be expressed as two types of images,
The virtual golf course is modeled after an actual golf course,
The first type image includes a graphic image of the actual golf course, and the second type image includes a physical photographic image of the actual golf course.
How to operate a virtual golf device.

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