KR20230132003A - Virtual golf device and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are a virtual golf device and a method for operating a virtual golf device. An objective of the present invention is to provide an operating method that can be applied to a virtual golf device. The virtual golf device comprises: a hitting mat on which an actual golf ball for a user to hit is placed, wherein the hitting mat includes a fairway area and a non-fairway area; a detection unit which detects whether the actual golf ball is placed in either the fairway area or the non-fairway area; a control unit which, when a user hits the actual golf ball, performs a calculation process to calculate a trajectory of a virtual golf ball corresponding to the actual golf ball in a virtual golf course based on a state after the user has hit the actual golf ball; and a display unit which displays videos of the virtual golf course and the virtual golf ball, wherein the virtual golf course includes a virtual fairway corresponding to the fairway area and a virtual non-fairway corresponding to the non-fairway area, a normal hit is defined as a user hits the actual golf ball with the actual golf ball located in an area of the hitting mat, which corresponds to an area where the virtual golf ball is located in the virtual golf course, a non-normal hit is defined as a user hits the actual golf ball with the actual golf ball located in the area of the hitting mat, which does not correspond to the area where the virtual golf ball is located in the virtual golf course, and when the non-normal hit occurs, the control unit performs a calculation process for the other hit in the other hit after the non-normal hit, and then additionally performs an adjustment process to change a trajectory of the virtual golf ball calculated in the calculation process.

Description

Virtual golf device and method of operating the virtual golf device {VIRTUAL GOLF DEVICE AND METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a virtual golf device and a method of operating the virtual golf device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a virtual golf device that calculates the trajectory of a virtual golf ball in a virtual golf course based on a golf ball hit by a user and can additionally adjust the trajectory. It relates to a method of operating a golf device and a virtual golf device.

Recently, as the golf population has increased, screen golf, which allows users to enjoy golf using virtual golf simulation devices, has become widely popular. In screen golf, images of the golf course are displayed on the screen, making it feel as if you are playing a real golf game outdoors. Additionally, because it saves time and money compared to playing in an outdoor field, screen golf is popular with busy modern people who have difficulty playing actual golf outdoors due to time or economic reasons.

In an actual golf course, there are areas with various properties such as fairways, rough, bunkers, water hazards, etc., and the feeling or difficulty when a user hits a golf ball varies depending on these areas. For example, in the fairway area where the grass is short, it is easy to hit and the difficulty of hitting is low, while in the rough area where the grass is longer than the fairway area, the difficulty of hitting is relatively high. In screen golf, various areas such as fairways and rough can be displayed on the golf course on the screen to correspond to the actual golf course. However, in actual screen golf play, the user only hits a golf ball placed on an indoor hitting mat, and from the user's perspective, the user cannot experience the difference in hitting difficulty or hitting feeling depending on the area of the golf course, so screen golf It may be less realistic than playing on an actual golf course.

The present invention was invented in consideration of the above circumstances, and by using a multi-area hitting mat, it is possible to experience the feeling of hitting in various areas of the golf course, and also allows the user to hit the hitting mat in a way that does not match the position of the golf ball on the screen. In the case of hitting a golf ball (hereinafter referred to as a 'non-normal hit'), virtual golf can be used to prevent the above-mentioned non-normal hit from occurring by calculating the trajectory of the golf ball and then adjusting the calculated trajectory later. The purpose is to provide a device.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide an operation method that can be applied to the virtual golf device.

Additionally, other objects of the present invention can be clearly understood from the following description and attached drawings.

In order to achieve the above object, a virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention is placed on a real golf ball for a user's hitting, a hitting mat including a fairway area and a non-fairway area, and the real golf ball is placed on the fairway area and the non-fairway area. A sensing unit that detects which area of the fairway it is placed in, and when the user hits the real golf ball, a virtual golf ball corresponding to the real golf ball in the virtual golf course based on the state after hitting the real golf ball. A control unit that performs a calculation process to calculate the trajectory of the virtual golf course, and a display unit that displays images of the virtual golf course and the virtual golf ball, wherein the virtual golf course includes a virtual fairway and a non-fairway area corresponding to the fairway area. It includes a virtual non-fairway corresponding to the normal hitting when the user hits the real golf ball while the real golf ball is located in an area of the hitting mat corresponding to the area where the virtual golf ball is located in the virtual golf course. If a non-normal hit occurs when a user hits the real golf ball while the real golf ball is located in an area of the hitting mat that does not correspond to the area where the virtual golf ball is located on the virtual golf course, then the non-normal hit is When a normal hit occurs, the control unit performs a calculation process for the other hit in another hit after the non-normal hit, and then additionally performs an adjustment process to change the trajectory of the virtual golf ball calculated in the calculation process. do.

In the virtual golf device, the virtual golf course includes a first course and a second course played after the first course, and when the unusual hit occurs in the first course, the controller After performing the calculation process for the first hit in the first hit in the second course, the adjustment process for the non-normal hit in the first course can be additionally performed. In addition, when the non-normal hit occurs multiple times in the first course, in changing the trajectory of the virtual golf ball calculated by the calculation process for the first hit in the second course in the adjustment process, The controller may change the trajectory of the virtual golf ball to a greater extent as the number of occurrences of the non-normal hit increases.

In the virtual golf device, the user's hitting includes a putting step and a pre-putting hitting step performed before the putting step, and when the non-normal hitting occurs in the pre-putting hitting step immediately before entering the putting step, , the control unit may additionally perform the adjustment process for the non-normal hit in the pre-putting hitting step after performing the calculation process for the first hit in the putting step.

In the virtual golf device, changing the trajectory of the virtual golf ball in the adjustment process may include changing the flight distance according to the trajectory of the virtual golf ball.

A method of operating a virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes placing a real golf ball for a user's hitting on a hitting mat including a fairway area and a non-fairway area, and the real golf ball is placed between the fairway area and the non-fairway area. Detecting which area it is in, when the user hits the real golf ball, calculating the trajectory of the virtual golf ball corresponding to the real golf ball in the virtual golf course based on the state after hitting the real golf ball. A step of performing a calculation process, and displaying an image of the virtual golf course and the virtual golf ball, wherein the virtual golf course is a virtual fairway corresponding to the fairway area and a virtual golf course corresponding to the non-fairway area. It includes a non-fair way, and when the user hits the real golf ball while the real golf ball is located in an area of the hitting mat corresponding to the area where the virtual golf ball is located in the virtual golf course, it is called a normal hit, If the user hits the actual golf ball in a state where the actual golf ball is located in an area of the hitting mat that does not correspond to the area where the virtual golf ball is located in the virtual golf course and it is called a non-normal hit, the non-normal hit is In this case, after performing a calculation process for the other hit in another hit after the non-normal hit, an adjustment process is additionally performed to change the trajectory of the virtual golf ball calculated in the calculation process.

According to the virtual golf device and operating method of the virtual golf device of the present invention, it is possible to experience the feeling of hitting in various areas of the golf course by using a multi-area hitting mat, and by adjusting the calculated trajectory of the golf ball, non-normal hitting is possible. This has the effect of preventing this from occurring and allowing users to enjoy screen golf while playing fairly.

1 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the hitting mat in detail in the virtual golf device of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a virtual golf course that can be displayed on the screen of the virtual golf device of FIG. 1.
Figures 4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining examples of normal strikes and non-normal strikes.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation method applicable to the virtual golf device of FIG. 1.
Figure 7 is a diagram to explain the trajectory calculation process and adjustment process.
Figures 8 to 10 are diagrams showing specific examples in which non-normal striking and adjustment processes are applied.
Figure 11 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 12 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 change.

1 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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. An auto tee with a structure that can move up and down is installed on the hitting plate 10, so that a golf ball for hitting is automatically delivered to the user through the auto tee. can be provided.

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. Additionally, when the user selects a specific golf course, the control unit 20 executes related operations so that the user can play on the golf course. That is, the control unit 20 is equipped with image processing means to process the image, forms an image of a specific golf course selected by the user, and then transmits the image to the display unit 60 to be displayed. Additionally, the control unit 20 includes a calculation unit 21, an adjustment unit 22, and a storage unit 23. The calculation unit 21 performs a calculation process to calculate what trajectory the golf ball hit by the user will have under the assumption that it flies on an actual golf course. The adjustment unit 22 performs an adjustment process to adjust the projected trajectory under specific conditions. Details of this adjustment process will be described later. The storage unit 23 includes a storage device that stores various data necessary for the operation of the control unit 20.

The detection unit 30 is used to detect the movement of the golf club or the movement of the golf ball hit by the user to determine the physical state information about the golf ball hit. Sensing means such as cameras or detection sensors that can capture movement 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, information on the state of a golf club or a golf ball hit by a user can be determined. The cameras, detection sensors, etc. may be used alone or together, and only one or multiple units may be used. The information obtained through the detection unit 30 is transmitted to the control unit 20 and used in the calculation process.

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 when the user selects play options such as the golf course he or she wants to play or the play difficulty level.

The sound unit 50 may include an audio device such as a speaker, and through this, guides the user to the progress of the game and plays 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 golf-related images on the screen so that the golf course and golf balls are displayed on the screen, and the screen displays the projected images to show to the user. In this specification, some objects displayed on the screen may be expressed with the term 'virtual'. This is used to mean that they are displayed as images on the screen, and to avoid confusion with objects that exist in the real world. It is used. For example, 'virtual golf ball' refers to a golf ball displayed on a screen, and is expressed by adding the term 'virtual' to avoid confusion with the actual golf ball that a user hits in the real world.

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 a user hits a golf ball, the sensing unit 30 detects the physical state, such as the movement of the golf club or the moving speed or direction of the golf ball hit by the user. The information detected by the sensing unit 30 is transmitted to the control unit 20, and the calculation unit 21 in the control unit 20 executes a calculation process of calculating the trajectory of the golf ball based on the transmitted information. The display unit 60 displays an image of a virtual golf ball moving along the trajectory calculated in the calculation process. At this time, the virtual golf ball flies along the calculated trajectory and lands at a specific point on the virtual golf course on the screen, The user continues the next hit from the point where the virtual golf ball lands.

In the screen golf play process described above, the adjustment unit 22 executes an adjustment process to adjust the trajectory of the virtual golf ball calculated by the calculation unit 21 when specific requirements are met. The adjustment unit 22 may be configured separately from the calculation unit 21, or the calculation unit 21 and the adjustment unit 22 may be integrated and perform the calculation process and the adjustment process together. Additionally, the adjustment process may be carried out separately after the calculation process, or may be merged with the calculation process and calculation and adjustment may be carried out together. Below, the adjustment process will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the hitting mat in detail in the virtual golf device of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a virtual golf course that can be displayed on the screen of the virtual golf device of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are typical This is a drawing to explain examples of hitting and non-normal hitting.

Referring to FIG. 2, the hitting plate of the virtual golf device is equipped with a hitting mat on which the user hits an actual golf ball. Here, the hitting mat may be a multi-area mat divided into a plurality of areas. The plurality of areas may include a fairway area and a non-fairway area, and the non-fairway area may include a rough area and a bunker area.

In a multi-zone hitting mat, each section may be configured to correspond to terrain with various properties on an actual golf course. For example, a real golf course has terrain with various properties such as fairways, rough, and bunkers. A fairway is an area made up of grass managed by a golf course, and the rough is an area where the grass is longer than the fairway. In this way, hitting in the rough with long grass is more difficult than in the fairway with short grass, making hitting difficult. In addition, the bunker represents an area mainly made of sand, and hitting is more difficult in sand, making hitting more difficult than in grass areas (fairway, rough). In a multi-area hitting mat, the fairway area corresponds to the fairway, which has the lowest hitting difficulty in actual golf, and the non-fairway area is a non-fairway with a higher hitting difficulty compared to the fairway (an area other than the fairway, where hitting is more difficult than the fairway, such as rough and bunkers). The area with high difficulty is called 'non-fairway' for convenience), and the rough area and bunker area in the non-fairway area can be configured to correspond to the rough and bunker on an actual golf course. That is, in the hitting mat, the fairway area and the rough area are formed of artificial turf, but the lengths of the artificial turf are different from each other, and the bunker area can be formed of a material that can provide a hitting feeling like hitting on sand. In actual golf, there may be terrain other than fairways, rough, and bunkers, such as water hazards, and rough and bunkers can be subdivided into light rough, heavy rough, fair bunkers, and green bunkers, so the hitting mat is similar to that of an actual golf course. It can be configured in various forms to reflect the terrain in various ways, and even if it is a multi-area hitting mat, it is not formed only in the structure shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 3, the virtual golf course displayed on the screen can be expressed by directly reproducing the actual golf course. In other words, just as a real golf course has terrain with various properties such as fairways, rough, and bunkers, terrain with various properties such as virtual fairways, virtual rough, and virtual bunkers can be displayed on the virtual golf course on the screen.

In screen golf play, when the user hits a golf ball, he or she is actually hitting a real golf ball on the hitting mat. However, in the screen golf play setting, the user is hitting the golf ball at the point where the virtual golf ball on the screen is placed. Assume. If the hitting mat is divided into a plurality of areas to correspond to the plurality of areas displayed on the screen, the user must place the actual golf ball so that the area where the virtual golf ball on the screen is placed corresponds to the area where the actual golf ball on the hitting mat is placed. After placing, you can hit an actual golf ball.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4(a), when the virtual golf ball (VB) is located in the virtual fairway in the virtual golf course on the screen, it is assumed that the golf ball lying in the fairway is hit and the game is played accordingly. Users can place an actual golf ball (RB) in the fairway area of the hitting mat and hit it. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 4(b) and 4(c), when the virtual golf ball (VB) is located in the virtual rough/virtual bunker in the virtual golf course on the screen, the golf ball lying in the rough or bunker Assuming that you are hitting, the user can place the actual golf ball (RB) in the rough area/bunker area of the hitting mat and hit accordingly. By using a multi-area hitting mat like this, the user can display the hitting environment (fairway area/rough area/bunker area) corresponding to the situation where the virtual golf ball is placed on the screen (virtual fairway/virtual rough/virtual bunker) on the hitting mat. After forming, the actual golf ball can be hit, and thus the user can experience the feeling of hitting a fairway shot/rough shot/bunker shot in real golf, even in screen golf.

While playing screen golf, there may be cases where the user accidentally or intentionally places the actual golf ball in the wrong position on the hitting mat and hits it. For example, as shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), when the virtual golf ball (VB) is located in the virtual rough or virtual bunker in the virtual golf course on the screen, the user selects the real golf ball (RB) ) may be placed in the fairway area of the hitting mat and hit. Likewise, as shown in FIG. 5(c), when the virtual golf ball (VB) is located in the virtual bunker on the virtual golf course on the screen, the user places the actual golf ball (RB) in the rough area of the hitting mat. There may be cases where you put it on and hit it. In this case, the area on the screen where the virtual golf ball (VB) is placed and the area on the hitting mat where the actual golf ball (RB) is placed do not correspond to each other, and the user ends up hitting in the wrong location.

In this specification, as shown in FIG. 4, with the real golf ball (RB) located in the area of the hitting mat corresponding to the area where the virtual golf ball (VB) is located in the virtual golf course, the user hits the real golf ball. Hitting (RB) is called a 'normal hit', and as shown in Figure 5, a real golf ball (RB) is hit in an area of the hitting mat that does not correspond to the area where the virtual golf ball (VB) is located in the virtual golf course. When a user actually hits a golf ball (RB) while ) is located, it is called a 'non-normal hit'.

In actual screen golf, non-normal hits mainly occur when a virtual golf ball (VB) is placed in virtual rough or a virtual bunker (situations shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b)). This is because the auto tee that provides the actual golf ball (RB) to the user is mainly placed in the fairway area of the hitting mat, so in order to hit normally when the virtual golf ball (VB) is placed in the virtual rough or virtual bunker, the user must The actual golf ball (RB) provided in the fairway area of the hitting mat must be moved to the rough area or bunker area of the hitting mat before hitting. However, there may be cases where the user accidentally hits the actual golf ball (RB) provided in the fairway area without moving it to the correct area (rough or bunker area), and in this case, the user's hit becomes an unusual hit. According to the operating method of the virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention, an adjustment process may be performed in relation to a non-normal hit.

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an operation method that can be applied to the virtual golf device of Figure 1, Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining the trajectory calculation process and adjustment process, and Figures 8 to 10 are application of non-normal hitting and adjustment processes. This is a drawing showing specific examples.

Referring to FIG. 6, the operation method applicable to the virtual golf device includes first to seventh steps (S1-S7). Since the present operating method can be applied to the virtual golf device of FIG. 1, the reference numerals used in FIG. 1 may be used for the virtual golf device in the following description.

In the first step (S1), the user hits a golf ball. At this time, the sensing unit 30 detects in which area of the hitting mat the actual golf ball hit by the user is placed. It was previously said that the detection unit 30 detects the movement or physical state of the actual golf ball hit by the user. In addition, when using a multi-area hitting mat, the user's actual golf ball is placed in any area of the hitting mat before hitting. You can detect whether it is there. The function that detects the movement or physical state of the actual golf ball hit by the user is called the first detection function, and the function that detects which area of the hitting mat the user's actual golf ball is placed in before hitting is called the second detection function. In this case, the first and second sensing functions may be performed by the same sensing means (eg, camera). Alternatively, a plurality of sensing means may be provided, and the first and second sensing functions may be performed by different sensing means.

In the second step (S2), the control unit 20 checks whether the area where the actual golf ball is placed on the hitting mat when the user hits the actual golf ball corresponds to the area where the virtual golf ball is placed on the virtual golf course on the screen. That is, in the second step (S2), it is checked whether the user's hit is a normal hit or a non-normal hit. The virtual golf ball moves along the trajectory calculated in the calculation process and lands at a specific point on the virtual golf course. Since the calculation process is performed in the calculation unit 21 of the control unit 20, the control unit 20 displays the screen. You can determine what area of the virtual golf course the virtual golf ball is in before hitting. In addition, the control unit 20 receives information detected by the sensing unit 30 (information on which area of the hitting mat the actual golf ball hit by the user is placed in), and determines whether the received information and the virtual golf ball before hitting are By comparing the information on which area of the golf course it is located, it is possible to check whether the user's hit is a normal hit or a non-normal hit.

If the user's hit is a non-normal hit, the fact that the non-normal hit occurred to the user is recorded in the third step (S3). In the fourth step (S4), the calculation process is performed regardless of whether the user's hit is a normal hit or a non-normal hit. In the fifth step (S5), the user makes the next hit, and in the sixth step (S6), a calculation process for the next hit is performed. In the seventh step (S7), an adjustment process is performed on the results of the calculation process performed for the next hit. Here, the adjustment process is executed only when a non-normal strike occurs before the next strike, and the adjustment process is not executed when a non-normal strike has never occurred. As such, according to this embodiment, the adjustment process is executed only when a non-normal hit occurs, but the adjustment process is not performed for the hit in which the non-normal hit occurred, but rather for the next hit after the non-normal hit occurs. Run the process. If a non-normal hit has already occurred and another non-normal hit occurs while making a next hit, an adjustment process can be performed for the next hit of the next hit. In this way, in case non-normal hits occur multiple times, Processing is explained in examples described later.

In the calculation process, the trajectory of the virtual golf ball displayed on the screen is calculated based on the state of the actual golf ball hit by the user, and in the adjustment process, the trajectory calculated in the calculation process can be adjusted in various ways. Specifically, referring to FIG. 7(I), in the calculation process, the trajectory of the golf ball is calculated based on the physical state of the actual golf ball hit by the user. As a parameter representing the physical state, the speed of the ball B (V1) ), spin (S1) representing the rotation of the ball (B), azimuth (ϕ1) representing the direction on the horizontal plane of the ball (B) flying by hitting, and vertical angle representing the angle at which the ball (B) is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. (θ1), etc. can be mentioned. By applying a calculation model using physical laws based on parameters such as speed (V1), spin (S1), azimuth (ϕ1), vertical angle (θ1), etc., the trajectory (T1) of the ball (B) can be calculated, Accordingly, the landing position of the ball B according to the above trajectory becomes the first position P1. The process of calculating the trajectory (T1) of the virtual golf ball from the physical state of the ball (B) in this way is a normal calculation process. In the above calculation process, the above-mentioned parameters such as speed (V1), spin (S1), azimuth (ϕ1), and elevation angle (θ1) are shown as examples and are not limited to those mentioned here. . That is, in order to calculate the trajectory T1 more precisely, other parameters may be added, or some parameters may be omitted to perform the calculation process simply and quickly.

Referring to FIG. 7(II), in the adjustment process, the flying distance of the trajectory T1 through the calculation process can be reduced by a predetermined distance Δ1. As a result, the landing position of the ball B after the adjustment process becomes the second position P2, and the trajectory T2 of the ball B can be changed accordingly. Here, the distance reduction rate can be about 5-40% of the calculated distance. The distance reduction rate may vary depending on the situation in which an unusual hit occurs. If the virtual golf ball on the screen is in a virtual bunker, the distance reduction rate may be greater than if the virtual golf ball is in the virtual rough. Referring to FIG. 7(III), when the adjustment process is performed multiple times, the flight distance of the trajectory T1 through the calculation process can be reduced by a predetermined distance (Δ1, Δ2, Δ3) multiple times. As a result, the landing position of the ball B after the adjustment process becomes the third position P3, and the trajectory T3 of the ball B can also be changed accordingly. Referring to Figure 7(IV), the parameters used in the calculation process are changed during the adjustment process, and the calculation process is calculated based on the changed speed (V2), spin (S2), azimuth (ϕ2), elevation angle (θ2), etc. It is also possible to calculate a trajectory (T4) and landing position (P4) that are different from the possible trajectory (T1) of the ball (B). In this case, the adjustment process can replace the calculation process itself. Here, it is said that the speed (V2), spin (S2), azimuth (ϕ2), and vertical angle (θ2) are changed as parameters representing the physical state of the ball (B). However, all of the above parameters may be changed, or only some of them may be changed. It may be changed. For example, during the adjustment process, only the speed is changed to decrease among the parameters representing the physical state of the hit golf ball (V1 → V2), and the remaining parameters such as spin (S1), azimuth (ϕ1), and elevation angle (θ1) are changed to the sensor. We can keep it as detected in (30) and calculate the trajectory. In this case, the results obtained through the adjustment process may be the same as if an adjustment process to reduce the distance was performed after the normal calculation process.

As above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, when a non-normal hit occurs, instead of executing the adjustment process at the time the non-normal hit occurs, an adjustment process is performed to adjust the output trajectory of the golf ball in the next hit after the non-normal hit. Run. In the above adjustment process, a penalty effect may occur, such as a decrease in the distance of the calculated trajectory depending on the number of times an unusual hit occurs. The reason for reducing the distance during the adjustment process is to reflect the fact that the distance of a non-normal hit is likely to be reduced compared to a normal hit. The most common non-normal hit is when the user places a real golf ball in the fairway area of the hitting mat and hits it while the virtual golf ball on the screen is in the virtual rough or virtual bunker. In this case, in a normal hitting, the actual golf ball must be hit in the rough area or bunker area, but in a non-normal hitting, the golf ball is hit in the fairway area. Due to the material of the hitting mat, hitting with an actual golf ball in a non-fairway area such as the rough or bunker may result in lower distance due to the higher hitting difficulty compared to hitting with an actual golf ball in the fairway area. Even though the distance should have been reduced for a normal hit, the distance did not decrease by using a non-normal hit. This can be seen as an unreasonable advantage given to users who made non-normal hits compared to users who used other normal hits. As in the example, by recording the occurrence of an unusual hit and then executing an adjustment process in the next hit, the effect of the unreasonable advantage can be offset. Below, we look at a few examples of cases where a non-normal strike occurs and the adjustment process is applied to it.

Referring to FIG. 8, the virtual golf ball (VB) moves from the initial position (P10) to the first position (P11), the second position (P12), and the third position in a predetermined virtual golf course according to the user's play. Assume it has been changed to (P13). Additionally, it is assumed that a normal hit is made at the first position (P10) and the second position (P12), and a non-normal hit is made at the first position (P11). That is, it is assumed that the first position (P11) is a virtual non-fairway such as virtual rough or virtual bunker, and the user places an actual golf ball in the fairway area of the hitting mat and hits it. In this case, when the user makes a next hit (hitting at the second position (P12)) after making a non-normal hitting, the virtual golf ball (VB) is calculated to arrive at a predetermined position (P _t ) in the calculation process. If so, the adjustment process is applied here, and accordingly, the final position of the virtual golf ball (VB) can be adjusted to the third position (P13), which is a position where the distance is reduced compared to the position (P _t ).

Referring to the left drawing of FIG. 9, the virtual golf ball (VB) moves from the initial position (P10) to the first position (P11), the second position (P12), and the third position in the virtual golf course according to the user's play. It is assumed that the position P13 is changed, and the virtual golf ball VB enters the green area by hitting at the third position P13 and enters the putting stage. Additionally, it is assumed that a normal hit is made at the initial position (P10), the first position (P11), and the second position (P12), and a non-normal hit is made at the third position (P13). In this case, the user's first next hit after the non-normal hit is a putt on the green area, and the adjustment process can be applied to the putting step. That is, as shown in the right drawing of FIG. 9, when the user puts in the putting step, if it is calculated in the calculation process that the virtual golf ball (VB) rolls over the green area and stops at a predetermined position (P _t ), An adjustment process is applied here, and accordingly, the final position of the virtual golf ball (VB) can be adjusted to a position (P) that is further away from the hole cup by reducing the putting distance compared to the position (P _t ).

Referring to the left drawing of FIG. 10, the virtual golf ball (VB) moves from the initial position (P10) to the first position (P11), the second position (P12), and the third position in the virtual golf course according to the user's play. It is assumed that the position P13 is changed, the virtual golf ball VB enters the green area by hitting at the third position P13, enters the putting stage, and the putting is completed on the course. In addition, it is assumed that a normal strike is made at the first position (P10) and the second position (P12), and two non-normal strikes are made at the first position (P11) and the third position (P13). In this case, the next hit after the first non-normal hit is a hit at the second position (P12), and the next hit after the second non-normal hit is a putt in the green area. According to the method described above with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, the adjustment process can be applied to hitting at the second position P12 and putting in the green area. However, there may be various ways to apply the adjustment process, and according to this embodiment, the adjustment process can be applied to the first hit on a virtual golf course other than the virtual golf course where the non-normal hit was made. For example, if the left drawing of FIG. 10 shows play at the 1st hole out of a total of 9 holes played, and the right drawing of FIG. 10 shows play at the 2nd hole, if the user makes two non-normal hits during the play of the 1st hole, , When the user makes the first hit (tee shot) in playing hole 2, the adjustment process for all non-normal hits that occurred in playing hole 1 can be applied at once. That is, as shown in the right drawing of FIG. 10, when the user makes the first hit of the 2nd hole with respect to the virtual golf ball at the initial position (P20), the virtual golf ball (VB) is predetermined in the calculation process. If it is calculated to arrive at the position (P _t ), an adjustment process is applied here, and accordingly, the final position of the virtual golf ball (VB) is the first position (where the distance is reduced compared to the position (P _t )) It can be adjusted with P21). Here, considering that the number of non-normal hits is two, the distance reduction can be made to occur twice. Specifically, if the first non-normal hit occurred when the first position (P11) was virtual rough, the first reduction rate (e.g. 10%) was applied to reduce the distance, and the second non-normal hit occurred at the third position (P13). If it occurs during a virtual bunker, the distance can be reduced by applying a second reduction rate (for example, 20%). As a result, the distance from the arrival position (P _t ) according to the initial calculation process is reduced by the first distance (r1) according to the first reduction rate, and then the position where the distance is reduced by the second distance (r2) according to the second reduction rate is the first hit. becomes the final position (first position (P21)).

We have looked at ways to apply the adjustment process when an unusual strike occurs, but these are just a few examples and various methods not explained here can be applied.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 11, 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 such as cameras to detect the movement of the golf club/golf ball when hitting. 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 a control unit that performs the calculation process and adjustment process as described above, and through this, the trajectory of the golf ball is calculated when an unusual hit is made. Therefore, an adjustment process may be applied.

Figure 12 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. 12, a system in which virtual golf devices are connected through a network includes a plurality of screen golf courses 100 and server units 200. The screen golf course 100 is equipped with a virtual golf device as shown in FIGS. 1 to 11 so that screen golf play can be enjoyed. The virtual golf device provided in the screen golf course 100 is connected to the server unit 200 through a wired or wireless communication 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 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 or not to approve the login. For this purpose, the server unit 200 is equipped with a storage unit that stores information necessary to verify the user's identity. In the storage unit, information about multiple 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 may include 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 can be automatically set based on the setting information. As various user information is stored in the storage unit in this way, virtual golf devices of the screen golf course 100 connected to the server unit 200 by wire and/or wirelessly can use the information stored in the storage unit, There is no need to separately store user information at each screen golf course.

The virtual golf device of the screen golf course 100 may be equipped with a control unit that performs the calculation process and adjustment process as described above, and through this, the adjustment process can be applied in calculating the trajectory of the golf ball when a non-normal hit is made. You can.

Although we have looked at specific embodiments of the present invention as described 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. . Therefore, 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.

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

Claims (6)

A hitting mat on which an actual golf ball for the user's hitting is placed and which includes a fairway area and a non-fairway area;
A detection unit that detects whether the actual golf ball is placed in either the fairway area or the non-fairway area;
When a user hits the real golf ball, a control unit that performs a calculation process to calculate the trajectory of the virtual golf ball corresponding to the real golf ball in the virtual golf course based on the state after hitting the real golf ball; and
a display unit that displays images of the virtual golf course and the virtual golf ball;
Contains,
The virtual golf course includes a virtual fairway corresponding to the fairway area and a virtual non-fairway corresponding to the non-fairway area,
When the user hits the real golf ball while the real golf ball is located in the area of the hitting mat corresponding to the area where the virtual golf ball is located in the virtual golf course, it is called a normal hit, and in the virtual golf course, the virtual golf ball is called a normal hit. If the user hits the actual golf ball while the actual golf ball is located in an area of the hitting mat that does not correspond to the area where the golf ball is located, it is called a non-normal hit.
When the non-normal hit occurs, the control unit performs a calculation process for the other hit in another hit after the non-normal hit, and then performs an adjustment process to change the trajectory of the virtual golf ball calculated in the calculation process. additionally performed
Virtual golf device. According to paragraph 1,
The virtual golf course includes a first course and a second course played after the first course,
When the non-normal hit occurs in the first course, the control unit performs a calculation process for the first hit in the first hit in the second course and then adjusts the non-normal hit in the first course. Performing additional processes
Virtual golf device. According to paragraph 2,
When the non-normal hit occurs multiple times in the first course, in the adjustment process, the trajectory of the virtual golf ball calculated by the calculation process for the first hit in the second course is changed, The control unit changes the trajectory of the virtual golf ball to a greater extent as the number of occurrences of the non-normal hit increases.
Virtual golf device. According to paragraph 1,
The user's hitting includes a putting step and a pre-putting hitting step that occurs before the putting step,
When the non-normal hit occurs in the pre-putting hitting step immediately before entering the putting step, the control unit performs a calculation process for the first hit in the first hitting in the putting step and then performs the pre-putting hitting step. Additionally performing the above adjustment process for non-normal strikes in
Virtual golf device. According to any one of claims 1 to 4,
In the adjustment process, changing the trajectory of the virtual golf ball includes changing the flight distance according to the trajectory of the virtual golf ball. A step of placing an actual golf ball for a user's hitting on a hitting mat including a fairway area and a non-fairway area;
Detecting whether the actual golf ball is placed in either the fairway area or the non-fairway area;
When the user hits the real golf ball, performing a calculation process of calculating the trajectory of the virtual golf ball corresponding to the real golf ball in the virtual golf course based on the state after hitting the real golf ball: and
displaying images of the virtual golf course and the virtual golf ball;
Contains,
The virtual golf course includes a virtual fairway corresponding to the fairway area and a virtual non-fairway corresponding to the non-fairway area,
When the user hits the real golf ball while the real golf ball is located in the area of the hitting mat corresponding to the area where the virtual golf ball is located in the virtual golf course, it is called a normal hit, and in the virtual golf course, the virtual golf ball is called a normal hit. If the user hits the actual golf ball while the actual golf ball is located in an area of the hitting mat that does not correspond to the area where the golf ball is located, it is called a non-normal hit.
When the non-normal hit occurs, after performing a calculation process for the other hit in another hit after the non-normal hit, an adjustment process is additionally performed to change the trajectory of the virtual golf ball calculated in the calculation process.
How to operate a virtual golf device.

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