US20230032604A1

US20230032604A1 - Virtual golf device and virtual sports device

Info

Publication number: US20230032604A1
Application number: US17/873,145
Authority: US
Inventors: Ui Bum LEE; Kap Su KIM; So Jin Lee
Original assignee: SGM Co Ltd
Current assignee: SGM Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-07-30
Filing date: 2022-07-26
Publication date: 2023-02-02
Also published as: JP2023020965A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a virtual golf device and a virtual sports device. The virtual sports device comprises a play area in which a user who plays virtual sports is located, a display area in which a content image is displayed, and an image providing unit for projecting the content image onto the display area to provide the content image to the user.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to the Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0100455, filed Jul. 30, 2021 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0028727, filed Mar. 7, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a virtual golf device and a virtual sports device.

2. Description of the Related Art

Recently, as interest in sports has increased, the number of people who enjoy sports is increasing. As for sports, not only real sports played outdoors but also virtual indoor sports using virtual sports devices are gaining popularity. For example, in screen baseball or screen golf images of a baseball field or a golf course are displayed on a screen, and thus it can give the feeling of playing a real sports game outside and time and money can be saved in comparison with the play at an outdoor field. As a result, indoor sports using virtual sports devices are very popular among busy modern people who have difficulty in playing a real outdoor game due to time or economic reasons, etc.
Screen sports using the virtual sports devices need to provide the same reality as if playing in a real sports stadium. In addition, they need to enhance the interest of users by providing a variety of content that it is difficult to provide in real sports venues because a screen sports service can use the technology that it is difficult to use in outdoor sports places.
In the case of screen golf which is one of screen sports, a user putts when a golf ball is positioned on a green area. Considering that putting is a very important stage of golf and depends on several factors (distance between a golf ball and a hole cup, the topographical characteristics around the hole cup, etc.), putting information capable of improving user's putting abilities needs to be provided in the putting stage.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a virtual sports device capable of inspiring an interest in virtual sports play by providing various contents to users who are playing virtual sports.
The present invention also provides a virtual golf device capable of enhancing user's convenience with respect to screen golf play and improving the putting ability of a user playing screen golf by providing a putting guide image to the user.
The other objects of the present invention will be clearly understood with reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, a virtual sports device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a play area in which a user who plays virtual sports is located, a display area in which a content image is displayed, and an image providing unit for projecting the content image onto the display area to provide the content image to the user.
In the virtual sports device, the display area may be disposed in at least one of the play area and the vicinity of the play area.
In the virtual sports device, the content image may comprise content related to the user's personal information or the user's play record, or advertisement content.
In the virtual sports device, the sports may be golf, and the content image may comprise information about a hitting position of a golf ball, distance or height information related to golf play, or topographical information related to golf play.
A virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a hitting mat on which an actual golf ball is placed, a display unit for displaying a virtual golf course and a putting target point in the virtual golf course in a putting step, and an image providing unit for providing a putting guide image that shows a putting guide indicating information about putting. The display unit is spaced apart from the hitting mat, and, when an area between the display unit and the hitting mat is referred to as a middle area, the putting guide is displayed on at least one of the hitting mat and the middle area.
In the virtual golf device, the putting guide may comprise a line starting from one point of the hitting mat or comprise a target mark displayed in the middle area and indicating a target in putting.
In the virtual golf device, when the point from which the line starts is referred to a starting point, the putting guide image may be provided so that the starting point is positioned at a location where the actual golf ball is placed before putting or near the location where the actual golf ball is placed before putting.
In the virtual golf device, the image providing unit may mark a location on which a user is to place the actual golf ball before putting on the hitting mat, and, when the actual golf ball is placed on the marked location, the image providing unit may provide a putting guide image in the form of a line starting from the actual golf ball.
In the virtual golf device, in case of assuming that the middle area corresponds to the virtual golf course, when a point in the middle area corresponding to the putting target point is referred to as a middle area target point, the image providing unit may display the middle area target point on the middle area or display a predicted path to the middle area target point upon successful putting on the middle area.
In the virtual golf device, when the user's putting is completed, a path in which the actual golf ball has moved by the user's putting may be provided to the user by the image providing unit or the display unit.
In the virtual golf device, the putting guide may comprise a plurality of different putting guides that can be selected by the user.
In the virtual golf device, the putting guide may comprise a line starting from a point on the hitting mat. When a point from which the line starts is referred to as a starting point, the putting guide image may be provided so that the starting point is positioned at a location on which the actual golf ball is placed before putting or near the location on which the actual golf ball is placed before putting, and the plurality of putting guides may comprise a first putting guide and a second putting guide and a starting point of the first putting guide may be different from a starting point of the second putting guide.
According to the present invention, various contents are provided to a user playing virtual sports, thereby inspiring the user's interest in the virtual sports play. Moreover, a putting guide image is provided to a user playing screen golf, thereby enhancing the user's convenience with respect to screen golf play and improving the user' putting ability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure of a virtual baseball device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 3A to 3C are views illustrating an example of an area on which a content image is displayed in the virtual golf device of FIG. 2 .

FIGS. 4A through 7B are views illustrating examples of various content images provided by the virtual golf device of FIG. 2 .

FIG. 8 shows a schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a schematic structure of a system in which a plurality of virtual golf devices are connected through a network.

FIGS. 10A to 10D are views illustrating another example of various content images provided by the virtual golf device of FIG. 9 .

FIG. 11 shows a schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a view illustrating an example of a screen image on which a putting guide is displayed.

FIG. 13 is a view illustrating an area where a putting guide image is displayed in the virtual golf device of FIG. 11 .

FIGS. 14A, 14B and 15A, 15B are views illustrating various types of putting guides.

FIGS. 16A and 16B are views illustrating a relationship between a putting guide and the position of a golf ball.

FIG. 17 is a view showing a menu for selecting whether to provide a putting guide.

FIGS. 18A through 21 are views illustrating various embodiments of providing putting guide images.

FIG. 22 shows a schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a view illustrating a schematic structure of a system in which a plurality of virtual golf devices are connected through a network.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, a detailed description will be given of the present invention with reference to the following embodiments. The purposes, features, and advantages of the present invention will be easily understood through the following embodiments. The present invention is not limited to such embodiments but may be modified in other forms. The embodiments to be described below are nothing but the ones provided to bring the disclosure of the present invention to perfection and assist those skilled in the art to completely understand the present invention. Therefore, the following embodiments are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may be present therebetween.
The size of the element or the relative sizes between elements in the drawings may be shown to be exaggerated for more clear understanding of the present invention. In addition, the shape of the elements shown in the drawings may be somewhat changed by variation of the manufacturing process or the like. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be limited to the shapes shown in the drawings unless otherwise stated, and it is to be understood to include a certain amount of variation.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure of a virtual baseball device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 1 , the virtual baseball device includes a hitting plate 1, a controller 2, a sensor 3, an input interface 4, a sound unit 5, a display unit 6, a ball pitching unit 7, and an image providing unit 8.
The hitting plate 1 represents a hitting zone in which a user is positioned to hit a baseball. The controller 2 performs various calculations and controls necessary for an overall operation of the virtual baseball device. The controller 2 performs a calculation process of calculating what kind of hitting result (ground ball, fly, hit, home run, etc.) is obtained when the user hits a baseball under the assumption that the hit baseball moves in an actual baseball field. The controller 2 includes an image processing part 2 a, and the image processing part 2 a forms a baseball image or the like to be displayed to the user. Although not shown in the drawings, the controller 2 includes a storage device such as a memory or a hard disk, in which various programs or data necessary for an operation of the controller 2 are stored. The sensor 3 detects the physical state of the baseball hit by the user, such as the moving speed and the moving direction of the baseball. The sensor 3 may include a sensing device for detecting the physical state of the baseball. Various detection sensors or cameras may be used as the sensing device of the sensor 3, information sensed by the sensor 3 is transmitted to the controller 2, and the controller 2 can perform a calculation process for calculating a hitting result, based on the received information. The input interface 4 is for receiving various types of information from the user, and a keyboard or mouse may be used as the input interface 4. In screen baseball using the virtual baseball device, a login system that requests a user's login before providing a service may be applied. When the user inputs his or her ID or password under the login system, the input interface 4 can be used. The input interface 4 can also be used when the user selects a desired baseball field or desired play difficulty in screen baseball. The sound unit 5 may include a sound device such as a speaker, and, through the sound device, informs the user of the progress of a game and reproduces various sound effects according to the progress of the game. The display unit 6 includes devices such as a projector and a screen. The projector projects a baseball related image onto the screen so that the baseball field and baseball players are displayed on the screen, and the screen displays the projected baseball related image to the user. When the user hits a baseball and the controller 2 calculates a result of the user's hitting by performing a calculation process, the image processing part 2 a forms an image showing the calculated result and the formed image is displayed on the screen. The ball pitching unit 7 includes a device that fires a baseball so that the user can hit the baseball. Although not shown in the drawings, a through hole is formed in the screen. The baseball fired from the ball pitching unit 7 passes through the through hole to reach the user. The controller 2 controls an operation of the ball pitching unit 7 so that a baseball can be fired at the time when the user is positioned at the hitting plate 1 in order to hit the ball. The image providing unit 8 includes a device such as a projector and projects a content image to a predetermined area to provide the content image to the user. The content image can be provided separately from an image of baseball play displayed on the screen. As the content image, additional play information images or various images capable of inspiring the user's interest can be provided. The content image may be provided at or near a place where the user is located when playing a screen baseball. For example, the image providing unit 8 may provide the content image to the hitting plate 1 or to the vicinity of the hitting plate 1. The content image provided by the image providing unit 8 will be described in detail with reference to a virtual golf device to be described below.
FIG. 2 shows a schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 3A to 3C are views illustrating an example of an area on which a content image is displayed in the virtual golf device of FIG. 2 , and FIGS. 4 through 7 are views illustrating examples of various content images provided by the virtual golf device of FIG. 2 .
Referring to FIG. 2 , the virtual golf device includes a hitting plate 10, a controller 20, a sensor 30, an input interface 40, a sound unit 50, a display unit 60, and an image providing unit 70.
The hitting plate 10 is an area where a user is positioned to hit a golf ball. The user places the golf ball on the hitting plate 10 and hits the golf ball. Although not shown in the drawings, an auto tee having a vertically movable structure is installed on the hitting plate 10, and a golf ball to be hit can be automatically provided to the user through the auto tee. The controller 20 controls all operations between components of the virtual golf device. For example, the controller 20 can control the auto tee installed on the hitting plate 10 to provide the golf ball to be hit from the auto tee when the user starts hitting. In addition, when the user selects a specific golf course, the controller 20 performs a necessary operation so that the user can play on the specific golf course. In other words, because the controller 20 includes an image processing part 21 for forming an image, when the user selects a specific golf course, the controller 20 controls the image processor 21 to form a corresponding golf course image and the display unit 60 displays the formed golf course image. The controller 20 performs a calculation process of calculating a flight trajectory based on the physical state of the golf ball on the assumption that the golf ball hit by the user flies on an actual golf field in a sensed state. Although not shown in the drawings, the controller 20 includes a storage device such as a memory or a hard disk, in which various programs or data necessary for an operation of the controller 20 are stored. The sensor 30 is for detecting the movement of a golf club or the movement of the golf ball hit by the user to ascertain physical state information about the hit golf ball. A detection device such as a detection sensor or a camera capable of photographing a motion of the golf club or golf ball can be used as the sensor 30. Various sensing methods such as image sensing, light emission/reception sensing, and laser sensing can be applied to the detection device, and the sensor 30 can ascertain state information of the golf club or the golf ball hit by the user by using the various sensing methods. The camera, the detection sensor and the like may be used alone or used together, and only one sensing unit may be used or several sensing units may be used if circumstances need. Information obtained through the sensor 30 is transmitted to the controller 20 and used in the calculation process. The input interface 40 is for receiving various types of information from the user, and a keyboard or mouse may be used as the input interface 40. If a login system is applied to the virtual golf device, login is needed in order to use the virtual golf device. In this case, the input interface 40 can be used when the user inputs his/her ID or password for the login. The input interface 40 may be also used when the user selects a golf course or play difficulty. The sound unit 50 may include a sound device such as a speaker. The sound unit 50 informs the user of the progress of a game and reproduces various sound effects according to the progress of the game through the sound device. The display unit 60 includes a projector and a screen. The projector projects a golf related image on the screen and the screen displays the projected golf related image so that a golf course or/and a golf ball image can be provided to the user. Hereinafter, some objects displayed on the screen may be expressed by using the term ‘virtual’. This means that it does not exist in the real world and is displayed on the screen. For example, ‘virtual golf course’ means a golf course displayed on the screen and ‘virtual golf ball’ means a golf ball displayed on the screen.
By using the virtual golf device, the user can play screen golf. When the user plays screen golf, the virtual golf device operates as follows. When the user hits a golf ball, the sensor 30 senses a physical state such as the movement of a golf club or a moving speed or a moving direction of the golf ball hit by the user. Information sensed by the sensor 30 is transmitted to the controller 20, and the controller 20 performs a calculation process based on the received information. The display unit 60 displays an image of a virtual golf ball moving according to a trajectory calculated in the calculation process, and the virtual golf ball flies along the calculated trajectory and then lands at a certain point in the virtual golf course in the screen, and the user continues with a next hitting at the point where the virtual golf ball has landed.
The virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the image providing unit 70, and the image providing unit 70 provides the user with a content image by illuminating the content image on a predetermined area. The content image can be provided separately from an image of golf play displayed on the screen. As the content image, additional play information images or various images capable of inspiring the user's interest can be provided. The content image may be provided at or near a place where the user is located when playing a screen golf. For example, referring to FIG. 3A, a projector can be used as an image providing unit, and the projector may provide a content image to a bottom surface when a user is located at the hitting plate. Referring to FIG. 3B, when the area of the bottom surface on which the content image may be displayed is referred to as a display area DA, the display area DA may be divided into a first display area DA1 and a second display area DA2. The first display area DA1 is an area directly related to the hitting of a golf ball, and the second display area DA2 is an area not directly related to the hitting of the golf ball. In other words, the first display area DA1 may include an area A1 on which the user places a golf ball for hitting and an area A2 on which the user is positioned when hitting the golf ball, and the second display area DA2 may include an area adjacent to the first display area DA1. The type of the content image provided to the first display area DA1 may be different from the type of the content image provided to the second display area DA2. The content image does not have to be provided only at the hitting plate and an area adjacent to the hitting plate but may also be provided at other areas of a screen golf field. For example, as shown in FIG. 3C, an area where a content image is displayed may cover a location away from the hitting plate, and as a result, the content image may be displayed on almost the entire area of the floor of the screen golf field. In addition, although not shown in the drawings, the content image may be displayed on a place other than the floor, such as a wall or ceiling of the screen golf field. Moreover, in displaying the content image, it is possible to create various effects due to light by using additional device that can shed light.
FIGS. 4A to 4D illustrate an example of a content image that may be provided at the first display area DA1, and FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate examples of content images that may be provided at the second display area DA2.
Referring to FIG. 4A, a content image C1 may provide information showing a location on which a golf ball to be hit should be placed. An area A1 where a user places a golf ball for hitting is divided into a plurality of areas A11, A12, and A13. The plurality of areas A11, A12, and A13 may correspond to areas having various topographic attributes in an actual golf field. For example, an actual golf field include areas having various topographic attributes such as a fairway, a rough, and a bunker. The fairway is an area made of short grass on which hitting is easy, and the rough is an area in which grass is longer than that of the fairway. In the rough, hitting is difficult in comparison with the fairway in which the grass is kept short, and thus a hitting difficulty is high. The bunker is an area mainly made of sand. Because it is difficult to hit a golf ball due to the sand, the hitting difficulty of the bunker is higher than that of grass areas (the fairway and the rough). Division areas of the area A1 of the hitting plate where the golf ball is placed may be a fairway correspondence area A11, a rough correspondence area A12, and a bunker correspondence area A13. For example, when the fairway correspondence area A11, the rough correspondence area A12 and the bunker correspondence area A13 are formed of different materials, hitting in the fairway correspondence area A11, the rough correspondence area A12 and the bunker correspondence area A13 can provide different hitting feeling and hitting difficulty according to the used materials. If the area A11 is made of material capable of providing the same (or similar) hitting feeling and/or the same (or similar) hitting difficulty as hitting in a fairway on an actual golf field, the area A11 can be regarded as the fairway correspondence area. If the area A12 is made of material capable of providing the same (or similar) hitting feeling and/or the same (or similar) hitting difficulty as hitting in a rough on an actual golf field, the area A12 can be regarded as the rough correspondence area. If the area A13 is made of material capable of providing the same (or similar) hitting feeling and/or the same (or similar) hitting difficulty as hitting in a bunker on an actual golf field, the area A13 can be regarded as the bunker correspondence area.
When the area A1 where the golf ball for hitting is placed is divided into the fairway correspondence area A11, the rough correspondence area A12, and the bunker correspondence area A13, the play rule is as follow: If a virtual golf ball on the screen is located on the fairway the user places a golf ball on the fairway correspondence area A11 to hit the golf ball, if the virtual golf ball on the screen is located on the rough the user places the golf ball on the rough correspondence area A12 to hit the golf ball, and if the virtual golf ball on the screen is located on the bunker the user places the golf ball on the bunker correspondence area A13 to hit the golf ball. In other words, according to the properties of the areas where the virtual golf ball on the screen is placed, the golf ball needs to be placed and hit in any one of the fairway correspondence area A11, the rough correspondence area A12, and the bunker correspondence area A13. However, placing a golf ball in a wrong position and hitting the golf ball may happen due to the user's mistake. According to the present embodiment, since a correct location on which the golf ball is to be placed is displayed through the content image C1, the user's placing the golf ball in a wrong location and hitting the golf ball can be prevented. The content image C1 indicating the correct location of the golf ball may be displayed in the form of a circle and/or an arrow or other forms. The content image may be no longer displayed when the user places the golf ball at the correct location.
Although not shown in the drawings, other information as well as information indicating the correct location where the golf ball is placed may be provided as a content image. For example, information indicating the trajectory of the golf ball when the user hit the golf ball last may be provided in the form of an arrow or the like.
Referring to FIG. 4B, a cheering phrase to encourage the user's play may be displayed through a content image C2. Referring to FIG. 4C, an expression praising the user's play may be displayed through a content image C3. Referring to FIG. 4D, an advertisement may be provided through a content image C4. The cheering phrase, the expression praising the user's play and the advertisement may be provided at the area A2 of the first display area DA1 where the user is located when hitting the golf ball, rather than the area A1 of the first display area DA1 where the user places the golf ball for hitting. If the cheering phrase, the praising expression and the advertisement are provided at the area A1 for placing the golf ball for hitting thereon, the user's concentration may be dispersed and thus the golf play may be disrupted since the cheering phrase, the praising expression and the advertisement are not essential and are not directly related to the user's golf play.
Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 , in the second display area DA2, additional information capable of helping golf play may be provided as an image having a form such as a Head-Up Display (HUD). For example, as shown in FIG. 5 , when the user prepares for a shot, information about a golf course currently being played, wind speed/wind direction information in case of wind, information about the properties of the geography where a golf ball is currently located, a distance from the current golf ball position to a hole cup, and a difference in height between the current golf ball position and the hole cup may be provided as a content image C5. As shown in FIG. 6 , when the user prepares for putting, information about a golf course currently being played, the characteristics of green, a recommended putting direction for succeeding in putting, a distance from the current golf ball position to a hole cup, and a difference in height between the current golf ball position and the hole cup may be provided as a content image C6.
Additional information in the form of a HUD is useful information related to the user's golf play. Therefore, it is preferable that the additional information is provided at a location that is easily seen by users. When the user is positioned on the hitting plate to hit the golf ball, the user's gaze is directed to the second display area DA2, and thus, when additional information in the form of a HUD is provided in the second display area DA2, the user can easily ascertain golf play information.
Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B, a putting guide for showing a putting direction may be displayed as a content image on the hitting plate. Referring to FIG. 7A, when the user is in a putting situation, a virtual golf ball and a hole cup located on a green area are displayed on the screen. FIG. 7A illustrates a situation in which the hole cup is positioned in front of the virtual golf ball. In this situation, even though the user putts the golf ball forward, the user cannot be sure of the success of the putting. This is because, when the topography of the green area is not flat, namely, the green area has a topography where a right side is high and a left side is low, it is highly likely that the virtual golf ball rolls to the left with respect to the hole cup even when putting is performed forward. Therefore, putting needs to be performed in consideration of the topography of the green area. In an actual golf field, the user directly assesses a distance between a golf ball and a hole cup and recognizes the inclination of the green and the vicinity of the hole cup to properly perform putting. However, in screen golf, because a virtual golf course is displayed two-dimensionally on the screen, it is difficult to ascertain the topography of the green area with the naked eye. Accordingly, in a putting situation, a putting guide PG for informing the user of a correct putting direction in consideration of the topographical characteristics of the green area is displayed on the screen as shown in FIG. 7A.
Referring to FIG. 7B, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the putting guide PG can be displayed as a content image on the hitting plate. Although the screen is installed on the wall of the screen golf field (see FIG. 2 ), the hitting plate is disposed on the bottom surface of the screen golf field, so there may be a slight difference between the direction of the putting guide PG displayed on the screen and a putting direction on the floor surface where the golf ball is actually putted. In contrast, in the case of displaying the putting guide PG as a content image on the hitting plate, since the direction of the putting guide PG in the content image is identical to a direction where the golf ball should be actually putted, it is very convenient for the user.
FIG. 8 shows a 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 the present embodiment may include a plurality of personal booths 101, 102, and 103. A first personal booth 101 may include a hitting plate 101 a, a simulator 101 b having a kiosk screen, a screen 101 c, and the like, and the other personal booths 102 and 103 have the same components. Although not shown in the drawings, each of the personal booths 101, 102, and 103 can further include other devices such as a camera for detecting the movement of a golf ball or a projector for projecting an image. The virtual golf device according to the present embodiment may be used by a user playing golf alone, and the user can enjoy playing golf alone while being separated from other users in each of the personal booths 101, 102, and 103. However, in the virtual golf device according to the present embodiment, each of the personal booths 101, 102, and 103 does not necessarily have to be used by only a single user. In any one of the personal booths 101, 102, and 103, it is possible for several acquaintances to play together. The virtual golf device according to the present embodiment can also include the above-described image providing unit, and, through the image providing unit, can provide various content images at a certain place such as the hitting plate 101 a or the vicinity of the hitting plate 101 a so that the user can see the various content images.
FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a schematic structure of a system in which a plurality of virtual golf devices are connected through a network, and FIGS. 10A to 10D are views illustrating another example of various content images provided by the virtual golf device of FIG. 9 .
Referring to FIG. 9 , the system in which virtual golf devices are connected through a network includes a plurality of screen golf fields 100 and a server unit 200. In each of the screen golf fields 100, there is a virtual golf device as shown in FIGS. 2 through 8 . The respective virtual golf devices of the screen golf fields 100 are connected to the server unit 200 through a wired/wireless communication network or the like. Each screen golf field 100 serves as a service providing part that provides a screen golf service to a user after the login of the user. The server unit 200 may be a central server used by a service provider having a plurality of virtual golf fields 100 to manage the plurality of virtual golf devices. A user needs to log in in order to receive the screen golf service. When a user logs in, the server unit 200 checks the user's identity and determines whether to approve the login. The server unit 200 includes a storage 210 that stores information necessary for checking the identity of the user. The storage 210 has a plurality of storage sections that are divided for users. The storage section for each user stores an individual information, a play record information, a play option information and the like. The user's individual information includes the user's personal information and can be used in the login process. The user's play record information includes the user's personal records. For example, the play record information can include the play history information about what the user has played in the past. In addition, the play record information can include the play records calculated from the play history information such as the average flying distance for each club, the average number of strokes, etc. The play option information includes play options frequently used by the user or play options previously selected by the user. For example, a golf field where the user played golf in the past, a play difficulty, a play method, preferred operating conditions, etc. may be stored as the play option information. The user may find it cumbersome to input various options every time the user plays a game. However, when the user does not input the options, the options may be automatically set based on the play option information. As user information is stored in the storage 210 as described above, the respective virtual golf devices of the screen golf fields 100 connected to the server unit 200 by the wire and/or wireless communication network can use the information stored in the storage 210, and the respective virtual golf devices of the screen golf fields 100 do not need to separately store user information.
The virtual golf device of each screen golf field 100 according to the present embodiment can also include the above-described image providing unit, and, through the image providing unit, can provide various content images to users. The same content image as described in the previous embodiment can be provided, and in addition to this, another content image can be provided. For example, as shown in FIG. 10A, on a user's birthday, an image spotlighting the user may be provided as a content image. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10B, when a user achieves an eagle meaning a score of two under par for a given hole in golf, an eagle-flying image may be provided as a content image. Alternatively, when a user achieves the best score among the golfers who played with the user, an image containing a star meaning a ‘star player’ may be provided as a content image (see FIG. 10C), or, when a user achieves the longest tee shot among the golfers who played with the user, a text ‘longest’ may be provided as a content image (see FIG. 10D). When a virtual golf device recognizes the user's personal information or play record, the content images illustrated in FIGS. 10A to 10D can be provided based on the recognized information. According to the present embodiment, because the storage 210 is included in the server unit 200 communicatively connected to the virtual golf devices of the screen golf fields 100 and stores the personal information or play record information for each user, various images capable of inspiring the interest of the user such as those shown in FIGS. 10A to 10D can be provided by utilizing the stored information.
FIG. 11 shows a schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 12 is a view illustrating an example of a screen image on which a putting guide is displayed, FIG. 13 is a view illustrating an area where a putting guide image is displayed in the virtual golf device of FIG. 11 , FIGS. 14A, 14B and 15A, 15B are views illustrating various types of putting guides, FIGS. 16A and 16B are views illustrating a relationship between a putting guide and the position of a golf ball, and FIG. 17 is a view showing a menu for selecting whether to provide a putting guide.
Referring to FIG. 11 , the virtual golf device includes a hitting plate 1010, a controller 1020, a sensor 1030, an input interface 1040, a sound unit 1050, a display unit 1060, and an image providing unit 1070.
The hitting plate 1010 is an area where a user is positioned to hit a golf ball. The user places the golf ball on the hitting plate 1010 and hits the golf ball. Although not shown in the drawings, an auto tee having a vertically movable structure is installed on the hitting plate 1010, and a golf ball to be hit can be automatically provided to the user through the auto tee. The controller 1020 controls all operations between components of the virtual golf device. For example, the controller 1020 can control the auto tee installed on the hitting plate 1010 to provide the golf ball to be hit from the auto tee when the user starts hitting. In addition, when the user selects a specific golf course, the controller 1020 performs a necessary operation so that the user can play on the specific golf course. In other words, because the controller 1020 includes an image processing part 1021 for forming an image, when the user selects a specific golf course, the controller 1020 controls the image processing part 1021 to form a corresponding golf course image and the display unit 1060 displays the formed golf course image. The controller 1020 performs a calculation process of calculating a flight trajectory based on the physical state of the golf ball under the assumption that the golf ball hit by the user flies on an actual golf field in a sensed state. Although not shown in the drawings, the controller 1020 includes a storage device such as a memory or a hard disk, in which various programs or data necessary for an operation of the controller 1020 are stored. The sensor 1030 is for detecting the movement of a golf club or the movement of the golf ball hit by the user to ascertain physical state information about the hit golf ball. A detection device such as a detection sensor or a camera capable of photographing a motion of the golf club or golf ball can be used as the sensor 1030. Various sensing methods such as image sensing, light emission/reception sensing, and laser sensing can be applied to the detection device, and the sensor 1030 can ascertain state information of the golf club or the golf ball hit by the user by using the various sensing methods. The camera, the detection sensor and the like may be used alone or used together, and only one sensing unit may be used or several sensing units may be used if circumstances need. Information obtained through the sensor 1030 is transmitted to the controller 1020 and used in the calculation process. The input interface 1040 is for receiving various types of information from the user, and a keyboard or mouse may be used as the input interface 1040. If a login system is applied to the virtual golf device, login is needed in order to use the virtual golf device. In this case, the input interface 1040 can be used when the user inputs his/her ID or password for the login. The input interface 1040 may also be used when the user selects a golf course or play difficulty. The sound unit 1050 may include a sound device such as a speaker. The sound unit 1050 informs the user of the progress of a game and reproduces various sound effects according to the progress of the game through the sound device. The display unit 1060 includes a projector and a screen. The projector projects a golf related image on the screen and the screen displays the projected golf related image so that a golf course or/and a golf ball image can be provided to the user. Some objects displayed on the screen may be expressed by using the term ‘virtual’. This means that it does not exist in the real world and is displayed on the screen. For example, ‘virtual golf course’ means a golf course displayed on the screen and ‘virtual golf ball’ means a golf ball displayed on the screen.
By using the virtual golf device, the user can play screen golf. When the user plays screen golf, the virtual golf device operates as follows. When the user hits a golf ball, the sensor 1030 senses a physical state such as the movement of a golf club or a moving speed or a moving direction of the golf ball hit by the user. Information sensed by the sensor 1030 is transmitted to the controller 1020, and the controller 1020 performs a calculation process based on the received information. The display unit 1060 displays an image of a virtual golf ball moving according to a trajectory calculated in the calculation process, and the virtual golf ball flies along the calculated trajectory and then lands at a certain point in the virtual golf course in the screen, and the user continues with a next hitting at the point where the virtual golf ball has landed.
The virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the image providing unit 1070. The image providing unit 1070 serves to provide a putting guide image to a user by illuminating the putting guide image on an area other than the screen of the screen golf field equipped with the virtual golf device.
A putting guide may be provided to a user in a putting step and shows play information about putting. Referring to FIG. 12 , when a virtual golf ball enters a green area in a screen, a putting step is started. In the putting step, the virtual golf ball located on the green area and a hole cup that is a target point are displayed on the screen. The user may guess a distance between the virtual golf ball and the hole cup by checking the virtual golf ball and the hole cup displayed on the screen. In order to succeed in putting, the user needs to roll the golf ball in an appropriate direction and with an appropriate strength after ascertaining the distance between the virtual golf ball and the hole cup and also considering topographical characteristics between the virtual golf ball and the hole cup. In actual golf, many of the green areas have a slope topography more than a flat topography. Because most of the virtual golf courses displayed on the screen of the virtual golf device are made by modeling actual golf courses, the green area of a virtual golf course has a slope topography in many cases. But, because the virtual golf courses in the screen are displayed on a two-dimensional plane, it is not easy for the user to understand the slope of the green area only with the image on the screen. FIG. 12 illustrates a situation in which the hole cup is positioned in front of the virtual golf ball. In this situation, even when the user putts an actual golf ball corresponding to the virtual golf ball forward, the probability of the success in putting is not high if the green area has a slope topography. For example, if the topography of the green area on the screen is not flat, namely, the green area has a topography where a right side is high and a left side is low, it is highly likely that the virtual golf ball rolls to the left with respect to the hole cup even when putting is performed forward. Therefore, in the putting step, putting needs to be performed in consideration of the topographical characteristics of the green area in a virtual golf course, and, to this end, the topographical characteristics of the green area can be displayed on the screen. In detail, as shown in FIG. 12 , a grid G composed of a plurality of horizontal lines G1 and a plurality of vertical lines G2 is displayed on the green area in the screen, and a plurality of indicators I are displayed on the horizontal lines G1 and the vertical lines G2 to indicate the topographical characteristics of the green area. The indicators I include a horizontal indicator I1 and a vertical indicator I2, the horizontal indicator I1 moves on the horizontal line G1 at a predetermined speed, and the vertical indicator I2 moves on the vertical line G2 at a predetermined speed. The horizontal indicator I1 and the vertical indicator I2 move from a high slope area of the green area to a low slope area of the green area, and as the slope increases, the moving speed increases. Therefore, when the grid G and the indicator I are displayed, the user can ascertain an inclination direction and an inclination degree in the green area through the moving direction and the moving speed of the indicator I.
The putting guide informs the user of putting information that can lead to a successful hole-in in consideration of the topographic characteristics (inclination direction, inclination degree, etc. of an area between the virtual golf ball and the hole cup) of the green area. For example, as shown in FIG. 12 , the putting guide may be displayed as an arrow indicating a direction in which a virtual golf ball is to be rolled during putting.
According to the prior art, the putting guide is provided on a virtual golf course displayed on the screen. In contrast, in the virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the putting guide image can be displayed at an area other than the screen through the image providing unit 1070. In detail, the putting guide image can be provided at the floor of a place (screen golf field) where the virtual golf device is installed. The putting guide image can be provided separately from an image displayed on the screen, and can be provided at or near a place where the user is located when playing screen golf. In detail, referring to FIG. 13 , a projector may be used as an image providing unit, and the projector may provide a putting guide image at a hitting plate where the user is located or at an area between the hitting plate and the screen (this is an area on which a golf ball putted by the user rolls, and this area is referred to as a ‘middle area’ herein).
When a putting guide is provided as an image in the screen as in the prior art, the putting guide in the screen is not easily recognized by the user because the screen is somewhat spaced apart from the user's hitting position. In addition, because the user has to put a golf ball on the hitting plate on the floor but the putting guide in the screen is displayed on the front screen, a plane on which the putting guide in the screen is displayed and the floor on which the user actually rolls the golf ball are different planes. For example, if the floor surface is an xy plane, the front screen becomes an yz plane. Because the user needs to putt a golf ball placed on the xy plane in accordance with the direction of the putting guide displayed on the yz plane, the direction of the putting guide in the screen is substantially different from the direction in which the user rolls the actual golf ball. However, when the putting guide image is provided on the bottom surface of the screen golf field as in the present embodiment, the aforementioned problems can be solved.
Referring to FIGS. 14 through 16 , the putting guide image may be provided in various forms at various locations in a hitting mat and/or a middle area (area between the hitting mat and the front screen). For example, as shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the putting guide image may be displayed on a hitting mat where the user places and hits a golf ball, and the putting guide PG in the putting guide image may be displayed in the form of an arrow indicating the direction in which the user is to roll the golf ball in order to successfully putt the golf ball. The arrow may be expressed in a straight line shape (FIG. 14A) or a curved line shape (FIG. 14B). When the putting guide PG is displayed in the form of an arrow, an ideal putting direction for successful putting is shown through the direction indicated by the arrow. In addition, in the putting guide PG ideal putting strength may be shown according to the thickness or length of the arrow. Instead of the thickness or length of the arrow, the ideal putting strength may be shown through the color of the arrow.
As shown in FIG. 15A, the putting guide PG may indicate a predicted trajectory of a golf ball movement when putting is successful. In this case, a putting guide image may be expressed in the form of a line including a straight line or a curve that starts from a specific point of the hitting mat and ends at a specific point in the middle area. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 15B, the putting guide PG may indicate a target spot where the user needs to aim at the time of putting in order to succeed in putting.
Examples in which a putting guide is provided in the form of any one of the arrow, the predicted trajectory of a golf ball, and the target spot have been described above, but the putting guide may be displayed as a combination of at least two or more of the aforementioned forms, or may also be displayed in other forms not described herein.
Referring to FIGS. 16A and 16B, when the putting guide PG is displayed in the form of an arrow on the hitting mat, a starting point of the arrow can be a location where an actual golf ball is placed or other location very close to the location where the actual golf ball is placed. There may be various methods for aligning the starting point of the putting guide PG with the position of the golf ball (or the vicinity of the golf ball), and two examples among them will be described. A first method is to detect a location of a golf ball on the hitting mat and provide the putting guide PG at the detected location (FIG. 16A). As explained above, when a golf ball is hit a sensor senses the movement of a golf club or golf ball in order that a controller calculates the trajectory of the golf ball. By using this sensor, the location of the golf ball on the hitting mat can be sensed before hitting, and thus a putting guide can be provided at the sensed location. A second method is to make the user put a golf ball at the starting point of the putting guide PG Concretely, a location corresponding to the starting point of the putting guide PG is designated, an image of a marker 1000 indicating the designated location is displayed on the hitting mat, and when a user moves the golf ball to the location of the marker 1000 the putting guide PG having the location of the golf ball or the vicinity of the location of the golf ball as the starting point is provided (FIG. 16B). Here, whether the golf ball is placed at the location of the marker 1000 may be confirmed through a sensor or the like. According to the second method, if the user does not move the golf ball to the location designated by the marker 1000, a putting guide image is not provided. Accordingly, the user can determine whether to be provided with the putting guide image depending on whether the user moves the golf ball to the location designated by the marker 1000.
As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the putting guide image can be provided at the hitting mat and/or the middle area. In addition, according to the present embodiment, the putting guide can be displayed on the screen as in the related art. Therefore, the putting guide may be provided on the screen and/or the floor of a place (e.g., a screen golf field) where the virtual golf device is installed, and a user can select whether to be provided with a screen/floor putting guide through a menu on the screen. For example, as shown in FIG. 17 , a menu for selecting the user's play option may be displayed on the screen (or, although not shown in the drawing, an auxiliary display such as a kiosk may be separately provided in the virtual golf device. In this case, the menu may be displayed on the auxiliary display.). Through the menu, the user can select how many courses (holes) are to be played. In other words, the user can play the entire 18 holes in the same way as in actual golf or play 9 holes, which is half of the 18 holes, as an informal play by using a play option menu. The user can select, by using the play option menu, a unit in which information such as a distance or speed is displayed. In addition, the user can select various play options not shown in the drawings by using the play option menu. The user can also select whether to be provided with a putting guide through the play option menu. With respect to the putting guide, the user can select whether to be provided with a putting guide displayed on the screen and/or whether to be provided with a putting guide displayed on the bottom surface (the hitting mat and/or the middle area). According to the user's choice, there are four possible cases of providing the putting guide.
(1) No putting guides are provided on either the screen or the floor.
(2) A putting guide is provided only on the screen.
(3) A putting guide is provided only on the floor.
(4) Putting guides are provided on both the screen and the floor.
There may be several ways to provide a putting guide image. Some methods will now be described. FIGS. 18 through 21 are views illustrating various embodiments of providing putting guide images.
Referring to FIG. 18A, in a putting step, a virtual golf ball and a hole cup are displayed on the screen, and a putting guide PG is displayed on the hitting mat. In a screen image the hole cup is located in front of the virtual golf ball, and the putting guide PG indicates a direction tilted to the right with respect to a front direction. The direction of the putting guide PG is determined in consideration of the topography of a virtual golf course on the screen. For example, if the topography of the virtual golf course is not flat but slopes from right to left, the probability that the virtual golf ball rolls to the left with respect to the hole cup is high when putting is performed toward the hole cup. If putting on the hitting mat is performed in a direction which the putting guide PG indicates, the virtual golf ball can move along the slope and enter the hole cup. At this time, the user may putt after performing aiming instead of putting in a direction indicated by the putting guide PG The aiming may be performed through the aforementioned input interface or a separate input device or the like. As shown in FIG. 18B, the hole cup is not located in front of the virtual golf ball after the aiming. The location of the hole cup is changed to a point moved to the left from the front of the virtual golf ball. In this case, the direction of the putting guide PG is also changed to the front direction, and the user can putt in the front direction according to the changed direction of the putting guide PG.
Referring to FIG. 19 , a putting guide PG having an arrow shape may be displayed on the hitting mat in the putting step, and an additional image may be displayed in addition to the putting guide PG A target point P and a predicted path T may be displayed as the additional image on the hitting mat/middle area.
The target point P and the predicted path T are related to an assumption that the middle area corresponds to the virtual golf course on the screen and has the topographical characteristics identical to that of the virtual golf course. The putting guide PG indicates a direction in which an actual golf ball is to be rolled, and, when a golf ball is rolled in the direction indicated by the putting guide PG a virtual golf ball on the screen first rolls in the direction indicated by the putting guide PG and then bends to roll in an inclined direction according to the topographical characteristics (slope of a green area in the virtual golf course) of the virtual golf course on the screen, whereas, because the bottom surface of an actual screen golf field is flat, a putted golf ball is less likely to bend under the influence of the bottom surface. Therefore, a trajectory of the putted actual golf ball on the bottom surface of the screen golf field is different from a trajectory of the virtual golf ball on the screen image. According to the present embodiment, the predicted path T represents a trajectory by the movement of an actual golf ball putted in the putting direction (the direction indicated by the putting guide PG) when it is assumed that the bottom surface of the screen golf field has the same slope as a virtual golf field on the screen, and the target point P represents a location that may be reached when the golf ball moves along the predicted path T. In other words, the target point indicates a point corresponding to the hole cup on the screen in the middle area when it is assumed that the middle area has topographical characteristics corresponding to those of the virtual golf course on the screen. When an image of the target point P and the predicted path T are displayed, the topographical characteristics of the virtual golf course on the screen may be expressed to some extent on the bottom surface of the screen golf field, and the user can feel a reality of putting in real golf.
Referring to FIG. 20 , when a putting guide is displayed in a putting step and a user actually putts, a camera used as a sensor or a separately provided camera is used to capture an image of a movement of the putted golf ball, and then can provide a path T1 in which the golf ball actually moves by the user's putting, as an additional image on the floor. An ideal putting path T2 (path on which a golf ball rolls when putting is performed in a direction indicated by the putting guide) together with the path T1 may be provided as the additional image. By comparing the two paths T1 and T2 through the additional image, the user can identify problems in his or her putting (e.g., mistakes in a putting direction or strength, etc.) and remedy the identified problems to thereby improve his or her putting ability.
Referring to FIG. 21 , the putting guide image can include a plurality of putting guides PG and the user can select a putting guide conforming to his or her putting style from the plurality of putting guides PG to perform the putting based on the selected putting guide. For example, a first putting guide PG1 conforming to a basic style, a second putting guide PG2 conforming to a strong putting style, and a third putting guide PG3 conforming to a weak putting style may be provided as the putting guides PG The first, second, and third putting guides PG1, PG2, and PG3 may have different shapes according to the topographical characteristics of virtual golf courses. For example, as shown in FIG. 21 , the first, second, and third putting guides PG1, PG2, and PG3 are tilted to the right with respect to the front direction toward the front screen, but they are different from one another in the tilted degree. The tilted degree of the second putting guide PG2 is smaller than that of the first putting guide PG1, and the tilted degree of the third putting guide PG3 is greater than that of the first putting guide PG1. Putting strongly (putting according to the second putting guide PG2) is to roll a golf ball with a strong impact in comparison with putting basically (putting according to the first putting guide PG1), and a golf ball on the screen corresponding to the golf ball putted based on the second putting guide PG2 is weakly influenced by the slope of a topography in comparison with the basic putting since the golf ball on the screen rolls strongly. If the golf ball on the screen is weakly influenced by topographical characteristics such as a slope, the golf ball needs to be putted in a direction that is a little different with the front direction, and, if the golf ball on the screen is strongly influenced by topographical characteristics such as a slope, the golf ball needs to be putted in a direction deviating from the front direction. Therefore, the direction of the second putting guide PG2 is closer to the front than the direction of the first putting guide PG1. Likewise, putting weakly (putting according to the third putting guide PG3) is to roll a golf ball with a weak impact in comparison with putting basically (putting according to the first putting guide PG1), and a golf ball on the screen corresponding to the golf ball putted based on the third putting guide PG3 is strongly influenced by the slope of a topography in comparison with the basic putting since the golf ball on the screen rolls weakly. If the golf ball on the screen is weakly influenced by topographical characteristics such as a slope, the golf ball needs to be putted in a direction that is a little different with the front direction, and, if the golf ball on the screen is strongly influenced by topographical characteristics such as a slope, the golf ball needs to be putted in a direction deviating from the front direction. Therefore, the direction of the third putting guide PG3 is farther from the front than the direction of the first putting guide PG1.
As shown in FIG. 21 , the first, second, and third putting guides PG1, PG2, and PG3 may be provided at different locations on the hitting mat. A distance (movement distance) by which a strongly putted golf ball rolls on the floor may be longer, and thus, when putting is performed strongly, the second putting guide PG2 may be provided at a location far away from the screen on the hitting mat to secure a sufficient movement distance. In addition, because a long movement distance of the golf ball does not need to be secured in the case of weak putting, the third putting guide PG3 may be provided at a location close to the screen on the hitting mat. Because a movement distance in the basic putting may be between the distance of the strong putting and the distance of the weak putting, the first putting guide PG1 may be provided between the second and third putting guides PG2 and PG3.
The plurality of putting guides PG may be provided all at once as shown FIG. 21 . Alternatively, a user may be allowed to select any one of basic putting, strong putting and weak putting (the number of putting guide types is not limited to three, and less or more types than the three types may be provided) on play options and only the putting guide of the type selected by the user may be displayed in the putting step. When the plurality of putting guides PG are provided as described above, the user can enjoy putting play according to his or her taste.
FIG. 22 shows a schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 22 , the virtual golf device according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of personal booths 1101, 1102, and 1103. A first personal booth 1101 may include a hitting plate 1101 a, a simulator 1101 b having a kiosk screen, a screen 1101 c, and the like, and the other personal booths 1102 and 1103 have the same components. Although not shown in the drawings, each of the personal booths 1101, 1102, and 1103 can further include other devices such as a camera for detecting the movement of a golf ball or a projector for projecting an image. The virtual golf device according to the present embodiment may be used by a user playing golf alone, and the user can enjoy playing golf alone while being separated from other users in each of the personal booths 1101, 1102, and 1103. However, in the virtual golf device according to the present embodiment, each of the personal booths 1001, 1102, and 1103 does not necessarily have to be used by only a single user. In any one of the personal booths 1101, 1102, and 1103, it is possible for several acquaintances to play together. The virtual golf device according to the present embodiment can also include the above-described image providing unit, and a putting guide image can be provided on the floor through the image providing unit.
FIG. 23 is a view illustrating a schematic structure of a system in which a plurality of virtual golf devices are connected through a network.
Referring to FIG. 23 , the system in which virtual golf devices are connected through a network includes a plurality of screen golf fields 1100 and a server unit 1200. In each of the screen golf fields 1100, there is a virtual golf device as shown in FIGS. 11 through 22 . The respective virtual golf devices of the screen golf fields 1100 are connected to the server unit 1200 through a wired/wireless communication network or the like. Each screen golf field 1100 serves as a service providing part that provides a screen golf service to a user after the login of the user. The server unit 1200 may be a central server used by a service provider having a plurality of virtual golf fields 1100 to manage the plurality of virtual golf devices. A user needs to log in in order to receive the screen golf service. When a user logs in, the server unit 1200 checks the user's identity and determines whether to approve the login. The server unit 1200 includes a storage 1210 that stores information necessary for checking the identity of the user. The storage 1210 has a plurality of storage sections that are divided for users. The storage section for each user stores an individual information, a play record information, a play option information and the like. The user's individual information includes the user's personal information and can be used in the login process. The user's play record information includes the user's personal records. For example, the play record information can include the play history information about what the user has played in the past. In addition, the play record information can include the play records calculated from the play history information such as the average flying distance for each club, the average number of strokes, etc. The play option information includes play options frequently used by the user or play options previously selected by the user. For example, a golf field where the user played golf in the past, a play difficulty, a play method, preferred operating conditions, etc. may be stored as the play option information. The user may find it cumbersome to input various options every time the user plays a game. However, when the user does not input the options, the options may be automatically set based on the play option information. As user information is stored in the storage 1210 as described above, the respective virtual golf devices of the screen golf fields 1100 connected to the server unit 1200 by the wire and/or wireless communication network can use the information stored in the storage 1210, and the respective virtual golf devices of the screen golf fields 1100 do not need to separately store user information.
The virtual golf device according to the present embodiment can also include the above-described image providing unit, and a putting guide image can be provided on the floor through the image providing unit.
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be embodied in other specific ways without changing the technical spirit or essential features thereof. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not restrictive but are illustrative. The scope of the present invention is given by the claims, rather than the specification, and also contains all modifications within the meaning and range equivalent to the claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A virtual sports device comprising:

a play area in which a user who plays virtual sports is located;

a display area in which a content image is displayed; and

an image providing unit for projecting the content image onto the display area to provide the content image to the user.

2. The virtual sports device of claim 1, wherein the display area is disposed in at least one of the play area and the vicinity of the play area.

3. The virtual sports device of claim 1, wherein the content image comprises content related to the user's personal information or the user's play record, or advertisement content.

4. The virtual sports device of claim 1, wherein the sports are golf, and the content image comprises information about a hitting position of a golf ball, distance or height information related to golf play, or topographical information related to golf play.

5. A virtual golf device comprising:

a hitting mat on which an actual golf ball is placed;

a display unit for displaying a virtual golf course and a putting target point in the virtual golf course in a putting step; and

an image providing unit for providing a putting guide image that shows a putting guide indicating information about putting,

wherein the display unit is spaced apart from the hitting mat, and, when an area between the display unit and the hitting mat is referred to as a middle area, the putting guide is displayed on at least one of the hitting mat and the middle area.

6. The virtual golf device of claim 5, wherein the putting guide comprises a line starting from one point of the hitting mat, or comprises a target mark displayed in the middle area and indicating a target in putting.

7. The virtual golf device of claim 6, wherein when the point from which the line starts is referred to a starting point, the putting guide image is provided so that the starting point is positioned at a location where the actual golf ball is placed before putting or near the location where the actual golf ball is placed before putting.

8. The virtual golf device of claim 6, wherein the image providing unit marks a location on which a user is to place the actual golf ball before putting on the hitting mat, and, when the actual golf ball is placed on the marked location, the image providing unit provides a putting guide image in the form of a line starting from the actual golf ball.

9. The virtual golf device of claim 5, wherein in case of assuming that the middle area corresponds to the virtual golf course, when a point in the middle area corresponding to the putting target point is referred to as a middle area target point, the image providing unit displays the middle area target point on the middle area or displays a predicted path to the middle area target point upon successful putting on the middle area.

10. The virtual golf device of claim 5, wherein when the user's putting is completed, a path in which the actual golf ball has moved by the user's putting is provided to the user by the image providing unit or the display unit.

11. The virtual golf device of claim 5, wherein the putting guide comprises a plurality of different putting guides that can be selected by the user.

12. The virtual golf device of claim 11, wherein the putting guide comprises a line starting from a point on the hitting mat,

when a point from which the line starts is referred to as a starting point, the putting guide image is provided so that the starting point is positioned at a location on which the actual golf ball is placed before putting or near the location on which the actual golf ball is placed before putting, and

the plurality of putting guides comprise a first putting guide and a second putting guide, and a starting point of the first putting guide is different from a starting point of the second putting guide.