WO2006043091A2 - Procédés et systèmes sensibles au contact à l'atterrissage des balles de golf - Google Patents

Procédés et systèmes sensibles au contact à l'atterrissage des balles de golf Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2006043091A2
WO2006043091A2 PCT/GB2005/004083 GB2005004083W WO2006043091A2 WO 2006043091 A2 WO2006043091 A2 WO 2006043091A2 GB 2005004083 W GB2005004083 W GB 2005004083W WO 2006043091 A2 WO2006043091 A2 WO 2006043091A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
sensors
signals
impact
amplitudes
golf
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2005/004083
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2006043091A3 (fr
Inventor
Norman Matheson Lindsay
Original Assignee
Norman Matheson Lindsay
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GB0423500A external-priority patent/GB0423500D0/en
Priority claimed from GB0425490A external-priority patent/GB0425490D0/en
Application filed by Norman Matheson Lindsay filed Critical Norman Matheson Lindsay
Publication of WO2006043091A2 publication Critical patent/WO2006043091A2/fr
Publication of WO2006043091A3 publication Critical patent/WO2006043091A3/fr

Links

Classifications

    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63BAPPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B24/00Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
    • A63B24/0021Tracking a path or terminating locations
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63BAPPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B69/00Training appliances or apparatus for special sports
    • A63B69/36Training appliances or apparatus for special sports for golf
    • A63B69/3658Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63BAPPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B24/00Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
    • A63B24/0021Tracking a path or terminating locations
    • A63B2024/0037Tracking a path or terminating locations on a target surface or at impact on the ground
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63BAPPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B24/00Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
    • A63B24/0021Tracking a path or terminating locations
    • A63B2024/0037Tracking a path or terminating locations on a target surface or at impact on the ground
    • A63B2024/0043Systems for locating the point of impact on a specific surface
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63BAPPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B63/00Targets or goals for ball games
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63BAPPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B69/00Training appliances or apparatus for special sports
    • A63B69/36Training appliances or apparatus for special sports for golf
    • A63B69/3691Golf courses; Golf practising terrains having a plurality of driving areas, fairways, greens
    • A63B69/3694Golf courses; Golf practising terrains having a plurality of driving areas, fairways, greens for driving only

Definitions

  • This invention relates to methods and systems responsive to golf-ball landing impacts.
  • the invention is applicable especially, though not exclusively, to methods and systems for use in golf-ball driving ranges for responding to golf-ball landing impacts at target areas.
  • a method for responding to golf-ball landing-impacts within a landing area wherein a plurality of elongate pressure-sensitive sensors are spaced from one another within the landing area, each sensor is responsive along its length to the incidence thereon of a pressure-wave created by impact of a golf ball landing within the area, to provide a signal dependent on the incident wave, and wherein signals provided by the individual sensors in response to a golf-ball impact are analysed to derive therefrom representation of the position of that impact relative to the sensors.
  • a system for responding to golf-ball landing-impacts within a landing area comprises a plurality of elongate pressure-sensitive sensors that are spaced from one another within the landing area, each sensor being responsive along its length to the incidence thereon of a pressure-wave created by impact of a golf ball landing within the area, to provide a signal dependent on the incident wave, and means for analysing the signals provided by the individual sensors in response to a golf-ball impact to derive therefrom representation of the position of that impact relative to the sensors.
  • the analysis of the signals provided by the sensors may be related to the difference of timing or phase between the signals provided by the sensors, but it is preferred to relate it to the amplitudes of the signals.
  • the analysis of the signals may determine the position of impact as dependent on the relative amplitudes of two signals provided as aforesaid by the sensors in response to that impact. More particularly, the position of impact may be determined as dependent on peak-amplitude difference between the two signals, or on the difference between an average of the peak amplitudes of one of the two signals and a corresponding average of the other signal, or on the difference between root-mean-squares of the amplitudes of the two signals.
  • the sensors may be located above the surface of the landing area to respond to pressure-waves transmitted through the air, or may be located on the surface itself, but are preferably located below the surface to respond to pressure- waves transmitted through the ground, artificial turf or other medium such as water. They may be elongate piezoelectric cables, and in this respect may be of coaxial construction. Each sensor is preferably of a length L which is at least equal to the spacing S between it and the next sensor, and may be buried at substantially uniform depth.
  • the spacing S is preferably substantially constant between adjacent sensors and in this respect the sensors may extend substantially circumferentially of respective concentric circles within the landing area.
  • two mutually- spaced sensors in the form of piezoelectric cables may encircle a target in a driving-range or golf course at an average distance R from the centre of a target landing area such that an inner sensor is laid along a circle having a radius of (R - S/2) and an outer sensor is laid along a circle of radius (J? + S/2) .
  • the purpose of this sensor arrangement is to determine whether a ball lands inside or outside the circle of radius R. This can be readily determined from the sum and difference of the amplitudes of the signals provided by the two sensors.
  • the radius R may be typically 5 metre and the spacing 5 typically 1 metre or less, giving the ratio L/S in this case a value of thirty or more.
  • the radius R may vary slightly to follow a non-circular boundary round the target, but the spacing S should desirably be substantially constant so as to maintain equal measurement-sensitivity round the boundary.
  • the relationship between impact position and signal amplitude is non-linear and can vary with temperature and the water content of the soil. It is thus desirable to have a means of calibrating the amplitude versus impact-position characteristic. For many applications, an approximate expression is sufficient since the required precision can be obtained by closely spacing the sensors. Thus, with a spacing of D/50 or less, the landing position can be reliably determined to within ⁇ 1% of range (which is equivalent to ⁇ 0.5S) using just one test to determine if an amplitude ratio is above or below a fixed value. Where greater precision is required, data from a large sample of impacts can be used to determine the relationship between landing position and signal amplitude ratios
  • Figure 3 is a circuit diagram of an electronic amplifier and signal detection circuit used in the system of Figures 1 and 2;
  • Figures 4 and 5 show electric signal waveforms generated in the system of Figures 1 and 2 in response to the impact of a golf ball landing in the target area;
  • Figure 8 is a graph of the signal response of the system of Figure 7; and Figure 9 is a schematic plan view of a third system according to the invention.
  • Sensor 1 extends circumferentially of a circle of radius (R - S/2) centred on the flagpole 3, whereas sensor 2 extends circumferentially of a concentric circle of radius (R + S/2) .
  • the radius R and the spacing S between the two sensors 1 and 2 in the case of a medium-range target, may be 5 metre and 1 metre respectively, giving a ratio L/S larger than 30.
  • the phase of a ground-borne pressure wave front emanating from impact at the centre of the circular configuration of each sensor 1 and 2 is identical at all locations along the sensor-length so there is no loss of signal due to phase non- coherence within it.
  • the circular configuration sensors 1 and 2 maintains good sensitivity to impacts near the flagpole 3 as well as to impacts closer to the sensors 1 and 2 themselves.
  • Any communications link from the unit 5 or other electronic equipment in the target area for conveying data to a distant part of the overall driving-range system may be by means of an optical-fibre link, which is inherently immune to lightning.
  • the communications link may be via a wireless transmitter/receiver with lightning protection on its aerial.
  • the target surface 4 may be slightly sloping as shown in Figure 2 so that balls landing on or near the target roll away from the sensors 1 and 2 after impact and into a collection sump (not shown) via sloping trenches (not shown) . It is preferable that the surface 4 absorbs most of the energy of an impacting ball but also provides low rolling friction, and where synthetic turf is used for the surface 4 its characteristics may be selected to have a low golf-ball rebound coefficient (measured by the ratio of the height of bounce of a dropped golf ball to the height from which it was dropped), for example, not more than 0.1, or more preferably not more than 0.03. This ensures that the sound pressure intensity of a ball landing from a bounce is below -20 dB or -30 dB respectively, relative to the landing impact intensity. It is also desirable to provide low rolling friction so that golf balls roll off the target area readily.
  • the unit 5 incorporates a circuit of the form shown in Figure 3 for interfacing with each sensor 1 and 2 via its respective cable 6.
  • each piezoelectric-cable sensor 1 and 2 has an equivalent circuit as represented in Figure 3 by a voltage source Vl in series with a capacitor Cl.
  • Variations in the voltage from source Vl are proportional to the instantaneous pressure variations averaged over the length of the piezoelectric cable and gives rise to charge variations through capacitor Cl.
  • a surge arrestor circuit comprising impedances Zl and Z2 (which may be resistive or inductive) , diodes Dl and D2 and a capacitor C2, provides differential and common-mode protection to an input amplifier Al and subsequent circuitry. Surge protection is desirable to provide some degree of immunity against nearby lightning strikes.
  • the input amplifier Al and a feedback capacitor C3 convert the charge-variation signal from the piezoelectric sensor 1 or 2 to a voltage signal on the output of amplifier Al, and a feedback resistor Rl prevents large drift voltages due to amplifier-input offset, building up on the output of the amplifier Al.
  • the RC time constant of the shunt-connected resistor Rl and capacitor C3, however, is very large compared with the period of the signal waveform resulting from golf- ball impact, so the gain of the amplifier Al is not significantly reduced at the frequencies of interest.
  • An additional filter stage may be provided to reject out-of-band noise signals.
  • the half-wave rectification stage is replaced by a stage providing full-wave rectification or, more preferably, true RMS to DC conversion.
  • Other methods of signal processing may be applied, including digitising the waveform and applying adaptive filtering techniques.
  • provision for periodically testing the gain and frequency-response of the interface channel and detecting open- and closed-circuit faults may be made by connecting a silicon diode (not shown) across the remote end of each piezoelectric-cable sensor 1 and 2 and inputting a modulated test current to the respective cable 6.
  • More than the two mutually-spaced concentric sensors 1 and 2 may be used, and their radii and the spacings S between the individual pairs of adjacent sensors may be larger or smaller than for the example described above. For example, it may be required to detect if a ball-impact is within distances such as 4.6 metre (5 yard) and 9.1 metre (10 yard) of the flagpole 3.
  • the inner sensor pair may have radii R of 4.2 metre and 5.0 metre with spacing S of 0.8 metre and the outer sensor pair may have radii R of 8.5 metre and 9.7 metre with spacing S of 1.2 metre.
  • a non-circular configuration may be adopted but it is again preferable (but not a limitation) for the spacing S between adjacent sensors to be substantially constant.
  • the two spaced apart sensors may be straight and parallel to one another to detect whether a ball lands on one side or the other of a straight boundary.
  • the ratio of the two largest-amplitude signals from three or more adjacent sensors can be selected for use to determine the position, perpendicular to the sensors, of any arbitrary landing spot in a defined area bounded by them.
  • Figure 7 is a schematic end view of four sensors 11, 12, 13 and 14 buried a few centimetres below a landing surface 15. This arrangement provides a means of measuring the left-to-right landing position (as viewed in Figure 7) of balls landing anywhere in a zone from mid-way between sensors 11 and 12 to mid-way between sensors 13 and 14.
  • Figure 8 shows a graph of the ratio factor F plotted against sensor positions, where the value of ⁇ has been chosen to give ratio factor values of 5.0 at the peaks corresponding to sensors 12 and 13. (The abscissa values 11, 12, 13 and 14 correspond to the sensors as numbered in Figure 7) .
  • Figure 8 is in fact a plot of six separate signals, the graph up to the first minimum corresponding to the case where V HI is generated from sensor 11 and V L0 is generated from sensor 12. Similarly, the graph after the last minimum corresponds in the same way to sensors 14 and 13 respectively.
  • These pairs of sensors produce two possible positions where F can have a value of 3 or more and this creates an ambiguity in the measurement. For example, when V HI equals 5.0 near sensors 11 or 14, it is impossible to determine where a landing point is exactly (according to the graph) , but the landing point can be recorded as being approximately close to sensor 11 or 14.
  • the four sections of the graph of Figure 8 between the first and last minima correspond to different pairs of sensors where the sensor that generates V HI has two adjacent sensors on either side, one of which generates V L0 .
  • the calibration for one part of the range should be good for any other, so long as the terrain can be considered more or less homogeneous, which is usually the case. If necessary, calibration can be performed wherever sensors are installed.
  • the sensors 21 and 22 in both sets are evenly spaced apart horizontally from one another by a distance S, and are all of a length L as indicated in Figure 9. However, other arrangements and non-parallel distribution may be adopted. Even with very long sensors 21 and 22, the signal amplitude resulting from a golf-ball landing-impact decreases very severely as the distance of the impact from the sensor increases. Thus, it is preferable, but not a limitation, that the spacing S is less than 5 metre. A ball that travels only a short distance usually has less descent velocity and so generates a landing-impact of smaller intensity, than a ball travelling a long distance. Thus, it is desirable to reduce spacing S in targets close to the tee-off area (i.e. the driving bays) and preferably spacing S should be less than D/50, where D is the distance of the target from the tee-off area.
  • each sensor 21 and 22 may be terminated by a silicon diode.
  • This enables a forward-biased test to check that the sensors 21 and 22 and/or their inert connecting cables 23 are not open-circuit, and a high-impedance test to check that they are not short-circuit.
  • the diode When not forward biased, the diode is virtually open-circuit and does not degrade the very low-level signals generated in the piezoelectric-cable sensor.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Biophysics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Geophysics And Detection Of Objects (AREA)
  • Force Measurement Appropriate To Specific Purposes (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Mechanical Vibrations Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne des capteurs piézo-électriques à câble (1,2;11-14;21,22) mutuellement espacés, sensibles au contact à l'atterrissage d'une balle de golf dans une aire de chute(4), qui émettent des signaux de tension dont l'analyse permet de localiser la zone de contact de l'aire de chute (4), sur la base de leur amplitude relative, de leur différence d'amplitude maximale de salve ou de la différence entre leurs moyennes d'amplitude maximale de salve, ou encore de leurs valeurs efficaces. Les capteurs sont organisés en cercles concentriques (1, 2) ou en lignes droites parallèles (11-14); deux ensembles droits (21,22) pouvant être orthogonaux. De plus, l'analyse peut consister à déterminer si la somme de deux des signaux dépasse un seuil et si leur différence est positive ou négative. Lorsqu'il existe plus de deux capteurs (11-14;21,22), les signaux dont l'amplitude est la plus importante sont sélectionnés pour déterminer la zone de contact.
PCT/GB2005/004083 2004-10-22 2005-10-24 Procédés et systèmes sensibles au contact à l'atterrissage des balles de golf WO2006043091A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0423500A GB0423500D0 (en) 2004-10-22 2004-10-22 Launch analyser with real-time adaptive correction
GB0423500.8 2004-10-22
GB0425490A GB0425490D0 (en) 2004-11-19 2004-11-19 Apparatus for measuring landing of projectiles
GB0425490.0 2004-11-19

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2006043091A2 true WO2006043091A2 (fr) 2006-04-27
WO2006043091A3 WO2006043091A3 (fr) 2006-06-15

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB2005/004083 WO2006043091A2 (fr) 2004-10-22 2005-10-24 Procédés et systèmes sensibles au contact à l'atterrissage des balles de golf

Country Status (2)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2419298A (fr)
WO (1) WO2006043091A2 (fr)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB0508915D0 (en) 2005-04-30 2005-06-08 Lindsay Norman M Putting analyser with corrective feedback

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5029866A (en) * 1988-06-20 1991-07-09 Beard Iii Bryce P Apparatus and method for determining projectile impact locations
US5056791A (en) * 1989-09-28 1991-10-15 Nannette Poillon Golf simulator and analyzer system
FR2664503A1 (fr) * 1990-07-16 1992-01-17 Paulet Bruno Appareil pour detecter l'impact d'un projectile lance lors d'une activite sportive, notamment pour detecter l'impact d'une balle de golf.
FR2682608A1 (fr) * 1991-10-17 1993-04-23 Rousseau Claude Dispositif pour determiner la position d'impact d'un projectile, notamment balle de golf, sur un panneau cible.
US5303924A (en) * 1992-04-29 1994-04-19 Accu-Sport International, Inc. Golf game simulating apparatus and method
US6179720B1 (en) * 1997-05-21 2001-01-30 Accu-Sport International, Inc. Correlation method and apparatus for target-oriented sports activities
WO2005081014A1 (fr) * 2004-02-18 2005-09-01 Norman Matheson Lindsay Procedes et systemes utilisant la prevision du resultat pour des objets frappes

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1039843A (en) * 1964-04-24 1966-08-24 Germain Burger Improvements relating to golf practice devices
GB2204800A (en) * 1987-04-16 1988-11-23 Gerald Jones Game target
US4855711A (en) * 1987-06-29 1989-08-08 Sensor Science Impact detection apparatus
US5419565A (en) * 1993-08-20 1995-05-30 Gordon; Theodore J. Electrical device for detecting the location and speed or force of impact with a target
US20060267287A1 (en) * 2003-04-04 2006-11-30 Lamberti Catherine B Ball return game

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5029866A (en) * 1988-06-20 1991-07-09 Beard Iii Bryce P Apparatus and method for determining projectile impact locations
US5056791A (en) * 1989-09-28 1991-10-15 Nannette Poillon Golf simulator and analyzer system
FR2664503A1 (fr) * 1990-07-16 1992-01-17 Paulet Bruno Appareil pour detecter l'impact d'un projectile lance lors d'une activite sportive, notamment pour detecter l'impact d'une balle de golf.
FR2682608A1 (fr) * 1991-10-17 1993-04-23 Rousseau Claude Dispositif pour determiner la position d'impact d'un projectile, notamment balle de golf, sur un panneau cible.
US5303924A (en) * 1992-04-29 1994-04-19 Accu-Sport International, Inc. Golf game simulating apparatus and method
US6179720B1 (en) * 1997-05-21 2001-01-30 Accu-Sport International, Inc. Correlation method and apparatus for target-oriented sports activities
WO2005081014A1 (fr) * 2004-02-18 2005-09-01 Norman Matheson Lindsay Procedes et systemes utilisant la prevision du resultat pour des objets frappes

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2006043091A3 (fr) 2006-06-15
GB0521674D0 (en) 2005-11-30
GB2419298A (en) 2006-04-26

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