WO2009112606A1

WO2009112606A1 - System and method for automatic management of strikes in the game of golf

Info

Publication number: WO2009112606A1
Application number: PCT/ES2009/000111
Authority: WO
Inventors: Antonio Javier Sanchez Esguevillas; Belén CARRO MARTINEZ
Original assignee: Universidad De Valladolid
Priority date: 2008-03-03
Filing date: 2009-03-03
Publication date: 2009-09-17
Also published as: ES2327092A1; ES2327092B1

Abstract

In a round of golf, monitoring of the number of times that a golf ball has been struck into each hole, positioning of each struck ball, identification of club used and, in general, management of each round in an individual, centralized manner, based on RFID (radiofrequency identifier) and GPS (global positioning system) technologies. The principal area of application is leisure pursuits, specifically the sport of golf, although the invention may be extrapolated, with the necessary adaptations, to other sports or uses.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD OF AUTOMATIC HITCH MANAGEMENT IN THE GOLF GAME

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION Thanks to this invention, golf players will be able to follow, automatically and in real time, the development of their game and that of their starting partners, without the need to carry out a control and registration by hand. Its main utility is, therefore, leisure, allowing a more rigorous control of its development both at a distance (centralized data) and by each player involved.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention has its application in the field of telecommunications, more specifically in the subfields of communications, global positioning and identification of objects by radio frequency, applied to leisure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is a lot of intellectual property activity around golf [7]. • By ^: a clock for manual control of the golf clubs used [8]. Many patents related to the search for lost balls [9], even with a GPS receiver integrated in the ball itself

[10], [11] and several that relate GPS and golf balls [11]. There are systems that allow viewers to offer real-time statistics of golf games [6] and even PDA applications that allow the player to keep track of the game.

In the state of the art of GPS + RFID technologies applied to golf (see annex: gps and rfid and golf) can only be found [1], a system in which the RFID and GPS technologies to determine certain basic parameters (such as distance reached) of a hit ball in the driving range. The system shown is not reusable in the field of play, where the present invention has its application. There is no prior patent that combines GPS and NFC technologies (see annex).

In general, RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) technology [2] is a remote data storage and retrieval system that uses RFID tags. The purpose of RFID is to convey the identity of an object

(similar to a unique serial number) by radiofrequency. The RFID tag is a small device, similar to a sticker, that can be attached or incorporated into a product. It contains antennas to receive and respond to requests by radiofrequency from an RFID transmitter-receiver. One of the advantages of radiofrequency is that direct vision between transmitter and receiver is not required. Another technology option is NFC (Near Field Communication) [4], [5], compatible with RFID and other technologies that do not require contact for communication (an example of application would be payment by chip cards, without physical contact with the reader ), and short range (about 20 cm). On the other hand, the GPS system • (Global Positioning System) is a positioning system using satellite signal, and therefore with global coverage outdoors, which allows to determine the position of an object with an accuracy up to centimeters using differential GPS, although the usual are a few meters. [3}

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Comprehensive, automatic and real-time management system for the development of a golf game, individual and centralized. The system, simple and technology based Simple and available in the market for a long time, it offers the following novel features:

"Accounting for the number of strokes given to a ball in each hole. The counting that is usually made by heart and is recorded manually by each player is facilitated.

"Positioning (coordinates) of the ball once its course is finished. Together with the characteristic of the following point, it allows the recreation of the games in real time (tracking, centralized and individual for each player, • of the own game and that of the partners of departure) and later (in order to study and improve the blows in each field). "Identification and registration of the stick used in each stroke. The player can review his game afterwards, and evaluate the choice of the club with the distance achieved.

The invention is • materialized in a system with the following components:

"RFID tags: allow the identification of the object. They will be used in two elements:

"Golf ball: identifies the ball of each player in each hole. It allows the accounting of blows per ball and its positioning

"Brat: • identifies each of bats used 'player on each hole Allows tracking of tactical game ^Golfer!." RFID reader detects and identifies RFID - tagged items. It will pass the read data to the application in charge of storing them and treating them for the follow-up of the plays.

"GPS system: stores the coordinates of the ball as soon as it is detected 'by the RFID reader. For greater accuracy, it will be configured so that only detect labels over short distances. Another positioning system available on the market (for example, the future Galileo) may be used.

"Mobile communications interface: transmission network used to send the game data from the terminal of each user to the central server. In addition to mobile networks (GPRS, UMTS, HSDPA, HSPA, ...) it can be worth any other wireless technology with coverage in the field (WLAN, WiMAX ...). "User terminal: handheld device that carries the user and can contain integrated functionalities of RFID reader, GPS system and mobile communications interface, as well as a sufficiently wide screen to visualize the data and the data management application (system logic in the terminal). A typical terminal can be a PDA or a next-generation mobile phone.

"Central server: it hosts the logic of the global system: it receives (via wireless network connection) the data of the user terminals and processes them for the monitoring of the game. You can also have an external network connection (Internet, 2G-3G. ..) to allow access to the game data to external users A PC can act as a server or central team.

The system is open to additional modules with additional functionality and ^•

"Expert module that suggests to the player the most appropriate stick to use in each hit (as if it were a caddy): the module learns from the sticks and the distance achieved in each field for each player, which would allow him to adapt his game to improve

'adaptations that prevent fraud by players during the course of the game according to the rules of the game ^' (move the ball without a stick, not hit the ball with the stick when performing the hitting movement, ...)

As an additional feature, the system can locate stray balls (in forested area, water ...), difficult to find with the naked eye (the system could locate it by expanding the detection radius of the RFID reader), although this is not the main objective of the invention but an available capacity thanks to the components used in the system. It is important to highlight the main novelties of the present invention against the existing: "complete automation, without the need for intervention by the player user in each stroke

"label on golf clubs, to automatically control also the clubs with which the blow is given and not only the points where the ball is hit" NFC use

• combine RFID + GPS for cheaper location (no ball GPS required) and even accurate. "economic savings by using standard technologies, thereby significantly improving the industrialization capacity of the invention

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows the block diagram of the system:

"Central server, which communicates through the mobile communications system with the user terminals

• User terminal: includes the GPS receiver, the mobile communications interface and the RFID reader, which communicate with the GPS satellite system, the central server and the RFID tags, respectively

RFID tags: integrated in each suit belonging to each player, as well as in the balls that you can use PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The invention can be implemented in an advanced mobile terminal that has the elements described above (RFID reader, GPS receiver, mobile communications interface, sufficiently large display screen), in which the application functionality can be loaded via SW, which will also be used on the central server. The golf player goes out to the field with the basic game tools (sticks and balls, with their respective RFID tags), as well as with his mobile terminal with the elements indicated in the previous paragraph and the SW application loaded. When taking a ball, it is recognized by the RFID reader and its position (initially, the starting point) is determined by GPS and recorded by the SW application. The ^' .guga & or choose a stick to hit the ball, recognized by the RFID reader (for example, when the stick is close to the ball to hit) and recorded by the application. The data collected and processed by the application, can be sent to the central server by the terminal and forwarded to the other players or accessed by external users, who are thus aware of the development of the game in real time. In the next step, the golfer approaches the displaced ball to proceed to a new blow. When it is close enough, the RFID reader recognizes it and the GPS system picks up its position. Again, the selected stick is recognized by its RFID tag and recorded in the system. The number of strokes given to the ball is given by identifying each displaced by ball 'of the RFID reader, combined with the given position: ± ^po' GPS.

Once ^'the game the server can make a virtual reconstruction of the same with the data received from each terminal, and even partial reconstructions in the course of the game. To that end, the Server can use field maps that include tee tee, hole and obstacles. The ranking of the players can be consulted in real time.

REFERENCES

[1] Enhanced golf range play using RFID and GPS, US6998965 [2] RFID Supplement. IEEE Communications Magazine. September 2007. An Overview of Passive RFID (RFID Infrastructure. RFID Editor Message. Covering the Supply Chain Industry). Localization Capability: The most common method involves triangulation, in which distances from known reference readers are measured. Alippi et al. achieved accuracy of 0.6 m using a Bayesian statistical method based on readings collected from multiple RFID readers [C. Alippi et al., "A statistical Approach to Localize Passive RFIDs," Proc. IEEE Int '1. Symp. Circuits and Systems, May 2006.]. The accuracy may be improved with tags employing UWB. [3] Accuracy and error sources. GPS Wikipedia 10/9/2007 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global Positioning Syste m # Accuracy and error sources). GPS accuracy is 3 meters, but can be reduced to 30cm. An Overview of Passive RFID ([2]). 60 cm [4] Pervasive RFID and Near Field Communication Technology. Michahelles, Florian; Thiesse, Frederic; Schmidt, Albrecht; Williams, John R. Pervasive Computing, IEEE Volume 6, Issue 3, July-Sept. 2007 Page (s): 94 - 96 Summary: Today, RFID enjoys enormous interest as the first widely deployed pervasive technology, and Near 'Field Communication will be the first widely deployed technology enabling humans to communicate with physical objects. This article reports on the Pertec (Pervasive RFID / Near Field Communication Technology and Applications) workshop, which discussed the future evolution of RFID beyond goods identification, including sensor integration, localization, NFC applications, and emerging challenges. Location: For coarse-grained location, RFID is a cheap, effective method that you can use to track many objects simultaneously. It ¹ S also unobtrusive and maintenaηce free "[...] For fine-grained location ..:. Intersting research topics include using réader power level or signal strength combined with triangulation, trilateration, or multilateration

[5] Nokia 6131 NFC http://europe.nokia.com/A4307095 [6] IEEE Pervasive Computing: JuIy '07. pg 7 ON THE PUTTING GREEN It 's not just baseball fans that want instant scores and player information. This past May at the AT&T Classic Professional Golfers' Association event in Atlanta, Georgia, spectators used a new device called the Wireless Caddie. The PGA permitted use of the Wireless Caddy, run on Cingular 8125 handsets, although normally cellular devices are not allowed on the tournament courses. The handsets had the ability to receive realtimé scorihg for all players, - lócate and follow players on any'hole; create a personalized leader board fσr the fan 's favorite players; get player bios, course data, and current stats; receive news flashes and crowd roar explanations, - and even identify nearby concessions, restrooms, first aid stations, and shopping booths. "I was at the tournament and the overall feedback was very good," says Todd Smith, a representative from AT&T, formerly Cingular Wireless. "I spoke with a tournament official and he was impressed with the amount of data that fans can receive to enrich their tournament experience. As he put it, fans can use ^• this to find everything they could get from a 'guidebóok and more." Product deployment was a bit different than that of the previous technology used at tournaments, says Smith. Prior to the use of the Wireless Caddie, the application provider, myLEΑDERBOARD, would set up a Wi-Fi network around each course, which took between four and five days to set up. With the new devices, the existing network offers more ubiquitous coverage with less set-up time. Smith reports that the biggest challenge was not mechanical but simply making sure that the 500 devices given out were returned at the end of the games. To date, AT&T has deployed the Wireless Caddy at several golf tournaments, including the US National Pro-Am tournament at Pebble Beach. "The fans have access to the same stat updates as PGA officials and media, in real time, and that helps them get access to players they love while keeping up with the rest of the field," says Smith.

[7] Golf patents http: // golf-patents. com / (The I. P. Golf Guy http://golf-patents.com/2006/06/04/about-me--. david-dawsey- -the- ip-golf -guy. aspx)

[8] "Golf Watch"<^" Patent application US Pub. No. 20070183262."'[a] golf watch, which keeps time and allows a player to keep score of a person's golf game and records the clubs that were used during that game "http: //www.patentmarvel. com / patent .pdf? patent = 20070183 262

[9] Golf Inventions Directed to Tracking Errant Golf Shots; Everything from a 1925 Spring-Wound Noise Generating Golf BaIl to a 2007 GPS Golf BaIl Location System, http://golf-patents.com/2007/09/17/inventions- directed-to-tracking-errant-golf-shots- everything- from-a-1925 -spriήgwoünd-noise-generating-golf -ball-to- a-2007-gps-golf-ball-location-system.aspx [10] GPS golf balls http: // www. gpsreview.net/gps-golf- baila / [11] Golf-ball with integrated GPS-receiving unit, has unique address of golf-ball as bar-code on outer face of ball http: // v3. espacenet, com / textdoc? DB = EPODOC &: IDX = DE10143

588 & F = 0 [12] GPS golf ball: http: //v3.espacenet. com / results? AB = gps + golf + ball & sf = q & FIRST = l & CY = is & LG = is &: DB = EPODOC & st = ΑB &; k: w = gps + golf + ball

& Submit = SEARCH & = & = & = & = & =

Claims

1. Automatic management system, without manual intervention of the player in each stroke, of a golf game, which allows recording the number of strokes given to a ball in each hole, the position of the ball in each stroke, and the club used to give this blow characterized by using a mobile device that records the information using RFID / NFC technologies (ball and stick identification that incorporate an electronic tag) and GPS

(location).

2. System according to claim 1 which allows the golf player to display the registered game, characterized in that it has a portable user terminal that has a wide screen and mobile communications interface.

3. System according to claim 1 which allows real-time communication characterized by the use of wireless technologies with a central device (central server) to transmit all the registered information and download information related to the field.

4. System according to claim 1 that allows in real time the virtual reconstruction of the plays and their display remotely for people other than the player, characterized by a central server connected to an external network (Internet, 2G-3G ...).

5. System according to claim 1 which allows the player to be advised; fraud control in official games; or the location of missing balls, through the use of additional modules with an expert system implemented by software in the mobile terminals of the users and adaptations in the configuration of the RFID reader.