Games using tangible projectile – Golf – Practice swingable implement or indicator associated with...
Reexamination Certificate
1997-09-08
2001-03-06
Martin-Wallace, Valencia (Department: 3713)
Games using tangible projectile
Golf
Practice swingable implement or indicator associated with...
C473S221000, C473S219000, C473S222000, C473S225000, C473S151000, C473S152000, C473S409000, C473S145000, C310S318000, C310S319000, C310S320000, C310S338000, C702S138000, C702S189000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196932
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a sports apparatus and related training method and more particularly to an instrumented golf club for providing feedback to a user useful for controlling golf swing and golf ball contact.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Amateur golfers benefit from feedback regarding their golf swing to improve their consistency, performance, and satisfaction with the game. The golf swing and contact with the golf ball are difficult to execute, control, and repeat effectively. Electronic aids for providing feedback to the golfer have become increasingly popular for use on golf ranges and in home settings. These devices, however, cannot typically be used during actual play on a golf course as they generally require external support or control apparatus to measure, calculate, and display information useful for the golfer to facilitate guiding the club and controlling the swing. These electronic golf aids require that the golfer remember the correct stance, grip, and ball address and attempt to replicate these functions hours or days later when playing on the golf course.
Other portable devices have been described which provide the golfer with some information about the last contact with the golf ball. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,236 issued to Allen discloses a golf club including a transducer assembly of two piezoelectric films sandwiched across an entire face of a golf club head assembly between a club head and a face plate. A circuit assembly displays an estimated ball distance on a liquid crystal display by integrating an impact force curve over impact time to generate a ball velocity which is then correlated to an estimated distance value. Neither the point of contact on the face plate nor the spin of the ball, if any, can be determined. These parameters are known to effect significantly ball trajectory and distance. U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,483 issued to Gedney et al. discloses a golf club including five sensors, one each disposed in central, toe, heel, top, and bottom regions of a club head. A circuit detects a peak central sensor output to determine ball velocity and yardage. The peak output is compared to the peak outputs of the other four sensors to determine generally location of the hit on the club head. Ball trajectory is determined by comparing the peak outputs of the toe and heel sensors.
There exists a need for a self-contained instrumented sports apparatus capable of providing substantially instantaneous feedback to a user of multiple parameters of interest which collectively effect ball trajectory and distance. The invention disclosed hereinafter satisfies this need and represents a significant improvement in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method and apparatus are disclosed for providing feedback to a user of a sports apparatus having a surface for impacting an object such as a ball. In an exemplary embodiment, the sports apparatus includes a transducer coupled to the impact surface, the transducer having an array of discrete neighboring point sensors such that each point sensor generates a respective electrical analog output signal. Each output signal has a time-varying magnitude and duration corresponding to a local normal force due to the local impact of the surface by the object. The apparatus includes a circuit for processing the respective output signals and a display for displaying one or more parameters of interest corresponding to the respective output signals. The circuit may include an analog multiplexer for multiplexing the respective output signals, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for converting the multiplexed signals to digital data, and a processor for processing the digital data and generating information representative of the parameters of interest. The circuit may also include signal conditioning circuitry for amplification and filtering, if desired, as well as a battery for providing power. Parameters of interest may include impact speed, impact angle, and impact location which may be displayed numerically or graphically. In an exemplary embodiment, the sports apparatus is a golf club having a club head with a face for striking a golf ball. The transducer may be manufactured from a piezoelectric film material to produce the desired point sensor array having a sufficient density to generate a plurality of respective output signals for a typical impact. For the golf club application, parameters of interest may include club head speed, club head angle, and club head elevation. In an exemplary embodiment, the transducer, circuit, and display are fully integrated into the golf club.
According to the method of the invention, feedback is provided to the user of the sports apparatus by measuring object impact at a plurality of discrete points on the surface of the apparatus using a transducer for generating a plurality of respective output signals, processing the signals, and displaying at least one parameter of interest corresponding to the signals. In an exemplary embodiment, the processing step may include the steps of multiplexing the respective output signals, converting the multiplexed signals to digital data, and generating information representative of one or more parameters of interest based upon the digital data. Output signal conditioning including amplifying and filtering may be included, if desired. The information generating step may include sampling the digital data corresponding to each signal, averaging the sampled data for each signal, and comparing a distribution of the averaged data to stored data. This method may be used where the parameter of interest is impact angle, which may be displayed graphically. Where the parameter of interest is impact speed or impact location, the information generating step may include sampling the digital data corresponding to each signal and determining a maximum value of all of the sampled data. This method of converting the object impact into displays useful to the user of the sports apparatus is unique.
According to another method of the invention, a surface of a sports apparatus is instrumented by providing a transducer having a array of discrete point sensors and integrating the transducer into the sports apparatus such that the transducer is coupled to the surface and also protected from direct impact of an object striking the surface. The transducer may be a piezoelectric film which is coupled to the surface by bonding.
When employed in a golf club, the battery powered circuit may be built into the shaft of the club and the transducer and display may be built into the head of the club. Any club may be instrumented according to the invention, including drivers and putters. By using an instrumented club, a golfer can receive immediate feedback after each golf stroke and can modify his next swing, as necessary, to produce more accurate, reliable results.
The batteries and circuit may be contained in a housing configured to be inserted into the handle end of the golf club shaft. A cover may be provided at the end of the handle to facilitate battery replacement. A manual or automatic motion detection switch may also be provided to prevent depletion of the batteries when the club is not being used. The housing may optionally include the display, although the display may be mounted on an upper surface of the club head, proximate the transducer which is integrated into the club head. In alternative embodiments, the apparatus and method of this invention may be integrated into contact sports apparatus other than golf clubs, such as baseball bats, paddles, and racquets.
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patent: 3792863 (1974-02-01), Evans
patent: 4659090 (1987-04-01), Kustanovich
patent: 4822042 (1989-04-01), Landsman
patent: 4834376 (1989-05-01), Steinberg
patent: 4898389 (1990-02-01), Plutt
patent: 4940236 (1990-07-01), Allen et al.
patent: 5131660 (1992-07-01), Marocco
patent: 5209483 (1993-05-01), Gedney et al.
patent: 5295689 (1994-03-01), Lundberg
patent: 5310185 (1994-05-01), Viollarz et al.
patent: 5487542 (1996-01-01), Foley
patent: 5586940 (19
Marsh Andrew John
Marsh Donald James
Martin-Wallace Valencia
Nguyen Binh-An
Testa Hurwitz & Thibeault LLP
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