CA2519275C - Ball hit detection apparatus and tee-ing machine - Google Patents

Ball hit detection apparatus and tee-ing machine Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2519275C
CA2519275C CA2519275A CA2519275A CA2519275C CA 2519275 C CA2519275 C CA 2519275C CA 2519275 A CA2519275 A CA 2519275A CA 2519275 A CA2519275 A CA 2519275A CA 2519275 C CA2519275 C CA 2519275C
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CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
ball
signal
golf
detection apparatus
tee
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status 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 status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
CA2519275A
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French (fr)
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CA2519275A1 (en
Inventor
Martin Wyeth
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Individual
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Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of CA2519275A1 publication Critical patent/CA2519275A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2519275C publication Critical patent/CA2519275C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • 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
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63BAPPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B57/00Golfing accessories
    • A63B57/0006Automatic teeing devices
    • 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
    • A63B69/3614Training appliances or apparatus for special sports for golf using electro-magnetic, magnetic or ultrasonic radiation emitted, reflected or interrupted by the golf club
    • 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
    • A63B2024/0028Tracking the path of an object, e.g. a ball inside a soccer pitch
    • A63B2024/0031Tracking the path of an object, e.g. a ball inside a soccer pitch at the starting point

Abstract

The ball detection apparatus is for detecting when a golf ball is hit off a golf tee of an automatic golf ball teeing machine. The detection apparatus comprises a radar device (13) for producing a first signal in response to detecting movement of a golf club towards the tee (11), a directional microphone (15) for producing a second signal in response to detecting the sound of a golf club striking a golf ball and monitoring means for detecting a coincidence between the first and second signals. An automatic golf ball teeing machine including such ball detection apparatus is also disclosed.

Description

BALL HIT DETECTION APPARATUS AND TEE-ING MACHINE

This invention relates to ball detection apparatus for detecting when a golf ball is hit off a golf tee of an automatic golf ball teeing machine.

Automatic golf ball teeing machines are known and are in use at some golf driving ranges. They comprise a device for feeding balls onto a tee and means for detecting when a ball leaves the tee. The feeding device operates in response to the detecting means. The detecting means of these known teeing devices includes an air pump for pumping air through the tee and the detecting means relies on sensing a change in pressure when the ball leaves the tee.

Golf balls do not create a significant back pressure due to the surface pattern they possess and dirty balls can create even less back pressure. Therefore, a change in pressure is difficult to detect. Also, the present detectors are expensive to make as they require an air pump, a pressure sensor and a decoder and fail to detect the difference between a ball being hit from a tee and a ball falling off a tee.

It is also known to use arrangements which rely on weight detection to detect when a ball leaves the tee. However, these arrangements often malfunction as a result of mud or the like.

The present invention seeks to provide improved ball detection apparatus for
2 an automatic golf ball teeing machine.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided ball detection apparatus for detecting when a golf ball is hit off a golf tee of an automatic golf ball teeing machine, comprising a radar device for producing a first signal in response to detecting movement of a golf club towards the tee, a directional microphone'for producing a second signal in response to detecting the sound of a golf club striking a golf ball and monitoring means for detecting a coincidence between the first and second signals.
l0 According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a ball detection apparatus for detecting when a golf ball is hit off a golf tee of an automatic golf ball teeing machine, comprising a radar device which determines a swing speed of a golf club towards the tee and which produces a first signal corresponding to said swing speed, a directional microphone that produces a second signal in response to detecting the sound of said golf club striking a golf ball, and monitoring means for detecting a coincidence between the first and second signals, wherein the monitoring means is arranged to produce an output signal only if it detects a coincidence between the first and second signals and the second signal is above a predetermined level, and the monitoring means varies said predetermined level in accordance with the amplitude of the first signal.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic golf ball teeing machine comprising ball detection apparatus according to 2a the first aspect of the invention and a ball feeder for feeding balls one at a time to a golf tee, the ball feeder being operable in response to the monitoring means of the detection apparatus detecting a coincidence between the first and second signals.
3 The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of ball detection apparatus according to a first aspect of the invention incorporated in an automatic golf ball teeing machine, and Figure 2 is a graph showing a coincidence between two signals produced by the ball detection apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, the automatic golf ball teeing machine shown therein comprises a ball feeder 10 for feeding balls one at a time to a golf tee.
The ball feeder 10 includes a tee 11 and a mechanism (not shown) for delivering balls fed in through a ball inlet 12 of the feeder 10 one at a time to the tee. The ball feeder 10 as such is not the subject of this application but one example of such a ball feeder as known in the art.

The automatic golf ball teeing machine also comprises ball detection appar t sate for detecting when a golf ball is hit off the tee 11. The ball detection apparatus comprises a radar gun 13 housed in a hinged lid 14 of the ball inlet 12 and a directional microphone 15 supported by a control panel 16 located alongside the ball feeder 10. The radar gun 13 is aimed towards the path a golf club will take in hitting
4 a ball from the tee 11 and is mounted on a transducer board (not shown).

The directional microphone 15 is aimed at the tee 11.

The ball detection apparatus also comprises monitoring means for detecting a coincidence between a first signal produced by the radar gun 13 and a second signal produced by the directional microphone 15 and, when certain criteria are met, for producing an output signal which is fed to the aforesaid mechanism of the ball feeder so that a fresh golf ball is delivered to the tee 11.

Processing circuitry of the monitoring means is contained within the control panel 16. The microphone 15 is preferably responsive to sound within a frequency range of 2 to 5 KHz. This will filter out some background noise. The processing circuitry is arranged to product an output signal only if it detects a signal from the directional microphone 15 whilst a signal from the radar gun 13 is at or close to its peak level. This will be at a time when the golf club is travelling at maximum or near maximum speed. The processing circuitry is also arranged to only produce an output signal if it detects a coincidence between the signal from the radar gun 13 and a signal from the directional microphone 15 which is above a predetermined level.

That level is varied in accordance with the amplitude of the signal from the radar gun 13 so that as the radar gun 13 detects a higher swing speed, the processing circuitry requires a higher intensity signal from the directional microphone 15 to produce an output signal. The logic behind this is that as a golf ball is hit harder the intensity of the sound of impact increases.

The control panel could also include a display 17 for displaying the maximum
5 swing speed each time a ball is hit from the tee 11.

Figure 2 is a graph showing a coincidence between a first signal A produced by the radar gun 13 and a second signal B produced by the directional microphone 15. The signal B falls within a window W of signal A indicative that the golf club is at or close to maximum swing speed and has a level greater than predetermined level L determined by the processing circuitry in accordance with the intensity of signal A. In these circumstances, the processing circuitry will output a signal to the ball feeder 10 which will operate in response to this output signal and will feed a new ball to the tee 11.

The embodiment described above is given by way of example only and various modifications may be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (7)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A ball detection apparatus for detecting when a golf ball is hit off a golf tee of an automatic golf ball teeing machine, comprising a radar device which determines a swing speed of a golf club towards the tee and which produces a first signal corresponding to said swing speed, a directional microphone that produces a second signal in response to detecting the sound of said golf club striking a golf ball, and monitoring means for detecting a coincidence between the first and second signals, wherein the monitoring means is arranged to produce an output signal only if it detects a coincidence between the first and second signals and the second signal is above a predetermined level, and the monitoring means varies said predetermined level in accordance with the amplitude of the first signal.
2. A ball detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the microphone is responsive to sound within a frequency range of 2 to 5 kHz.
3. A ball detection apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the monitoring means is arranged to produce an output signal only if it detects a second signal while the first signal is at or close to its peak level.
4. An automatic golf ball teeing machine, comprising a ball detection apparatus as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3 and a ball feeder for feeding balls one at a time to a golf tee, wherein the ball feeder is operable in response to the monitoring means of the detection apparatus detecting a coincidence between the first and second signals.
5. An automatic teeing machine according to claim 4, wherein the radar device is supported by the ball feeder.
6. An automatic teeing machine according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the microphone is supported by a control panel housing processing circuitry of the monitoring means.
7. An automatic teeing machine according to claim 6, wherein the control panel comprises a display for displaying the maximum speed of the golf club.
CA2519275A 2003-03-28 2004-03-29 Ball hit detection apparatus and tee-ing machine Expired - Lifetime CA2519275C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0307159A GB2399762B (en) 2003-03-28 2003-03-28 Ball detection apparatus
GB0307159.4 2003-03-28
PCT/GB2004/001391 WO2004085009A1 (en) 2003-03-28 2004-03-29 Ball hit detection apparatus and tee-ing machine

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2519275A1 CA2519275A1 (en) 2004-10-07
CA2519275C true CA2519275C (en) 2012-03-06

Family

ID=9955713

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA2519275A Expired - Lifetime CA2519275C (en) 2003-03-28 2004-03-29 Ball hit detection apparatus and tee-ing machine

Country Status (15)

Country Link
US (1) US7344446B2 (en)
EP (1) EP1608441B1 (en)
JP (1) JP4454623B2 (en)
AT (1) ATE535286T1 (en)
AU (1) AU2004224581B2 (en)
CA (1) CA2519275C (en)
CY (1) CY1112768T1 (en)
DK (1) DK1608441T3 (en)
ES (1) ES2377927T3 (en)
GB (1) GB2399762B (en)
NZ (1) NZ542524A (en)
PL (1) PL1608441T3 (en)
PT (1) PT1608441E (en)
WO (1) WO2004085009A1 (en)
ZA (1) ZA200507301B (en)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NL2005275C2 (en) * 2010-08-26 2012-02-28 Wijngaarden Beheer B V Van DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DETECTING A GOLF BALL ON A TEE.
US11027193B2 (en) 2013-07-01 2021-06-08 Flyingtee Tech, Llc Two-environment game play system
US9555284B2 (en) 2014-09-02 2017-01-31 Origin, Llc Multiple sensor tracking system and method
US10810903B2 (en) 2017-04-05 2020-10-20 Flyingtee Tech, Llc Computerized method of detecting and depicting a travel path of a golf ball
AR108323A1 (en) 2017-04-26 2018-08-08 Nicolas Rosamino DEVICE AND METHOD FOR LEARNING GOLF

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NZ542524A (en) 2006-09-29
CA2519275A1 (en) 2004-10-07
ZA200507301B (en) 2006-09-27
CY1112768T1 (en) 2016-02-10
EP1608441B1 (en) 2011-11-30
EP1608441A1 (en) 2005-12-28
GB0307159D0 (en) 2003-04-30
JP4454623B2 (en) 2010-04-21
WO2004085009A1 (en) 2004-10-07
US20040192455A1 (en) 2004-09-30
AU2004224581A1 (en) 2004-10-07
JP2006521143A (en) 2006-09-21
DK1608441T3 (en) 2012-03-26
GB2399762A (en) 2004-09-29
GB2399762B (en) 2006-08-09
US7344446B2 (en) 2008-03-18
AU2004224581B2 (en) 2010-03-25
ATE535286T1 (en) 2011-12-15
PL1608441T3 (en) 2012-05-31
PT1608441E (en) 2012-03-06
ES2377927T3 (en) 2012-04-03

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