Automated golf scoring

Abstract

An automated golf scoring system with a sensor unit wearable by the player and a data processing unit in communication therewith is disclosed. First acceleration data corresponding to a first swing motion measured with an accelerometer of the sensor unit is received. A resting state is detected with first speed data from a location positioner. The first acceleration data for the first swing motion is stored in a swing queue when the resting state is detected. A movement of the player is then detected with second speed data. A shot counter is incremented upon detecting the movement of the player. This depends on an evaluation of the first acceleration data in the swing queue having a higher magnitude than any existing acceleration data in the swing queue.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]Not ApplicableSTATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH / DEVELOPMENT[0002]Not ApplicableBACKGROUND[0003]1. Technical Field[0004]The present disclosure relates generally to tracking athletic performance, and more particularly, to systems and methods for automated golf scoring with wearable devices connectable to scorekeeping data processing devices having minimally intrusive interfaces.[0005]2. Related Art[0006]Golf is played recreationally and professionally worldwide by numerous individuals of both genders, across a wide range of age and skill level. The fundamental objective is to strike a ball with a club starting from the teeing ground into a hole some distance away. A golf course is comprised of multiple holes (eighteen or nine, depending on the size of the course) that are played in sequence, and scored based upon the number of strokes taken from the tee-off to the final putt in which the ball is hit into the hole. In this context, ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present patent is about an automatic golf scoring system that uses sensors to accurately keep track of strokes. It uses data from an accelerometer on a wearable device and from a mobile phone to determine when a shot has occurred. This system minimizes the need for manual scoring and provides useful information to the player about how they are doing in the game.

Problems solved by technology

In this context, the game appears simple, but there are numerous complexities that continue to challenge players of the highest skill level.

In addition to the aforementioned grassy areas of the course, there may be various water hazards, bunkers or sand traps, and trees / vegetation that block the flight of the ball.

Besides the variable course configurations that challenge players, wind conditions, sun position, and other environmental factors may present an additional level of difficulty.

Furthermore, maintaining a consistent swing is challenging even for the most practiced players, and significant deviations in power and angle may need to be made from shot to shot to account for course layout, distance, wind conditions, and the utilized club.

Manual entry, whether electronic or paper, tends to disrupt the flow of gameplay.

Regardless, the process of entering such data is tedious.

It will be recognized that besides the game itself, many enjoy golf as an opportunity to socialize and / or conduct business on an informal level, and scorekeeping may be too distracting to those ends.

Such systems do not account for practice swings typically taken before a shot, leading to wildly inaccurate scores unless reviewed after each hole.

Without additional user intervention, the score kept on the device is incorrect.

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