Golf ball position determination method and golf ball position determination system

Abstract

To provide a golf ball location ascertaining method and a golf play information providing system.SOLUTION: The golf ball location ascertaining method comprises a first step of ascertaining a motion location at which a predetermined motion is taken when a golfer located near a golf ball on a golf field takes the motion, and a second step of ascertaining the location of the golf ball on a golf course by using golf course data on the golf field and the motion location.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for determining the position of a golf ball and a system for providing information on playing golf. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, as the number of people participating in various sports has increased, golf has also expanded its base as a popular sport enjoyed by the general public. As the number of people playing golf has reached several million, golf-related businesses have also become increasingly active, with the number of golf courses and driving ranges continuing to increase. There are hundreds of golf courses in operation in Japan, including membership-based and public courses, and the outlook for golf-related businesses is expected to remain positive.

[0003] A golf course consists of 18 holes, including teeing grounds, fairway wood, rough, greens, hole cups, hazards, and bunkers. The 18 holes are divided into four par 5 holes, ten par 4 holes, and four par 3 holes. Par 3 holes have a course length (the distance from the tee shot to the hole cup) of approximately 230 meters or less, while par 5 holes have a course length of approximately 430 meters or more. Because golf courses are so long, playing information such as the distance between the golf ball and the hole cup is extremely important for effective course strategy. Some golfers purchase measuring devices to use on the golf course to determine the distance between the golf ball and the hole cup. However, measuring devices are expensive and can be a financial burden, and even if measuring devices are used, there are points on the golf course where it is difficult to measure distances, limiting the ability to obtain the necessary information through such devices. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a method for determining the position of a golf ball that can accurately determine the position of the golf ball. Another object of the present invention is to provide a golf play information providing system that, after grasping the position of the golf ball, provides useful play information to the golfer based on the position. Other objects of the present invention will become clear from the following description and the accompanying drawings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, a method for determining the position of a golf ball according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first step of determining the position of a predetermined movement made by a golfer positioned near a golf ball on a golf course, and a second step of determining the position of the golf ball on the golf course using golf course data for the golf course and the movement position.

[0006] In the method for determining the position of a golf ball, the motion includes a swing motion in which the golfer hits the golf ball, and the swing motion is sensed by a wearable device worn by the golfer. A golf play information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a wearable device that is worn by a golfer and detects whether a golfer positioned near a golf ball on a golf course makes a predetermined movement; a storage unit that stores golf course data for the golf course; and an information providing unit that determines the position of the golf ball using information about the position where the movement occurred and the golf course data stored in the storage unit, and provides golf play information to the golfer based on the determined position of the golf ball.

[0007] The golf play information providing system further includes a mobile device capable of communicating with the wearable device, and when determining the position of the golf ball, the position of the wearable device or the position of the mobile device is considered to be the position where the action was performed. The golf play information providing system further includes a service device communicatively connected to the mobile device, and at least one of the information providing unit and the storage unit is provided in the mobile device or the service device.

[0008] In the above golf play information providing system, the wearable device includes a wristband that can be worn on the wrist of a golfer. A method for determining the position of a golf ball according to another embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of checking whether a golfer makes a swing motion on a golf course, determining the position of the swing motion if the golfer makes the swing motion, and determining the position of the golf ball on the golf course using golf course data for the golf course and the position of the motion.

[0009] In the above golf ball position determination method, there are multiple golfers, and each of the multiple golfers has a portable device that can determine their own position, and whether or not to perform the swing motion can be determined by checking the positional relationship between the multiple golfers. In the method for determining the position of a golf ball, when one golfer among the plurality of golfers is positioned at a predetermined distance from the other golfers positioned adjacent to each other, the current position of the golfer is regarded as the position where the golfer made a swing motion.

[0010] In the above-mentioned method for determining the position of a golf ball, the step of determining the position of the golf ball includes the steps of dividing a golf course into a plurality of areas and using a plurality of cameras to place a camera covering each of the divided areas; each of the plurality of cameras taking an image of the area it covers to generate a photographed image; extracting a photographed image containing a golf ball from the plurality of photographed images taken by the plurality of cameras; and applying the extracted photographed image to golf course data for the area covered by the camera that took the extracted photographed image to determine the position of the golf ball on the golf course. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the golf ball position determination method and golf play information providing system of the present invention, the position of the golf ball can be accurately determined, and useful play information can be provided to a golfer playing golf based on the determined golf ball position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of a method for providing golf play information according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a golf play information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a mobile device that can be used in the golf play information providing system of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 3 is a diagram showing individual processes of providing golf play information in the golf play information providing system of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 5] 3 is a diagram showing individual processes of providing golf play information in the golf play information providing system of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 6] 3 is a diagram showing individual processes of providing golf play information in the golf play information providing system of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 7]3 is a diagram showing individual processes of providing golf play information in the golf play information providing system of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a golf play information providing system according to various other embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a golf play information providing system according to various other embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 10] 10 is a diagram showing an example of golf play information provided by the golf play information providing system of FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. [Figure 11] 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of a method for determining the position of a golf ball according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a golf ball position detection system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 13] 13 is a diagram for explaining the operating principle when the golf ball position detection method of FIG. 11 is applied to the golf ball position detection system of FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of a method for detecting the position of a golf ball according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 10 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a golf ball position detection system according to another embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 16] 16A and 16B are diagrams illustrating examples of mobile devices that can be used in the golf ball location detection system of FIG. 15. [Figure 17] 16 is a diagram for explaining the operating principle when the golf ball position detection method of FIG. 14 is applied to the golf ball position detection system of FIG. 15. FIG. [Figure 18] 16 is a diagram for explaining the operating principle when the golf ball position detection method of FIG. 14 is applied to the golf ball position detection system of FIG. 15. FIG. [Figure 19] 10 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a golf ball position detection system according to another embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 20]20 is a diagram for explaining the operating principle of determining the position of a golf ball in the golf ball position determination system of FIG. 19. FIG. [Figure 21] 10 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a golf ball position detection system according to another embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples. Objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood from the following examples. The present invention is not limited to the examples described herein and may be embodied in other forms. The examples presented herein are provided so that the disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the present invention to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited by the following examples.

[0014] In this specification, terms such as "first," "second," etc. are used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by such terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish the elements from one another. Furthermore, when a layer (film) is referred to as being on another layer (film) or substrate, this means that it can be formed directly on the other layer (film) or substrate, or that a third layer (film) can be interposed between them.

[0015] In the drawings, the size of elements or the relative size between elements may be somewhat exaggerated to provide a clearer understanding of the present invention. Furthermore, the shapes of the elements shown in the drawings may be slightly modified due to variations in the manufacturing process, etc. Therefore, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments disclosed in this specification should not be limited to the shapes shown in the drawings, and should be understood to include some degree of modification.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing the operation process of a golf play information providing method according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a golf play information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a mobile device that can be used in the golf play information providing system of FIG. 2, and FIGS. 4 to 7 are diagrams showing individual processes of providing golf play information in the golf play information providing system of FIG. 2.

[0017] 1, the golf play information providing method according to the present embodiment includes a first step (S1) in which a golfer performs a predetermined motion such as a swing, a second step (S2) in which the position where the motion was performed is determined, a third step (S3) in which the determined motion position is applied to golf course data, a fourth step (S4) in which the position of a golf ball is determined, and a fifth step (S5) in which golf play information is generated based on the position of the golf ball and then provided to a user. Such a golf play information providing method can be used in a golf play information providing system as shown in FIG.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 2, the golf play information providing system includes a wearable device 1, a mobile device 100, and a GPS satellite 101. The wearable device 1 is worn by a golfer. For example, a wristband-type device that can be worn on the golfer's wrist can be used as the wearable device 1. The wristband-type wearable device 1 is equipped with sensors that can detect the golfer's swing. For example, the wristband-type wearable device 1 is equipped with a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, an impact sensor, etc., so that when a golfer performs a swing while wearing the wearable device 1, the sensors can detect whether the golfer has performed a swing. A golfer's swing occurs not only when hitting a golf ball, but also when making a practice swing without hitting a golf ball. If an impact sensor, etc., is equipped, it can detect the impact generated when the golfer hits the golf ball, thereby distinguishing between a simple practice swing and a golfer's swing and detecting only the swing when hitting the golf ball. However, the purpose of detecting the swing to strike the golf ball is to determine the position of the golf ball when the swing to strike the golf ball is made. However, since the practice swing is generally made near the position of the golf ball before striking the golf ball, there is often not much difference between the position of the practice swing and the position of the swing to strike the golf ball. Considering this, there is little practical benefit in distinguishing between the practice swing and the swing to strike the golf ball, so the impact detection sensor can be omitted. Alternatively, the wearable device 1 may be equipped with a separate input means such as a button. In this case, a manual method can be applied in which the golfer wearing the wearable device 1 touches the button or the like before striking the golf ball, and the position where the touch is made is considered to be the position where the swing motion was made. If a manual method is applied, the wristband does not need to have a detection sensor that can detect the swing motion.

[0019] The mobile device 100 may be a golfer's own smartphone. Alternatively, the mobile device 100 may be a separate mobile device provided by the golf course where the golfer plays, which is particularly useful when the golfer does not have a smartphone. Referring to FIG. 3, the mobile device 100 includes an information providing unit 110 and a storage unit 120. The information providing unit 110 provides golf play information, and the storage unit 120 stores data necessary for providing the golf play information. The information providing unit 110 and the storage unit 120 may be provided by installing an app containing a program that provides information and related data on the mobile device 100. The golf play information may be generated based on the determined position of the golf ball after the position of the golf ball is determined. The information providing unit 110 includes a position detecting unit 111 that determines the position of the golf ball and an information generating unit 112 that generates the golf play information.

[0020] The GPS satellites (101) are used to determine the location of the mobile device (100), and the mobile device (100) can determine the location of the mobile device (100) by receiving signals from the GPS satellites (101). Although the case where signals from the GPS satellites (101) are received to obtain location information of the mobile device (100) has been described, satellite signals do not necessarily have to be used to obtain location information, and other methods of obtaining location information can also be applied. In the system shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the specific process of providing golf playing information according to the method shown in FIG. 1 is as follows.

[0021] Referring to Figure 4, a golfer wearing a wearable device 1 hits a golf ball on a golf course. As described above, the wearable device 1 is equipped with a sensor that can detect the user's practice swing or the user's swing when hitting a golf ball. When the swing is detected, a communication means separately equipped in the wearable device 1 transmits a signal to the mobile device 100. If the wearable device 1 does not have a sensor that detects the swing, the golfer can directly input that the swing will be made at the current position by touching a separately equipped input means before the swing. In this case, the communication means also transmits a signal to the mobile device 100. When the mobile device 100 receives the signal, it determines the position of the golf ball using GPS satellites 101 (see Figure 2) or the like. Here, if the position where the golf ball is placed before hitting is the "golf ball position (P)", the position of the wearable device (1) is the "first position (P1)", and the position of the mobile device (100) is the "second position (P2)", then in this embodiment, the first position (P1) or the second position (P2) is assumed to be the golf ball position (P).

[0022] The first position (P1) is the position of the wearable device (1) and can be essentially considered the position of the golfer wearing it. Because the golfer hits the golf ball in a position close to the golf ball, it is reasonable to assume that the golfer's position (first position (P1)) is the position of the golf ball (P). If the mobile device (100) is the golfer's smartphone and the golfer is holding their smartphone while playing golf, the second position (P2) is the same as the golfer's position, and because the golfer hits the golf ball in a position close to the golf ball, it is reasonable to assume that the second position (P2) is the position of the golf ball (P). When the mobile device (100) is at a certain distance from the wearable device (1), the second position (P2) of the mobile device (100) is first determined via GPS satellite signals, and the mobile device (100) tracks the position of the wearable device (1) via short-range communication between the mobile device (100) and the wearable device (1), thereby determining the first position (P1) from the second position (P2), and the determined first position (P1) can be considered as the position (P) of the golf ball.

[0023] Referring to Figure 5, the storage unit 120 stores information data about the golf course currently being played, and the position detection unit 111 of the mobile device 100 extracts the golf course data stored in the storage unit 120 and applies the action position (first position (P1) or second position (P2)) where the golfer will swing to the extracted golf course data. Here, the golf course data includes map data of the golf course currently being played by the golfer, and coordinates are set for each position on the map. When the action position (first position (P1) or second position (P2)) is combined with the golf course map with the set coordinates, the coordinates (X, Y) indicating the position (P) of the golf ball can be determined.

[0024] As described above, when the position (P) of the golf ball is detected by the position detection unit (111), the information generation unit (112) generates golf play information based on the detected golf ball position (P) and provides it to the golfer. There can be various types of golf play information.

[0025] For example, if the current position of the golf ball is determined by coordinates, the distance and direction between the golf ball and the hole cup can be determined. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the current position of the golf ball and the distance and direction between the golf ball and the hole cup can be provided as golf play information. Furthermore, if the position of the golf ball at each hit is determined each time the user hits the golf ball, the hitting process (the position of the golf ball at each hit) that was followed until the current golf ball position was reached can be determined, and this can be provided to the golfer as golf play information. Furthermore, the hitting process at each hole of the golf course can be tracked to determine the final score, and as shown in FIG. 7, the score records for each hole on the currently played golf course can be provided to the golfer as golf play information.

[0026] As described above, by determining the position of the golf ball, various play information can be provided, such as the current position of the golf ball, the distance from the golf ball to the hole cup, the direction from the golf ball to the hole cup, the golf ball's hit path up to the present time on the golf course being played, and a score record. In particular, when a golfer performs a specific action and the position of the golf ball is determined by tracking the position of the action, considerable effectiveness can be achieved by defining the action as a "swing" and using a "wristband"-type wearable device to sense the swing. Selecting the "swing" as the action to start tracking the golf ball's position has the advantage that the "swing" is performed near the point where the golf ball is placed, and therefore there is no problem in considering the position of the swing as the golf ball's position. Furthermore, selecting another action to start tracking the golf ball's position has the inconvenience of requiring the golfer to perform that action separately during golf play. However, selecting the swing as the action to start tracking the golf ball's position, as in the present invention, has the advantage that the golfer does not need to perform another action to start tracking the golf ball's position, because the swing is an action that is unconditionally necessary during golf play. Furthermore, when a "wristband" is used as a sensor for detecting a "swing motion," the golfer's arm moves every time they swing, and the arm movement is naturally transmitted to the wristband worn on the wrist, which has the advantage of accurately capturing the golfer's swing motion. Another advantage is that, since it is worn on the wrist, it does not significantly interfere with the golfer's golf play. Thus, when a "swing motion" is selected as the motion that starts tracking the position of the golf ball, and a "wristband" type device is used as a device for detecting the "swing motion," the combination of the two components, the swing motion and the wristband, can produce significant effects.

[0027] 8 and 9 are diagrams showing the schematic structure of a golf play information providing system according to various other embodiments of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of golf play information provided by the golf play information providing system of FIGS. 8 and 9.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 8, the golf play information providing system according to this embodiment includes a wearable device 1, a mobile device 100, a GPS satellite 101, a service device 200, and a terminal device 300. The wearable device 1 may be a wristband-type device worn on a golfer's wrist. The wristband-type wearable device 1 is equipped with a sensor capable of detecting the golfer's swing motion. Alternatively, the wearable device 1 may be equipped with a separate input means such as a button. In this case, a manual method can be applied in which a golfer wearing the wearable device 1 touches the button before hitting the golf ball, and the touched position is regarded as the position of the swing motion. The golfer's own smartphone can be used as the mobile device 100. The GPS satellite 101 is used to determine the location of the mobile device 100. The service device 200 is connected to the mobile device 100 via a network, and various terminal devices 300 are connected to the service device 200 via a network. The terminal devices 300 are devices that can be connected to the service device 200 via a wired or wireless network, and smartphones, desktop computers, tablet computers, notebooks, etc. equipped with a web browser can be used as the terminal devices 300.

[0029] The service device 200 includes an information providing unit 210 and a storage unit 220. The information providing unit 210 provides golf play information and includes a position detecting unit 211 for detecting the position of the golf ball and an information generating unit 212 for generating the golf play information. In this embodiment, the information providing unit 210 is provided in the service device 200. However, the information providing unit 210 does not necessarily have to be provided in the service device 200, and can also be provided in the mobile device 100. Alternatively, at least a portion of the position detecting unit 211 and the information generating unit 212 constituting the information providing unit 210 may be provided in the mobile device 100. The storage unit 220 stores data necessary for providing golf play information. For example, the storage unit 220 stores golf course data. 8, if there are multiple golfers, the service device 200 can be connected to multiple mobile devices 100 owned by the multiple golfers via a network, and information about the multiple golfers is stored separately for each golfer in the storage unit 220. The storage area for each golfer in the storage unit 220 stores the golfer's identification information and playing information. The playing information includes the golfer's past playing records and the golfer's personal records (average driving distance by club, average number of strokes, etc.) that can be extracted from the past playing records.

[0030] In the golf play information providing system according to the embodiment of the present invention, as in the above-described embodiment, when a golfer performs a swing motion, the wearable device (1) detects the swing motion. When the swing motion is detected, the mobile device (100) determines the position (motion position) where the swing motion was performed and transmits it to the service device (200). The position detection unit (211) in the information providing unit (210) of the service device (200) applies the motion position to golf course data to determine the position of the golf ball. The information generation unit (212) in the information providing unit (210) of the service device (200) generates golf play information based on the determined position of the golf ball. The generated golf play information is transmitted from the service device (200) to the mobile device (100), and the mobile device (100) displays the transmitted golf play information and provides it to the golfer. The golf play information can be provided to the golfer currently playing not only through the mobile device (100) but also through various terminal devices (300), and the golfer or other users can receive the golf play information at any time they wish using the terminal device (300).

[0031] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the wearable device 1 is not essential and can be omitted. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, instead of the wearable device 1, a golfer can wear an armband 2 on his or her arm and attach a mobile device 100 to the armband 2. In this case, the golfer's own smartphone can be used as the mobile device 100. If the smartphone is equipped with a sensor that can detect the golfer's swing, the smartphone attached to the armband 2 can simultaneously function as both the wearable device 1 and the mobile device 100 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8. In other words, the golfer's swing can be detected through the smartphone attached to the armband 2, and the position of the golf ball can be determined from the position where the swing occurred through the smartphone's location tracking function.

[0032] Once the position of the golf ball is known, various golf play information can be provided based on the information. Examples of golf play information include the current position of the golf ball, the distance from the golf ball to the hole cup, the direction from the golf ball to the hole cup, the current golf ball hitting path on the golf course being played, and a score record. In addition, since the storage unit 220 stores the golfer's past play records and the golfer's personal records calculated from the past play records, golf play information can be provided that reflects the play records. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, personal record information such as the golfer's average number of strokes, average driver distance, fairway landing rate, green landing rate, sand save rate, and average number of puttings can be provided as golf play information.

[0033] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation process of a golf ball position detection method according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the general structure of a golf ball position detection system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation principle when the golf ball position detection method of FIG. 11 is applied to the golf ball position detection system of FIG. 12.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 11, the operation of the method for determining the position of a golf ball according to this embodiment includes first to fourth steps (S11-S14). In the first step (S11), a golf course is divided into a plurality of areas, and a plurality of cameras are placed in each divided area to cover the corresponding area. In the second step (S12), each of the cameras takes a photograph of the area it covers to generate a photographed image. In the third step (S13), a photographed image containing a golf ball is extracted from the plurality of photographed images taken by the plurality of cameras. In the fourth step (S14), the extracted photographed image is applied to golf course data for the area covered by the camera that took the extracted photographed image to determine the position of the golf ball. This golf ball position determination method can be used in a golf ball position determination system such as that shown in FIG. 12.

[0035] 12, the golf ball position detection system includes a plurality of cameras (C1, C2, ..., Cn) and a service device 1100. The plurality of cameras (C1, C2, ..., Cn) are placed around the golf course, each covering its assigned area. For example, if the golf course is divided into N areas, each of which is designated as a first area (A1), a second area (A2), ..., an Nth area (An) (the divided areas may overlap or may not overlap each other), then N cameras (C1, C2, ..., Cn) will be placed. Let the N cameras (C1, C2, ..., Cn) be the first camera (C1), the second camera (C2), ..., the Nth camera (Cn), respectively. The first camera (C1) covers the first area (A1), the second camera (C2) covers the second area (A2), ..., the Nth camera (Cn) covers the Nth area (An). Here, the Kth camera (K is a natural number between 1 and N) covering the Kth area means that the area photographed by the Kth camera can cover the entire Kth area. The service device (1100) serves to determine the position of the golf ball and notify the golfer. It includes a position determination unit (1110) that determines the position of the golf ball and a storage unit (1120) that stores golf course data, etc., necessary for determining the position of the golf ball. Although not shown in the drawings, the multiple cameras (C) and the service device (1100) are equipped with wireless communication means, etc., and can communicate with each other using the same.

[0036] When the golf ball position detection method of Figure 11 is applied to the golf ball position detection system of Figure 12, the first step (S11) in the golf ball position detection method is performed by dividing the golf course into N areas in the golf ball position detection system, and cameras (C1, C2, ..., Cn) are arranged in each divided area. In the second step (S12), the cameras (C1, C2, ..., Cn) capture images of the areas they cover to obtain photographed images. The first camera (C1) obtains a photographed image (first photographed image) of the first area (A1), the second camera (C2) obtains a photographed image (second photographed image) of the second area (A2), ..., the Nth camera (Cn) obtains a photographed image (Nth photographed image) of the Nth area (An). In step S13, the first through Nth photographed images are transmitted to the service device 1100, and the position determination unit 1110 of the service device 1100 analyzes the first through Nth photographed images and extracts photographed images containing a golf ball from the first through Nth photographed images. Referring to FIG. 13, assuming that a golf ball is identified in the fourth photographed image (an image captured by the fourth camera C4 of the fourth area A4), in step S14, the position determination unit 1110 applies the fourth photographed image to the fourth photographed image using golf course data stored in the storage unit 1120. The golf course data includes first area data, second area data, ..., Nth area data corresponding to the first through Nth areas A1, A2, ..., An. Furthermore, the Kth area data (K is a natural number between 1 and N) can be used to apply multiple horizontal / vertical lines to the Kth photographed image to identify the coordinates of a specific position in the Kth photographed image. Therefore, by applying the fourth photographed image to the fourth region data, the coordinates of the position of the golf ball in the fourth photographed image can be determined, and as a result, the coordinates (X, Y) of the current position (P) of the golf ball on the golf course can be determined, as shown in FIG.

[0037] The acquired golf ball position information (P(X, Y)) can be used in various ways. For example, the distance (D) between the golf ball and the hole cup can be determined using the golf ball position information (P(X, Y)) and the hole cup position information (P0(X0, Y0)) on the golf course, and this can be provided to the golfer as golf play information. As shown in the drawing, the golfer may carry a mobile device such as a smartphone, and this mobile device can communicate with the service device (1100) to receive golf play information, such as the distance (D) between the golf ball and the hole cup, from the service device (1100). This information can be displayed on the smartphone screen and provided to the user. In addition, since the golf ball position information (P(X, Y)) indicates the location where the user's golf ball was hit, collecting all the locations where golf balls were hit on a specific golf course can determine the user's hitting path to conquer the golf course and the user's score on the golf course.

[0038] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing the operating process of a golf ball position detection method according to another embodiment of the present invention, Figure 15 is a diagram showing the general structure of a golf ball position detection system according to another embodiment of the present invention, Figure 16 is a diagram showing an example of a mobile device that can be used in the golf ball position detection system of Figure 15, and Figures 17 and 18 are diagrams for explaining the operating principle when the golf ball position detection method of Figure 14 is applied to the golf ball position detection system of Figure 15.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 14, the operation process of the golf ball position determination method according to this embodiment includes first to third steps (S21-S23). In the first step (S21), it is determined whether a golfer is performing a swing motion on the golf course. In the second step (S22), the motion position where the swing motion was performed is determined. In the third step (S23), the determined motion position is applied to golf course data of the golf course to determine the position of the golf ball on the golf course. This golf ball position determination method can be used in a golf ball position determination system as shown in FIG.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 15, the golf ball location tracking system includes a wearable device 1001 and a mobile device 1010, which are portable devices. The wearable device 1001 is worn on the body of a golfer. For example, the wearable device 1001 may be a wristband-type device worn on the golfer's wrist. The wristband-type wearable device 1001 is equipped with sensors that can detect the golfer's swing. For example, the wristband-type wearable device 1001 is equipped with a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, an impact sensor, etc., and when a golfer performs a swing while wearing the wearable device 1001, the sensors can detect whether the golfer has performed a swing. A golfer's swing occurs not only when hitting a golf ball, but also when making a practice swing without hitting a golf ball. If an impact detection sensor or the like is installed, it can detect the impact generated when a golfer hits a golf ball, thereby distinguishing between a simple practice swing and a swing in which a golfer hits a golf ball and detecting only the swing motion when hitting a golf ball. However, the purpose of detecting the swing in which a golf ball is hit is to determine the position of the golf ball when the swing in which the golf ball is hit is made. However, since a practice swing is generally made near the position of the golf ball before hitting the golf ball, there is often not much difference between the position in which the practice swing is made and the position in which the actual swing in which the golf ball is hit is made. Considering this, there is not much practical benefit in distinguishing between a practice swing and a swing in which the actual golf ball is hit, so the impact detection sensor can be omitted.

[0041] If the position of the golf ball is determined based on the position of the practice swing, play information based on the determined information can be provided to the golfer before actually hitting the golf ball. Also, if the position of the golf ball is determined based on the position of the swing to actually hit the golf ball, the determined information can be used to create a play record of the golfer (for example, a play record related to the hitting path that shows the path the golf ball took from the tee box to the hole-in).

[0042] The wearable device (1001) may be provided with a separate input means such as a button. In this case, a manual method can be applied in which the golfer wearing the wearable device (1001) touches the button before hitting the golf ball, and the touched position is regarded as the position where the swing motion was made. If the manual method is applied, the wristband does not need to be equipped with a sensor that can detect the swing motion.

[0043] The mobile device 1010 can be a golfer's own smartphone. Alternatively, the mobile device 1010 can be a separate mobile device provided by the golf course where the golfer plays, which is particularly useful when the golfer does not have a smartphone. Referring to FIG. 16, the mobile device 1010 is equipped with a position determination unit 1011 and a storage unit 1012. The position determination unit 1011 determines the position of the golf ball and provides golf play information such as the distance between the golf ball and the hole cup. The storage unit 1012 stores data necessary for providing the golf play information. The position determination unit 1011 and the storage unit 1012 can be provided by installing an app containing a program and related data that determines the position of the golf ball and provides the information on the mobile device 1010.

[0044] When a smartphone is used as the mobile device 1010, the mobile device 1010 can determine its location by receiving signals from GPS satellites 1101. While the case where signals from GPS satellites 1101 are received to obtain location information of the mobile device 1010 has been described, satellite signals do not necessarily have to be used to obtain location information, and other methods of obtaining location information can also be applied.

[0045] When the golf ball location detection method of Figure 14 is applied to the golf ball location detection system of Figure 15, in the first step (S21) of the golf ball location detection method, a golfer wearing a wearable device 1001 hits a golf ball at a golf course as shown in Figure 17. The wearable device 1001 is equipped with a sensor that can detect the user's practice swing or the user's swing motion when hitting a golf ball, and when the swing motion is detected, a communication means equipped in the wearable device 1001 transmits a signal to a mobile device 1010. If the wearable device 1001 does not have a sensor that detects a swing motion, the golfer can directly input that the swing will be made at the current position by touching a separately equipped input means before swinging, and in this case, the communication means can also transmit a signal to the mobile device 1010. In a second step (S22), when the mobile device (1010) receives the signal, the mobile device (1010) determines the position of the golf ball using a GPS satellite (1101) (see FIG. 15) or the like. Here, if the position where the golf ball is placed before hitting is defined as the "golf ball position (P)," the position of the wearable device (1001) is defined as the "first position (P1)," and the position of the mobile device (1010) is defined as the "second position (P2)," then in this embodiment, the first position (P1) or the second position (P2) is assumed to be the golf ball position (P).

[0046] The first position (P1) is the position of the wearable device (1001), and can be essentially considered the position of the golfer wearing it. Because the golfer hits the golf ball while in close proximity to the golf ball, it is reasonable to assume that the golfer's position (first position (P1)) is the golf ball's position (P). If the mobile device (1010) is the golfer's smartphone and the golfer is holding their smartphone while playing golf, the second position (P2) is the same as the golfer's position, and because the golfer hits the golf ball while in close proximity to the golf ball, it is reasonable to assume that the second position (P2) is the golf ball's position (P). When the mobile device (1010) is at a certain distance from the wearable device (1001) (for example, when a golfer plays while leaving his or her smartphone, which is the mobile device (1010), in a golf cart at the golf course), the second position (P2) of the mobile device (1010) is first determined via GPS satellite signals, and the mobile device (1010) tracks the position of the wearable device (1001) through short-range communication between the mobile device (1010) and the wearable device (1001), thereby determining the first position (P1) from the second position (P2), and the determined first position (P1) can be considered as the position (P) of the golf ball.

[0047] Referring to Figure 18, the storage unit 1012 stores golf course data relating to the golf course currently being played, and in the third step S30, the position determination unit 1101 of the mobile device 1010 extracts the golf course data stored in the storage unit 1012 and applies the action position (first position (P1) or second position (P2)) where the golfer will swing to the extracted golf course data. Here, the golf course data includes map data of the golf course currently being played by the golfer, and coordinates are set for each position on the map. When the action position (first position (P1) or second position (P2)) is combined with the golf course map with the set coordinates, the coordinates (X, Y) indicating the position (P) of the golf ball can be determined.

[0048] If a golfer obtains the position information (P(X, Y)) of the golf ball through a practice swing or the like before hitting the golf ball, the distance (D) between the golf ball and the hole cup can be obtained using the position information (P0(X0, Y0)) of the hole cup on the golf course, and this can be displayed on the screen of the mobile device 1010 and provided to the golfer. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 17, if the position information (P(X, Y)) of the golf ball indicates the position where the golfer hits the golf ball, by collecting all the positions where the golf ball is hit on a specific golf course, it is possible to know the hitting path taken by the user (golfer) to conquer the golf course and the user's score on the golf course.

[0049] According to this embodiment, when a golfer performs a specific action, the position of the action is tracked to determine the position of the golf ball. This action is defined as a "swing" and a "wristband"-type wearable device is used to detect the swing. Selecting the "swing" as the action to start tracking the golf ball's position has the advantage that the "swing" occurs near the point where the golf ball is placed, so there is no problem in considering the position of the swing as the golf ball's position. Furthermore, selecting another action to start tracking the golf ball's position has the inconvenience of requiring the golfer to perform that action separately while playing golf. However, selecting the swing as the action to start tracking the golf ball's position, as in the present invention, has the advantage that the swing is an action that is unconditionally necessary while playing golf, so the golfer does not need to perform a separate action to start tracking the golf ball's position. Furthermore, using a "wristband" as a sensor to detect the "swing" has the advantage that the golfer's arm moves every time the golfer performs a swing, and the arm movement is naturally transmitted to the wristband worn on the wrist, thereby accurately capturing the golfer's swing. Another advantage is that it does not significantly interfere with the golfer's golf play because it is worn on the wrist. In this way, when "swinging motion" is selected as the motion that starts tracking the golf ball's position and a "wristband" type device is used as the device that detects the "swinging motion," the two components of swinging motion and wristband can be combined to produce a remarkable effect.

[0050] Instead of using a wristband, the golfer's smartphone can be used as both a wearable device (1001) and a mobile device (1010). In other words, if a golfer wears an armband or the like on his or her arm and then attaches a smartphone to the armband, most smartphones have a vibration detection function, so the smartphone can detect when a swing occurs, and the smartphone's location tracking function can be used to determine the location of the swing. By applying the location of the swing to golf course data, the location of the golf ball and various play information (such as the distance between the golf ball and the hole cup) can be determined and provided to the golfer.

[0051] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a golf ball position detection system according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining the operating principle of detecting the position of a golf ball in the golf ball position detection system of FIG. 19.

[0052] Referring to Figure 19, the golf ball location tracking system includes mobile devices (1010, 1020, 1030) and a service device (1100). The mobile devices (1010, 1020, 1030) may be smartphones or the like of golfers. Assume that there are multiple golfers, each of whom has their own mobile device (1010, 1020, 1030). For example, if there are three golfers, who are conveniently referred to as a first golfer, a second golfer, and a third golfer, the mobile devices (1010, 1020, 1030) include a first mobile device (1010) carried by the first golfer, a second mobile device (1020) carried by the second golfer, and a third mobile device (1030) carried by the third golfer. The service device 1100 determines the location of a golf ball and transmits the location to the golfer. It includes a location determination unit 1110 that determines the location of the golf ball and a storage unit 1120 that stores golf course data, etc., necessary for determining the location of the golf ball. The mobile devices 1010, 1020, and 1030 are connected to the service device 1100 via a network. The mobile devices 1010, 1020, and 1030 have a location tracking function. For example, the mobile devices 1010, 1020, and 1030 can determine their locations using GPS satellites 1101. The location of the mobile devices 1010, 1020, and 1030 indicates the location of the golfer carrying them. Therefore, the location of a first golfer can be determined through the first mobile device 1010, the location of a second golfer can be determined through the second mobile device 1020, and the location of a third golfer can be determined through the third mobile device 1030.

[0053] The process of determining the position of a golf ball in the golf ball position determination system according to this embodiment includes the steps of: determining, by the position determination unit 1110, the position where a golfer's swing was (or will be) performed; and determining the position of the golf ball on the golf course by applying the determined position to the golf course data of the golf course stored in the storage unit 1120. When one golfer among multiple golfers is located apart from the other golfers, the current position of the golfer is considered to be the position of the golf ball. For example, as shown in FIG. 20, if the positions (P2, P3) of a second and third golfer are adjacent to each other and the position (P1) of the first golfer is apart from the positions (P2, P3) of the second and third golfers, this can be considered as the first golfer moving away from the second and third golfers to hit his or her golf ball. Therefore, if a first golfer is positioned alone away from other golfers for a certain period of time (such as the time required for a practice swing and / or an actual swing), it is assumed that the first golfer has made a swing at that location, and among the position information of the first golfer (P1(X1, Y1)), the position information of the second golfer (P2(X2, Y2)), and the position information of the third golfer (P3(X3, Y3)), the position information of the first golfer (P1(X1, Y1)) is regarded as the position information of the golf ball (P(X, Y)) where the swing of the golf ball for the first golfer has been made (or will be made). Based on this, play information such as the distance (D) between the golf ball and the hole cup can be determined. In addition, by obtaining the position information of the golf ball each time a golf ball is hit, the hitting path and score of the golfer played on the golf course can be determined.

[0054] Although it has been stated that when one golfer among multiple golfers is positioned a predetermined distance away from the remaining golfers, a swing motion can be deemed to have occurred at the current position of the distant golfer. There are various other situations in which a swing motion can be deemed to have occurred when multiple golfers are in a specific positional relationship with each other. AI technology can be used to determine the various situations in which a swing motion can be deemed to have occurred. For example, by introducing AI technology such as machine learning into the position determination unit (1110) of the service device (1100) and having the AI ​​learn various learning data (e.g., data consisting of multiple items such as (positional relationships between golfers) and (whether or not a golfer can swing)), the AI ​​can check the positional relationships between multiple golfers and determine whether a position can be deemed to be a position where a swing motion will occur.

[0055] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a golf ball position detection system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] 21, the golf ball position detection system includes a plurality of cameras (C1, C2, ..., Cn), a wearable device (1001), a mobile device (1010), and a service device (1100). The plurality of cameras (C1, C2, ..., Cn) are placed around the golf course, each covering its assigned area. For example, if the golf course is divided into N areas, each of which is designated as a first area (A1), a second area (A2), ..., an Nth area (An) (the divided areas may overlap or may not overlap each other), then N cameras (C1, C2, ..., Cn) will be placed. Let the N cameras (C1, C2, ..., Cn) be the first camera (C1), the second camera (C2), ..., the Nth camera (Cn), respectively. The first camera (C1) covers the first area (A1), the second camera (C2) covers the second area (A2), ..., the Nth camera (Cn) covers the Nth area (An). The wearable device 1001 is worn on the golfer's body. For example, the wearable device 1001 may be a wristband-type device that can be worn on the golfer's wrist. The wristband-type wearable device 1001 is equipped with a sensor that can detect the golfer's swing motion. The mobile device 1010 may be a golfer's own smartphone. The smartphone has a location tracking function. For example, by using a GPS satellite 1101, the location of the mobile device 1010, which is a smartphone, can be determined. The service device (1100) determines the position of the golf ball and transmits it to the golfer, and includes a position determination unit (1110) that determines the position of the golf ball and a storage unit (1120) that stores golf course data, etc., necessary for determining the position of the golf ball. Although not shown in the drawing, the multiple cameras (C) and the service device (1100) are equipped with wireless communication means and can communicate with each other using the wireless communication means, and if a smartphone is used, the mobile device (1010) can also communicate with the service device (1100).

[0057] The golf ball position detection system according to this embodiment includes both the system configuration shown in FIG. 12 and the system configuration shown in FIG. 15. Therefore, the golf ball position detection system according to this embodiment can combine the golf ball position detection processes of the above-described systems. That is, after extracting an image containing a golf ball from images captured by multiple cameras (C1, C2, ..., Cn) of the area covered by each camera, the extracted image can be applied to golf course data to determine the position of the golf ball (this is referred to as the "first step"). The wearable device (1001) worn by the golfer detects whether or not the golfer is swinging, and applies the location of the swing to the golf course data to determine the position of the golf ball (this is referred to as the "second step"). The first and second steps can be used in various ways. For example, the first and second steps can be performed independently, or one of the first and second steps can be performed and if a problem occurs, the other step can be performed. Alternatively, the first and second steps can be performed together in a complementary manner. For example, when the first and second steps are carried out mutually complementary, a method can be applied in which the position of the golf ball is determined through the second step, a photographic image is generated by a camera covering the determined position, and the position of the golf ball is finally determined using the generated photographic image. This method takes into consideration the fact that the position of the golf ball determined through the second step may differ from the exact position of the golf ball because it is actually the position of the golfer, and by first determining the position of the golfer through the second step and then carrying out the first step again, the exact position of the golf ball can be determined, and there is also the advantage that some steps when carrying out the first step can be omitted (the first step is carried out only for the divided area where the position of the golfer determined in the first step belongs, rather than for the entire golf course).

[0058] Specific embodiments of the present invention have been discussed above. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be embodied in various modified forms without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not the foregoing description, and all variations within the scope of the claims should be construed as being within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 100, 1010: Mobile devices 200, 1100: Service equipment 300: Terminal device

Claims

1. checking whether the golfer performs a swing motion on the golf course; When the swing motion is performed, a step of grasping a motion position where the swing motion is performed; determining a position of a golf ball on a golf course using golf course data for the golf course and the motion location; include How to determine the position of a golf ball.

2. 2. The method for determining the position of a golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the number of golfers is multiple, each of the golfers has a portable device capable of determining his / her own position, and whether or not the swing motion is to be performed can be determined by checking the positional relationship between the multiple golfers.

3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein when one of the plurality of golfers is located apart from the remaining golfers adjacent to each other for a predetermined time, the current position of the golfer is regarded as the position where the golfer made a swing motion.

4. The step of grasping the position of the golf ball includes:

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: dividing a golf course into a plurality of areas, and using a plurality of cameras to place cameras in each of the divided areas to cover the respective areas; each of the plurality of cameras taking an image of the area it covers to generate a photographed image; extracting an image in which a golf ball is included from the plurality of photographed images taken by the plurality of cameras; and applying the extracted photographed image to golf course data for the area covered by the camera that took the extracted photographed image to determine the position of the golf ball on the golf course.

5. A portable device carried by a golfer playing at a golf course; a storage unit for storing data on the golf courses of the golf course; a position determination unit that, when it is confirmed that the golfer makes a swing motion, determines a motion position of the swing motion, and then determines a position of the golf ball on the golf course using golf course data and the motion position, Including, the golfers are a plurality of golfers each carrying the portable device; The position of each of the plurality of golfers can be grasped by the portable device; The presence or absence of the swing motion can be grasped by checking the positional relationship between the plurality of golfers. Golf ball positioning system.

Images