Method, system and non-transitory computer-readable medium for providing target direction information applicable to a golf shot or golf swing

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for providing information regarding a target direction to be applied to a golf shot or golf swing, the method including the steps of acquiring position information of at least one ball, and determining a target direction to be applied to a user's golf shot or golf swing by referring to the acquired position information of the at least one ball.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method, system and non-transitory computer readable medium for providing target direction information as applied to a golf shot or golf swing. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, with the development of digital technology, modern people have more leisure time in their daily lives, and the number of people choosing golf as a hobby and sporting activity is rapidly increasing. As a result, beginners to golf practice their swings at screen golf courses or driving ranges.

[0003] However, even if beginner golfers practice their swings a lot, when they actually play a round, they often find that they do not hit the ball well or that the ball does not go in the direction they are aiming, which is different from what they did in practice.This is likely a problem that occurs because they overlook the importance of aiming, which determines the target direction of the ball, and alignment, which aligns the body in the direction of the target.

[0004] In other words, no matter how good your swing is, it is meaningless if you do not aim correctly at the target and align your body correctly in relation to the aiming direction. Therefore, in order to improve your golf skills, you need to practice swinging with accurate aiming and alignment.

[0005] Therefore, the inventor(s) propose a technology to improve the user's golfing ability by acquiring position information of at least one ball and determining a target direction to be applied to the user's golf shot or golf swing by referring to the acquired position information of at least one ball, thereby assisting the user in practicing a swing with aiming and alignment. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2009-0129160 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] An object of the present invention is to solve all of the problems of the prior art mentioned above.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to easily assist a user in aiming and alignment without any special tools by determining the direction of a virtual line connecting the positions of multiple balls as the target direction to be applied to a golf shot or golf swing.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide visual feedback on the target direction applied to a golf shot or golf swing, thereby enabling a user to intuitively understand whether the target direction has been determined. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A typical configuration of the present invention to achieve the above object is as follows.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for providing information regarding a target direction to be applied to a golf shot or golf swing, the method including the steps of acquiring position information of at least one ball, and determining a target direction to be applied to a user's golf shot or golf swing by referring to the acquired position information of the at least one ball.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for providing information regarding a target direction to be applied to a golf shot or a golf swing, the system including: an information acquisition unit that acquires position information of at least one ball; and an information determination unit that determines a target direction to be applied to a user's golf shot or golf swing by referring to the acquired position information of the at least one ball.

[0013] Additionally, other methods and systems for implementing the present invention, as well as a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a computer program for carrying out the methods, are also provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, by determining the direction of a virtual line connecting the positions of multiple balls as the target direction to be applied to a golf shot or golf swing, it becomes possible to easily assist the user in aiming and alignment without any special tools.

[0015] Furthermore, according to the present invention, by providing visual feedback on the target direction applied to a golf shot or golf swing, a user can intuitively grasp whether the target direction has been determined. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 2 is a diagram illustrating in detail the internal configuration of an information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a situation in which an information providing system according to the present invention is used in a virtual golf simulation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3-5] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a process in which signal information is provided according to a ball position according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Explanation of symbols]

[0017] 10: Striking section 100: Information provision system 110: Information acquisition department 120: Information Decision Unit 130: Communications Department 140: Control unit 210: Virtual Golf Simulation System DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The following detailed description of the present invention refers to the accompanying drawings, which show, by way of example, specific embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in detail to enable those skilled in the art to fully practice the present invention. It should be understood that although the various embodiments of the present invention are different from one another, they are not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, specific shapes, structures, and characteristics described herein may be embodied in different embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It should also be understood that the location or arrangement of individual components within each embodiment may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description should not be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention should be understood to encompass the scope of the appended claims and all equivalents thereof. Like reference numerals in the drawings indicate the same or similar components throughout the various aspects.

[0019] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, various preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention.

[0020] The sensing module according to one embodiment of the present invention can acquire shot data (e.g., launch angle, side angle, ball speed, backspin, side spin) or information regarding the impact time, and can transmit the acquired information to the main module.

[0021] The main module according to an embodiment of the present invention may combine or analyze information transmitted from the sensing modules and provide the information to a user.

[0022] Information provision system configuration FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating in detail the internal configuration of an information providing system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, an information providing system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an information acquiring unit 110, an information determining unit 120, a communication unit 130, and a control unit 140. According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least some of the information acquiring unit 110, the information determining unit 120, the communication unit 130, and the control unit 140 may be program modules that communicate with an external system (not shown). Such program modules may be included in the information providing system 100 in the form of an operating system, an application program module, or other program modules, and may be physically stored in various known storage devices. Furthermore, such program modules may be stored in a remote storage device that can communicate with the information providing system 100. Meanwhile, such program modules include, but are not limited to, routines, subroutines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types, as described below, according to the present invention.

[0024] Meanwhile, while the information provision system 100 has been described above, this description is merely an example, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that at least some of the components or functions of the information provision system 100 may be implemented in or included within a known virtual golf simulation system, as necessary. Furthermore, in some cases, all of the functions and components of the information provision system 100 may be implemented in or included within the virtual golf simulation system 210.

[0025] First, the information acquisition unit 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention may acquire position information of at least one ball. For example, the at least one ball according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a ball to be hit by a user (e.g., a first ball) and at least one ball for setting a target direction (e.g., a second ball and / or a third ball). As another example, the at least one ball according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a single ball for setting a target direction (e.g., a fourth ball).

[0026] Specifically, the position information of the plurality of balls according to an embodiment of the present invention may include coordinate information of the balls hit by the user (e.g., the spherical center coordinate of the first ball) and coordinate information of at least one ball for setting the target direction (e.g., the spherical center coordinate of the second ball and / or the third ball). Also, the position information of a single ball according to an embodiment of the present invention may include coordinate information of a single ball for setting the target direction (e.g., the spherical center coordinate of the fourth ball).

[0027] In addition, the information acquisition unit 110 can acquire information about the trajectory of the ball hit from the user's golf shot or golf swing.

[0028] Specifically, the information acquisition unit 110 according to one embodiment of the present invention acquires a plurality of images of the ball using one image module, and by referring to the acquired images, acquires information regarding the ball's movement trajectory within a reference space defined in a three-dimensional coordinate system based on the positional relationship between each of a plurality of positions determined by projecting the ball on the background based on the time of the one image module and the one image module.

[0029] Meanwhile, for more detailed information on acquiring information regarding the trajectory of a ball according to one embodiment of the present invention, reference may be made to the description of the patent application specification originally attached to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0130225 filed by the present applicant, and it is hereby made clear that the contents of the patent application specification of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0130225 should be deemed to be incorporated herein in its entirety.

[0030] Next, the information determining unit 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention can determine a target direction to be applied to the user's golf shot or golf swing by referring to the acquired position information of at least one ball.

[0031] For example, the direction of a virtual line connecting the positions of a plurality of balls according to an embodiment of the present invention may be determined as the target direction to be applied to the user's golf shot or golf swing. As yet another example, when there are a plurality of virtual lines connecting the positions of a plurality of balls according to an embodiment of the present invention, the direction of a virtual line determined based on a user's selection may be determined as the target direction to be applied to the user's golf shot or golf swing.

[0032] Specifically, the direction of a virtual line formed by referring to coordinate information between a ball hit by a user according to one embodiment of the present invention and at least one ball for setting a target direction can be determined as the target direction to be applied to a golf shot or golf swing.

[0033] More specifically, the direction of an imaginary line formed by connecting the spherical center coordinates of a first ball hit by a user according to one embodiment of the present invention and the spherical center coordinates of a second ball for setting a target direction can be determined as the target direction to be applied to a golf shot or golf swing.

[0034] In addition, when a line can be formed by connecting the spherical center coordinates of the first ball hit by the user and the spherical center coordinates of the second and third balls for setting the target direction according to one embodiment of the present invention, the direction of the formed imaginary line can be determined as the target direction to be applied to the user's golf shot or golf swing.In addition, when two lines can be formed by connecting the spherical center coordinates of the first ball hit by the user and the spherical center coordinates of the second and third balls for setting the target direction according to one embodiment of the present invention, the direction of the imaginary line determined by the user's selection can be determined as the target direction to be applied to the user's golf shot or golf swing.

[0035] However, the number of balls for setting the target direction according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited and may be variously changed within a range that achieves the object of the present invention.

[0036] As another example, the direction of a virtual line connecting a reference point (indicating point) according to an embodiment of the present invention and the position of a single ball may be determined as the target direction to be applied to the user's golf shot or golf swing. The reference point according to an embodiment of the present invention refers to a fixed position or a position fixed relative to a device (e.g., a launch monitor) including the information providing system 100, and may be visualized and displayed to the user using a laser or the like.

[0037] Specifically, the direction of a virtual line formed by referring to the coordinate information of the reference point and the coordinate information between a single ball for setting the target direction can be determined as the target direction to be applied to a golf shot or golf swing.

[0038] More specifically, the direction of a virtual line formed by connecting the coordinates of the reference point visualized by the laser according to one embodiment of the present invention and the spherical center coordinates of the fourth ball for setting the target direction can be determined as the target direction to be applied to a golf shot or golf swing.

[0039] Meanwhile, signal information dynamically determined according to the positions of the plurality of balls according to an embodiment of the present invention may be provided to the user. The signal information according to an embodiment of the present invention is sensory information transmitted to the user to enable the user to recognize whether the target direction has been determined according to the positions of the plurality of balls, and may include, for example, visual feedback (e.g., a visual signal dynamically determined according to the positions of the plurality of balls), auditory feedback (e.g., an audio signal dynamically determined according to the positions of the plurality of balls), etc.

[0040] Specifically, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a first visual feedback may be provided to the user indicating that the target direction to be applied to the golf shot or golf swing has been determined, in response to the fact that there is one virtual line connecting the positions of multiple balls.

[0041] For example, in the case where there is one ball for setting a target direction according to an embodiment of the present invention, the direction of an imaginary line formed by connecting the spherical center coordinates of the first ball hit by the user and the spherical center coordinates of the second ball for setting the target direction may be determined as the target direction to be applied to a golf shot or golf swing. Thereafter, a green signal (e.g., a light) may be provided to the user indicating that the target direction to be applied to a golf shot or golf swing according to an embodiment of the present invention has been determined.

[0042] As yet another example, a green signal (e.g., a light) indicating that the target direction to be applied to a golf shot or golf swing according to one embodiment of the present invention has been determined may be provided to the user along with an audio signal (e.g., a beep or voice guidance message).

[0043] In addition, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a second visual feedback may be provided to the user indicating that the target direction to be applied to the golf shot or golf swing has been determined, in response to the presence of multiple imaginary lines connecting the positions of multiple balls.

[0044] For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, if there are multiple balls (e.g., a second ball and a third ball) for setting a target direction, the direction of an imaginary line formed by connecting the spherical center coordinates of the first ball hit by the user and the spherical center coordinates of the second and third balls for setting the target direction can be determined as the target direction to be applied to the golf shot or golf swing. However, if the first, second, and third balls according to an embodiment of the present invention are not positioned in a line, multiple imaginary lines will inevitably be formed between the first to third balls, which may mean that the target direction to be applied to the golf shot or golf swing has not been determined.

[0045] In other words, if the ball to be hit and two or more balls for setting target directions according to one embodiment of the present invention are not positioned side by side, unless there are special circumstances in which a single straight line direction is determined based on the user's selection, an orange or yellow signal (e.g., a light) may be provided to the user indicating that the target direction to be applied to the golf shot or golf swing has not been determined.

[0046] As yet another example, an orange or yellow signal (e.g., a light) indicating that the target direction applied to a golf shot or golf swing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention has not been determined may be provided to the user along with an audio signal (e.g., a beep or voice guidance message).

[0047] This allows the user to easily and conveniently aim and align without the need for tools (e.g., alignment sticks), and also allows the user to intuitively grasp whether the target direction has been determined.

[0048] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present invention, feedback information generated with reference to the relationship between the direction of a virtual line connecting the positions of multiple balls and the trajectory of the hit ball may be provided. The feedback information according to one embodiment of the present invention may refer to information that supports swing posture correction based on whether or not the swing based on the user's aiming and alignment matches the trajectory of the ball due to the user's swing. For example, audio, text graphics, subtitles, etc. may be provided to the user to remind them of the need to change the direction, position, or distance of the user's body, head, shoulders, or gaze so that the user's swing can be optimized for aiming and alignment.

[0049] This allows the user to practice swings that are optimized for the user's aiming and alignment, thereby achieving the effect of improving shot accuracy even when the target point is different.

[0050] Next, the communication unit 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention may perform a function of enabling data transmission / reception to / from the information acquisition unit 110 and the information determination unit 120 .

[0051] Finally, the control unit 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention may perform a function of controlling the flow of data between the information acquiring unit 110, the information determining unit 120, and the communication unit 130. That is, the control unit 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention may control the information acquiring unit 110, the information determining unit 120, and the communication unit 130 to perform their respective unique functions by controlling the flow of data from / to the outside of the information providing system 100 or the flow of data between each component of the information providing system 100.

[0052] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a situation in which the information providing system according to the present invention is used in a virtual golf simulation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 2, a virtual golf simulation system 210 at an actual golf course (or an outdoor golf driving range) can perform the function of implementing a virtual golf simulation using sensed information about a golf ball, and can include at least a portion of the information provision system 100 according to the present invention.

[0054] Specifically, the virtual golf simulation system 210 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least one sensing module and can perform the function of acquiring multiple images related to ball impact information and directional information. The virtual golf simulation system 210 can be positioned so that it overlooks the moving golf club head from above, but it can also be positioned in other locations. Meanwhile, the virtual golf simulation system 210 according to an embodiment of the present invention can achieve performance similar to that of a high-speed camera by sequentially acquiring multiple images using at least two cameras with different shooting speeds, or can achieve performance similar to that of a 3D camera by simultaneously acquiring multiple images using two 2D cameras.

[0055] In addition, the virtual golf simulation system 210 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a main module and perform a function of providing a user with information obtained by combining and analyzing information transmitted from the sensing module (e.g., feedback information generated by referring to the relationship between the direction of a virtual line connecting the positions of multiple balls and the trajectory of the hit ball). Meanwhile, the virtual golf simulation system 210 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a dedicated processor. Such a dedicated processor may include memory means and may have numerical calculation capabilities and graphic processing capabilities.

[0056] In addition, the virtual golf simulation system 210 according to an embodiment of the present invention can perform a function of visualizing and displaying signal information (e.g., visual and audio signals dynamically determined according to the positions of multiple balls) and information analyzed by the virtual golf simulation system 210 (e.g., feedback information generated by referring to the relationship between the direction of a virtual line connecting the positions of multiple balls and the trajectory of the hit ball). Such a virtual golf simulation system 210 can display a predetermined image through a predetermined display means.

[0057] However, it should be made clear that the information provision system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to operating together with the virtual golf simulation system 210, and the information provision system 100 can also operate independently.

[0058] Meanwhile, it should be clarified that the information providing system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to use in actual golf courses (or outdoor golf driving ranges), but can also be used in indoor golf driving ranges.

[0059] In this way, the information providing system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can contribute to improving the user's golf skills both indoors and outdoors.

[0060] 3 to 5 are diagrams illustrating an example of a process in which signal information is provided according to the position of a ball according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] 3, a first ball 301 to be hit by a user is shown on the hitting unit 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to an embodiment of the present invention, if the first ball 301 to be hit exists alone, a red light and / or an audio signal may be provided to the user indicating that the virtual line cannot be formed.

[0062] 4, a first ball 401 to be hit by a user and a second ball 402 for setting a target direction are shown on a hitting unit 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, when there is only one second ball 402 for setting a target direction according to an embodiment of the present invention, the direction of an imaginary line formed by connecting the spherical center coordinates of the first ball 401 to be hit by the user and the spherical center coordinates of the second ball 402 for setting a target direction may be determined as the target direction to be applied to the first ball 401 to be hit. Here, a green light and / or a sound signal may be provided to the user indicating that the target direction to be applied to the first ball 401 to be hit according to an embodiment of the present invention has been determined.

[0063] 5, a first ball 501 to be hit by a user and a second ball 502 and a third ball 503 for setting a target direction are shown on the hitting unit 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, when the second ball 502 and the third ball 503 for setting a target direction are present according to an embodiment of the present invention, there are multiple imaginary lines formed by connecting the spherical center coordinates of the first ball 501 to be hit by the user and the spherical center coordinates of the second ball 502 and the third ball 503 for setting a target direction. Therefore, an orange or yellow signal and / or an audio signal may be provided to the user, indicating that the target direction to be applied to the first ball 501 to be hit has not been determined.

[0064] Meanwhile, in one embodiment of the present invention, when the first ball 501, the second ball 502, and the third ball 503 are positioned side by side to form a virtual straight line, a green light and / or a sound signal may be provided to the user, indicating that the target direction to be applied to the first ball 501 to be hit has been determined.

[0065] The above-described embodiments of the present invention may be embodied in the form of program instructions that can be executed by various computer components and stored on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, and the like, alone or in combination. The program instructions stored on the computer-readable recording medium may be specially designed and constructed for the present invention, or may be readily available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, and flash memory. Examples of program instructions include not only machine language code, such as that produced by a compiler, but also high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc. A hardware device may be replaced by one or more software modules to perform the processes of the present invention, and vice versa.

[0066] Although the present invention has been described above using specific details such as specific components and limited examples and drawings, this is merely provided to assist in a more general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above examples. Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications and changes from such descriptions.

[0067] Therefore, the concept of the present invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiments, and all scopes equivalent to or modified equivalently from the scope of the claims below as well as the scope of the concept of the present invention can be said to fall within the scope of the concept of the present invention.

Claims

1. 1. A method for providing information regarding a target direction applied to a golf shot or golf swing, comprising: acquiring position information of at least one ball; and The method includes determining a target direction to be applied to a user's golf shot or golf swing by referring to the acquired position information of the at least one ball.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the determining step, the direction of an imaginary line connecting the positions of a plurality of balls is determined as the target direction to be applied to the golf shot or golf swing.

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein in the determining step, the direction of an imaginary line connecting an indicating point and the position of the single ball is determined as the target direction to be applied to the golf shot or golf swing.

4. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining step provides said user with signal information that is dynamically determined by the positions of a plurality of balls.

5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein in the determining step, a first visual feedback is provided to the user, indicating that a target direction to be applied to the golf shot or golf swing has been determined, in response to the fact that there is one imaginary line connecting the positions of the plurality of balls.

6. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein, in the determining step, a second visual feedback is provided to the user in response to a plurality of imaginary lines connecting the positions of the plurality of balls, indicating that a target direction to be applied to the golf shot or golf swing has not been determined.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon for executing the method of claim 1.

8. 1. A system for providing information regarding a target direction applied to a golf shot or golf swing, comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires position information of at least one ball; and an information determining unit that determines a target direction to be applied to a golf shot or golf swing of a user by referring to the acquired position information of the at least one ball.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the direction of an imaginary line connecting the positions of the balls is determined as the target direction to be applied to the golf shot or golf swing.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the direction of an imaginary line connecting an indicating point and the position of the single ball is determined as the target direction to be applied to the golf shot or golf swing.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein signal information is provided to the user that is dynamically determined by the positions of a plurality of balls.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein a first visual feedback is provided to the user indicating that a target direction to be applied to the golf shot or golf swing has been determined in response to the virtual straight line connecting the positions of the plurality of balls being one.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein a second visual feedback is provided to the user in response to a plurality of imaginary lines connecting the positions of the plurality of balls, the second visual feedback indicating that a target direction to be applied to the golf shot or golf swing has not been determined.

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