Application Program

Abstract

This invention provides a virtual golf round application program that can be played without using a distance measuring device. [Solution] This virtual round application program provides a screen on a smartphone or other device that can be easily used at golf driving ranges, etc., that displays a golf hole map and the remaining distance to the target point. After selecting the target direction, users can actually hit the ball and manually input the estimated distance and direction of the shot based on their own sense of distance, allowing them to easily experience the feeling of playing a round without using a distance measuring device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a virtual round of golf and is an application program that can be played without using a measuring device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, many simulation golf devices for virtually playing a round of golf have been invented, but all of them require a dedicated measuring device or are large simulation devices integrated with a measuring device. The conventional technology is effective for accurately measuring the flight distance, trajectory, and direction and simulating a round.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] The more accurate the measuring device is required to be, the higher the cost. Therefore, it is often in a situation where it is difficult to introduce the device into a golf driving range and many people give up. In addition, since there is no way for users to easily experience a round at a golf driving range, the practice has become routine.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] The present invention is a virtual round application program for golf that can be played without using a distance measuring device.

[0005] Claim 1 of the present invention is an application program characterized in that on a terminal that displays a map of a golf hole represented in 2D or 3D and displays the distance from the ball position to the target point, an estimated flight distance can be manually input, and the landing point of the ball is calculated as it is or after reflecting corrections to the input value of the estimated flight distance, and based on the result, the distance to the next target point is calculated and displayed on the terminal.

[0006] Claim 2 of the present invention is an application program according to claim 1, characterized in that it allows manual input of the target direction and trajectory of a shot, calculates a direction correction based on the input information, and reflects that correction in the calculation of the landing point. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this invention, you can easily experience a virtual round of golf anywhere, such as your usual golf driving range or your own home.

[0008] For golfers, even without a measuring device, by selecting a club, deciding on a direction, and taking a shot, they can estimate roughly how far and in what direction the ball flew by observing the feel of the shot and the direction it went.

[0009] Golfers know their estimated distance for each club; for example, a 9-iron shot with normal force might go 130 yards, an 8-iron 140 yards, and a driver 240 yards. They also have a feel for how many yards a mishit will drop based on normal force. Therefore, they can enjoy a virtual round by inputting their estimated distance and trajectory after each shot, and effectively practice at the driving range by incorporating remaining distance, hole map, lie, and wind effects into their own strategies.

[0010] The hole map and the remaining distance to the pin are displayed, and the remaining distance is updated with each shot, allowing you to change clubs as you would on a real course. For example, after a driver, you might switch to a fairway wood, then a 7-iron, then an approach wedge, taking into account the distance and the shape of the map to choose the optimal club each time. This invention makes it possible to naturally practice changing clubs with each shot, which is an important aspect of golf practice.

[0011] Traditionally, it has been assumed that accurate measuring equipment is essential for realizing a virtual round, and various efforts have been made to pursue technologies for accurate measurement. However, simulating a course with the same measurement values ​​as a real course requires large-scale equipment. Furthermore, there are limitations to how accurately the simulation can be performed. On the other hand, users generally prefer to practice at nearby driving ranges, their usual practice ranges, or with simple nets set up at home. Since there has traditionally been no way to easily experience a round using only a mobile device, the idea of ​​experiencing a round simply by manually inputting data, as in this invention, had never been conceived.

[0012] This invention does not rely on sophisticated simulations, but rather devises a mechanism that simplifies manual input of estimated distance and ball direction, providing a new experience where users can output their own intuitive sense of distance and direction while playing a round. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the system configuration of this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of the top of the gameplay screen. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of the bottom of the gameplay screen. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram illustrating how to input the estimated flight distance at the bottom of the gameplay screen using the keyboard. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram representing the second hit at the top of the gameplay screen. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing the input of the batting direction at the bottom of the play screen. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram of the hole-out screen. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram of what the trajectory and miss display looks like when you open it at the bottom of the gameplay screen. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on examples and with reference to the drawings. [Examples]

[0015] Figure 1 is a system configuration diagram of the present invention. The server (4) is composed of a WEB server, a FILE server, and a DB server. It receives the input from the mobile terminal (2) of the user (1) via the network (3), and returns the result processed by each server to the screen of the mobile terminal (2). The server (4) is arranged on the Internet such as the cloud, and can be realized with the server configuration of a general WEB application system that can communicate via HTTPS or the like.

[0016] In this embodiment, an example in which a smartphone is used as the mobile terminal (2) is given, but a dedicated terminal may also be used. Further, the application operating on the mobile terminal (2) may be a WEB application operating on a browser or a native application such as Android or iOS.

[0017] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the upper part of the play screen of the present application displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal (2), representing information on a virtual round of golf. As an example, it is a screen image at the start of the second hole of a certain virtual course.

[0018] A golf hole map (6) is displayed on the screen. The map is an image of a golf hole, and the fairway, rough, forest, bunker, pond, tee ground (8), green, pin (5), flag, and OB area are represented in different colors.

[0019] Also, a straight line from the tee ground (8), which is the play start point, to the pin (5) is drawn, and the distance is displayed on the screen as the remaining distance (11) to the pin. At the start of play, the tee ground (8) is the ball position.

[0020] In this embodiment, as the distance to the target point, the remaining distance from the ball position to the pin (5) is taken as an example. However, as the distance to the target point referred to in the present invention, any target point such as the distance from the ball position to the green center, the distance to the green front edge, etc. is acceptable, and it may also be the distance to the target point for a layup, the distance to a bunker, the distance to a pond, the distance to a yellow flag, etc.

[0021] In this embodiment, yards are used as the unit of the remaining distance. The "510y" of the remaining distance (11) from the ball on the screen to the pin means "510 yards remaining to the pin". It can be changed to metric notation according to the user's settings.

[0022] The lie display part (12) represents the lie where the ball is currently placed. There are tee shots, fairways, roughs, bunkers, penalty areas, forests, etc. Since it is the first shot in FIG. 2, it means a tee shot. Also, an image diagram of the lie is displayed below the lie text.

[0023] The wind speed and direction display part (10) represents the wind speed and direction with an arrow and a numerical value. In FIG. 2, the wind speed is 4 m / s and the wind direction means the lower right.

[0024] At the start of play, the user checks the shape of the map, the lie, the remaining distance to the pin, and the wind speed and direction, and selects the club to be used at the club designation part (13). At the club designation part (13), the clubs the user owns and their average flight distances are displayed in a list in advance, and the user selects the club that matches the target flight distance. (In FIG. 2, 1W "No. 1 wood" / average flight distance "210y" is selected.)

[0025] Also, the direction to hit is designated at the target designation part (9). When the "left" and "right" buttons of the target designation part (9) are tapped, the target direction (7) on the map rotates to the right or left around the ball position to determine the direction. (In FIG. 2, it is in a state where it points about 30 degrees to the left with respect to the straight line to the pin.)

[0026] In this embodiment, the target direction is specified by tapping a button, but other manual input methods such as specifying the target direction (7) by dragging or by tapping on the map are also acceptable.

[0027] In this invention, manual input means that the user directly inputs a value, and includes inputting values ​​and directions by tapping, dragging, dropping, clicking, pinching, swiping, double-tapping, long-pressing, flicking, scrolling on the screen, using a soft keyboard, using a hard keyboard, handwriting, logical buttons, and physical buttons, but does not include automatic input using sensors or measuring devices.

[0028] Once the club and target direction are determined, the player actually hits the ball. After the shot, scrolling down the mobile device screen displays the bottom of the play screen (Figure 3) where the shot result is entered. In this embodiment, scrolling down displays the bottom of the play screen (Figure 3) where the shot result is entered, but the method of displaying the input field is not limited to that which includes displaying the input field by tapping a button, displaying the input field after a certain amount of time has passed, or displaying the input field by detecting the tilt of the mobile device.

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the lower part of the play screen of this application as displayed on the screen of the mobile device (2), and is the screen where the shot results are entered.

[0030] The user manually inputs the result of actually hitting the ball. In the ball direction input section (14), the user selects the direction of the shot. As an example, buttons are provided from left to right: "14 degrees left", "9 degrees left", "5 degrees left", "2 degrees left", "straight", "2 degrees right", "5 degrees right", "9 degrees right", and "14 degrees right", allowing the user to select the ball direction based on their own judgment. Alternatively, a direction input text box can be provided for keyboard input, or input can be done using the "+" and "-" buttons.

[0031] Furthermore, the estimated distance is entered in the estimated distance input unit (15). In one example, an estimated distance display unit (16) is placed in the center, with buttons for "-100", "-10", "-1", "1", "10", and "100". When a button is tapped, the yardage displayed on the button is added to the value on the estimated distance display unit (16). Initially, the estimated distance display unit (16) displays the average distance of the club selected in the club selection unit (13).

[0032] Furthermore, tapping the estimated distance display unit (16) activates the estimated distance display unit (16), turning it into an estimated distance input cursor (19), and simultaneously the keyboard (20) pops up, allowing direct input of the estimated distance in yards (Figure 4).

[0033] The final step in shot input is selecting a feel button in the feel input section (18) to register the shot. The feel options provided are "GOOD," "OK," "BAD," "JUST," and "SKIP." "GOOD": Selected when a good shot is hit. "OK": Selected when a normal shot is hit. "BAD": Selected when a bad shot is hit. "JUST": Selected when you want to eliminate the influence of feel (explained later). "SKIP": Selected to skip the shot without actually hitting it.

[0034] After registering the shot, the entered information is sent to the server (4) and the ball's landing position is calculated.

[0035] In calculating the landing position, the direction is determined by reflecting the input ball direction relative to the specified target direction, the position after traveling the input estimated distance in that direction is calculated, and then corrections for wind direction and wind speed are reflected in the calculation result, as well as corrections for lie and feel of the shot to arrive at the landing position.

[0036] "Wind direction and speed correction" refers to the correction that increases the distance the ball travels in a tailwind and decreases it in a headwind, and that the ball deviates to the left or right depending on the wind direction. The correction value also increases or decreases depending on the wind speed.

[0037] "Lie-based correction" refers to the correction that occurs when the ball is hit from the rough, trees, or bunkers, resulting in shorter distances and larger deviations in distance.

[0038] "Feel-based correction" is a correction applied to direction and distance using random numbers. The range of correction is small for GOOD, normal for OK, and large for BAD. JUST means no feel-based correction, and SKIP is the same as OK. JUST is used when the entered distance is accurate and you do not want to apply feel-based correction. SKIP is used when you want to skip approach shots that are too short, or when you are too tired to hit the driver anymore.

[0039] Once the landing spot is determined, the color range of the coordinates on the golf hole map (6) is determined to set the lie. The remaining distance from the landing spot to the pin for the next shot is also calculated and saved in the DB (database) along with other necessary information such as score information, and the system transitions to the next shot screen (Figure 5).

[0040] The calculations are processed on the web server, and the database (DB) is located on the DB server. The golf hole map (6) is stored on the FILE server.

[0041] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram representing the second shot at the top of the play screen. The calculated landing point (21) is the ball's position, and the remaining distance to the next pin (23) has been updated to the calculated remaining distance to the pin, "316 yards". In addition, the lie display section (24) after the shot has also been updated to the lie "fairway" as a result of the color range determination.

[0042] The previous shot log (22) is also displayed, allowing for an overview of the calculation results. For the second shot and beyond, the process is the same as the first shot: select the club and target direction, take the shot, and repeatedly input the ball direction and estimated distance.

[0043] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the shot direction input at the bottom of the play screen, where the shot direction input button (25) shows the state after manually entering "5 degrees left". A detailed shot log for all shots is also displayed at the bottom.

[0044] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the hole-out screen. If the ball lands on the green, a putt shot is required, but the putting level (27) determines whether a putt is taken or not, and this is done automatically.

[0045] In this embodiment, the putting level is increased by +1 when the ball lands on the fairway, and conversely, the level is decreased by -1 when the ball lands in a bunker, rough, woods, penalty area, or out of bounds. The higher the putting level, the fewer putts are calculated based on the remaining distance on the green.

[0046] The score (26) displays the result of the hole, and you can proceed to the next hole with the next hole button (28) and repeat the play. After playing 18 holes, the round is over and you can check your score. The shot log can also be checked after the round is over, and you can view score statistics and shot analysis.

[0047] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the trajectory / miss display at the bottom of the play screen. Tapping the trajectory / miss display toggle button (29) displays the trajectory / miss input area (30), allowing you to record "trajectory / misses" as you wish. When displayed, you can input hook, draw, straight, fade, slice, pull, top, push, shank, pop, duff, mishit, and miss, and you can check them at any time in the shot log, score statistics, and shot analysis.

[0048] Other implementations include a slope distribution map that uses color coding to represent elevation differences corresponding to the hole map, or a 3D hole map created with a 3D terrain model, which can be used to calculate the elevation difference and slope of the hole and reflect this in the calculation of the landing point. Additionally, if there is a slope at the ball position, the lie indicator (12) will show the slope, noting things like downhill lie or toe-down lie, which can help players be aware of when taking a shot and provide effective practice.

[0049] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a virtual round of golf that allows for strategic play without using a distance measuring device.

[0050] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated above. Therefore, the present invention can be modified or its components added without departing from the technical spirit. Thus, all technical matters included in the technical concept described in the claims are covered by the present invention. The embodiments illustrated above are preferred examples for implementation. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can implement various modifications from the disclosed content, and such modifications are included within the technical scope described in the claims. Reference numerals and descriptions

[0051] 1 user 2 Mobile devices 3 Network 4 servers 5 pins 6 Golf Hole Map 7. Target direction 8 Teeing Ground 9. Target designation section 10 Wind speed / direction display section Distance remaining to pin 11 12 Light display section 13 Club Designated Section 14. Ball trajectory input section 15. Estimated flight distance input section 16 Estimated flying distance display section 17. Estimated flight distance input button 18. Tapping input section 19. Estimated flight distance input cursor 20 keyboards 21 Impact Points 22 Previous Shot Log 23 Distance remaining to the next pin 24 Lie indicator after shot 25. Ball trajectory input button 26 score 27 Putting Level 28 Next Hole Button 29. Ballistics / Mistake Display Toggle Button 30 Ballistics / Mistake Input Section

Claims

1. An application program characterized by displaying a 2D or 3D map of a golf hole, showing the distance from the ball's position to a target point on a terminal, allowing the user to manually input an estimated distance, calculating the ball's landing point based on the entered estimated distance (either directly or with corrections applied), and then calculating and displaying the distance to the next target point based on that result on the terminal.

2. The application program according to claim 1, characterized in that it allows manual input of the target direction and trajectory of a shot, calculates a direction correction based on the input information, and reflects that correction in the calculation of the landing point.

Images