Miniature Golf Structure With Dynamic Targets in a Compact Footprint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Miniature golf courses often require large footprints and fixed obstacles, leading to high maintenance costs and repetitive gameplay experiences that can bore repeat players, making it difficult for operators to change configurations without significant downtime.
Innovation Solution
A standalone miniature golf structure with sensors, a digital display screen, and processors that dynamically change putting targets and obstacles in real-time, allowing for interactive multi-player games with varied experiences and a compact footprint.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a large number of holes are spread out to allow different players to maneuver around the course without interfering with each other, then player experience is improved, but the footprint of the course becomes considerably large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the obstacles movable rather than fixed. Each obstacle can be repositioned along its lane using motorized mechanisms, allowing the same physical space to provide different hole configurations and obstacle arrangements. This dynamic reconfiguration enables multiple players to play simultaneously without interfering with each other, as obstacles can be moved to create clear paths when needed, thereby maintaining a compact footprint while preserving player maneuverability.
Solution Approach 2:
The course is divided into multiple independent lanes, each with its own obstacles and holes. This segmentation allows players to play in different lanes simultaneously without interfering with each other. Each lane can be independently configured and reconfigured, enabling the system to accommodate multiple players in a compact space by distributing them across separate spatial segments.
2Ease of operation
If fixed obstacles are used to create entertaining hole configurations, then initial player engagement is improved, but repeat players tire of the same obstacles over time
Solution Approach 1:
The obstacles are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing them to be repositioned along their respective lanes. The system can change obstacle positions and configurations dynamically, providing repeat players with new and varied hole configurations each time they play. This dynamic adaptability maintains player engagement by ensuring that the course never looks the same twice, while still using the same physical obstacle structures.
3Adaptability or versatility
If obstacles are replaced or reconfigured to maintain player interest, then adaptability is improved, but maintenance cost and downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of replacing physical obstacles, the system uses motorized mechanisms to move and reposition existing obstacles along their lanes. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the course to offer varied hole configurations without requiring physical replacement of obstacles. The same obstacle structures serve multiple configurations over time, reducing maintenance costs and eliminating the downtime associated with removing and reinstalling obstacles, while still providing continuous adaptability and variety.
4Area of stationary object
If a compact footprint is used for the miniature golf structure, then installation flexibility is improved, but the number of holes that can be accommodated is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses dynamic obstacle repositioning to create multiple holes and pathways within a compact footprint. By moving obstacles along their lanes, the same physical space can be reconfigured to provide different hole arrangements, effectively increasing the number of playable holes without expanding the overall structure footprint. This dynamic spatial utilization allows the compact structure to accommodate more holes through temporal multiplexing of the same space.
Solution Approach 2:
The course is divided into multiple independent lanes that can be used simultaneously or sequentially. This segmentation allows the compact footprint to accommodate multiple holes by distributing them across separate spatial segments. Players can play in different lanes at the same time, effectively increasing the capacity of the compact structure without requiring additional physical space for each hole.
Data Source
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AI summary
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for a standalone and multi-game miniature golf structure. A structure includes a digital display screen positioned to align vertically with a rear end of a putting surface and sensor(s) positioned below the digital display screen. The sensor(s) are configured to detect lateral positions at which balls cross the rear end. The structure includes processor(s), that for each shot of a plurality of miniature golf games, are configured to send command signals to the digital display screen to display putting target(s); identify, via the sensor(s), a lateral position at which a golf ball crosses the rear end of the putting surface; determine whether the lateral position of the golf ball aligns vertically with any of the putting target(s); and generate a score for the shot based on the lateral position of the golf ball relative to the putting target(s).