Wearable Golf Data Collection via RFID Club Tagging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing golf data collection systems are either intrusive, require non-standard golf balls, or rely on manual input, limiting their effectiveness in accurately and efficiently recording and analyzing golf performance data during gameplay.
Innovation Solution
A wearable apparatus equipped with a positioning system, a tag reader, and a processor that correlates the golfer's location with club identification data, allowing for the tracking of golf ball paths and analysis of performance metrics, including club type and environmental conditions, without the need for tagged balls or manual input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If RFID tags are placed on golf balls to track ball path, then ball tracking accuracy is improved, but the system becomes more complex and requires non-standard balls that may be lost or perform differently
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing RFID tags on the golf balls themselves, the patent uses RFID tags on clubs to create a digital copy/representation of ball location. The tag reader on the wearable device detects club tags to infer ball position, eliminating the need for modified balls while maintaining tracking capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach where club tags serve as mediators to track ball location indirectly. Rather than directly tagging the ball, the system uses club identification as an intermediate step to determine ball position, simplifying the overall system
2Device complexity
If manual input is required for club data, then device complexity is reduced, but data collection accuracy and efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically collects club data through RFID tag reading without requiring manual user input. The wearable device with tag reader autonomously identifies clubs and correlates them with GPS location data, eliminating the need for manual data entry while improving data collection efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical data entry with automated electronic RFID tag reading. The system uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify clubs and transfer data, substituting the mechanical process of manual input with an automated electronic system
3Measurement precision
If GPS tracking is continuous throughout the game, then position accuracy is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous GPS tracking, the system uses periodic positioning triggered by club tag detection events. The GPS records position at specific intervals when clubs are identified, maintaining position accuracy for ball tracking while reducing overall energy consumption compared to continuous operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-loads GPS position data before and after club tag detection events, then interpolates position information as needed. This preliminary data collection approach ensures position accuracy is maintained while allowing the GPS to remain in lower-power modes between measurement points
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for golf data collection comprises an apparatus arranged to be worn about the body of a golfer during a game of golf. The apparatus includes a positioning system for determining various locations of a golfer during the game, a tag reader for reading a club held in close proximity to the apparatus around the time of striking a golf ball, and a processor for correlating the location of the golfer with the time at which a tag is read to enable the path of a golf ball throughout the game of golf to be determined.