Patent Application
20070135223
The present invention relates to sports objects, and more particularly relates to an apparatus for verifying the accuracy of golf ball launch monitors. Particularly, launch monitors of a type that incorporate photographic images of a golf ball to compute performance data.
Launch monitors for measuring golf ball flight characteristics and club head swing characteristics are known. Typically, the golf ball is marked with at least one contrasting area and the launch monitor acquires photographic images of the ball to compute performance characteristics.
One particularly problem has been the ability to verify that the information received from the launch monitors is accurate and repeatable. Improvements to launch monitors wherein they are now easily portable, which is of particular importance in that monitors need to be moved to the most desirable teaching or club fitting locations, e.g., on an outdoor driving range or golf course fairway. Because of the repeated handling and movement of these portable monitors, it is crucial that the accuracy be maintained and a reliable method available to substantiate that the performance data that is presented to the golfer is correct. Therefore, there must be an easy and convenient means to calibrate launch monitors to insure their accuracy. Present methods for checking accuracy of launch monitors have been limited to those of a static nature, and there has been a need in the industry for an apparatus that employs a dynamic verification method. The present invention presents such an apparatus.
Broadly, the present invention comprises an apparatus and method for dynamically calibrating launch monitor systems. Specifically, those launch monitors that employ at least one camera to capture images which are then analyzed by a computer either incorporated into the launch monitor structure or connected to it, which transposes the images into performance data, typically data such as ball speed, launch angle and spin rate.
The calibration apparatus of the present invention includes a support structure, a motorized wheel disposed on the support structure and a cover for the wheel. The wheel having four evenly spaced golf balls held in place by a specially designed retaining system. The distance from the center of the wheel to the centers of the golf balls is fixed and when the wheel is spun at a known measured revolution rate, then the speed, velocity and spin rates of the golf balls are established as fixed constants. The four golf balls have specific contrasting areas or markings on them, which can be seen by an imaging system produced and captured by the cameras of the launch monitor. The camera(s) is focused upon a field-of-view (FOV) that is provided by an opening in the cover of the wheel wherein the golf balls are seen as they spin through the opening. Once the computer of the launch monitor analyzes the photo images and translates them into ball speed, velocity, and spin rate, this data is compared to known fixed constants and any deviations by the monitor are corrected. Golfers evaluated by the launch monitor depend upon the information generated therein to be correct, as this information is often relied upon when a golfer purchases golfing equipment. It is therefore critical to the process that the information provided by the launch monitors not only be accurate but be repeatable, and because of the high portability and movement of these monitors, their verification must be made on a regular basis. The calibration apparatus of the present invention is easy to use, and will verify that the information obtained by the launch monitor is accurate. This calibration apparatus of the present invention is designed to be used with any launch monitor system that employs at least one camera to capture images that are then translated by a computer into performance data including ball speed, launch angle, and spin rate.
When in use, the calibrating apparatus is positioned at a known distance from the launch monitor, and the camera units of the monitor are focused on the field of view. The four golf balls, which are evenly displaced from the center of a circular wheel, each have six contrasting markings or dots, and are for example, reflective markings, retro-reflective dots, painted markings, or printed logos. The launch monitor typically includes a computer employing at least one algorithm, and at least one camera. Each camera is focused on the field of view which is an opening in the cover surrounding the wheel. Upon a stimulus triggering the camera(s), each camera takes at least two images of the golf ball. The computer of the launch monitor calculates the golf ball speed, velocity and spin rate from the acquired ball images. Since the wheel is rotated at a known RPM revolution rate, the speed and velocity of the golf balls on the wheel are easily determined. A simple inexpensive revolution rate meter may be used to determine wheel revolution rate. Since the ball is rigidly secured to the wheel, the rotation rate of the balls is identical to the rotation rate of the wheel. The speed of the ball is the product of the revolution rate (measured in radians per second) of the wheel multiplied by the radial distance between the center of rotation of the wheel and the center of the ball. The speed and velocity data calculated by the launch monitors is correlated against the known speed and velocity of the calibration apparatus to verify the accuracy of the monitor.
A typical launch monitor 100 of the type discussed above is disclosed in
The present invention utilizes a dynamic calibration apparatus as described in
The calibration process begins with setting up and leveling the calibration apparatus 20. The system is preferably set up on level ground. The launch monitor 100 is positioned at a normal operating distance from the balls 30 which are mounted into the wheel 26 and are visible through the field-of-view opening 36 in the protective cover 28. Adjusting screws 150 may be used to level the calibration apparatus. It is preferred that both the calibration apparatus 20 and the launch monitor 100 be leveled.
Once the wheel 26 of the calibrating apparatus 20 is spinning at a constant predetermined revolution rate the launch monitor system 100 is triggered by an electric proximity sensor unit (not shown) being activated causing a first image to be recorded by both cameras 136, 138. There is an intervening, predetermined time delay, between proximity detection and triggering the launch monitor 100 to ensure that the ball 30 is within the field of view. Four alternative delay settings are available to allow any one of the four balls 30 to be present in the field of view 36 when the launch monitor 100 acquires images.
The camera system 136, 138 upon being triggered take a picture of the spinning golf balls 30 and the resulting images are sent to a buffer. The launch monitor determines the location of the centers of the markings in each image corresponding to the markings 32 on the golf balls 30 being spun at a known revolution rate by the calibration apparatus wheel 26. Once the location of each of the markings on a golf ball is determined, the launch monitor system 20 with knowledge of the true spacing of the golf balls 30 and the markings 32 calculates performance data.
As shown in
The preferred distance between the center of the wheel 26 and the center of the ball 30 is between six (6) and twelve (12) inches and the preferred range for wheel revolution rate is between 1,000 to 6,000 rpm. The following table illustrates the resultant ball velocity for several alternative distances and revolution rates.
While the above invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, it should be kept in mind that the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The embodiments above can also be modified so that some features of one embodiment are used with the features of another embodiment. One skilled in the art may find variations of these preferred embodiments which, nevertheless, fall within the spirit of the present invention, whose scope is defined by the claims set forth below.
