Patent Application
20150174465
The present invention relates to a computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product for tracking golf statistics and correlating those to geographic features.
Modern golf swing analyzers provide details of a golfer's swing while in a test environment that is remote from the golf course. While providing an abundance of detail concerning the orientation, placement and velocities of a golfer's limbs, they are unusable while on a golf course.
Other inventions determine when there is a ball-club contact, and rely on that information to assess scoring for a particular golfer. In every case, the prior art fails to assess whether an apparent golf club swing is actually to be used in scoring, or, rather, should be treated as a practice swing. Further, the prior art fails, in a timely fashion, prompt a golfer to indicate a penalty stroke.
These and other deficiencies are remedied by the invention to be disclosed.
According to one embodiment of the present invention a method, apparatus and computer program product for collecting golf stroke information is shown. A scorekeeper may detect a first swing candidate, the first swing candidate having a first location associated therewith, and in response determining whether no secondary swing candidates are received for a predetermined time thereafter or distance from the first location. The scorekeeper, in response to a determination of no swing candidates being for a predetermined time thereafter or distance from the first location, may store the first location, first prompting a golfer to indicate whether zero, one or more strokes are to be associated with a last received swing candidate. Next, the scorekeeper may receive a first feedback from the golfer indicating at least one stroke, and in response, update a score to reflect at the least one stroke, and storing the first location. The scorekeeper may detect a second swing candidate, the second swing candidate having a second location associated therewith, and response, determine whether no secondary swing candidates are received for a predetermined time thereafter or distance from the second location and, in response to a determination of no secondary swing candidates being received for a predetermined time thereafter or distance from the second location storing the second location, the scorekeeper can further prompt the golfer to indicate whether zero, one or more strokes are to be associated with a last received swing candidate. Next, the scorekeeper may receive a second feedback from the golfer indicating at least one stroke, and in response, update the score to reflect the at least one stroke, and store the second location.
With reference now to the figures and in particular with reference to
In the depicted example, Global Position Service (GPS) transceiver 112 connects to south bridge and I/O controller hub 104 and audio adapter 116, user interface 120, Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth transceiver 122, read only memory (ROM) 124, hard disk drive (HDD) 126, near field communicator unit 130, universal serial bus (USB) ports and other communications ports 132, and accelerometer/inclinometer 134 connect to south bridge and I/O controller hub 104 through bus 138 and bus 140. An accelerometer is a device that measures acceleration in three dimensions. As an accelerometer/inclinometer, the device may also detect the relative orientation of the data processing system relative to a constant force of acceleration, such as the force of gravity, that is, downward. PCI/PCIe devices may include, for example, Ethernet adapters, add-in cards, and PC cards for notebook computers. PCI uses a card bus controller, while PCIe does not. ROM 124 may be, for example, a flash binary input/output system (BIOS). Hard disk drive 126 may use, for example, an integrated drive electronics (IDE) or serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) interface. A super I/O (SIO) device 136 may be connected to south bridge and I/O controller hub 104. Additionally, a vibration generator 137 may be addressable on bus 138.
An operating system runs on processor 106, and coordinates and provides control of various components within data processing system 100 in
Instructions for the operating system, the object-oriented programming system, and applications or programs are located on computer readable tangible storage devices, such as hard disk drive 126, and may be loaded into main memory 108 for execution by processor 106. The processes of the embodiments can be performed by processor 106 using computer implemented instructions, which may be located in a memory such as, for example, main memory 108, read only memory 124, or in one or more peripheral devices.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware in
In some illustrative examples, data processing system 100 may be a personal digital assistant (PDA), which is configured with flash memory to provide non-volatile memory for storing operating system files and/or user-generated data. A bus system may be comprised of one or more buses, such as a system bus, an I/O bus, and a PCI bus. Of course, the bus system may be implemented using any type of communications fabric or architecture that provides for a transfer of data between different components or devices attached to the fabric or architecture. A communication unit may include one or more devices used to transmit and receive data, such as a WiFi transceiver, modem or a network adapter. A memory may be, for example, main memory 108 or a cache such as found in north bridge and memory controller hub 102. A processing unit may include one or more processors or CPUs. The depicted example in
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
The description of the various embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.
As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, one or more embodiments may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.” Furthermore, embodiments may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable medium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.
Any combination of one or more computer readable storage device(s) may be utilized. A computer readable storage device may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage device would include the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storage device may be any tangible device that can store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The term “computer-readable storage device” does not encompass a signal propagation media such as a copper cable, optical fiber or wireless transmission media.
Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).
Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
The illustrative embodiments permits a golfer to track his score, movements, penalties and even distances that a ball is struck. At least one embodiment allows a golfer to eliminate practice swings from being counted as a stroke by a device that relies on arm movements to detect swings. At least one embodiment relies on a device capable of being arm worn, otherwise called a scorekeeper, to detect the relative motions of the arm to at least develop sensible swing candidates for use adding to the golfer's current golf score. An arm worn device or scorekeeper is any data processing system that at least has the inclinometer/accelerometer 134 of
Accordingly, movements that meet the criteria, stated above, start a time-out clock running, for example, up to 20 seconds, which is a period that for most golfers, is never exceeded between practice strokes or other addressing of the golf ball as it lies on the course. Such a time-out could be adjustable to suit the preferences of the golfer, through, for example, a user interface that asks for the golfer's preferences. Accordingly, a candidate swing, followed by a lapse of swinging motions longer than this predetermined period of a time-out, can indicate that the golfer has completed his stroke, and is now returning to a golf cart, moving to wait alongside the tee, or is otherwise no longer aligning with the fairway or stretching his arms to better prepare for the actual strike. Thus, next, the scorekeeper may determine whether the time-out is reached (step 405). If not, the scorekeeper may determine if the golfer has moved a sufficient distance from a previously recorded swing candidate (step 407). The distance, can be 15 feet, or some other predetermined distance, that at least is larger than any predicted error in the GPS received location and/or a distance between the tee markers. A negative determination at step 407 returns the scorekeeper to step 403 where it may repeatedly detects swing candidates.
A positive determination, at ether of steps 405 or 407, causes the scorekeeper to prompt the golfer for a number of strokes (step 409). The prompt can be a message, displayed to a display on the scorekeeper, that a number of strokes is requested. The scorekeeper, in addition, may discreetly vibrate the data processing device to additionally get the attention of the golfer that a stroke count is required, for example, by signaling a vibration generator such as, for example, vibration generator 137 of
Next, the scorekeeper may obtain the club identity for the recorded swing candidate (step 415). A recorded swing candidate is a swing that is confirmed by the golfer to contribute to the golfer's score. The club identity can be obtained by one of at least two ways. First, the scorekeeper may prompt the golfer to pick from a list, which club was used, for example, by using the user interface 120 to collect the selection from the golfer. Second, the scorekeeper may use a radio signal interrogation and response to detect, from a radio transponder embedded in the club, which is the identity of the club the golfer is holding. As such, near field communication (NFC) protocol and standard can be used to collect such information. Further prompting of the golfer can be made, such as via the first method, if the scorekeeper is unable to resolve which club is nearby—as may occur if the golfer dropped the club or handed it off in some way. As may be appreciated, the interrogation using NFC, may occur much earlier in the steps of method 400, for example, contemporaneously with step 403. A club identity can include the numeric indication of the amount of pitch the club face has. The club identity can indicate whether the club is a wood or an iron. The club identity can include a brand and/or model name. A near field communication protocol may have a nominal transmission range of up to 10 centimeters—which, in practice, may vary based on the placement of interfering objects between transmitter and radio transponder or based on other radio interference.
Next, the scorekeeper may display a distance of the golfer from the previously recorded swing candidate (step 417). In other words, the locations that correspond to the last two recorded swing candidates are used as end points to determine the linear distance the ball travelled for the stroke recorded immediately prior to the last recorded swing candidate. The distance can be a pure lateral distance, or the distance can include any relative change in elevation that the golf ball experienced when comparing the end points. Additionally, if the position of the green and/or corresponding hole is known by the scorekeeper, the GPS feature may periodically update a distance the golfer/scorekeeper is from the current hole. As such, the distance displayed can be a) from the last stroke taken; and/or b) to the current hole.
The scorekeeper may perform statistical analysis of the distance and the club used for the stroke recorded immediately prior to the last recorded swing candidate. In other words, the club may have a list of distances associated with it, that can include the distance just measured. Such a list can be used to compute averages, medians, standard deviations, average for the club for the current day, among other statistical measures. A golfer, may periodically consult these statistical measures by switching a mode of display in the scorekeeper to display a preferred statistic for the golfer. Similarly, when the golfer has the desired statistic, he may return the scorekeeper to the normal steps of process 400.
Next, the scorekeeper may prompt the golfer to indicate if the ball is in the hole (step 419). The golfer may respond either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The scorekeeper can optionally receive the golfer indication that the ball is in the hole (step 421). If the golfer fails to answer or otherwise ignores the question, the scorekeeper may, by default, store to column 311 of data structure 300 data representative of ‘no’.
The scorekeeper, may, through information publicly recorded about the golf hole's location, available, for example, via an internet query, establish a final line corresponding to play at the current hole, such as row 327 in data structure 300 of
If the scorekeeper does not receive an indication that the ball is in the hole, processing resumes at step 403. However, a positive determination at step 423 can cause the scorekeeper to prompt the golfer to further refine the nature of the strokes made to take as a final score on a hole (step 425). Thus, at step 425, the golfer may confirm the strokes from tee to hole and/or subdivide the strokes already recorded to those made to get the ball on the green, and those while on the green. Thus, for example, the seven strokes recorded at
Next, the scorekeeper can determine if 18 holes are completed, or alternatively, sufficient time has lapsed between either the first hole played, or the last recording of a swing candidate to determine that the game is finished or interrupted (step 427). If the game is not finished or interrupted, the scorekeeper resumes at step 403. Otherwise, processing may terminate thereafter.
The golfer, after reading the information, may resume other activities, such as that of
Next, in response to a negative determination at step 803, the scorekeeper may prompt the golfer to step over the hole (step 805). In response to a negative determination, the scorekeeper may repeatedly execute step 807, namely, at step 807 the golfer may signal that he is at the hole (step 807).
After a positive determination at either step 803 or 807, the scorekeeper may store the hole location (step 809). The scorekeeper may add the hole location, for example, to row 327 of
It is appreciated, that the data processing system, that supports the flowcharts of
As such, the arm-worn device may repeatedly perform step 403 of
The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
The invention can take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements. In a preferred embodiment, the invention is implemented in software, which includes but is not limited to firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.
Furthermore, the invention can take the form of a computer program product accessible from a computer-usable or computer-readable storage device providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system. For the purposes of this description, a computer-usable or computer readable storage device can be any tangible apparatus that can store the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
The computer-readable storage device can be an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, or semiconductor system (or apparatus or device). Examples of a computer-readable storage device include a semiconductor or solid state memory, magnetic tape, a removable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk. Current examples of optical disks include compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM), compact disk-read/write (CD-R/W) and DVD
Input/output or I/O devices (including but not limited to keyboards, displays, pointing devices, etc.) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening I/O controllers.
Network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or computer readable tangible storage devices through intervening private or public networks. Modems, cable modem and Ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters.
The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
