Patent Grant
9242158
This application is a National Stage Application of PCT International Patent Application No. PCT/KR2012/000954 filed on Feb. 9, 2012, under 35 U.S.C. §371, which claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0012297 filed on Feb. 11, 2011, which are all hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The present invention relates to a virtual golf simulation apparatus and method, and more particularly to a virtual golf simulation apparatus and method wherein a virtual golf course is visualized and simulated and a trajectory of a golf ball struck directly by a user is simulated in the virtual golf course.
With recent increase in the popularity of golf, a so-called screen golf system has been introduced which allows users to practice golf and enjoy virtual golf games using a virtual golf simulation apparatus and the like. Basically, when a user hits a golf ball placed on a golf mat by swinging a golf club, the virtual golf simulation apparatus senses the golf ball through a sensing device to extract physical characteristics of the moving golf ball and implements an image simulating the trajectory of the ball in a virtual golf course using the extracted physical characteristics.
When the sensing device is capable of calculating only basic physical characteristics of the moving ball among various physical characteristics, it is possible to quickly perform sensing processes to allow a simulation image of the trajectory of the ball to be implemented almost at the same time as when the ball is struck. However, in this case, there is a problem in that simulation accuracy is reduced since the trajectory of the ball cannot be accurately calculated using the basic physical characteristics only.
On the other hand, when the sensing device is capable of calculating various physical characteristics of the moving ball, simulation accuracy is increased. However, in this case, the time required to perform sensing processes is increased such that a simulation image of the trajectory of the ball is implemented after the required time elapses after the user hits the ball. This significantly reduces the realism of virtual golf, thereby greatly reducing the user's interest in the virtual golf.
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a virtual golf simulation apparatus and method, wherein a sensing device senses hitting a ball by a user with a golf club and a ball trajectory is simulated in a virtual golf course according to sensing results, allowing the user to enjoy a virtual golf on a virtual golf course to provide the same sense of realism that a golfer would feel when playing golf on a real golf course, and wherein, while it takes a lot of time to perform the sensing processes as the sensing device accurately senses physical characteristics of a moving ball, it is possible to achieve rapid implementation of a simulation image of a ball trajectory according to sensing results to reduce the difference between the time at which a ball is struck by the user and the time at which a ball trajectory starts to be implemented in the simulation image to a level that cannot be perceived by humans, thereby greatly improving the realism of virtual golf.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a virtual golf simulation apparatus including a camera unit that acquires a plurality of images from hitting a ball by a user's swing, a sensing processing unit that analyzes first ball information for calculating physical characteristics of the moving ball hit by the user from the acquired image, and analyzes second ball information having at least one physical characteristic different from the first ball information independently of each other, and an image implementation means that starts implementing a simulation image of a trajectory of the ball based on the first ball information, and continues to implement the simulation image by applying the second ball information to the trajectory of the ball.
Preferably, the image implementation means receives the first ball information that has been primarily transmitted and starts implementing a simulation image of a trajectory of the ball based on the received first ball information, and receives the second ball information that has been secondarily transmitted and continues to implement the simulation image by applying the received second ball information to the trajectory of the ball.
Preferably, the first ball information includes at least one of a speed, a direction, and a vertical angle of the moving ball and the second ball information includes at least one of a speed, a direction, a vertical angle, and a spin of the moving ball.
Preferably, the second ball information includes spin information, and wherein the sensing processing unit estimates a spin of the ball to analyze the second ball information by extracting and analyzing an image of a golf club, with which the ball has been hit, from the acquired image.
Preferably, the sensing processing unit includes a first ball processing module that extracts a ball image from the acquired image and analyzes the first ball information, and a second ball processing module that extracts a club image from the acquired image and analyzes the second ball information.
Preferably, the sensing processing unit includes a first ball processing module that extracts a ball image from the acquired image and analyzes the first ball information; and a second ball processing module that estimates a spin of the ball to analyze the second ball information by extracting a ball image from the acquired image and analyzing changes of a predetermined mark or dimples on the ball image.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a virtual golf simulation apparatus including a camera unit that acquires a plurality of images from hitting a ball by a user's swing, a sensing processing unit that performs image processing for calculating physical characteristics of the moving ball hit by the user from the acquired images, and processes and calculates each physical characteristic of the moving ball independently of each other in a distributed manner, and an image implementation means that starts implementing a simulation image of a trajectory of the ball based on at least one physical characteristic that has been first calculated and continues to implement the simulation image by applying a subsequently calculated at least one physical characteristic of the ball to the trajectory of the ball.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a virtual golf simulation method including acquiring a plurality of images from hitting a ball by a user's swing, analyzing first ball information for calculating physical characteristics of the moving ball hit by the user from the acquired image, and analyzing second ball information having at least one physical characteristic different from the first ball information independently of each other, primarily transmitting the first ball information to an image implementation means to start implementing a simulation image of a trajectory of the ball, and secondarily transmitting the second ball information to the image implementation means and allowing the image implementation means to continue to implement the simulation image by applying the second ball information to the trajectory of the ball.
Preferably, analyzing the first ball information includes extracting and analyzing a ball image from the acquired image to extract at least one of a speed, a direction, and a vertical angle of the moving ball.
Preferably, analyzing the second ball information includes extracting and analyzing a club image from the acquired image to extract a spin of the moving ball.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a virtual golf simulation method including sensing hitting a ball by a user's swing, and processing and calculating each physical characteristic of the moving ball hit by the user independently of each other in a distributed manner, receiving a first calculated physical characteristic value among the physical characteristics of the moving ball and starting implementation of a simulation image of a trajectory of the ball based on the first calculated physical characteristic value, and additionally receiving a subsequently calculated physical characteristic value among the physical characteristics of the moving ball and continuing to implement a simulation image by applying the subsequently calculated physical characteristic value to the simulation image which has started to be implemented.
In the virtual golf simulation apparatus and method according to present invention, the sensing device efficiently performs sensing processes in a distributed manner although it takes a lot of time to perform the sensing processes as the sensing device accurately senses physical characteristics of a moving ball, thereby achieving rapid implementation of a simulation image of a ball trajectory according to sensing results. This reduces the difference between the time at which a ball is struck by the user and the time at which a ball trajectory starts to be implemented in the simulation image to a level that cannot be perceived by humans, thereby greatly improving the realism of virtual golf.
The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Embodiments of a virtual golf simulation apparatus and method according to the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.
First, a virtual golf simulation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to
As shown in
As shown in
The swing plate 100 and the golf mat 120 may be provided on the bottom surface of the golf box 2 and may also be provided on the swing plate 100 as shown in
The swing plate 100 may be provided so as to be inclined to the front, rear, left, and right at a certain angle and may be connected to the simulator 1 to form an inclination with respect to the topography of the currently implemented virtual golf course.
The sensing device S is provided in the golf box 2 to sense hitting the ball B by the user. In the example of
Specifically, the virtual golf simulation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an image sensing type sensing device S which includes a camera unit 50 and a sensing processing unit 60 as shown in
The camera unit 50 may include one camera or may include two or more cameras. To acquire an image of a moving ball B to extract 3-dimensional coordinates of the ball, the camera unit 50 preferably includes two or more cameras 51 and 52 to constitute a stereo camera as shown in
Although the sensing device of the virtual golf simulation apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in
As shown in
Here, the physical characteristics of the moving ball may include a launch speed of the ball, the moving direction (horizontal launch angle) of the ball, the vertical launch angle of the ball, a spin applied to the ball, and the like.
The sensing processing unit 60 may include a first ball processing module 61 which extracts and analyzes a ball image from a source image acquired through the camera unit 50 to analyze first ball information for calculating physical characteristics of the moving ball and a second ball processing module 62 which processes and analyzes the source image or the image used in the first ball processing module 61 to analyze second ball information.
A moving ball basically has various physical characteristics. Therefore, when the various physical characteristics are collectively processed, it takes a lot of time to perform simulation. To rapidly perform simulation, the sensing device of the virtual golf simulation apparatus according to the present invention processes the various physical characteristics of the moving ball through the first ball processing module and the second ball processing module in a distributed manner.
Accordingly, it is preferable that the first ball processing module 61 and the second ball processing module 62 of the sensing processing unit 60 process and analyze different physical characteristics of the ball independently of each other.
That is, it is preferable that each of the first ball information analyzed by the first ball processing module 61 and the second ball information analyzed by the second ball processing module 62 include at least one different physical characteristic and the first ball information and the second ball information be processed and analyzed independently of each other.
Here, the first ball information may include physical characteristics such as, for example, the speed, the direction, and the vertical angle of the ball and the second ball information may include a physical characteristic such as, for example, the spin of the ball.
The simulator 1 included in the virtual golf simulation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention preferably includes a control unit M, a database 10, an image processing unit 20, and an image output unit 30.
The database 10 stores all data required for virtual golf simulation. For example, the database 10 stores data required to drive the system, data associated with implementation of an image of a virtual golf course, and data associated with implementation of a simulation image of the trajectory of the ball.
The image processing unit 20 performs image processing for implementing an image of a virtual golf course, a simulation image of the trajectory of a ball in the virtual golf course, or the like.
The image output unit 30 outputs image information received from the image processing unit 20 to the screen to allow the user to view the corresponding image.
The control unit M receives information associated with sensing results from the sensing device S and controls operation of all components such as the database 10, the image processing unit 20, and the image output unit 30. That is, the control unit M and the components such as the database 10 and the image processing unit 20 function as an image implementation means for implementing a simulation image of the trajectory of the ball according to the sensing results from the sensing device S.
While processing the physical characteristics of the moving ball in a distributed manner, the sensing device S of the virtual golf simulation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention transmits a physical characteristic that has been first calculated among the physical characteristics to the image implementation means, i.e., the simulator 1, to start implementation of a simulation image of the trajectory of the ball and transmits next calculated information to the simulator 1 to apply the next calculated information to the simulation image which has already started to be implemented. Thus, it is possible to quickly implement a simulation image of an accurate ball trajectory although it takes a lot of time to accurately calculate the physical characteristics of the moving ball.
Here, it is preferable that the sensing device first calculate and transmit basic physical characteristics among various physical characteristics of the moving ball to the simulator and apply a physical characteristic, whose information processing takes a long time, after the simulation image starts to be implemented.
For example, it is preferable that the sensing device first calculate and transmit the speed, direction and vertical angle of the ball, which can be rapidly calculated among the physical characteristics of the ball, to the simulator and then transmit the spin of the ball whose information processing takes a longer time to the simulator immediately after the spin of the ball has been calculated, such that the transmitted ball spin is applied while implementation of the simulation image is in progress.
Although
The control unit M and the sensing processing unit 60 in the simulator 1 may be provided independently of each other and the control unit M and the sensing processing unit 60 may also be integrated into a single control means.
The following Table 1 shows details of the first ball information and the second ball information.
The first ball information and the second ball information described in Table 1 are described below in more detail with reference to various embodiments shown in
First, a virtual golf simulation method according to an embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to
As shown in
When the user hits a ball, the sensing device senses the hitting and triggers a sensing procedure (S10). That is, when the user hits a ball, the sensing device starts a sensing procedure including acquiring an image and processing the acquired image.
Here, as shown in
The image acquisition process S11, which is performed by the camera unit, may be performed through Thread 1 while the image processing and information analysis processes S12 and S13, which are performed by the first ball processing module and the second ball processing module of the sensing processing unit, may be performed through Thread 2.
Specifically, when the sensing device triggers a sensing procedure, the camera unit acquires an image and transmits the acquired image in real time to the first ball processing module of the sensing processing unit (S11).
The first ball processing module extracts and processes a ball image from the image received from the camera unit to analyze and extract first ball information such as the speed, direction, vertical angle, and the like of the ball among the physical characteristics of the moving ball (S12).
When the first ball processing module has extracted the first ball information, the sensing device immediately transmits the extracted first ball information to the simulator (primary transmission). While the sensing device is performing a sensing process, the simulator is in a standby mode after completing the preparation for simulation image implementation (S20) and, upon receiving the first ball information that has been primarily transmitted, the simulator calculates a ball trajectory according to the received first ball information and starts implementing a simulation image based on the calculated ball trajectory (S21).
When the first ball processing module in the sensing device primarily transmits the first ball information to the simulator since the first ball processing module completes the first ball information analysis, the second ball processing module starts analyzing second ball information such as the spin of the ball (S13).
When the second ball processing module has completed extracting the second ball information, the sensing device secondarily transmits the second ball information to the simulator. The simulator calculates the trajectory of the ball according to the second ball information and corrects a ball trajectory image in the simulation image, which has already started to be implemented, according to the calculated ball trajectory (S22) to perform accurate simulation (S23).
Here, the process of extracting the speed, direction, and vertical angle of the ball by the first ball processing module may be performed every some milliseconds and the process of completing processing by the second ball processing module after completion of processing by the first ball processing module may also be performed every some milliseconds. Therefore, an accurate simulation image can be implemented, which has been secondarily transmitted, based on the second ball information in less than 1 second after a simulation image is implemented based on the first ball information that has been primarily transmitted. Therefore, it is possible to rapidly implement an accurate simulation image.
For example, it may take about 100 ms for the first ball processing module to extract a ball image from an acquired source image, process the extracted ball image, and calculate the speed, direction, and vertical angle of the ball and it may take about 200 ms for the second ball processing module to delete the ball image from the source image, extract a club image, and analyze a trajectory of the club head to estimate the spin of the ball.
The method, in which ball information analysis by the first ball processing module and ball information analysis by the second ball processing module are performed in the same thread as described above in this embodiment, can be applied to the case in which the second ball processing module performs image processing according to the result of processing by the first ball processing module.
In the above example, the acquired source image may include a ball image, a club image, and a noise image which cannot be identified as a ball or club image. Here, the first ball processing module can accurately locate and analyze a ball image. Since it is possible to identify a ball image in the source image according to the result of processing by the first ball processing module, the second ball processing module can extract and analyze only a club image from the source image by deleting the ball image identified by the first ball processing module.
When the sensing device primarily transmits the first ball information and secondarily transmits the second ball information, the second ball information preferably includes the first ball information. That is, when the first ball information includes the speed, direction, and vertical angle of the ball and the second ball information includes the spin of the ball, the second ball information preferably includes all of the speed, direction, vertical angle, and spin of the ball.
When the second ball processing module has failed to extract the spin of the ball (for example, when the second ball processing module cannot estimate the spin since the speed of the ball is too low as when putting), the second ball information which is secondarily transmitted may include only the speed, direction, and vertical angle of the ball.
As described above, the sensing device of the virtual golf simulation apparatus according to the present invention first analyzes first ball information such as the speed, direction, and vertical angle among the physical characteristics of the moving ball and applies the analyzed result to a simulation image and analyzes second ball information such as the spin of the ball within a very short time thereafter and applies the analyzed result to the simulation image. Therefore, it is possible to quickly and accurately implement a simulation image.
In an embodiment illustrated in
That is, ball information analysis by the first ball processing module and ball information analysis by the second ball processing module are simultaneously performed through different threads.
In this case, a result of ball information analysis, which is first obtained from among a result of ball information analysis by the first ball processing module and a result of ball information analysis by the second ball processing module, is primarily transmitted to the simulator and a next analysis result is secondarily transmitted to the simulator. In the case in which the first ball processing module analyzes first ball information such as the speed, direction, and vertical angle of the ball and the second ball processing module analyzes second ball information such as the spin of the ball, typically, the first ball information analyzed by the ball processing module is primarily transmitted to the simulator and the second ball information analyzed by the ball processing module is secondarily transmitted to the simulator since it takes a longer time to analyze the spin of the ball.
In this embodiment, the second ball processing module may analyze ball information by extracting and analyzing a club image from a source image and estimating a spin of the ball. However, this embodiment may be more suitable for the case in which the second ball processing module extracts a spin of the ball by analyzing a ball image rather than by analyzing a movement trajectory of the club.
For example, the second ball processing module may extract a spin of the ball by analyzing changes of dimples of the ball in the source image and may also extract a spin of the ball by analyzing changes of a predetermined marking on the ball in a ball image in the source image. Here, the term “dimples” refers to crater-shaped depressions in the surface of a golf ball. Dimples allow the golf ball to more travel a greater distance than balls with a smooth surface.
Accordingly, in the case in which both the first ball processing module and the second ball processing module extract and analyze a ball image from a source image, it is possible to obtain a much faster analysis result by simultaneously performing ball information analysis by the first ball processing module and ball information analysis by the second ball processing module through different threads.
Also, in this embodiment, when the sensing device primarily transmits the first ball information and secondarily transmits the second ball information, the second ball information preferably includes the first ball information. That is, when the first ball information includes the speed, direction, and vertical angle of the ball and the second ball information includes the spin of the ball, the second ball information preferably includes all of the speed, direction, vertical angle, and spin of the ball.
Although not explicitly illustrated in
That is, in the case in which weather information received from a weather information server has been stored in the database or weather information arbitrarily set in the system has been stored in the database, it is preferable that the simulator apply the weather information stored in the database to the ball information received from the sensing device to obtain a more accurate and reliable simulation result.
In the embodiment shown in
That is, when a sensing procedure is triggered (S10), the camera unit acquires an image associated with a process of impact of the ball by the golf club (S11). Here, a process for extracting a ball image from the initially acquired image may be performed through a different thread (S11a) and a process for extracting a club image from the initially acquired image may be performed (S11b).
The first ball information including ball image information generated from a ball image extracted from the initially acquired image is primarily transmitted to the simulator and the second ball information including club image information is secondarily transmitted to the simulator.
Here, in the simulator, the first ball information and the second ball information transmitted from the camera unit may be processed through the sensing processing unit and processing results may be sequentially delivered to the control unit such that simulation starts and progresses as two processes. The simulator may also include a single control means that can perform functions of both the sensing processing unit and the control unit and perform ball information analysis and ball trajectory simulation through different threads. That is, the control means may perform processes, which are performed by the sensing processing unit in the example of
The first ball information primarily transmitted to the sensing processing unit is analyzed by the first ball processing module (S21a) and the analyzed result is delivered to the control unit. The control unit then calculates a ball trajectory based on the analyzed result and starts implementing a simulation image (S21b).
Then, when the second ball information is secondarily transmitted to the sensing processing unit, the second ball information is analyzed by the second ball processing module (S22a) and the analyzed result is delivered to the control unit. The control unit then calculates a ball trajectory based on the analyzed result and continues to implement a simulation image, which has already started to be implemented, while correcting the simulation image according to the calculated ball trajectory (S21b).
In this manner, the simulator may start implementing a simulation image based on the first ball information and continue to implement the simulation image based on the second ball information, thereby completing implementation of a ball trajectory simulation image (S23).
Various methods, in which a simulation image of a ball trajectory is implemented when ball information items are separately transmitted from the sensing device after being processed in a distributed manner by the sensing device, are described below with reference to
a) illustrates an example in which a ball trajectory is calculated according to first ball information that is primarily transmitted from the sensing device,
Specifically, a simulation image portion (see
In an example shown in
Specifically, a simulation image of a ball trajectory starts to be implemented according to the first ball information that has been primarily transmitted to the simulator (see
As described above, according to the present invention, the sensing device processes and calculates different physical characteristics independently of each other and sequentially transmits calculated results, starting from an initially calculated result, to the simulator and the simulator starts implementing a simulation image immediately upon receiving ball information and continues to implement the simulation image by applying sequentially received information to the simulation image. This method can quickly achieve a correct simulation result and reduces the difference between the time at which a ball is struck by the user and the time at which a ball trajectory starts to be implemented in the simulation image to a level that cannot be perceived by humans (for example, a level of milliseconds which is hardly perceived by humans), thereby greatly improving the realism of virtual golf.
Various embodiments have been described in the best mode for carrying out the invention.
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.
In the virtual golf simulation apparatus and method according to present invention, the sensing device efficiently performs sensing processes in a distributed manner although it takes a lot of time to perform the sensing processes as the sensing device accurately senses physical characteristics of a moving ball, thereby achieving rapid implementation of a simulation image of a ball trajectory according to sensing results. This reduces the difference between the time at which a ball is struck by the user and the time at which a ball trajectory starts to be implemented in the simulation image to a level that cannot be perceived by humans, thereby greatly improving the realism of virtual golf. Therefore, the present invention can be widely used in industries associated with the virtual golf simulation apparatus and method.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2011-0012297 | Feb 2011 | KR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/KR2012/000954 | 2/9/2012 | WO | 00 | 8/7/2013 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2012/108699 | 8/16/2012 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5221082 | Curshod | Jun 1993 | A |
| 5342054 | Chang et al. | Aug 1994 | A |
| 20070196800 | Douthit et al. | Aug 2007 | A1 |
| 20070238539 | Dawe et al. | Oct 2007 | A1 |
| 20080039222 | Kiraly | Feb 2008 | A1 |
| 20090042627 | Nicora | Feb 2009 | A1 |
| 20100151957 | Hohla et al. | Jun 2010 | A1 |
| 20110292203 | Kim et al. | Dec 2011 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 10-2008-0106904 | Dec 2008 | KR |
| 10-0871595 | Dec 2008 | KR |
| 10-0937922 | Jan 2010 | KR |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20130316839 A1 | Nov 2013 | US |
