U.S. patent application number 09/863186 was filed with the patent office on 2002-11-28 for radio frequency identification system for identifying and locating golf balls in driving ranges and golf courses.
Invention is credited to Lee, Kenneth Yukou, Stencel, Joseph R., Yong, Yook-Kong.
Application Number | 20020177490 09/863186 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25340484 |
Filed Date | 2002-11-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020177490 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yong, Yook-Kong ; et
al. |
November 28, 2002 |
Radio frequency identification system for identifying and locating
golf balls in driving ranges and golf courses
Abstract
A new radio frequency identification (RFID) system identifying
and locating golf balls in golf courses and driving ranges is
described. The inventive device includes (1) golf balls each
containing a passive RFID transponder with electronic bits of data
(serial number) to uniquely identify said ball, (2) a wireless
and/or wired grid of strategically located transceivers to transmit
and receive electromagnetic signals to and from the passive
transponder from said ball, (3) a computer server and/or database
management system that maintains communication with the grid of
transceivers and a database of the locations of golf balls and
along with the number of golf strokes, and (4) hand held personal
data assistant (PDA) for wireless communication with the computer
server and/or database management system. The passive transponder,
which has a very small mass and volume, is embedded in a golf ball.
The passive transponder has negligible influence on the flight
dynamics of a golf ball and can withstand the extreme acceleration
and impact of the golf ball. The PDA sends an electromagnetic
signal which is picked up by the transceivers which in turn
transmit an electromagnetic signal to the golf balls. The passive
RFID transponder in said golf balls uses the energy of the
electromagnetic signal via electromagnetic coupling (backscatter)
to transmit its serial number to a local grid of transceivers. The
location of the ball within this local grid of the transceivers is
calculated by triangulation. Information on the identity and
location of the ball along with the location of the transceivers
are transmitted to a computer server and/or database management
system, and to the PDA. The inventive device can also be used to
find the distance of golf ball to the cup on the green and to the
PDA.
Inventors: |
Yong, Yook-Kong; (Princeton,
NJ) ; Lee, Kenneth Yukou; (Dayton, NJ) ;
Stencel, Joseph R.; (Skillman, NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Yook-Kong Yong
5 Golf View Drive
Princeton
NJ
08540
US
|
Family ID: |
25340484 |
Appl. No.: |
09/863186 |
Filed: |
May 24, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/353 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06K 19/07758 20130101;
A63B 2102/32 20151001; A63B 2220/62 20130101; A63B 2071/0691
20130101; A63B 2220/17 20130101; A63B 37/0003 20130101; A63B
2220/14 20130101; A63B 43/00 20130101; A63B 2220/12 20130101; A63B
37/0055 20130101; A63B 71/0669 20130101; A63B 2024/0053 20130101;
A63B 2220/20 20130101; A63B 43/004 20130101; A63B 24/0021 20130101;
A63B 2024/0056 20130101; A63B 2225/54 20130101; A63B 2220/13
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/353 |
International
Class: |
A63B 043/00 |
Claims
We claim:
1. a system for locating and identifying golf balls in a golf
course or driving range comprising a passive transponder that can
be embeded anywhere within a golf ball, a wireless and/or wired
grid of transceivers, and computer/data management system for data
processing;
2. a system for finding the distance of a certain golf ball from a
cup on the green and to the PDA by calculating the length of the
said golf to the various said objects using the grid map that
contains the location and identification of all transceivers on a
particular golf course or driving range;
3. a database management system for tracking all the golf balls,
the associated number of golf strokes and golfer statistics;
4. a database management system useful for golfers to find, locate
and identify golf balls, count golf strokes, keep golf scores and
find distance of golf balls to cups on the greens and to the PDAs
by keeping records of information on the location of the golf balls
and PDAs as a function of time;
5. a database management system useful for golfers to find, locate
and identify their golf balls amongst the multitude of golf balls
in a typical driving range by keeping records of information on the
serial number and location of the golf balls and the golfer who
played said balls;
6. a system for finding the distance of a particular golf ball from
a cup on the green and to the PDA. The cup will be found either by
using the data base management system where the hole is specified
on a computer layout and/or by having an passive RFID transponder
on the cup which relays its location back to the PDA; and
7. a database management system for tracking all the golf balls,
the associated number of golf strokes and golfer statistics. The
data base management system will expand the usefulness of the
passive RFID transponder system by allowing not only tracking the
location of a ball, but accumulating the number of times the ball
is moved hence automatically counting the strokes and entering this
data into a system which can determine handicaps, etc.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a wireless and/or wired
grid of transceivers in driving ranges and golf courses for
locating golf balls with a wireless passive radio frequency
identification system, and more particularly pertains to a new
system for identifying and tracking multiple golf balls in large
terrains.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Known prior art Golf Ball Locating Devices include U.S. Pat.
No. 5,447,314; U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,549; U.S. Pat. No. 5,298,904;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,781; U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,566; U.S. Design Pat.
No. 355,943 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,057.
[0005] While these devices fulfill their respective, particular
objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not
disclose a new system for identifying and tracking multiple golf
balls in large terrains using a wireless and/or wired grid of
transceivers and wireless passive radio frequency identification
system in golf balls. The inventive system includes uniquely
identifying and tracking multiple golf balls for groups of golfers
in wide terrains typically found in golf courses or driving ranges,
and helps maintain golf scores for the golfers.
[0006] In these respects, the inventive system materially and
conceptually departs from the conventional concepts and designs of
the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In view of the forgoing disadvantages and limitations
inherent in the known types of Golf Ball Locating Devices now
present in the prior art, the present invention provides the
capability for uniquely identifying and tracking multiple golf
balls for individual golfers in a golf course or driving range,
maintaining golf scores for each golfer, and finding the distance
of a golf ball to the cup on the green and to the personal data
assistant (PDA).
[0008] The general purpose of the present invention, which will be
described subsequently in greater detail, is to substantially
enrich the pleasure of golf by aiding the individual golfers in
tracking their golf balls and maintaining golf scores. The
management of golf courses would be improved by reducing time lost
by patrons in locating golf balls and maintaining golf scores.
Notice that the special merits of the present invention is the real
time computer database of the location/map of golf balls and the
location of golfers along with their golf scores. Individual
golfers carry a hand held PDA which maintains wireless
communication with the computer server and/or database management
system.
[0009] The list below provides the objectives of the present
invention:
[0010] 1. To provide a new golf ball with a wireless passive RFID
transponder which would locate the ball and simultaneously identify
it with a serial number.
[0011] 2. To provide a wireless and/or wired grid of transceivers
to (a) transmit and receive electromagnetic signals to and from the
golf ball, (b) to locate and read the serial number of the ball
from the electromagnetic signals, (c) to receive and transmit
electromagnetic signals from and to the hand held PDA of a golfer,
(d) to locate and identify the location and identity of the hand
held PDA, hence the identity of the golfer or the party of golfers,
and (e) to transmit and receive all the electronic information in
items 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d to a computer server and/or database
management system.
[0012] 3. To provide a computer server and/or database management
system which maintains (a) a database of the location and identity
of the golfers along with their golf scores and golf balls and (b)
a database of maps of the golf course, map of the transceiver grids
and contour maps of the greens.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The invention will be better understood and objects other
than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration
is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such
description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a passive radio frequency
identification (RFID) transponder which is embedded in a regular
golf ball.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of the electromagnetic
coupling (backscatter) of the transceiver and the passive RFID
transponder.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of the wireless and/or wired
grid of transceivers.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing of the personal data assistant
(PDA).
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
FIGS. 1 through 4 thereof, a new radio frequency identification
(RFID) system identifying and locating golf balls in driving ranges
and golf courses embodying the principles and concepts of the
present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral
1 will be described. More specifically, it will be noted that the
present invention 1 comprises a passive RFID transponder with a
serial number 3 embedded within a golf ball 2, a wireless and/or
wired grid of transceivers 5 for transmitting and receiving
electromagnetic signals to locate and read the serial number of the
passive RFID transponder 3 embedded in the golf ball 2, a computer
server and/or database management system to maintain a database for
tracking locations of the golf balls and the associated golf
strokes, and a database of maps of the golf course, and a hand held
personal data assistant (PDA) 6 to transmit and receive information
on the location of the golf balls, golf strokes, location of the
PDA 6, maps of the golf course and golf scores of the golfers.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the embedded passive RFID transponder 3
will transmit its serial number when interrogated by the
transceivers 5. The passive RFID transponder is small, low mass and
robust to withstand shocks that are common in a golf ball.
[0020] FIG. 2 shows operating principles of a transceiver 4 and the
passive RFID transponder 3. The transceiver 4 transmits an
electromagnetic signal with a power P.sub.1 to the transponder 3.
The transponder 3 electromagnetically couples by resonance to the
arriving signal and uses the energy of this arriving signal to do
work. The arriving signal has a reduced power P.sub.1* due to
attenuation and scattering. The transponder 3 transponds to the
arriving signal and its power by transmitting its serial number
with a further reduced power P.sub.2* back to the transceiver 4.
The transponder signal arrives at the transmitter with a power
P.sub.2**. Due to attenuation and scattering, the power P.sub.2**
is further reduced, and hence the communication between the
transceiver 4 and transponder 3 would have a range depending on
transmitting power. The signal from the transponder 3 will be
received by a minimum of two transceivers in the wireless and/or
wired grid 5, and the location of the transponder and golf ball 2
would be calculated by triangulation. Since the location of the cup
on the green is a known information from the computer server and/or
database management system, the distance of the golf ball to the
cup on the green can be calculated.
[0021] FIG. 3 shows the wireless and/or wired network grid of
transceivers 5 for conveying location and serial number of the golf
ball 2 to a computer server, and for conveying information on the
golf balls, golf strokes, golf scores, location and identity of the
PDA 6 from the computer server to the PDA 6. A computational device
(such as the said computer server, the data managment system, or
the PDA) calculates the distance from the golf ball to the PDA and
also to the cup on the green from the transceiver grid map. It
should be noted that the grid configuration shown in FIG. 3 is for
illustrative purposes only and other grid configurations can be
implemented in the system.
[0022] FIG. 4 shows the PDA 6 which is used to display selected
information on the golf hole, such as the location and identity of
the golfer, location and identity of the golf ball, number of
strokes associated with the golf ball, location and identity of the
hole and map of the hole. Furthermore, the PDA 6 could be used to
display contour maps of the greens, golf scores of the golfers, and
other golfer statistics.
[0023] With respect to the above description then, it is to be
realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts
of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape,
form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are
deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and
all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings
and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed
by the present invention.
[0024] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only
of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous
modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in
the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact
construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly,
all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to,
falling within the scope of the invention.
* * * * *