U.S. patent application number 15/658396 was filed with the patent office on 2018-12-06 for ball marker for golf information processing and golf information processing method using the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to GOLFZON CO., LTD.. The applicant listed for this patent is GOLFZON CO., LTD., ULIKE. CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Jong Sang YOUN.
Application Number | 20180345101 15/658396 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 64459134 |
Filed Date | 2018-12-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180345101 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
YOUN; Jong Sang |
December 6, 2018 |
BALL MARKER FOR GOLF INFORMATION PROCESSING AND GOLF INFORMATION
PROCESSING METHOD USING THE SAME
Abstract
Disclosed herein are a ball marker for golf information
processing and a golf information processing method using the same,
wherein, when a user who plays a round of golf manages, processes,
and receives golf information pertaining to a round of golf using a
mobile terminal, such as a smartphone, a tablet PC, or a smart
watch, it is possible for the user to easily and conveniently
manage and process the golf information through the mobile terminal
without directly controlling the mobile terminal or inputting
necessary information into the mobile terminal, i.e. without a
hassle, thereby improving user convenience.
Inventors: |
YOUN; Jong Sang;
(Seongnam-si, KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
GOLFZON CO., LTD.
ULIKE. CO., LTD. |
Daejeon
Seongnam-si |
|
KR
KR |
|
|
Assignee: |
GOLFZON CO., LTD.
Daejeon
KR
ULIKE. CO., LTD.
Seongnam-si
KR
|
Family ID: |
64459134 |
Appl. No.: |
15/658396 |
Filed: |
July 25, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 57/35 20151001;
A63B 2102/32 20151001; A63B 2220/12 20130101; A63B 2071/063
20130101; A63B 24/0062 20130101; A63B 2220/803 20130101; A63B 69/36
20130101; A63B 2220/40 20130101; A63B 2220/20 20130101; A63B 57/353
20151001; A63B 2071/0691 20130101; A63B 2225/50 20130101; A63B 1/00
20130101; A63B 2209/08 20130101; A63B 2071/0694 20130101; A63B
71/0622 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A63B 57/30 20060101
A63B057/30; A63B 71/06 20060101 A63B071/06; A63B 57/35 20060101
A63B057/35; A63B 24/00 20060101 A63B024/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 1, 2017 |
KR |
10-2017-0068176 |
Claims
1. A ball marker for indicating a position of a ball in a round of
golf played by a user, the ball marker comprising: a marker body; a
switch provided on the marker body at one side of the marker body
so as to be manipulated by the user ; a communication unit
configured to wirelessly communicate with a mobile terminal that
receives a satellite signal through a global positioning system
(GPS) module to calculate information about a current position of
the user, stores information about a topography of a golf course on
which the user plays the round of golf, displays a position of the
user on the golf course, and provides information about the round
of golf played by the user; and a controller configured to transmit
a control signal to the mobile terminal through the communication
unit in response to a manipulation of the switch such that golf
information based on the round of golf played by the user is
managed and processed by the mobile terminal.
2. The ball marker according to claim 1, wherein the controller is
configured to set a plurality of manipulation modes of the switch
in advance, to set a control signal to be transmitted to the mobile
terminal for each of the manipulation modes of the switch in
advance, to determine in which of the manipulation modes the user
has manipulated the switch, and to transmit a control signal preset
for the determined manipulation mode to the mobile terminal.
3. The ball marker according to claim 1, wherein the controller is
configured to transmit a control signal for commanding the mobile
terminal to process golf information in response to the
manipulation of the switch and to provide the processed golf
information to the mobile terminal through the communication
unit.
4. The ball marker according to claim 1, wherein the controller is
configured to transmit a control signal for commanding the mobile
terminal to process golf information in response to the
manipulation of the switch and to provide the processed golf
information to the mobile terminal through the communication unit,
to receive information processed by the mobile terminal through the
communication unit, and to provide the received information to the
user in response to the manipulation of the switch.
5. The ball marker according to claim 4, further comprising at
least one selected from between a voice output unit configured to
output the received information in a form of a voice in response to
the manipulation of the switch and a display unit configured to
display the received information.
6. A golf information processing method using a ball marker for
indicating a position of a ball in a round of golf played by a user
and a mobile terminal for golf information processing, the golf
information processing method comprising: setting a communication
unit of the ball marker so as to wirelessly communicate with the
mobile terminal configured to receive a satellite signal through a
GPS module to calculate information about a current position of the
user, to store information about a topography of a golf course on
which the user plays the round of golf, to display a position of
the user on the golf course, and to provide information about the
round of golf played by the user; transmitting a control signal to
the mobile terminal through the communication unit in response to a
manipulation of a switch of the ball marker such that golf
information based on the round of golf played by the user is
managed and processed by the mobile terminal; and the mobile
terminal managing and processing golf information preset for the
received control signal in response to the received control
signal.
7. The golf information processing method according to claim 6,
further comprising: the ball marker transmitting a control signal
to the mobile terminal in response to the manipulation of the
switch of the ball marker in a state in which the information about
the topography of the golf course on which the user plays the round
of golf is loaded; and the mobile terminal calculating information
about the current position of the user using the GPS module in
response to the control signal received from the ball marker,
mapping the calculated information about the current position of
the user to the loaded golf course, and automatically recognizing a
hole on which the user is playing the round of golf as a reference
hole to be displayed on a screen of the mobile terminal.
8. The golf information processing method according to claim 7,
wherein the step of automatically recognizing the reference hole
comprises: determining whether the current position is a position
of a tee box or a position within an outline based on the
information about the position of the user calculated by the mobile
terminal using the GPS module in response to the control signal
received from the ball marker; and upon determining that the
current position is the position of the tee box or the position
within the outline, setting a hole, the tee box of which has been
recognized, as the reference hole or setting the reference hole
based on the outline.
9. The golf information processing method according to claim 6,
wherein the step of transmitting the control signal to the mobile
terminal comprises: sensing a manipulation of the switch of the
ball marker in a predetermined mode; and the ball marker
transmitting a control signal for commanding the mobile terminal to
calculate a remaining distance from the current position of the
user and to provide information about the calculated remaining
distance to the mobile terminal in response to the sensed
manipulation of the switch of the ball marker, and wherein the step
of the mobile terminal managing and processing the golf information
comprises: the mobile terminal calculating the information about
the position of the user using the GPS module in response to the
control signal received from the ball marker; the mobile terminal
calculating the remaining distance using the calculated position
information and information about a position of a hole cup on a
hole based on the position information; and the mobile terminal
performing at least one selected from among outputting the
calculated remaining distance in a form of a voice, displaying the
calculated remaining distance on a screen, and transmitting the
calculated remaining distance to the ball marker in order to
provide information about the remaining distance through the ball
marker.
10. The golf information processing method according to claim 6,
wherein the step of transmitting the control signal to the mobile
terminal comprises: sensing a manipulation of the switch of the
ball marker in a predetermined mode; and the ball marker
transmitting a control signal for commanding the mobile terminal to
record the current position of the user to the mobile terminal in
response to the sensed manipulation of the switch of the ball
marker, and wherein the step of the mobile terminal managing and
processing the golf information comprises: the mobile terminal
calculating the information about the current position of the user
using the GPS module in response to the control signal received
from the ball marker; and the mobile terminal calculating the
current position of the user based on the calculated information as
a shot position, which is a position that a ball has reached as a
result of a previous shot, or transmitting the position based on
the calculated information to a server.
11. The golf information processing method according to claim 10,
wherein the step of the mobile terminal managing and processing the
golf information comprises calculating at least one selected from
among information about a movement path based on a shot position
recorded for each hole, information about a flight distance for
each shot, and recording information for each shot using
information stored in the mobile terminal or using information
received from the server and providing the calculated information
to the user.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a ball marker for golf
information processing and a golf information processing method
using the same, and more particularly, to a ball marker for golf
information processing and a golf information processing method
using the same, wherein the ball marker, which is usually used when
a user plays a round of golf in a golf course, is connected to a
mobile terminal via a network such that processes for managing,
processing, and providing golf information based on the round of
golf can be effectively performed.
Description of the Related Art
[0002] In general, golf is a sport in which a round of golf
comprising 18 or more holes is played. The smaller the number of
shots, the better the score.
[0003] People who enjoy golf use various different methods in order
to reduce the number of shots when they play a round of golf in a
golf course. In particular, a method of obtaining information about
the topographical characteristics of a golf course and information
about appropriate play tips for each hole in a golf course using a
mobile terminal, such as a smartphone, a tablet PC, or a smart
watch, to establish a strategy for playing a round of golf has been
widely used.
[0004] The conventional mobile terminal that provides golf
information, such as the smartphone or the tablet PC, stores
information about the topography of a golf course, checks
information about the current position of a user using position
information based on a global positioning system (GPS), and
provides information about the remaining distance from the current
position to a hole cup. Alternatively, the mobile terminal stores
typical information about play tips in a golf course, and provides
the stored information to a user.
[0005] Examples of the conventional mobile terminal are disclosed
in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2005-0029086, Korean
Patent Application Publication No. 2006-0102071, and Korean Patent
Application Publication No. 2008-0092164.
[0006] In the conventional mobile terminal, however, when a user
wishes to check the remaining distance from the current position or
to record the position that a ball has reached as the result of a
shot, i.e. when the user wishes to check or record golf information
while playing a round of golf, it is necessary for the user to take
out the mobile terminal and to search for necessary information or
to directly input necessary information into the mobile terminal,
which is very troublesome. As a result, the user may not
concentrate on playing the round of golf. Therefore, the usability
of the mobile terminal is very low, even though it is possible to
obtain very useful information from the mobile terminal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] 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 ball marker for golf information processing and a golf
information processing method using the same, wherein, when a user
who plays a round of golf manages, processes, and receives golf
information pertaining to a round of golf using a mobile terminal,
such as a smartphone, a tablet PC, or a smart watch, it is possible
for the user to easily and conveniently manage and process the golf
information through the mobile terminal without directly
controlling the mobile terminal or inputting necessary information
into the mobile terminal, i.e. without a hassle, thereby improving
user convenience.
[0008] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the
above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a
ball marker for indicating the position of a ball in a round of
golf played by a user, the ball marker including a marker body, a
switch provided on the marker body at one side of the marker body
so as to be manipulated by the user, a communication unit
configured to wirelessly communicate with a mobile terminal that
receives a satellite signal through a global positioning system
(GPS) module to calculate information about the current position of
the user, stores information about the topography of a golf course
on which the user plays the round of golf, displays the position of
the user on the golf course, and provides information about the
round of golf played by the user, and a controller configured to
transmit a control signal to the mobile terminal through the
communication unit in response to the manipulation of the switch
such that golf information based on the round of golf played by the
user is managed and processed by the mobile terminal.
[0009] The controller may be configured to set a plurality of
manipulation modes of the switch in advance, to set a control
signal to be transmitted to the mobile terminal for each of the
manipulation modes of the switch in advance, to determine in which
of the manipulation modes the user has manipulated the switch, and
to transmit a control signal preset for the determined manipulation
mode to the mobile terminal.
[0010] The controller may be configured to transmit a control
signal for commanding the mobile terminal to process golf
information in response to the manipulation of the switch and to
provide the processed information to the mobile terminal through
the communication unit.
[0011] The controller may be configured to transmit a control
signal for commanding the mobile terminal to process golf
information in response to the manipulation of the switch and to
provide the processed information to the mobile terminal through
the communication unit, to receive information processed by the
mobile terminal through the communication unit, and to provide the
received information to the user in response to the manipulation of
the switch.
[0012] The ball marker may further include at least one selected
from between a voice output unit configured to output the received
information in the form of a voice in response to the manipulation
of the switch and a display unit configured to display the received
information.
[0013] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a golf information processing method using a ball
marker for indicating the position of a ball in a round of golf
played by a user and a mobile terminal for golf information
processing, the golf information processing method including
setting a communication unit of the ball marker so as to wirelessly
communicate with the mobile terminal configured to receive a
satellite signal through a GPS module to calculate information
about the current position of the user, to store information about
the topography of a golf course on which the user plays the round
of golf, to display the position of the user on the golf course,
and to provide information about the round of golf played by the
user, transmitting a control signal to the mobile terminal through
the communication unit in response to the manipulation of a switch
of the ball marker such that golf information based on the round of
golf played by the user is managed and processed by the mobile
terminal, and the mobile terminal managing and processing golf
information preset for the received control signal in response to
the received control signal.
[0014] The golf information processing method may further include
the ball marker transmitting a control signal to the mobile
terminal in response to the manipulation of the switch of the ball
marker in the state in which the information about the topography
of the golf course on which the user plays the round of golf is
loaded, and the mobile terminal calculating information about the
current position of the user using the GPS module in response to
the control signal received from the ball marker, mapping the
calculated information about the current position of the user to
the loaded golf course, and automatically recognizing the hole on
which the user is playing the round of golf as a reference hole to
be displayed on a screen of the mobile terminal.
[0015] The step of automatically recognizing the reference hole may
include determining whether the current position is the position of
a tee box or a position within an outline based on the information
about the position of the user calculated by the mobile terminal
using the GPS module in response to the control signal received
from the ball marker, and upon determining that the current
position is the position of the tee box or the position within the
outline, setting a hole, the tee box of which has been recognized,
as the reference hole or setting the reference hole based on the
outline.
[0016] The step of transmitting the control signal to the mobile
terminal may include sensing the manipulation of the switch of the
ball marker in a predetermined mode, and the ball marker
transmitting a control signal for commanding the mobile terminal to
calculate the remaining distance from the current position of the
user and to provide information about the calculated remaining
distance to the mobile terminal in response to the sensed
manipulation of the switch of the ball marker, and the step of the
mobile terminal managing and processing the golf information may
include the mobile terminal calculating the information about the
position of the user using the GPS module in response to the
control signal received from the ball marker, the mobile terminal
calculating the remaining distance using the calculated position
information and information about the position of a hole cup on a
hole based on the position information, and the mobile terminal
performing at least one selected from among outputting the
calculated remaining distance in the form of a voice, displaying
the calculated remaining distance on the screen, and transmitting
the calculated remaining distance to the ball marker in order to
provide information about the remaining distance through the ball
marker.
[0017] The step of transmitting the control signal to the mobile
terminal may include sensing the manipulation of the switch of the
ball marker in a predetermined mode, and the ball marker
transmitting a control signal for commanding the mobile terminal to
record the current position of the user to the mobile terminal in
response to the sensed manipulation of the switch of the ball
marker, and the step of the mobile terminal managing and processing
the golf information may include the mobile terminal calculating
the information about the current position of the user using the
GPS module in response to the control signal received from the ball
marker, and the mobile terminal calculating the current position of
the user based on the calculated information as a shot position,
which is the position that a ball has reached as the result of the
previous shot, or transmitting the position based on the calculated
information to a server.
[0018] The step of the mobile terminal managing and processing the
golf information may include calculating at least one selected from
among information about a movement path based on a shot position
recorded for each hole, information about a flight distance for
each shot, and recording information for each shot using
information stored in the mobile terminal or using information
received from the server and providing the calculated information
to the user.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] 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:
[0020] FIG. 1 is a view showing a ball marker configured to
communicate with a mobile terminal in a wireless fashion such that
golf information is managed and processed in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the construction of a ball
marker according to an embodiment of the present invention and a
mobile terminal using the same;
[0022] FIG. 3 is views (a), (b) showing examples in which the
mobile terminal collects, manages, processes, and provides golf
information using the ball marker according to the embodiment of
the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a golf information processing
method using a ball marker and a mobile terminal according to an
embodiment of the present invention; and
[0024] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process in which the mobile
terminal recognizes and sets a reference hole in response to a
control signal received from the ball marker in the golf
information processing method using the ball marker and the mobile
terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] A ball marker for golf information processing according to
the present invention and a golf information processing method
using the same will be described in detail with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
[0026] First, golf information management and processing through a
ball marker according to an embodiment of the present invention and
a mobile terminal using the same will be generally described with
reference to FIG. 1.
[0027] In general, when playing a round of golf in a golf course, a
user frequently uses a ball maker to indicate the position of
his/her own ball on a fairway or a green. When the ball marker is
not placed at the position of the ball, the user plays the round of
golf generally in the state in which the ball marker is
magnetically attached to a marker holder fixed to a golf cap of the
user.
[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, the ball marker for golf information
management and processing according to the embodiment of the
present invention is configured to be used in the same manner as an
ordinary ball marker.
[0029] That is, as shown in FIG. 1, a marker holder 200 may be
fixed to a golf cap CA of the user, and a ball marker 100 according
to an embodiment of the present invention may be magnetically
attached to the marker holder 200 such that the ball marker 100 can
be used.
[0030] Of course, the marker holder 200 is not necessarily fixed to
the golf cap CA. The marker holder 200 may be fixed to any portion
of the body of the user as long as the user can easily and
conveniently use the ball marker 100.
[0031] The ball marker 100 according to the embodiment of the
present invention is configured to communicate with a mobile
terminal 300 in a wireless manner. Through the wireless
communication, the mobile terminal 300 may collect, manage, and
process various kinds of golf information, and may provide the
processed golf information to the user in the form of a voice,
etc.
[0032] That is, when the user performs a simple manipulation
through the ball marker 100 while playing a round of golf in the
state in which the ball marker 100 is attached to the marker holder
200 fixed to the golf cap CA (since the ball marker is usually
provided at any position at which the user can easily and
conveniently use the ball marker, the ball marker can be easily and
conveniently manipulated without inconvenience at any time), a
control signal may be transmitted to the mobile terminal 300 such
that the mobile terminal 300 collects, manages, and processes
various kinds of golf information. As a result, it is not necessary
for the user to take out and manipulate the mobile terminal 300 or
input information into the mobile terminal 300 in order to collect,
manage, and process individual pieces of golf information. That is,
it is not necessary for the user to perform troublesome
manipulations.
[0033] The kind of the mobile terminal 300 is not particularly
restricted as long as the mobile terminal 300 is portable. For
example, the mobile terminal 300 may include a smartphone, a tablet
PC, a smart watch, and a special-purpose terminal for providing
golf information.
[0034] That is, the kind of the mobile terminal 300 is not
particularly restricted as long as the mobile terminal 300 can be
connected with the ball marker 100 according to the embodiment of
the present invention in a wireless network through near field
communication such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
[0035] As shown in FIG. 1, the ball marker 100 according to the
embodiment of the present invention may be configured to have a
simple structure in which a switch 120 is provided on a marker body
110 of the ball marker 100 and a light emitting diode (LED)
indication unit 122 indicates whether the ball marker 100 is in an
operating state.
[0036] In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the ball marker 100
according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a
display unit 140, through which the user can visually check
information.
[0037] The construction of the ball marker 100 and the mobile
terminal 300 will be described in more detail with reference to
FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the construction of the
ball marker 100 according to the embodiment of the present
invention and the mobile terminal 300 configured to wirelessly
communicate with the ball marker 100.
[0038] As shown in FIG. 2, the ball marker 100 may include a switch
120, an LED indication unit 122, a communication unit 130, and a
controller M. In another embodiment, the ball marker 100 may
include at least one selected from between a display unit 140 and a
voice output unit 150.
[0039] A printed circuit board (PCB) for processing signals from
the respective elements of the ball marker 100 may be provided in
the marker body of the ball marker 100. A chip mounted on the PCB
may serve as the controller M. The switch 120 may be mounted to the
PCB in the form of a predetermined switch that is capable of
transmitting a signal to the controller M, e.g. a tack switch
configured to be easily and conveniently pushed by a user.
[0040] In the case in which the display unit 140 is configured as a
touch display unit, the switch 120 may be integrated into the
display unit 140. That is, in this case, the display unit 140 may
be short touched or long touched, instead of the switch 220 being
short pushed or long pushed.
[0041] The communication unit 130 may be realized by a chip or
module that is capable of performing wireless communication using,
for example, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Under the control of the
controller M, the communication unit 130 may transmit an
information delivery signal to the mobile terminal 300 based on the
manipulation of the switch 120, or may transmit a control signal
for commanding the mobile terminal 300 to process information based
on the switch manipulation to the mobile terminal 300.
[0042] Meanwhile, the mobile terminal 300 may include a terminal
controller 310, a wireless communication module 320, a storage unit
330, a terminal display unit 340, a sensor 350, a global
positioning system (GPS) module 360, and a speaker 370.
[0043] Among the elements of the mobile terminal 300, the terminal
controller 310, the wireless communication module 320, which is
configured to wirelessly communicate with the communication unit
130 of the ball marker 100, and the GPS module 360, which is
configured to manage and process golf information based on
position, are the essential elements of the mobile terminal
300.
[0044] The storage unit 330 is an element for storing various kinds
of golf information, such as information about the topography of a
golf course on which a user plays a round of golf. The storage unit
330 may directly store such various kinds of information, or may
temporarily store various kinds of information, such as information
about the topography of a golf course, received from a server
S.
[0045] The GPS module 360 is an element that receives a satellite
signal for calculating information about the current position of
the mobile terminal 300 (in other words, the information about the
current position of the user).
[0046] When the GPS module 360 calculates information about the
current position of the user, the terminal controller 310 may
perform control such that the position of the user on the golf
course is displayed and such that various kinds of information,
such as the distance from the current position to a target
position, are calculated.
[0047] The speaker 370 may output the information processed by the
mobile terminal 300 in the form of a voice.
[0048] The sensor 350 may include, for example, an acceleration
sensor and an azimuth sensor. Based on information sensed by the
azimuth sensor, information about whether the user remains stopped
at the same position, whether the user is moving, or the direction
that the user is facing, may be calculated, and the calculated
information may be displayed together with golf information.
[0049] The mobile terminal 300 may collect, manage, and process
various kinds of golf information based on a control signal
received from the ball marker 100, and may store the information in
the storage unit 330. Alternatively, the mobile terminal 300 may
transmit the information to the server S, which stores the
information received from the mobile terminal 300.
[0050] Various kinds of information stored in the server S, which
have been collected and managed from rounds of golf played by a
certain user, may be checked by the user after accessing the server
S. For example, the user may play a round of golf, the server S may
calculate and store information about the score of the user at the
round of golf, and the user may access the server S to download the
stored information from the server S.
[0051] Hereinafter, various examples in which the mobile terminal
manages and processes golf information based on the manipulation of
the ball marker according to the embodiment of the present
invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.
3.
[0052] FIG. 3(a) shows the case in which the mobile terminal 300
stores information about a tee shot position or shot positions
(which means the positions that the ball has reached as the result
of previous shots) or transmits the information to the server
through the ball marker 100 according to the embodiment of the
present invention such that golf information is managed and
processed.
[0053] FIG. 3(b) shows the case in which the mobile terminal 300
calculates the remaining distance from the current position to a
target position and provides the calculated distance in the form of
a voice or an image through the ball marker 100 according to the
embodiment of the present invention.
[0054] The controller of the ball marker 100 according to the
embodiment of the present invention may be configured to set a
plurality of manipulation modes of the switch 120 in advance.
[0055] That is, the controller of the ball marker 100 may set a
control signal to be transmitted to the mobile terminal 300 for
each of the manipulation modes of the switch 120 in advance. In
this case, the controller of the ball marker 100 may determine in
which of the manipulation modes the user has manipulated the switch
120, and may transmit a control signal preset for the determined
manipulation mode to the mobile terminal 300.
[0056] For example, when the switch 120 of the ball marker 100 is
long pushed (i.e. when the switch is pushed for a predetermined
time by `long pushing`), as shown in FIG. 3(a), the controller of
the ball marker 100 may transmit a control signal for commanding
the mobile terminal 300 to record the tee shot position or the shot
positions to the mobile terminal 300 through the communication
unit.
[0057] At this time, as shown in FIG. 3(a), in the state in which
information about the topography of a golf course on which a user
is playing a round of golf is loaded in advance and in which a hole
to be displayed through the terminal display unit 340 as a hole on
the golf course on which the user is playing the round of golf
(hereinafter, referred to as a "reference hole") is recognized and
displayed, the mobile terminal 300 may calculate the current
position using the GPS module in response to the control signal
received from the ball marker 100 and may add the calculated
position to a map 342 for the loaded reference hole to record and
display the tee shot position Tb or the shot positions p1, p2, and
Pc.
[0058] In the example shown in FIG. 3(a), the mobile terminal 300
shows that the current shot position (i.e. the position that the
ball has reached as the result of the golf shot at the previous
position, that is, the position at which the user is currently
positioned) is at the position Pc via the position of a tee box Tb,
the position that the ball has reached as the result of the tee
shot p1, and the position that the ball has reached as the result
of the second shot p2.
[0059] In addition, when the switch 120 of the ball marker 100 is
short pushed (i.e. when the switch is pushed and released within
the predetermined time by `short pushing`), as shown in FIG. 3(b),
the controller of the ball marker 100 may transmit a control signal
for commanding the mobile terminal 300 to calculate the remaining
distance from the current position and to provide the calculated
remaining distance from the current position to the mobile terminal
300 through the communication unit.
[0060] At this time, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the mobile terminal 300
may display the map 342 for the reference hole on which the user is
playing the round of golf through the terminal display unit 340,
may calculate the current position Pc using the GPS module in
response to the control signal received from the ball marker 100,
may check the position of a hole cup hc, which is a target
position, on the map 341 for the loaded reference hole, may
calculate the distance from the current position Pc to the position
of the hole cup hc as the remaining distance, and may output the
calculated distance from the current position Pc to the position of
the hole cup hc through the speaker of the mobile terminal 300 in
the form of a voice.
[0061] In the example shown in FIG. 3(b), the mobile terminal 300
shows that the calculated distance from the current position Pc to
the position of the hole cup hc is 80 m and that the message "the
remaining distance to the hole cup is 80 m" is output in the form
of a voice.
[0062] In the above examples, the controller of the ball marker 100
unidirectionally transmits a control signal for commanding the
mobile terminal 300 to process golf information in response to the
manipulation of the switch 120 and to provide the processed
information to the mobile terminal 300 through the communication
unit of the ball marker 100 such that processing is performed by
the mobile terminal 300.
[0063] Meanwhile, in another embodiment, the ball marker 100 may
include a display unit 140 or a voice output unit (not shown). Upon
recognizing that the switch 120 has been short pushed, the
controller of the ball marker 100 may transmit a control signal for
commanding the mobile terminal 300 to calculate the remaining
distance from the current position and to provide the calculated
remaining distance from the current position to the mobile terminal
300 through the communication unit. As a result, the mobile
terminal 300 may perform the above process, and may transmit
information about the remaining distance, which is 80 m, to the
ball marker 100. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the ball
marker 100 may visually display the message "the remaining distance
is 80 m" through the display unit 140. Although not shown, the
remaining distance may be output through the voice output unit in
the form of a voice.
[0064] That is, in the above examples, the controller of the ball
marker 100 transmits a control signal for commanding the mobile
terminal 300 to process golf information in response to the
manipulation of the switch 120 and to provide the processed
information to the mobile terminal 300 through the communication
unit of the ball marker 100, and in addition, the ball marker 100
receives the information processed by the mobile terminal 300
through the communication unit and provides the processed
information to the user through the display unit or in the form of
a voice in response to the manipulation of the switch.
[0065] In the examples shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the mode of
manipulating the switch 120 of the ball marker 100 is set to `long
pushing` and `short pushing` in advance. However, the present
invention is not limited thereto. For example, various manipulation
modes, such as `one-time short pushing`, `two-time short pushing`,
and `two-time long pushing`, may be set. In addition, a control
signal for commanding the mobile terminal to collect, manage, and
process information through a specific process may be designed and
set in advance for each manipulation mode.
[0066] Hereinafter, a golf information processing method using the
ball marker according to the embodiment of the present invention
will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
4.
[0067] In order for the mobile terminal to process golf information
using the ball marker, the mobile terminal may first execute a
program or application for managing and providing golf information
(S100).
[0068] After the program or application is executed, the user may
select information about a golf course on which the user will play
a round of golf, and may load the selected information in the
mobile terminal before playing the round of golf (S110).
[0069] Subsequently, when the ball maker is powered on in order to
control the mobile terminal using the ball marker, the ball marker
may transmit a signal for wireless communication connection with
the mobile terminal to the mobile terminal (S200), and the user may
activate the wireless communication module of the mobile terminal
such that the mobile terminal searches for the ball marker from
connectable devices, and may select the found ball marker.
[0070] As a result, the mobile terminal may recognize the ball
marker and may set wireless communication connection (S120).
[0071] For example, the mobile terminal may search for a device
that is capable of performing Bluetooth communication and may then
select the ball marker, with the result that the ball marker and
the mobile terminal may be set such that the ball marker and the
mobile terminal may wirelessly communicate with each other through
Bluetooth communication.
[0072] Meanwhile, when the user manipulates the switch of the ball
marker in one of the preset manipulation modes (e.g. when the user
long pushes the switch of the ball marker) in the state in which
the ball marker and the mobile terminal are connected to each other
so as to communicate with each other in a wireless fashion, as
described above, a control signal in response thereto may be
transmitted to the mobile terminal (S210), and the mobile terminal
may receive the control signal, may calculate position information
using the GPS module, a hole on which the user will play the round
of golf (i.e. a hole to be displayed on the terminal display unit),
which is a reference hole, in the loaded golf course based thereon,
and may start to play the round of golf on the reference hole
(S130). That is, a tee shot may be taken on the reference hole.
[0073] While the round of golf is being played on the reference
hole (S150), the processes described with reference to FIGS. 3(a)
and 3(b) may be performed. The process described with reference to
FIG. 3(a) may be performed at steps S220 and S160 in the flowchart
of FIG. 4, and the process described with reference to FIG. 3(b)
may be performed at steps S230, S170, and S180 in the flowchart of
FIG. 4.
[0074] When the user manipulates (e.g. long pushes) the switch of
the ball marker while the round of golf is being played on the
reference hole, the ball marker may transmit a control signal to
the mobile terminal (S220), and the mobile terminal may calculate
position information using the GPS module in response to the
control signal and may record the shot position on the reference
hole (S160).
[0075] When the user manipulates (e.g. short pushes) the switch of
the ball marker, the ball marker may transmit a control signal to
the mobile terminal (S230), and the mobile terminal may calculate
position information using the GPS module in response to the
control signal and may calculate the remaining distance to the
position of a hole cup, which is a target position, on the map of
the reference hole (S170). Subsequently, the mobile terminal may
output the calculated remaining distance through the display unit
or in the form of a voice such that the user can be informed of the
calculated remaining distance (S180), or may transmit the
calculated remaining distance to the ball marker such that the user
can be informed of the calculated remaining distance through the
voice output unit or the display unit of the ball marker.
[0076] When the round of golf on the reference hole is finished
(i.e. hole-out) (S190), the user may manipulate the switch of the
ball marker on the next hole. As a result, the mobile terminal may
calculate position information using the GPS module, may recognize
the current hole as the reference hole, and may display the current
hole through the display unit. The user may start to play the round
of golf on the new reference hole, and the process may be performed
again at steps S220 and S230 for the ball marker and at steps S169,
S170, and S180 for the mobile terminal.
[0077] Hereinafter, the process for automatically recognizing the
reference hole at steps S210 and S130 of FIG. 4 will be described
in more detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 5.
[0078] When the user takes a tee shot on a first hole of the golf
course or when the user takes a tee shot after hole-out on a
certain hole, the user may manipulate the switch of the ball
marker, the ball marker may transmit a control signal to the mobile
terminal in response to the manipulation of the switch of the ball
marker, and the mobile terminal may receive the control signal
(S210).
[0079] Upon receiving the control signal, the mobile terminal may
calculate position information using the GPS module (S131), and may
determine whether the calculated position is the position of a tee
box (S132) or a position within an outline (S133).
[0080] That is, when the position calculated using the GPS module
is at the position of the tee box (i.e. a position within a
predetermined vicinity of Tb in the display unit 340 of the mobile
terminal shown in FIG. 3(a), the mobile terminal may know the hole
to which the tee box belongs, and may set the hole, the tee box of
which has been recognized, as the reference hole (S135).
[0081] If the current user position is not the position of the tee
box, the mobile terminal may determine whether the current user
position is within the outline (i.e. a position near L in the
display unit 340 of the mobile terminal shown in FIG. 3(a), and may
set the reference hole based on the outline within which the
current position has been determined) (S136).
[0082] If the current position calculated using the GPS module is
neither the position of the tee box nor a position within the
outline, the mobile terminal may ask the user to move to the tee
box in the form of a voice or an image (S134).
[0083] When the current position calculated using the GPS module is
the position of the tee box or a position within the outline and
the mobile terminal sets the reference hole based thereon, the
mobile terminal may display the set reference hole through the
display unit to inform the user of distance information of the
reference hole (S137).
[0084] When the user moves to the next hole after playing the
reference hole, the user may manipulate the switch of the ball
marker to transmit a control signal to the mobile terminal, the
mobile terminal may receive the control signal (S212), and the next
process may be performed.
[0085] That is, the round of golf may be continuously performed on
the existing reference hole before the mobile terminal receives the
control signal based on the manipulation of the switch from the
ball marker (S140). Upon receiving the control signal, the mobile
terminal may calculate position information using the GPS module,
and may determine whether the calculated position is the position
of the tee box (S310).
[0086] Upon determining that the calculated position is not the
position of the tee box, which means that the user has not
completed the existing reference hole, the round of golf may be
continuously played on the existing reference hole. Upon
determining that the calculated position is the position of the tee
box, on the other hand, the mobile terminal may set the hole, the
tee box of which has been recognized, as a new reference hole
(S320).
[0087] Subsequently, the mobile terminal may display the newly set
reference hole through the display unit to inform the user of
distance information of the reference hole (S330).
[0088] Steps S212, S140, S310, and S330 may be repeated, and the
mobile terminal may receive a control signal in response to the
manipulation of the switch of the ball marker and may successively
set the reference hole. In this way, the round of golf may be
played. When the round of golf is finished, records, typically for
18 holes, may be taken as records for the round of golf, or the
user may transmit a control signal to the mobile terminal through
additional manipulation of the switch (S340).
[0089] When information about the current position is calculated
using the GPS module and the reference hole is newly set after
every hole-out, as described above, the mobile terminal may drive
the GPS module at short time intervals to automatically calculate
the current position information in order to determine whether the
user is currently positioned at a new reference hole. In this case,
however, power consumption may be increased, since the GPS module
is continuously driven at short time intervals. In addition, the
reference hole may be incorrectly set due to errors generated in
the process, with the result that it may be difficult to accurately
collect and manage golf information.
[0090] In the present invention, however, when information about
the current position is calculated using the GPS module and the
reference hole is newly set after every hole-out, the mobile
terminal calculates the position information and sets the reference
hole at the time of manipulating the switch of the ball marker
without continuously operating the GPS module. As a result, power
consumption may be greatly reduced, and the reference hole may be
accurately set. In addition, a signal may be easily transmitted to
the mobile terminal using the ball marker, which may be easily and
conveniently handled by the user while the user is playing a round
of golf.
[0091] As described above, in the ball marker for golf information
processing according to the present invention and the golf
information processing method using the same, it is possible for a
user who plays a round of golf to manage and process golf
information through the mobile terminal by simply and clearly
manipulating the ball marker, which is generally used while the
user is playing the golf round, without directly controlling the
mobile terminal or inputting necessary information into the mobile
terminal, whereby it is possible to improve user convenience. In
addition, it is possible for the mobile terminal to accurately
recognize the reference hole by manipulating the switch of the ball
marker, whereby it is possible to accurately manage golf
information with low power consumption.
[0092] As is apparent from the above description, in the ball
marker for golf information processing according to the present
invention and the golf information processing method using the
same, when a user who plays a round of golf manages, processes, and
receives golf information pertaining to a round of golf using a
mobile terminal, such as a smartphone, a tablet PC, or a smart
watch, it is possible for the user to easily and conveniently
manage and process the golf information through the mobile terminal
by simply and clearly manipulating the ball marker, which is
generally used while the user is playing the golf round, without
directly controlling the mobile terminal or inputting necessary
information into the mobile terminal, thereby improving user
convenience.
[0093] 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.
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