U.S. patent application number 15/742884 was filed with the patent office on 2018-12-27 for golf ball.
The applicant listed for this patent is World Golf Systems Limited. Invention is credited to David Victor Jolliffe, Steven Paul Jolliffe.
Application Number | 20180369647 15/742884 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54013718 |
Filed Date | 2018-12-27 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20180369647 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Jolliffe; David Victor ; et
al. |
December 27, 2018 |
GOLF BALL
Abstract
A golf ball (10) including circuitry including a communications
aerial (40) for communication with external components of the ball
game apparatus, an internal holder member (20) in the form of a
ring with components of the circuitry being located within the ring
and at least one coil element (30) located externally of the
ring.
Inventors: |
Jolliffe; David Victor;
(Northwood, GB) ; Jolliffe; Steven Paul;
(Northwood, GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
World Golf Systems Limited |
Northwood |
|
GB |
|
|
Family ID: |
54013718 |
Appl. No.: |
15/742884 |
Filed: |
July 8, 2016 |
PCT Filed: |
July 8, 2016 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2016/052068 |
371 Date: |
January 8, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2225/54 20130101;
A63B 37/0003 20130101; A63B 2220/10 20130101; A63B 2225/50
20130101; A63B 43/00 20130101; A63B 2220/801 20130101; A63B 2220/34
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A63B 37/00 20060101
A63B037/00; A63B 43/00 20060101 A63B043/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 9, 2015 |
GB |
1512038.9 |
Claims
1. A ball for use in a ball game apparatus including: circuitry
including a communications aerial for communication with external
components of the ball game apparatus, an internal holder member in
the form of a ring with components of the circuitry being located
within the ring and at least one coil element located externally of
the ring.
2. The ball according to claim 1, wherein the coil element is the
communications aerial itself, the coil element being wound at least
partially around the ring.
3. The ball according to claim 1, wherein the coil element is a
charging coil for charging a battery included within the
circuitry.
4. The ball according to claim 1, wherein the holder member is of a
generally circular shape.
5. The ball according to claim 1, wherein the ball includes one or
more sensor elements included in or coupled with the circuitry.
6. The ball according to claim 1, further comprising one or more
counterweights.
7. The ball according to claim 1, further comprising a
magnetically-operated switch for switching the circuitry on and
off.
8. The ball according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry includes a
memory for storing a code identifying the respective ball.
9. The ball according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry includes a
memory for storing data related to actions to which the ball has
been subjected.
10. The ball according to claim 9, wherein the memory is configured
to have its data erased if an attempt is made to remove the ball
from the vicinity of the ball game apparatus.
11. A method of operating a golf facility, including a ball for use
in a ball game apparatus including: circuitry including a
communications aerial for communication with external components of
the ball game apparatus, an internal holder member in the form of a
ring with components of the circuitry being located within the ring
and at least one coil element located externally of the ring.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the ball includes a
memory for storing data related to actions to which the ball has
been subjected.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the data are erased
if an attempt is made to remove the ball from the vicinity of the
ball game apparatus.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a ball for a game and in
particular to a coded ball for use in a game, such as a golf game
as disclosed in WO 2013/156778.
[0002] The ball disclosed in the above patent application is
indicated somewhat schematically. Aspects of the present invention
seek to provide a coded ball, the appearance and behaviour of which
resembles a conventional ball as closely as possible. Further
aspects of the present invention seek to provide a ball with an
aerial which communicates with other components of the ball game
apparatus in an efficient and reliable manner. Other aspects of the
present invention seek to provide a charging coil within the ball
which can be used to charge a battery within the ball in an
efficient and reliable manner. In addition, aspects of the present
invention seek to provide a ball, the components within which are
securely located in position and capable of withstanding hard
impacts and possible mistreatment during use.
[0003] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a ball for use in a ball game apparatus comprising
circuitry including a communications aerial for communication with
external components of the ball game apparatus, the ball comprising
an internal holder member in the form of a ring with components of
the circuitry being located within the ring and with at least one
coil element located externally of the ring.
[0004] The coil element may be the communications aerial itself,
which is wound at least partially around the ring.
[0005] Alternatively the coil element may be a charging coil for
charging a battery included within the circuitry.
[0006] The ball may also contain one or more sensor elements
included in or coupled with the circuitry.
[0007] The ball may also include one or more counterweights for
enabling the ball to be evenly balanced.
[0008] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a method of operating a golf facility, including a ball
for use in a ball game apparatus including: circuitry including a
communications aerial for communication with external components of
the ball game apparatus, an internal holder member in the form of a
ring with components of the circuitry being located within the ring
and at least one coil element located externally of the ring.
[0009] The ball may incorporate a memory for storing data, the data
being erasable if the ball is removed from the facility.
[0010] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now he
described, by way of example only with reference to the
accompanying drawings of which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a ball in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the ball of FIG. 1 as
seen in a direction at right-angles to the view of FIG. 1;
[0013] FIGS. 3 and 4 are front and rear perspective views
respectively of a holder member which, in use, is located
substantially at the centre of the ball of FIGS. 1 and 2;
[0014] FIGS. 5 and 6 are side views of the holder member of FIGS. 3
and 4 seen at right-angles to each other; and
[0015] FIG. 7 is a rear view of the holder member.
[0016] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a housing in the form of a coded golf
ball 10 for use in a golf ball game apparatus. The ball is moulded
in two interfitting parts 12, 14 which define a central cavity 16
between them. Located within the cavity is a generally circular
cylindrical holder 20 for various components within the ball 10.
The holder is of vacuum-formed plastic material and surrounds a
rechargeable battery 22 for operating the circuitry within the
ball. The battery is a nickel-metal-hydride battery. The housing
has a diameter of 42.8 mm, corresponding to that of a conventional
golf ball and has a dimpled exterior. The circuitry is mounted on a
pcb 24.
[0017] The battery 22 is charged by an induction technique from the
exterior of the ball, and a charging coil 30 is wound around the
holder 20. A Bluetooth (Registered Trade Mark) or other aerial 40
is also wound around the holder 20 and facilitates communication
between the circuitry within the ball and other components of the
ball game apparatus in which the ball is being used.
[0018] The holder 20 is mounted substantially at the centre of the
golf ball. The ball also contains one or more sensors of the types
disclosed in WO 2013/156778. A counterweight 44 is provided so that
the ball is evenly balanced and rolls like a conventional golf
ball. The ball also has a magnetically-operated switch 46 for
switching its circuitry on and off.
[0019] The circuitry includes a memory device which stores a code
identifying the respective ball. Further memory space temporarily
stores data related to a history of the strokes or other actions to
which the ball has been subjected, at least since the last time
such data was downloaded to a central database held in an external
device of the ball game apparatus. This data relating to the latest
movements of the ball includes data about its respective speed and
direction during such movements.
[0020] Other data concerning the ball, such as the identity of the
particular player to whom the ball has been allocated, is stored in
the external database.
[0021] Some or all of the memory may be configured to have its data
erased, for example if an attempt is made to remove the ball from
the vicinity of the ball game apparatus in an unauthorised
manner.
[0022] Between games played with the ball, the ball is placed at a
charging location in a battery-charging rack which is capable of
charging the battery 22 at low or high rates. The circuitry within
the ball includes means for detecting the charge state of its
battery and for causing the rack to charge the battery at a high or
low rate as appropriate.
[0023] Part of the memory space in the database stores a count of
the number of full charging cycles to which the battery of each
ball has been subjected. When a threshold is reached, the battery
is determined to have reached the end of its useful life. To avoid
premature rejection of batteries, a charging procedure is not
counted if the charge of the battery is already above a
predetermined threshold when it is placed on the rack.
[0024] An advantage of the above-described arrangement is that, by
being securely attached to the holder 20, components of the ball
are protected from damage by the impacts to which a golf ball is
subjected in use. By placing the coil 30 around the holder 20, an
external inductive field can couple efficiently therewith in all
relative orientations of the ball, that is the other components
without the ball do not mask such coupling. Similar remarks apply
to external communications with the aerial 40, ie it is
omni-directional.
[0025] The circular shape of the holder 20 and the configuration of
the counterweight 44 and the other components ensure that the ball
is evenly balanced.
[0026] Various modifications can be made to the above described
ball.
[0027] For example, additional data relating to the ball, such as
the identity of a player to whom the ball has been allocated, may
be stored in the ball itself instead of, or in additional to, in
the central database of the apparatus.
[0028] The holder 20 may be of a generally square or other desired
shape. More than one counterweight 44 may be provided. One or more
counterweights may be located separate from the holder 20 rather
than being integrated therewith.
[0029] The magnetic switch 46 may be omitted. In this case the
circuits may be switched on and off by an alternative method. This
may be done by detecting when the ball is placed in a charging
and/or activating device, e.g. by a voltage increase being detected
via charging coil 30.
[0030] Features of the ball may be combined with or modified by any
of the features disclosed in WO 2013/156778 and/or in co-pending
patent application number GB 1512037.1 entitled Ball Game
Apparatus, the contents of all of which is hereby incorporated by
reference.
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