U.S. patent application number 16/383397 was filed with the patent office on 2020-10-15 for rfid golf ball testing apparatus and systems.
The applicant listed for this patent is Topgolf International. Inc.. Invention is credited to Robert Benton Ahlfinger, Brian David Burdette, Adrian Torrance Chaney, Hieu Nguyen-Minh Duong, Romeo Espana, Clinton Scott Lovejoy, Mark Joseph Semsak.
Application Number | 20200324171 16/383397 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005117832 |
Filed Date | 2020-10-15 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200324171 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Semsak; Mark Joseph ; et
al. |
October 15, 2020 |
RFID Golf Ball Testing Apparatus and Systems
Abstract
Systems and apparatus for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
golf ball testing include, in at least one aspect, an apparatus
including: one or more RFID readers having associated read zones; a
star wheel unit defining cavities to receive golf balls; golf ball
sensors including at least one sensor for each respective path
through the read zones; kickers including at least one kicker
positioned after each respective path through the read zones and
arranged to change a golf ball's direction of travel when the at
least one kicker is activated; and a controller coupled with the
kickers, the golf ball sensors, and the one or more RFID readers,
wherein the controller is configured to activate any of the kickers
responsive to the one or more RFID readers inadequately reading an
RFID tag in a golf ball detected by the at least one sensor for
that kicker's associated path through a read zone.
Inventors: |
Semsak; Mark Joseph; (Des
Plaines, IL) ; Espana; Romeo; (Carrollton, TX)
; Burdette; Brian David; (McKinney, TX) ; Lovejoy;
Clinton Scott; (Dallas, TX) ; Chaney; Adrian
Torrance; (Denver, CO) ; Duong; Hieu Nguyen-Minh;
(Garland, TX) ; Ahlfinger; Robert Benton;
(Addison, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Topgolf International. Inc. |
Dallas |
TX |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005117832 |
Appl. No.: |
16/383397 |
Filed: |
April 12, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2225/54 20130101;
A63B 47/04 20130101; A63B 47/008 20130101; A63B 37/007 20130101;
A63B 69/3694 20130101; G06K 7/10475 20130101; A63B 43/004
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A63B 47/00 20060101
A63B047/00; A63B 43/00 20060101 A63B043/00; A63B 37/00 20060101
A63B037/00; A63B 69/36 20060101 A63B069/36; G06K 7/10 20060101
G06K007/10 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for testing golf balls including Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID) tags, the apparatus comprising: one or more
RFID readers having associated read zones for the golf balls; a
star wheel unit defining cavities to receive the golf balls, the
star wheel unit being positioned to drop the golf balls into
respective paths through the read zones with alternating timing to
reduce cross-talk, interference or both; golf ball sensors
comprising at least one sensor for each respective path through the
read zones; kickers comprising at least one kicker positioned after
each respective path through the read zones and arranged to change
a golf ball's direction of travel when the at least one kicker is
activated; and a controller coupled with the kickers, the golf ball
sensors, and the one or more RFID readers, wherein the controller
is configured to activate any of the kickers responsive to the one
or more RFID readers inadequately reading an RFID tag in a golf
ball detected by the at least one sensor for that kicker's
associated path through a read zone.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more RFID readers
comprise a single reader multiplexed among all the read zones for
the golf balls.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more RFID readers
comprise a separate RFID reader for each of the read zones for the
golf balls.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more RFID readers
comprise two or more separate RFID readers for two or more separate
sets of golf ball testing lanes comprising the read zones for the
golf balls.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the star wheel unit, the golf
ball sensors, the read zones, and the kickers form a first set of
golf ball testing lanes, and the apparatus comprises a second set
of golf ball testing lanes comprising: a second star wheel unit
defining second cavities to receive the golf balls, the second star
wheel unit being positioned to drop the golf balls into respective
paths through second read zones associated with the one or more
RFID readers; second golf ball sensors comprising at least one
sensor for each respective path through the second read zones; and
second kickers comprising at least one kicker positioned after each
respective path through the second read zones and arranged to
change a golf ball's direction of travel when the at least one
kicker is activated; and wherein the controller is coupled with the
second kickers, the second golf ball sensors, and the one or more
RFID readers, and the controller is configured to activate any of
the second kickers responsive to the one or more RFID readers
inadequately reading an RFID tag in a golf ball detected by the at
least one sensor for that kicker's associated path through a read
zone.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the star wheel units
defines five cavities to receive the golf balls in respective ones
of at least three golf ball testing lanes.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the five cavities in each
adjacent golf ball testing lane of a given star wheel unit are
offset from each other such that the golf balls do not pass through
adjacent read zones at a same time.
8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each path through a read zone
is formed by a housing that defines a helical track arranged to
cause each of the golf balls to assume different orientations with
respect to an antenna of the one or more RFID readers as each of
the golf balls spirals down the helical track in response to
gravitational force.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the antenna for each path
through a read zone is a single near-fielded antenna with a
right-hand circular polarization, the antenna being arranged with
respect to the helical track to read a golf ball as it moves along
the helical track, and the antenna being coupled with a housing
made of an RF reflecting material with a ground side of the antenna
facing the RF reflecting material.
10. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the golf ball testing
lanes comprises an additional kicker, and the controller is
configured to activate any of the additional kickers responsive to
the one or more RFID readers successfully reading an RFID tag in a
golf ball detected by the at least one sensor for that additional
kicker's associated path through a read zone when a program
indicates the successfully read RFID tag is for a golf ball to be
pulled from service.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the program indicates the
golf ball to be pulled from service has been hit more than a
threshold number of times and should be refurbished or
refinished.
12. The apparatus of claim 5, comprising: feed tubes for the first
and second sets of golf ball testing lanes; a test lane adaptor
comprising a feed tray and a ball lane router; and a ball supply
device configured to drop the golf balls onto the feed tray;
wherein the feed tray is arranged to receive the golf balls and
deliver the golf balls to the ball lane router in response to
gravitational force acting on the golf balls; and wherein the ball
lane router is arranged to deliver the golf balls to respective
ones of the feed tubes in response to gravitational force acting on
the golf balls.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each of the feed tubes
comprises a flexible end portion.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising a golf ball sensor
positioned where the feed tray meets the ball lane router, wherein
the golf ball sensor triggers stops and starts of the ball supply
device to prevent jamming.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the ball supply device
comprises a ball conveyor comprising shelves arranged to hold
multiple golf balls in a line on each of the shelves, and the
apparatus comprises a wall portion for the ball conveyor, the wall
portion comprising a panel that stops the multiple golf balls on a
shelf as the multiple golf balls pass over a top of the ball
conveyor, and the wall portion defining an opening that allows only
a single line of golf balls on a single shelf to be dropped onto
the feed tray at a time.
16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the feed tray comprises a
ball lane sorter having side walls that define lanes arranged to
receive the golf balls, the side walls of the ball lane sorter
comprise two exterior walls that are taller than the golf balls,
and two or more interior walls that are shorter than the golf
balls.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the ball lane sorter
includes perforations that allow water and any remaining debris
from ball washing to pass through the perforations while also
allowing the golf balls to roll freely in response to gravitational
force acting on the golf balls.
18. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the kickers comprises
a solenoid connected to a spring-loaded door that changes
orientation to prevent a golf ball from passing through the kicker
when the kicker is activated.
19. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus is constructed
from modular pieces that allow variations in a number of golf ball
testing lanes.
20. A system comprising: a golf range comprising targets for golf
balls and one or more ball collection structures, wherein each of
the golf balls includes a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
tag, and each of the targets has at least one associated RFID
reader; and a golf ball testing apparatus arranged to receive the
golf balls, the golf ball testing apparatus comprising one or more
RFID readers having associated read zones for the golf balls, a
star wheel unit defining cavities to receive the golf balls, the
star wheel unit being positioned to drop the golf balls into
respective paths through the read zones with alternating timing to
reduce cross-talk, interference or both, golf ball sensors
comprising at least one sensor for each respective path through the
read zones, kickers comprising at least one kicker positioned after
each respective path through the read zones and arranged to change
a golf ball's direction of travel when the at least one kicker is
activated, and a controller coupled with the kickers, the golf ball
sensors, and the one or more RFID readers, wherein the controller
is configured to activate any of the kickers responsive to the one
or more RFID readers inadequately reading an RFID tag in a golf
ball detected by the at least one sensor for that kicker's
associated path through a read zone.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein the star wheel unit comprises
at least three star wheels corresponding to at least three golf
ball testing lanes, and the golf ball testing apparatus comprises:
feed tubes for the golf ball testing lanes; a test lane adaptor
comprising a feed tray and a ball lane router; and a ball supply
device configured to drop the golf balls onto the feed tray;
wherein the feed tray is arranged to receive the golf balls and
deliver the golf balls to the ball lane router in response to
gravitational force acting on the golf balls; and wherein the ball
lane router is arranged to deliver the golf balls to respective
ones of the feed tubes in response to gravitational force acting on
the golf balls.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] This specification relates to the use of golf balls having
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, and in particular, to
testing such RFID equipped golf balls and the operability of the
embedded RFID tag.
[0002] The game of golf has a long history, and in addition to
traditional golf played on golf courses, driving ranges have been
used by players to improve their game. Further, golf facilities
have been developed in which golf balls with RFID tags are hit into
targets that include RFID readers, allowing the creation of
interactive golf games, where the successful hitting of a target
with a golf ball is automatically identified in a computer system
and reported back to the golfer to create a more exciting golf
experience. This has encouraged new players to learn golf,
resulting in a substantial increase in the interest in golf
generally. Moreover, such golf facilities have experienced wide and
growing popularity, which results in many millions of golf balls
with RFID tags being hit each year.
[0003] As will be appreciated, the more each RFID equipped golf
ball is used, the greater the chances that its RIFD tag will stop
functioning properly. Thus, RFID equipped golf balls have been
tested previously using an apparatus that includes a feeder hopper
and a specifically timed agitator screw assembly to alternately
direct golf balls from the hopper onto two side-by-side sets of
inclined rails set at a 4.5 to 5 degree pitch. Under the force of
gravity, the golf balls roll down the two sets of rails (a golf
ball rolling on a first set of two rails, followed by a golf ball
rolling on a second set of two rails) such that the golf balls
alternately roll past an optical input gate sensor, through a
single RFID read zone with perpendicular antennas, and then past a
single kicker placed between the two sets of rails. The kicker
swings left or right to knock identified bad balls off one side or
the other of the two sets of rails into a collection bin, where the
timing and duration of the kick is determined by a program (running
in a processor of the RFID reader) initiated by the input sensor,
resulting in testing of approximately sixty-eight balls per
minute.
SUMMARY
[0004] This specification describes technologies relating to RFID
golf ball testing apparatus and systems. In general, one or more
aspects of the subject matter described in this specification can
be embodied in one or more apparatus that include: apparatus for
testing golf balls including Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
tags, the apparatus including: one or more RFID readers having
associated read zones for the golf balls; a star wheel unit
defining cavities to receive the golf balls, the star wheel unit
being positioned to drop the golf balls into respective paths
through the read zones with alternating timing to reduce
cross-talk, interference or both; golf ball sensors including at
least one sensor for each respective path through the read zones;
kickers including at least one kicker positioned after each
respective path through the read zones and arranged to change a
golf ball's direction of travel when the at least one kicker is
activated; and a controller coupled with the kickers, the golf ball
sensors, and the one or more RFID readers, wherein the controller
is configured to activate any of the kickers responsive to the one
or more RFID readers inadequately reading an RFID tag in a golf
ball detected by the at least one sensor for that kicker's
associated path through a read zone.
[0005] The one or more RFID readers can include a single reader
multiplexed among all the read zones for the golf balls, a separate
RFID reader for each of the read zones for the golf balls, or two
or more separate RFID readers for two or more separate sets of golf
ball testing lanes including the read zones for the golf balls. The
star wheel unit, the golf ball sensors, the read zones, and the
kickers can form a first set of golf ball testing lanes, and the
apparatus can include a second set of golf ball testing lanes
including: a second star wheel unit defining second cavities to
receive the golf balls, the second star wheel unit being positioned
to drop the golf balls into respective paths through second read
zones associated with the one or more RFID readers; second golf
ball sensors including at least one sensor for each respective path
through the second read zones; and second kickers including at
least one kicker positioned after each respective path through the
second read zones and arranged to change a golf ball's direction of
travel when the at least one kicker is activated; and wherein the
controller is coupled with the second kickers, the second golf ball
sensors, and the one or more RFID readers, and the controller is
configured to activate any of the second kickers responsive to the
one or more RFID readers inadequately reading an RFID tag in a golf
ball detected by the at least one sensor for that kicker's
associated path through a read zone.
[0006] Each star wheel unit can define five cavities to receive the
golf balls in respective ones of at least three golf ball testing
lanes. The five cavities in each adjacent golf ball testing lane of
a given star wheel unit can be offset from each other such that the
golf balls do not pass through adjacent read zones at a same time.
Each path through a read zone can be formed by a housing that
defines a helical track arranged to cause each of the golf balls to
assume different orientations with respect to an antenna of the one
or more RFID readers as each of the golf balls spirals down the
helical track in response to gravitational force. Moreover, the
antenna for each path through a read zone can be a single
near-fielded antenna with a right-hand circular polarization, the
antenna being arranged with respect to the helical track to read a
golf ball as it moves along the helical track, and the antenna
being coupled with a housing made of an RF reflecting material with
a ground side of the antenna facing the RF reflecting material.
[0007] Each of the golf ball testing lanes can include an
additional kicker, and the controller can be configured to activate
any of the additional kickers responsive to the one or more RFID
readers successfully reading an RFID tag in a golf ball detected by
the at least one sensor for that additional kicker's associated
path through a read zone when a program indicates the successfully
read RFID tag is for a golf ball to be pulled from service. The
program can indicate the golf ball to be pulled from service has
been hit more than a threshold number of times and should be
refurbished or refinished.
[0008] The apparatus can include: feed tubes for the first and
second sets of golf ball testing lanes; a test lane adaptor
including a feed tray and a ball lane router; and a ball supply
device configured to drop the golf balls onto the feed tray;
wherein the feed tray is arranged to receive the golf balls and
deliver the golf balls to the ball lane router in response to
gravitational force acting on the golf balls; and wherein the ball
lane router is arranged to deliver the golf balls to respective
ones of the feed tubes in response to gravitational force acting on
the golf balls. Each of the feed tubes can include a flexible end
portion. The apparatus can include a golf ball sensor positioned
where the feed tray meets the ball lane router, wherein the golf
ball sensor triggers stops and starts of the ball supply device to
prevent jamming. In addition, the ball supply device can include a
ball conveyor including shelves arranged to hold multiple golf
balls in a line on each of the shelves, and the apparatus can
include a wall portion for the ball conveyor, the wall portion
including a panel that stops the multiple golf balls on a shelf as
the multiple golf balls pass over a top of the ball conveyor, and
the wall portion defining an opening that allows only a single line
of golf balls on a single shelf to be dropped onto the feed tray at
a time.
[0009] The feed tray can include a ball lane sorter having side
walls that define lanes arranged to receive the golf balls, the
side walls of the ball lane sorter include two exterior walls that
are taller than the golf balls, and two or more interior walls that
are shorter than the golf balls. The ball lane sorter can include
perforations that allow water and any remaining debris from ball
washing to pass through the perforations while also allowing the
golf balls to roll freely in response to gravitational force acting
on the golf balls. Each of the kickers can include a solenoid
connected to a spring-loaded door that changes orientation to
prevent a golf ball from passing through the kicker when the kicker
is activated. Further, the apparatus can be constructed from
modular pieces that allow variations in a number of golf ball
testing lanes.
[0010] One or more aspects of the subject matter described in this
specification can also be embodied in one or more systems that
include: a golf range including targets for golf balls and one or
more ball collection structures, wherein each of the golf balls
includes a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, and each of
the targets has at least one associated RFID reader; and a golf
ball testing apparatus arranged to receive the golf balls, the golf
ball testing apparatus including any of the feature recited above
in paragraphs 4-9.
[0011] Various embodiments of the subject matter described in this
specification can be implemented to realize one or more of the
following advantages. RFID tags embedded in golf balls can be
scanned for testing more efficiently, accurately and quickly.
Constant forces, including those resulting from gravity and
rotation, can be utilized to feed golf balls into the testing
mechanism such that variability in the golf ball testing process,
which impacts speed and scan quality, is reduced. The gravity
driven system results in lower mechanical forces being required,
which can increase the longevity of the apparatus and minimize
maintenance requirements. The reduction in mechanical forces used
can also reduce the potential for operator injury during system
operations. The structures described can provide reduced
sensitivity of set up for a golf ball testing system, and modular
design facilitates swapping out of parts in case of failure or
upgraded and/or expanded design.
[0012] The details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter
described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying
drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and
advantages of the invention will become apparent from the
description, the drawings, and the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1A shows an example of a golf facility including
targets for RFID equipped golf balls.
[0014] FIG. 1B shows an example of receiving and returning
structures for RFID equipped golf balls, as can be used in a golf
facility.
[0015] FIG. 2A shows an example of a golf ball washing and testing
system.
[0016] FIG. 2B shows a perspective view of an example of a golf
ball elevator.
[0017] FIG. 2C shows a perspective view of an example of an RFID
testing system.
[0018] FIG. 2D shows an example of a test lane adaptor.
[0019] FIGS. 2E and 2F show another example of a test lane
adaptor.
[0020] FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing internal structures of
an example of an RFID testing apparatus with a test lane adaptor
therefor.
[0021] FIG. 3B is a top view of the test lane adaptor above the
RFID testing apparatus of FIG. 3A.
[0022] FIG. 3C is a side view of the RFID testing apparatus of FIG.
3A.
[0023] FIG. 3D is a front view of the RFID testing apparatus of
FIG. 3A.
[0024] FIG. 3E is a cutaway view of a portion of the RFID testing
apparatus of FIG. 3A.
[0025] FIG. 3F is a perspective view of a star wheel unit usable in
the RFID testing apparatus of FIG. 3A.
[0026] FIG. 3G is a perspective view of a kicker usable in the RFID
testing apparatus of FIG. 3A.
[0027] FIGS. 3H-3J show examples of antennas usable in the RFID
testing apparatus of FIG. 3A.
[0028] FIG. 4A shows another example of a star wheel unit and
associated testing paths.
[0029] FIG. 4B shows an example of feed tubes usable in an RFID
testing apparatus.
[0030] FIG. 4C is a cutaway view of a portion of the feed tubes of
FIG. 4B.
[0031] FIGS. 5A-5B are perspective views showing internal
structures of another example of an RFID testing apparatus with a
test lane adaptor therefor.
[0032] Like reference numbers and designations in the various
drawings indicate like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] FIG. 1A shows an example of a golf facility 100 including
targets 120 for RFID equipped golf balls. The golf facility 100
includes a golf range 110 and a building 115. The golf range 110
can be of various shapes and sizes, but will typically be 300-500
feet wide and 600-900 feet long. The golf range 110 can be flat or
include small hills or one or more inclines, and can also include
hazards, such as water and sand traps. Note that such hazards need
not include actual water and sand, but can simply be colored to
look like water or sand. Moreover, the golf range 110 can be
composed of real grass or artificial turf.
[0034] Included in the golf range 110 are targets 120 having
different sizes and being different distances from the building
115, where people stand to hit golf balls toward the targets. The
targets can be grouped into distance categories that generally
represent their distance from the building 115, and the targets can
have various shapes, such as the circular shapes of the main
targets and the rectangular shape of the trench target at the end
of the range 110. Other shapes for the targets 120, as well as
different numbers of targets 120 than shown, are also possible.
[0035] Each of the targets 120 includes a mechanism for identifying
and collecting the golf balls that enter the target. For example,
each target can include netting that funnels the golf balls into an
RFID reader box, where RFID tags inside the balls are read as each
ball passes through the box. Each reader box can be equipped with
an RFID antenna that is connected with an RFID reader, which in
turn is connected with a computer system for the golf facility 100
that manages the golf games. Moreover, one or more of the targets
120 can include discrete sections of nets such that information
regarding which portion of the target a particular golf ball lands
in can be determined, and different points or game features can be
applied accordingly. Each such net section can have its own reader
box and RFID antenna, and multiple such antennas can be multiplexed
into a single RFID reader to reduce the total number of RFID
readers needed for the golf facility 100.
[0036] Once the golf balls are read and collected within each
target 120, they can be manually or automatically returned to the
building 115 for another hit. For example, each target can include
a collection point that includes a helical screw to capture and
direct the golf balls to a vacuum intake point where the golf balls
can be individually sucked through pneumatic tubes back to the
building 115. Moreover, the golf balls can be individually washed
and read again by an additional RFID reader at the building 115
before being placed back into play.
[0037] FIG. 1B shows an example of receiving and returning
structures for RFID equipped golf balls, as can be used in the golf
facility 100. Each golf ball 150 includes an RFID tag 155. Note
that an RFID tag 155 includes both an antenna and control circuitry
to implement the RFID functionality. The antenna can be separate
from the control circuitry or integrated into the control
circuitry. For example, in some implementations, the antenna and
control circuitry are built into a single integrated circuit chip
155 that is embedded in the golf ball 150. Thus, as used herein, an
RFID tag can refer to an RFID chip or other compact electronics
package. As will be appreciated, various RFID structures and
designs can be used, but the RFID tag 155 will generally not be
visible as it is embedded in the golf ball 150; the tag 155 is
shown in FIG. 1B for purposes of clarity in this disclosure.
Moreover, each of the golf balls discussed below is an RFID
equipped golf ball.
[0038] Moreover, various RFID technologies can be used in various
implementations, including passive or active RFID, read only, field
programmable or read/write RFID tags, and different frequency bands
can be used to achieve different ranges and data speeds (e.g., Low
Frequency (LF) from 120-150 kHz, High Frequency (HF) around 13.56
MHz, and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) about 433 MHz or 865-868 MHz or
902-928 MHz). In general, more durable but also less expensive RFID
tags 155 should be used given the regular, large impacts that are
experienced by the golf balls 150 in which they are embedded.
[0039] Once hit, many of the golf balls 150 fall into a target net
160 (or target net section 160) and pass through RFID reader 165
for identification; note that RFID readers are also referred to as
RFID interrogators. The RFID reader 165 transmits a radio signal
(e.g., an encoded radio signal) to interrogate the RFID tag 155.
The RFID tag 155 receives the message and then responds with its
identification and potentially other information. While shown as a
single box attached to the target net 160 (or target net section
160), it will be appreciated that the RFID reader 165 can be
distributed among two or more locations. For example, each target
net section 160 can have its own baffle box that includes one or
more antennas that are electrically connected with one or more RFID
reader circuits located elsewhere. Thus, the RFID reader 165 can
represent multiple antennas connected with a single RFID reader
circuit or processor that operates all of the antennas. Various
other combinations of RFID antennas and reader circuitry/processors
can be used with each target, depending on the size of the target
and the number of golf balls 150 to be read in a given period of
time (e.g., based on average or peak ball volume).
[0040] The golf balls 150 that pass through the target nets 160 (or
target net sections 160) can be routed through one or more tubes
170 to a golf ball testing system 180. For example, the golf balls
150 can be sucked through pneumatic tubes 170 to be delivered to a
golf ball washing and testing system 180 located in the building
115. Other locations for the system 180 are also possible. In
addition, other mechanisms or methods can be used to send the balls
150 to the testing system 180, including the golf balls that do not
fall into a target 120 and are thus collected from the field (e.g.,
with a golf ball retriever vehicle).
[0041] As noted above, due to the regular, large impacts that are
experienced by the golf balls 150, the embedded RFID tags 155
should be regularly tested. In some implementations, each golf ball
150 that is hit onto the golf range 110 is washed and tested before
being returned to a golf bay in the building 115 for another round
of game play. FIG. 2A shows an example of a golf ball washing and
testing system 200, which can be employed as the system 180 in the
building 115 or elsewhere.
[0042] The system 200 includes a wash bin 202 that receives golf
balls 150 from the golf range. The wash bin 202 can include water,
one or more solvents, one or more agitator mechanisms, or a
combination thereof, used to wash the golf balls therein. In some
implementations, the wash bin 202 includes a mechanical system to
push the golf balls from one side to the other. In some
implementations, the wash bin 202 is configured and arranged to
allow gravity to supply the motive force to move the golf balls
from one side to the other, e.g., newly added golf balls drop onto
and push other golf balls in the bin 202 laterally.
[0043] The washed golf balls are removed from the wash bin by a
ball conveyor 204. For example, the ball conveyor 204 can be a ball
elevator that sits inside the wash bin 202 and lifts the washed
golf balls out of the wash bin 202, as shown. In some
implementations, the ball conveyor 204 is a ball elevator available
from Range Servant America, having a place of business in Norcross,
Ga. FIG. 2B shows a perspective view of an example of a golf ball
elevator 225 available from Range Servant America. As shown, the
golf ball elevator 225 includes shelves 225A arranged to hold
multiple golf balls in a line on each of the shelves 225A. The
shelves 225A are on a movable conveyor belt that picks up golf
balls from a receiver hopper 225B. The golf ball elevator 225 can
include a controller 225C, which can implement both manual and
automatic control functions. During operation, the golf ball
elevator 225 lifts the golf balls out of the receiver hopper 225B
and to the top of the elevator 225, and then drops the golf balls
over the other side of the elevator 225 as the shelves 225A rotate
over the top of the elevator 225 before returning to the bottom of
the elevator 225 on the other side.
[0044] Various sizes and configurations of the golf ball elevator
225 can be used. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2A, a golf ball elevator
204 does not include a receiver hopper 225B because the wash bin
202 serves the function of holding golf balls in position for being
picked up by the shelves 225A. Further, in the golf ball washing
and testing system 200, when the golf balls are dropped over the
other side of the golf ball elevator 204, they fall into a golf
ball dryer 206. The golf ball dryer 206 can include one or more
perforated surfaces, e.g., grating(s), one or more agitator
mechanisms, one or more heaters, e.g., heated air blowers, or a
combination thereof, used to dry the golf balls therein as they
pass through. In some implementations, the golf ball dryer 206
includes a mechanical system to push the golf balls there through.
In some implementations, the golf ball dryer 206 is configured and
arranged to allow gravity to supply the motive force to move the
golf balls there through, e.g., one or more angled surfaces direct
added golf balls through the dryer 206, past an air blower, under
the force of gravity.
[0045] In some implementations, an active dryer is not used. In
some implementations, the golf ball cleaning operations are shared
between two structures. For example, the wash bin 202 need not
include agitator mechanism(s), and a ball scrubber 206 can include
one or more agitator and/or scrubbing mechanisms to remove debris
from the golf balls after they have been wetted in the wash bin
202.
[0046] As the golf balls are pushed or drop out of the
dryer/scrubber 206, they are directed to a ball conveyor 210. In
some implementations, the ball conveyor 210 is a ball elevator,
such as a ball elevator 225, available from Range Servant America.
Thus, in some implementations, the golf balls are pushed or drop
out of the dryer/scrubber 206 into a receiver hopper 225B.
Alternatively, a receiver hopper 225B is not used, and the golf
balls simply roll down into a small receiving area immediately
adjacent the ball elevator 210, where the golf balls can be picked
up by the shelves of the ball elevator 210. Moreover, in some
implementations, one or more angled and perforated surfaces 208,
e.g., angled grating(s), are used to direct the golf balls to the
ball elevator 210. The use of such perforated surfaces allows
additional liquids to readily fall away from the golf balls as they
drop onto and then roll down the perforated surface(s) 208.
[0047] In any case, the ball elevator 210 picks up and lifts the
golf balls to the top of the ball elevator 210 on one side, and as
the golf balls are dropped over the other side of the golf ball
elevator 210, they fall into a test lane adaptor 212, which
separates and directs the golf balls (e.g., under the force of
gravity) to an RFID testing apparatus 214. The test lane adaptor
212 can load balance the golf balls by controlling the number of
balls in any lane at a given time, which helps to avoid jamming.
Further, RFID testing apparatus 214 has an associated controller
216 that operates the RFID testing apparatus 214. The controller
operates the RFID testing apparatus 214 to detect golf balls that
should be removed from service. In some implementations, each golf
ball that passes the test on its embedded RFID tag travels all the
way through the apparatus 214 and is then routed back to game play,
while each golf ball that doesn't pass the test (or is otherwise in
need of servicing) is kicked out of the apparatus 214 for special
handling.
[0048] In some implementations, the golf balls that pass the RFID
test drop into a chute 218A, which causes the golf balls to travel
(under the force of gravity) back into service at the golf range.
For example, the chute 218A can direct the passing golf balls to a
golf ball conveyor 220. In some implementations, the ball conveyor
220 is a ball elevator, such as a ball elevator 225, available from
Range Servant America. In some implementations, the golf balls that
do not pass the RFID test are kicked out of the testing apparatus
214 and drop into a collection bin 222. In some implementations,
the balls that are kicked out of the testing apparatus 214 fall
into a chute 218B, which causes the golf balls to travel (under the
force of gravity) to the collection bin 222. In some cases, the bad
balls can be retested, as desired.
[0049] In addition, in some implementations, more than one
collection bin 222 and more than two chutes 218A, 218B are used.
For example, a first kick out level in the apparatus 214 can remove
balls that are not adequately read and drop them into a first level
chute 218B, which directs the balls to a first bin collection 222.
These balls can then be retrieved for reconstruction/recycling or
replacement. A second kick out level in the apparatus 214 can
remove balls that are successfully read, but the identified balls
have been flagged for removal from service for another reason. Such
balls can be removed from the apparatus 214 and dropped into a
second level chute 218B, which directs the balls to a second bin
collection 222. These balls can then be retrieved for refurbishment
or replacement.
[0050] For example, a program running in a control system for the
testing apparatus 214 (or in a control system communicatively
coupled with the control system for the apparatus 214) can pull
golf balls from service after being hit more than a threshold
number of times. The threshold can be set based on experience with
the types of golf balls being used, where after a certain number of
hits, the balls should be refurbished or refinished, e.g., painted
and/or have a company logo reapplied. As another example, the golf
facility 100 can use golf balls having different types of RFID tags
therein, and the program running in the control system for the
testing apparatus 214 (or in the control system communicatively
coupled with the control system for the apparatus 214) can pull
golf balls from service that have a particular type of RFID tag
therein. In some cases, the RFID tag may need to be updated with
new data or a new program before being put back into service. In
some cases, the RFID tag may be outdated and so the golf balls with
these RFID tags will be removed from service entirely, even though
the RFID tag is still functioning properly.
[0051] The controller 216 can be a single controller or two or more
controllers that work together. The controller(s) 216 can be
implemented using one or more programmed computers, e.g., a
programmable logic controller (PLC), and/or special purpose logic
circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC
(application-specific integrated circuit). The controller(s) 216
can include (or connect with) RFID reader circuitry/processor(s),
which are connected with RFID antennas located inside the testing
apparatus 214, as described in further detail below. Moreover, the
controller(s) 216 can include (or connect with) one or more
respective controllers 216 for the golf ball conveyors 204, 210,
such as controller 225C. Thus, in some implementations, the
controller 216 operates the testing apparatus 214 and the golf ball
elevator 210 (and potentially also the golf ball elevator 204) to
control the flow of golf balls through the system.
[0052] FIG. 2C shows a perspective view of an example of an RFID
testing system. The RFID testing system includes a test lane
adaptor 230, which is an example of the test lane adaptor 212 from
FIG. 2A. The RFID testing system also includes an RFID testing
apparatus 240, which is an example of the RFID testing apparatus
214 from FIG. 2A. The RFID testing apparatus 240 is operated using
a motor 242, which is electrically connected with a controller,
e.g., controller 216, thus allowing the controller to turn the
motor 242 on and off, as needed. In addition, in the example shown,
the RFID testing apparatus 240 tests balls on two sides (rather
than a single side, as shown in FIG. 2A) and thus, in addition to
kickers 244 on the first side to kick balls out, the RFID testing
apparatus 240 includes kickers 246 on the second side to kick balls
out. Note that at least an additional chute will be included under
the kickers 246 to catch the balls that pass through the kickers
246 and route those passing balls back into service for game
play.
[0053] The RFID testing system is shown in FIG. 2C without the golf
ball elevator in place so as to not obscure an opening 232 to the
test lane adaptor 230. The opening 232 can be sized such that only
a single line of golf balls on a single shelf of the golf ball
elevator is allowed to drop onto the test lane adaptor 230 at a
time; the golf balls on a next shelf will be held back by a panel
234 until the shelf aligns with opening 232. The panel 234 can be
made of stainless steel, hard plastic, or other materials. The
panel 234 can be positioned relative to the shelf of the ball
conveyor such that, as the golf balls come over the top of the
elevator, they fall onto the back side of the preceding shelf (note
that this back side, which is the underside of the shelf when going
up, is now the top side of the shelf when going down) and are
compressed slightly between the back side of the preceding shelf
and the panel 234.
[0054] This temporary compression lines up the golf balls in a
straight row on the back side of the preceding shelf before the
continued movement of the elevator allows the golf balls to fall
through the opening 232 and onto the test lane adaptor 230. Thus,
the panel 234 defines a controlled aperture 232 that can ensure
each golf ball drops onto the test lane adaptor 230 with a
controlled velocity, without slowing down the ball delivery, and
can facilitate prevention of balls jamming in the test lane adaptor
230 and prevention of balls bouncing out of the test lane adaptor
230; only a single rows of balls are dropped into the test lane
adaptor 230 at a time, and the distance of the drop is limited by
the height of the opening 232 above the floor of the test lane
adaptor 230.
[0055] The aperture width can be set based on the drive belt width
and the opening of the ball elevator 210, e.g., 12.25 inches. The
aperture height can be 3 inches high off the lowest portion of the
opening for the ball elevator 210. The minimum aperture height can
be 2 inches to allow for proper clearance for the balls to exit and
have a low exit velocity. The maximum aperture height can be driven
by two factors: (1) the minimum flight to flight distance (from
shelf to shelf) on the elevator conveyor belt 210 (e.g., 4.5
inchines), and (2) the maximum energy to be imparted to the golf
balls when they leave the opening. Note that too much energy leads
to bounce outs and excessive rebounding off of lane geometry. The
ball should have enough energy to overcome any debris build up,
energy losses from collisions with other balls, and frictional
losses encountered in the lane feed tray. In some implementations,
the aperture is adjustable, and in some implementations, the
aperture is fixed at values determined by empirical testing.
[0056] In some implementations, the test lane adaptor 230 has a
sensor 236, e.g., an optical sensor, such as an infrared (IR)
sensor, that is electrically connected with the controller, e.g.,
controller 216. The sensor 236 is used to detect when the golf
balls have filled up the test lane adaptor 230, and so the elevator
is temporarily stopped by the controller to allow the RFID testing
apparatus 240 to catch up. FIG. 2D shows an example of a test lane
adaptor, which includes a ball lane router 250 and a ball lane
sorter 260. As shown, a row of golf balls are currently held by the
panel 234 and will drop into the ball lane sorter 260 once the
elevator moves the shelf to the opening 232.
[0057] The ball lane sorter 260 can be made of stainless steel,
hard plastic, or other materials. The ball lane sorter 260 is
arranged to receive the golf balls into predefined lanes and
deliver the golf balls to the ball lane router 250 in response to
gravitational force acting on the golf balls. The ball lane sorter
260 is an example of a feed tray that has been designed with a
specific geometry to help prevent jamming of balls at the entry
points to the ball lane router 250. The ball lane sorter 260 is an
inclined tray having side walls 262, 264 that define the predefined
lanes. In this example, there are six predefined lanes
corresponding to six testing lanes in the RFID testing apparatus
(not shown). Other numbers of predefined lanes are also possible.
In any case, the side walls of the ball lane sorter 260 include two
exterior walls 262 that are taller than the golf balls and two or
more interior walls 264 that are shorter than the golf balls. This
geometry can facilitate the golf balls arranging themselves into
the predefined lanes, under the force of gravity, before entering
the ball lane router 250.
[0058] The ball lane router 250 can be made of hard plastic,
stainless steel, or other materials. The ball lane router 250 is
arranged to deliver the golf balls to respective feed tubes (not
shown) in response to gravitational force acting on the golf balls.
Note that the separate paths in the ball lane router 250 should be
sized to avoid jamming of the golf balls. Thus, each path should be
wide enough to allow each individual golf ball to roll freely down
the incline of the ball lane router 250, but not so wide that the
golf balls can jam against each other and the walls of the path.
For example, the minimum lane width (for minimum ball clearances
with any debris and/or defects) can be 1.75 inches, and the
recommend lane width can be 2 inches.+-.0.15 inches, which allows
clearance for debris and variations in ball geometry. The maximum
lane width can be 2.375 inches to prevent static golf balls waiting
to be fed into the system from interlocking against other balls and
the lane sidewalls. The maximum recommend single deflection angle
is 45 degrees; note that all abrupt directional changes to the ball
path should be kept at a minimum, and all inside and outside
corners at directional changes should be radius-ed to the maximum
amount allowed by lane geometry, e.g., 1-3 inches radius
curves.
[0059] The delivery of the golf balls to the test lane adaptor by
the elevator can be faster than the testing apparatus can test the
RFID tags embedded in the golf balls. Thus, once the golf balls
fill up the feed tubes, the golf balls will fill up the routing
paths in the ball lane router 250, and then start to back up into
the ball lane sorter 260. When this happens, the sensor 236 detects
the presence of the golf balls in the ball lane sorter 260, e.g.,
the IR sensor controller can detect when an object passes in front
of the IR sensor for a predefined period of time, which triggers
the controller, e.g., controller 216, to stop the delivery of balls
by the elevator. Once the RFID testing apparatus processes more
golf balls, the sensor 236 will detect the clearance of the golf
balls, and the controller can then restart the elevator, e.g.,
after a predefined and/or programmable time delay.
[0060] In addition, in the example shown, the panel 234 and the
ball lane sorter 260 include perforated surfaces, e.g., grating(s).
Including such perforations allows water and any remaining debris
from ball washing to pass through the perforations while also
allowing the golf balls to roll freely in response to gravitational
force acting on the golf balls. The diameters of the drainage holes
can be from 0.25 to 0.062 inches, and the minimum edge to edge
distance between holes can be half of the given hole diameter. Note
that holes larger than 0.25 inches can risk the golf balls getting
caught by the hole, and holes smaller than 0.062 inches may be
ineffectual for drainage and be easily clogged. Such
holes/perforations can help prevent water or debris from getting
into RFID testing apparatus, which can affect RFID reading.
[0061] However, in some implementations, such perforations are not
included in one or both of the panel 234 and the ball lane sorter
260. FIGS. 2E and 2F show another example of a test lane adaptor.
In this example, the test lane adaptor includes a feed tray 270
that does not include perforations, and the panel 234 also does not
include perforations. The feed tray 270 can be made of stainless
steel, hard plastic, or other materials. In addition, in this
example, the feed tray 270 does not include predefined lanes, but
rather is a simple inclined plane leading to the ball lane router
250, albeit with exterior side walls to prevent the golf balls from
bouncing out of or rolling off the feed tray. As shown in FIG. 2F,
the ball lane router 250 can include a cover 252, and also shown in
FIG. 2F are feed tubes 254 of the RFID testing apparatus. Moreover,
in some implementations, the feed tray 270 (without the interior
side walls defining lanes) includes perforations, such as used with
the ball lane sorter 260.
[0062] In any case, the sensor 236 can be positioned where the ball
lane sorter 260 or feed tray 270 meets the ball lane router 250,
i.e., it is within a predefined distance from the ball lane router
250 such that ball delivery is stopped before new balls can drop
onto backed up balls and thus bounce over the exterior side walls,
and the sensor 236 is connected to the controller (not shown) for
use in triggering stops and starts of the golf ball elevator.
Returning to FIG. 2A, in general, controller 216 represents a
control system for the testing apparatus, but the controller 216
can also represent a control system for a larger set of components
used to manage the ball retrieval, washing, testing and returning
operations. Thus, rather than a single controller location, as
shown, the control system 216 can have it components distributed
among two or more locations, with those components being
communicatively coupled with each other, e.g., with wired and/or
wireless connections.
[0063] The control system 216 can implement the processes described
herein using a computer, e.g., a PLC, that executes one or more
computer programs to perform the described operations, using
special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA or an ASIC, or a
combination thereof. In some implementations, the control system
216 includes one or more hardware processors 216A, and one or more
non-transitory computer-readable mediums 216B tangibly encoding one
or more programs that run on the processor(s) 216A. Further, the
control system 216 can include or connect with one or more RFID
reader circuits 216C, which connect with RFID antennas 216D located
along testing paths of the golf ball testing lanes in the RFID
testing apparatus 214. In general, the operations of the control
system 216 and/or the RFID readers can be implemented using digital
electronic circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or
hardware, including using one or more modules of computer program
instructions encoded on a computer-readable medium for execution
by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus.
[0064] FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing internal structures of
an example of an RFID testing apparatus 310 with a test lane
adaptor 300 therefor. Note that the housing and some other
components of the RFID testing apparatus 310 have been removed so
as to not obscure various internal structures. The RFID testing
apparatus 310 includes feed tubes 312, which receive the golf balls
from the test lane adaptor 300. Below the feed tubes 312 are a
first star wheel unit 314, which is rotated using a motor 330, and
a second start wheel unit (not shown).
[0065] FIG. 3B is a top view of the test lane adaptor 300 above the
RFID testing apparatus 310 of FIG. 3A. As shown, the motor 330
drives a first axle on which the first star wheel unit 314 (on one
side) is mounted, and the first axle drives a first gear 332 that
connects with a second gear 334, which drives a second axle 315 on
which the second star wheel unit (on the other side) is mounted. In
some implementations, the motor 330 drives the star wheel units
using a chain drive and slip clutch, which can facilitate avoiding
lock-up of the machine and can improve safety, as any object that
gets into the gearing (e.g., a person's finger) will only
experience minor compression before the slip clutch will prevent
further increase in force being applied by the motor 330. Other
configurations for driving the star wheel units are also possible.
In any case, as each star wheel turns, it receives golf balls in
cavities (formed by the spokes of each respective star wheel in
each star wheel unit) as those cavities rotate under the feed
tubes.
[0066] FIG. 3F is a perspective view of a star wheel unit 340
usable in the RFID testing apparatus of FIG. 3A, as star wheel unit
314. The star wheel unit 340 includes three star wheels 342A, 342B,
342C having cavities 344, which are sized to receive the golf balls
and then rotate the golf balls about the center of rotation of the
star wheel unit 340, as the star wheel unit 340 rotates. There are
five cavities 344 in each star wheel 342A, 342B, 342C, and in this
example, there are three star wheels 342A, 342B, 342C that
correspond to the three golf ball testing lanes on each of the two
side of the RFID testing apparatus 310, i.e., two star wheel units
340 are used in the RFID testing apparatus 310. Other
implementations use different numbers of star wheels, such as four,
five, six, seven, eight or nine star wheels per star wheel unit
340.
[0067] The star wheel unit 340 can be constructed from hard plastic
or other materials. The star wheel unit can be constructed using
CNC (computer numerical control) machining or 3D (three
dimensional) printing systems and techniques. In addition, in some
implementations, each star wheel unit 340 is constructed in a
modular fashion, which allows the number of star wheels to be
readily changed when more golf ball testing lanes are to be added
to the system. As shown in FIG. 3F, spacers 346, e.g., spacer
wheels, can be used to set the needed distance between the testing
lanes, and a final star wheel 342C of the star wheel unit 340 is
being added to the star wheel unit. With the appropriate number of
star wheels added for a given RFID testing apparatus being
constructed, the pieces of the star wheel unit 340 are affixed to
each other, e.g., with adhesive, bolts, etc., and the star wheel
unit 340 is ready to be added to the RFID testing apparatus.
[0068] In addition, note that the spokes of the star wheels 342A,
342B, 342C of the star wheel unit 340 are offset from each other.
Thus, each star point in one set of star wheel cavities can be
aligned with the trough of a cavity in an adjacent star wheel. This
offsetting of the cavities in the star wheel unit 340 from each
other creates the alternating timing of golf ball testing in each
testing lane. This can reduce RF cross-talk and interference as the
golf balls do not pass through adjacent read zones at a same
time.
[0069] Note that reduction in RF cross-talk and interference can be
achieved without the star wheel spokes being offset to exactly
match a spoke in one star wheel with the deepest part of the cavity
in the adjacent star wheel. In some implementations, each star
wheel is a five spoke star wheel, and each star wheel unit has four
keyways providing four different rotational positions for each star
wheel of the star wheel unit. The alternating timing of the golf
ball testing can still be achieved, and the amount of
spacing/timing between the balls during testing can be adjusted by
changing the speed of the motor 330 so as to reduce RF cross-talk
and interference.
[0070] FIG. 3A shows a single golf ball dropping out of a cavity in
the star wheel unit 314 and into a path 316 through a read zone.
However, as will be appreciated, the golf balls delivered by the
test lane adaptor 300 will fill up each of the feed tubes 312 for
each testing lane, and as each star wheel unit rotates, golf balls
will drop out of the feed tubes 314 into the cavities, and then
drop out of the cavities into the read zone paths 316, with
alternating timing. In this example, where there are three golf
ball testing lanes on each side of the RFID testing apparatus 310,
the testing will (per side) alternate between testing two golf
balls in parallel in the outer testing lanes and testing a single
golf ball in the inner testing lane, and each golf ball will either
pass through or be kicked out by the kicker 318 in its respective
testing lane. In addition, while only a single lane guide 348
(which ensures that golf balls dropping out of a star wheel cavity
enters the read zone paths 316) is shown in FIGS. 3A and 3C, it
will be appreciated that each star wheel has a corresponding lane
guide, i.e., six lane guides 348 in this example. Further, note
that the feed tubes 312 and other components of the RFID testing
apparatus 310 along the golf ball testing lanes can be made of hard
plastic, e.g., PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or a clear plastic material
to facilitate visual identification of any jams within the
apparatus.
[0071] FIG. 3C is a side view of the RFID testing apparatus 310 of
FIG. 3A. In this view, two of the testing lanes are visible, each
testing lane including a feed tube 312, a portion of a star wheel
unit (not shown), a sensor 320, a read zone path 316, and a kicker
318. The sensors 320 can be optical sensors (e.g., IR sensors) or
other sensors and are used to detect when a golf ball enters a path
of a read zone. Each sensor 320 is communicatively coupled (e.g.,
by wire or wirelessly) to a controller, e.g., controller 216, to
provide information regarding a time at which a golf ball enters
its read zone path 316. In response to the signal from each sensor
320, the controller checks whether the RFID tag in the golf ball is
read within a predefined (e.g., programmable) time period after the
time at which the signal from the sensor 320 indicates the ball
entered the read zone path 316.
[0072] If the RFID tag in the golf ball is not adequately read
within the predefined time period, as the ball passes through the
read zone path 316, the controller activates the kicker 318 to
change the golf ball's direction of travel. Thus, any bad balls are
kicked out of the testing apparatus 310 and routed to a bin (or
other location) for reconstruction/recycling or replacement. On the
other hand, if the RFID tag in the golf ball is adequately read
within the predefined time period, as the ball passes through the
read zone path 316, the controller does not activate the kicker
318, and the ball is allowed to pass through the kicker 318 and
then be routed back to game play. Note that the sensor 320 can also
be placed after the read zone to provide information regarding a
time at which the golf ball leaves its read zone path 316, as
described in further detail below in connection with FIG. 4A.
[0073] FIG. 3G is a perspective view of a kicker 350 usable in the
RFID testing apparatus of FIG. 3A, as kickers 318. The kicker 350
includes a solenoid 352 connected to a spring-loaded door 354 that
changes orientation, responsive to the solenoid 352 engaging the
spring, to prevent a golf ball from passing through the kicker 350
when the kicker 350 is activated, e.g., using a low-voltage power
signal triggered by controller 216. Other types of kickers can also
be used. In addition, rather than kicking out bad balls, the kicker
can kick out good balls, provided the routing of the balls is also
changed. However, using the default "open" position of each kicker
350 for good balls, thus allowing good balls to fall through the
kicker 350 and back into circulation is preferable, as most tested
balls will be good, and this configuration will thus reduce wear
and tear on the kickers 350.
[0074] Moreover, note that "bad balls" includes golf balls for
which no RFID read signal was obtained and also golf balls for
which the quality or timing of any read signal obtained (e.g., a
weak RF signal strength) was below a threshold set to ensure that
marginally bad balls are not routed back to game play, i.e., the
RFID tags in the golf balls are not adequately read. Further, as
noted above, in some implementations, more than one kick out level
can be used. Thus, two kickers 350 can be included in each testing
lane, where the first (or second) kicker 350 removes golf balls
that are not adequately read (for reconstruction/recycling or
replacement), and a second (or first) kicker 350 removes golf balls
that are successfully read but that have also been flagged for
removal from service for another reason (e.g., a company logo
should be reapplied or the RFID tag is of an older type that is
being retired).
[0075] FIG. 3D is a front view of the RFID testing apparatus 310 of
FIG. 3A. This view shows three testing lanes on one side of the
RFID testing apparatus 310 and a golf ball 360 that is traveling
through the center testing lane 362. FIG. 3E is a cutaway view of a
portion of the RFID testing apparatus of FIG. 3A. As shown, the
golf ball 360 has been delivered by the feed tube 312 to a cavity
in the star wheel 342B of the star wheel unit 314, and the golf
ball 360 is about to fall out of this cavity and into a path 316.
In some implementations, the feed tube 312 is adjustable to
accommodate onsite adjustments to allow the ball to pass through.
Other configurations are also possible, as described further below
in connection with FIG. 4C. Returning to FIG. 3D, each path 316
travels through a corresponding read zone 364, where antennas 366
of an RFID reader are used to interrogate the RFID tag inside the
golf ball 360 as the golf ball 360 travels through the read zone
364.
[0076] In order to increase the time that the golf ball spends in
the read zone 364, each path 316 can be formed by a housing that
defines a helical track arranged to cause the golf ball 360 to
spiral down the helical track in response to gravitational force.
In addition, the helical track can cause the golf ball 360 to
assume different orientations with respect to the antennas 366 as
the golf ball 360 travels through the read zone 364, thus
increasing the chances of a successful read of the RFID tag. Also,
the use of a helix in the read zone can mitigate any need to align
antennas in a specific configuration and reduces the risk of a
false negative RFID detection. For further details regarding such
helical tracks for golf balls, see U.S. Pat. No. 7,337,965, which
is hereby incorporated by reference. In some implementations, a
helix is not used and is replaced with another structure that
induces changes to the golf ball's rotation and angle of incidence
to the antenna(s), such as the use of staggered paths, curved ramps
or protrusions (to induce rotation) and/or the use of plastic
villi/bristles (to induce rotation through friction as the golf
balls fall).
[0077] Each read zone 364 can include one or more antennas 366 of
one or more RFID readers 370. In some implementations, a single
RFID reader 370 is multiplexed among all the read zones of all the
testing lanes for the RFID testing apparatus. In some
implementations, two or more RFID readers 370 are used for two or
more sets of golf ball testing lanes, e.g., a first RFID reader 370
for a first side of the RFID testing apparatus 310, which includes
the testing lane 362, and a second RFID reader 370 for a second
side of the RFID testing apparatus 310. In some implementations, a
separate RFID reader 370 is used for each of the read zones
364.
[0078] In some implementations, each testing lane has two RFID
antennas, e.g., a first antenna oriented in a first position and a
second antenna oriented in a second position, e.g., rotated 90
degrees away from the orientation of the first position, which
improves the chances of reading the golf ball's embedded RFID tag
when the antennas need a direct line of sight to the ball. Thus,
for an RIFD testing apparatus with six testing lanes, there can be
twelve RIFD antennas. In some implementations, the antennas 366 can
be shared among the read zones. For example, one of the two
antennas 366 can be used in combination with another antenna (not
shown) oriented 90 degrees away from it (in the plane of the
drawing sheet, over the center testing lane 362) when testing a
golf ball in the center testing lane 362, the left-side antenna 366
can be used with another antenna (not shown) oriented 90 degrees
away from it (in the plane of the drawing sheet, over the left-most
testing lane) when testing a golf ball in the left-most testing
lane, and the right-side antenna 366 can be used with another
antenna (not shown) oriented 90 degrees away from it (in the plane
of the drawing sheet, over the right-most testing lane) when
testing a golf ball in the right-most testing lane.
[0079] The antennas 366 can be near-fielded and have a polarization
type, e.g., linear or circular type polarization. In addition, each
antenna 366 can be accompanied by a wall or walls made of RF
shielding or absorbing material(s) to reduce RF interference
between golf ball testing lanes. Further, in addition to
constructing the RF reading zone of each golf ball testing lane
with different materials, including RF shielding or absorbing
materials, in some implementations, each reading zone is fully
enclosed to form a Faraday cage during the RFID interrogation
period.
[0080] In some implementations, the antennas 366 are linearly
polarized antennas that are used in a diversity setup. Two linearly
polarized antennas are oriented differently around the path of
travel in each lane to improve the chance of reading the golf
ball's embedded RFID tag. For example, two antennas 366 per lane
can be oriented at a forty five degree angle with respect to each
other and be dedicated for use with the lane they contain. FIG. 3H
shows an example of two antennas 366 containing a read zone path
316 and being oriented at a forty five degree angle with respect to
each other.
[0081] In some implementations, rather than direct line of sight
antennas, RFID antennas that emit a cloud of RF signal can be used,
which can result in good reads with only one antenna 366 per golf
ball testing lane, e.g., six antennas for six golf ball testing
lanes in the RFID testing apparatus 310. In some implementations, a
Taoglas ISPC.91A.09.0092E antenna is used, available from Taoglas
Group Holdings Limited of Wexford, Ireland. Thus, a right hand
circularly polarized antenna 366 can be used per lane, where the
antenna 366 is oriented so its ground side faces away from the path
of travel of the golf ball in the lane (ninety degrees to the path
of travel of the golf ball in the lane).
[0082] FIG. 3I shows an exploded view of a portion of an example
golf ball testing lane 380, which includes a single near-fielded
antenna 382 with a right-hand circular polarization containing a
read zone path 316. FIG. 3J shows a side view of the portion of the
example golf ball testing lane 380. Note that using a single
near-fielded antenna 382 with a right-hand circular polarization
per golf ball testing lane can improve performance of the system.
Due to the nature of each golf ball, the orientation of its RFID
tag is unknown inside the read zone 364. Therefore, the usage of a
circularly polarized antenna in addition to the helical travel path
of each ball can improve the chances of RFID detection. The effect
of each antenna can be enhanced by coupling it with a housing made
of an RF reflecting material. In some implementations, an antenna
mount 384 is used to connect the antenna 382 with the read zone
path 316. In some implementations, the housing made of an RF
reflecting material is an u-shaped metal shield 386 that is located
around the near-fielded and circularly polarized antenna 382. Note
that having the ground side of the antenna 382 face the metal 386
reduces its radiated back lobe. Additionally, RF absorbing
materials can be placed around each lane to further reduce the risk
of cross-reads between lanes.
[0083] Moreover, the RFID testing apparatus can be constructed from
modular pieces to allow variations in a number of golf ball testing
lanes. For example, an extended axle can be used with each star
wheel unit, and additional star wheels (and spacers) can be added
to the axle to increase the overall width of the apparatus and
allow for additional lanes to process golf balls. Corresponding
changes can also be made to the test lane adaptor, or additional
test lane adaptors and ball supply devices (e.g., ball elevators)
can be used. In some implementations, a separate RFID reader is
added for each three golf ball testing lanes. The modular design
can also be used to allow the addition of kickers to remove golf
balls for other reasons, as described above.
[0084] In addition, because the RFID testing apparatus is gravity
fed, the apparatus can be placed in various locations, including
being mounted to a wall, provided additional components (elevators,
hoppers, washers, etc.) are designed to connect the RFID testing
apparatus with existing infrastructure. Thus, the golf ball testing
system can be readily expanded to increase capacity by adding lanes
and adding readers. Other variations are also possible.
[0085] FIG. 4A shows another example of a star wheel unit 400 and
associated testing paths 410. The star wheel unit 400 includes four
star wheel unit pieces (sets of cavities) for four golf ball
testing lanes. In addition, each testing path 410 for each testing
lane can include both an input gate sensor 412 (as described above,
e.g., an optical sensor, such as an IR sensor) and an output gate
sensor 414 (e.g., an optical sensor, such as an IR sensor). Using
an output gate sensor 414 allows confirmation that the golf ball is
out of the read zone, thus allowing confirmation of a bad ball
without relying on a predefined time period. In addition, in some
implementations, rather than using input gate sensors 320, 412,
only output gate sensors 414 are used in combination with a
predefined time period; in this case, the controller determines
whether a successful RFID read occurred within a predefined (e.g.,
programmable) time period before detection of the golf ball by the
output gate sensor 414.
[0086] FIG. 4B shows an example of feed tubes usable in an RFID
testing apparatus. In some cases, the use of a stiff material
(e.g., hard plastic) for feed tubes 312 can cause jamming. As a
golf ball drops into a cavity in the star wheel unit 314, the
positioning of the golf ball may be such that it jams between the
feed tube 312 and the approaching star wheel spoke of the star
wheel unit 314. To address this issue, a flexible material (e.g.,
rubber) can be used to form a final section or portion 450 of each
feed tube 312. This flexible end portion 450 of each feed tube
allows the feed tube to bend just enough, when a golf ball is
pressed between the inner edge of the tube and the oncoming spoke
of the star wheel, to allow the golf ball to escape the jam
location and drop out of the cavity of the star wheel.
[0087] FIG. 4C is a cutaway view of a portion of the feed tubes of
FIG. 4B. Clearance issues for the golf balls can be mitigated by
changes to each feed tube 312 output geometry. The feed tube 312
outputs can be cut at an angle, e.g., a 60 degree angle, as shown
in FIG. 4C. The rear rigid portion of the feed tube 312 (the left
side in FIG. 4C) prevents the golf ball from falling back behind
the rising edge of the star wheel in the star wheel unit 314. The
lowest edge of the feed tube 312 can be set to 0.61 inches above
the outside radius of the star wheel to prevent lockup. The forward
included angle and distance prevents a golf ball from jamming
between the star wheel leading edge and the wall of the feed tube.
The rubber sleeve 450 supports the golf ball during feeding while
being able to deflect under load. To make up for minor variances in
tolerances and assembly, each rubber sleeve 450 can be adjusted in
the field until it just clears the golf ball as it rotates into the
lane guide 348 and into the lane below.
[0088] FIGS. 5A-5B are perspective views showing internal
structures of another example of an RFID testing apparatus with a
test lane adaptor therefor. FIG. 5A is a perspective view from a
motor 242 side, and FIG. 5B is a cutaway perspective view from the
opposite side. As shown, a test lane adaptor 300 is attached to six
golf ball testing lanes, which each include a flexible end portion
450 (as described above in connection with FIGS. 4B and 4C) and a
near-fielded and circularly polarized antenna with a metal shield
386 located around it (as described above in connection with FIGS.
3I and 3J). A controller 216 operates kickers 318 to kick out golf
balls that should be removed from service, while letting golf balls
that pass the RFID test drop into chutes 218 (as described above in
connection with FIGS. 2A-2C and 3A-3D).
[0089] While this specification contains many implementation
details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope
of what is being or may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of
features specific to particular embodiments of the disclosed
subject matter. Certain features that are described in this
specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be
implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely,
various features that are described in the context of a single
embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments
separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although
features may be described above as acting in certain combinations
and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a
claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the
combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a
subcombination or variation of a subcombination. Thus, unless
explicitly stated otherwise, or unless the knowledge of one of
ordinary skill in the art clearly indicates otherwise, any of the
features of the embodiments described above can be combined with
any of the other features of the embodiments described above.
[0090] Thus, particular embodiments of the invention have been
described. Other embodiments are also possible and may be claimed
and/or be within the scope of the following claims. For example,
the structures can be scaled up and reinforced to handle balls
other than golf balls, such as baseballs, softballs, or bowling
balls with embedded RFID tags. Different numbers of testing lanes
can be employed, including a dozen or more, potentially up to a
hundred using modular configuration. In some implementations,
multi-position kickers/gates can be used to direct the flow of golf
balls to two or more tracks/outputs based on RFID reading, rather
than a binary decision per kicker.
* * * * *