Disclosed are a device for calculating flight information of a ball and a method of calculating flight information of a ball that are capable of rapidly calculating the motion parameters of a ball and a golf club using an infrared sensing type device or a camera sensing type device and very rapidly calculating spin information of the ball corresponding to the calculated motion parameters with high accuracy through a simple calculation with reference to database type information about the calculated motion parameters, and a computing-device-readable recording medium having the method recorded therein.

Methods and systems for 3D ball trajectory reconstruction are disclosed. The methods and systems perform steps of receiving a 2D ball trajectory, a shooter's on-ground foot location, and a camera projection matrix; generating on-ground trajectory line assumptions based on the shooter's on-ground foot location and the 2D trajectory; reconstructing a candidate 3D trajectory for each on-ground trajectory line assumption, by determining a ball height for each on-ground projection point in the on-ground trajectory line and by curve fitting; evaluating each candidate 3D trajectory and selecting one with a best score as the reconstructed 3D ball trajectory. Embodiments of the present invention enable a resource-limited mobile device such as a smartphone to conduct the aforementioned steps. Also disclosed are benefits of the new methods, and alternative embodiments of implementation.

A golf launching monitoring arrangement allows equipment to be placed at a position behind the player (i.e., behind the golf ball), to measure both club and ball movement. A 3D scan of the club head before the play serves two purposes: 1) 3D registration that enables accurate measurement of the club head position and orientation for the camera system measuring the club movement from the back; 2) for reconstruction of the launching scene. With a 3D model of the club head, a simple 3D model of the golf ball and accurate measurement of their movement during the play, a full 3D golf launching scene can be reconstructed authentically. With this reconstruction, the movement of both the club head and the resulting ball movement can be replayed at any viewing angle, with any frame rate and at whatever resolution for the players or the coaches to view and analyze.

A method for determining golf shot characteristics includes detecting, in imaging data captured by an imager, a signature of a golf shot launched from a first launch area, a field of view of the imager including one of the first launch area and an area adjacent to the first launch area, and determining, from the imaging data, first golf shot characteristics, the first shot characteristics including a first launch location and a first launch time in combination with determining whether the first launch location and the first launch time correspond to a second launch location and a second launch time for second golf shot characteristics determined from sensor data captured by a further sensor arrangement and when no correspondence is found between the first and second launch locations and the first and second launch times, transmitting the first shot characteristics to a display at the first launch location.

An apparatus, methods and systems are provided for creating a shot information database comprising ball flight data combined with a user's intended golf shot type, the user's golf club selection, the user's setup position and dynamic swing adjustment made to produce the golfer's intended golf shot with the selected golf club to produce said golf shot. This invention presents to the user such information as a score, wherein said score reflects the accuracy of the user's golf shot. In addition, the ball flight data includes a trajectory angle, an elevation angle, a quadrant in a target plane comprising an x-y coordinate system coplanar with said target plane and a characterization of a type of golf shot produced by said golfer, such as a draw. Another embodiment of this invention performs a statistical analysis on said shot information to create basic and advance shot reports to assist a golfer or a third party to learn a golfer's strengths and weaknesses with respect to the user's ability to hit certain golf shots with certain golf clubs; in addition, the golfer is able to learn with setup keys and swing keys are more successful in hitting certain golf shots with certain golf clubs. In this manner a golfer or user is able to learn what it takes to improve his/her golf swing while better understanding their particular capabilities and tendencies. Another embodiment of this invention allows a golfer to practice indoors in a manner that simulates outdoor practice at a driving range, For golfer's who are visually impaired, this invention provides accurate feedback to a golfer who is visually impaired to the extent that they cannot see the flight of the struck golf ball. Said golfer benefits little at a driving range where they are unable to see the results of their golf swings This apparatus characterizes each golf shot using a particular practice ball which interoperates with the apparatus in such a way to enable said apparatus to acquire said ball flight data. Another embodiment of this invention allows a golfer to enter or speak remarks on the results of the previous shots or, more simply called post shot remarks. All shot information is stored in permanent storage for later historical performance analysis.

A system and method for analyzing and improving the performance of a body motion of an animal or human subject requires instrumenting a subject with inertial sensors, monitoring a body motion of interest, converting sensor data into motion data and animation, comparing the motion data with existing data for motion related performance parameters, providing a real-time, information rich, animation and data display of the results in color coded displays; and based on the results prescribing a training regime with exercises selected from a library of standardized exercises using standardized tools and training aids.

A sports ball system for calculating movement characteristics has a sports ball. The sports ball monitors movement characteristics of the sports ball. A wearable device receives data transmitted by the sports ball. The wearable device analyzes and displays the data transmitted.

A system and method for analyzing and improving the performance of a body motion of an animal or human subject requires instrumenting a subject with inertial sensors, monitoring a body motion of interest, converting sensor data into motion data and animation, comparing the motion data with existing data for motion related performance parameters, providing a real-time, information rich, animation and data display of the results in color coded displays; and based on the results prescribing a training regime with exercises selected from a library of standardized exercises using standardized tools and training aids.

In a case in which the size of a moving body changes by a position of the moving body, in order to accurately track the moving body without an effort of the user regardless of a change in the size, the present disclosure estimates a size of the moving body in each of the images of the frames, updates template data based on the estimated size of the moving body, and compares a candidate region that is a candidate of a region where the moving body is present in each of the images of the frames with the template data, and determines whether or not the moving body is positioned in the candidate region based on the comparison result.

A smart ball-machine uses artificial intelligence to train a player or to play with a player. For example, the ball-machine can adjust the tennis ball speed, topspin, bounce according to the player's successful ball return rate. The ball-machine can be preconfigured with a profile of a player. For example, the ball-machine may download a complete profile of a tennis player from a game recording, or may download a file with a customized profile of a player to train a player using the ball-machine. The ball-machine is equipped with a plurality of wheels, motors, and shafts to provide a fully customizable launch of one or more balls. For example, the ball can be launched from the machine from one side of a tennis court to another side of a tennis court with a variety of speeds, trajectories, topspin, bounce etc.