Abstract
A method and integrated golf club apparatus for directly measuring physical parameters of the golf club head motional acceleration swing forces, golf club head face, golf ball impact forces, and subsequent calculations of other metrics useful to a golfer's understanding of the effectiveness of his or her golf swing and impact result in totality. The physical parameters that are directly measured include three dimensional motion force vectors of club head prior to, during and after impact and full impact pressure force profiles across the golf clubface with respect to time. The force measurements are made by at least one piezoelectric or differential capacitance based acceleration g-force sensor internal to the club head and pressure impact force sensors integrated into the clubface. The sensors are connected to electronics which condition, record and store the time varying sensors information electronically, then process and translate the information into one of several forms for delivery to a human interface function.
Claims
1. A golf swing measurement and analysis system comprising: first and second impact sensors that detect impact of a golf club head; and sampling circuitry that is coupled to the first and second sensors, wherein the sampling circuitry samples the first and second sensors simultaneously at a single point in time.
2. The golf swing measurement and analysis system of claim 1, wherein the sampling circuitry further holds for a period of time a first value sampled from the first sensor and a second value sampled from the second sensor at the single point in time, wherein analog to digital conversion of the first and second values occurs during the period of time.
3. The golf swing measurement and analysis system of claim 2, further including a processor that applies a sequencing group tag and time reference to both the first and second values and stores the sequencing group tag, time reference, and first and second values in a digital memory.
4. The golf swing measurement and analysis system of claim 1, wherein the sampling circuitry samples at a sample rate at least as fast as a Nyquist rate determined by a highest frequency component of all of a plurality of analog sensors connected to the sampling circuitry, the plurality of analog sensors including the first and second sensors.
5. The golf swing measurement and analysis system of claim 1, further including first and second accelerometers, wherein the first and second accelerometers are also simultaneously sampled by the sampling circuitry at the point in time.
6. A golf swing analysis system comprising: a clubface; first and second impact sensors embedded in the club face; and sampling circuitry that samples the first and second impact sensors, wherein the first impact pressure sensor is at a first location further from a center point of the club face than a second location of a second impact pressure sensor, wherein the first and second impact sensors are calibrated differently based on the first and second locations.
7. The golf swing analysis system of claim 6, wherein the first and second sensors are piezoelectric elements of a same surface area and thickness.
8. The golf swing analysis system of claim 6, wherein the clubface has an edge that is connected to a club head shell housing such that the clubface deforms less near the edge than at the center point.
9. The golf swing analysis system of claim 6, wherein the calibration is accomplished with fixed calibration coefficients that are set within a processing circuitry of the system.
10. The golf swing analysis system of claim 6, wherein the first and second impact sensors are sampled simultaneously by the sampling circuitry.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0045] The above and other features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0046] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention integrated golf club head (golf club shaft not shown) with impact pressure force sensors embedded in the clubface and a three dimensional g-force acceleration sensor inside the club head;
[0047] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention as shown in FIG. 1 except showing dashed line A and without depiction of the sensors;
[0048] FIG. 2A is a cross sectional view of the club head of the present invention of FIG. 2 taken along line A showing club face structure with two metal layers and therebetween the impact pressure force sensors and embedding material;
[0049] FIG. 2B is a cross sectional view of the club head of the present invention of FIG. 2 taken along line A showing the clubface structure with two metal layers therebetween the impact pressure force sensors and embedding material, and including placement of a three dimensional g-force acceleration sensor;
[0050] FIG. 3 is a partially exploded cross sectional view of the club head face construction of the present invention showing two metal layers both rigidly attached the club head housing;
[0051] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the present invention illustrating a three dimensional g-force sensor located at the center of gravity of the club head;
[0052] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of sensors and electronic processing functions inside of integrated golf club of the present invention;
[0053] FIG. 6 is a block diagram detailing the processing steps for the trigger mechanism and commencement of data capture during the club swing and subsequent data transmission of the present invention;
[0054] FIG. 7, depicting sub-FIGS. 7a-7d, details a golfer swing time lapse showing associated data capture and processing steps of the present invention;
[0055] FIG. 8 details the present invention integrated golf club transmitting captured swing and impact data to a remote user interface wirelessly to a laptop computer;
[0056] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a user definable format portion of the data processing and human interface software running on a laptop computer of the present invention;
[0057] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of the present invention detailing user selectable content metrics that are available for the audio and text format options in the software;
[0058] FIG. 11 a block diagram of the present invention detailing user selectable content metrics that are available for the still graphics and motion graphics format options in the software;
[0059] FIG. 12 is a partially exploded cross sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the club head face construction of the present invention showing two metal layers of which only the inner metal layer is rigidly attached to the club head housing;
[0060] FIG. 13 is a partially exploded cross sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the club head face construction of the present invention showing a single metal layer and a hard material other than metal embedding the pressure force sensors that is the outer surface of the club head face;
[0061] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention depicting a golf club head embodiment using two three dimensional g-force sensors;
[0062] FIG. 15 details an alternative embodiment of the present invention showing the integrated golf club communicating results directly from the club to the golfer using audio means;
[0063] FIG. 16 depicts a perspective view of a further alternative embodiment of the present invention that does not utilize pressure force sensors, and;
[0064] FIG. 17 depicts another alternative embodiment where the electronic module is combined with a display module and mounted on a golf club shaft, with one or more single or multi-dimensional acceleration g-force sensor or sensors mounted in the club head.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0065] The present invention comprises an integrated golf club that measures directly and stores time varying forces during the golf club swing in the time span from before the golf club head and ball impact, to a point in time after club head and ball separation. Two categories of physical parameters are being measured. in real time simultaneously with different mechanisms that both convert directly to time varying force vectors. The force vectors from each measurement mechanism are interdependent in time and fixed spatial relation to one another as the club head transitions through all of the different dynamic forces during a golf swing, ball impact and after impact.
[0066] As shown in FIG. 1, the golf club head 10, has; a three dimensional g-force acceleration sensor 20 mounted in the center of the club head. In one of many embodiments for this invention, the sensor can be placed at the center of gravity of the club head 40 (FIG. 4) for simplification of metric calculations. However, the sensor does not have to be located at the center of gravity and all metrics defined are still achievable. The club head 10, also has an array of impact pressure force sensors 30 embedded in the golf club head face 11. The hosel 8 on club head 10 holds the shaft (not shown) of the club.
[0067] As shown in FIGS. 2, 2A and 2B the club head 10 and a club head cross section 12 show the construction of the clubface 11 having two metal layers, the outer metal layer 13 and the inner metal layer 14. The pressure force sensors 30 are imbedded in a non-metallic, non-electrical conducting medium of optimum physical properties 15 between the two metal layers as part of the clubface 11. The no-conducting medium 15 is a hard epoxy or similar material monolith structure with the pressure sensors 30 and their electrical connections embedded within it. Some examples of possible materials include UV curable epoxies such as UV Cure 60-7105 or medium to hard composition of Vantico or one of the compositions of Araldite. The monolith structure can be created with exact pressure sensor placement and orientation with known injection molding technologies. An example of this process would be to make an injection mold that creates half of the monolith structure and has half pockets for a precise fit for each of the sensors and electrical connection ribbon. The sensors with electrical connections are then placed in the preformed pockets of the initial half monolith. The initial half monolith with sensors is then placed in a second injection mold which completes the entire monolith. The sensors 30 are attached to a flex circuit ribbon 17a that will extend out from the monolith structure, through a small pass through opening in the inner layer 14, that connects to the electronics assembly 18 in the club head cavity.
[0068] The non-conducting monolith material 15 with embedded pressure sensors 30 can be pressure fit between the outer layer 13 and the inner layer 14. The outer layer 13 and the inner layer 14 can be connected to the club head housing 16 with conventional club head construction techniques utilizing weld seam. Some techniques might include Aluminum MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding for aluminum to aluminum connection and brazing for aluminum to titanium connections. The clubface layers 13 and 14 can be titanium or comparable metal or alloy and the club head housing components can be an aluminum alloy.
[0069] As seen in FIG. 2B, the mounting of the three dimensional acceleration force sensor 20 will be attached to a small printed circuit board 29 that holds the three dimensional sensor 20 or combination of one or two dimensional sensors 20 to give three dimensional measurement capabilities. The small printed circuit board 29 will be attached with a durable adhesive to a metal or non-metallic rigid protrusion 19 attached to the club housing either by adhesive, weld, fastener, or other well known connection, means, and extending to the spatial location that is predefined for the sensor. The printed circuit board 29 is electrically connected with electronics assembly 18 with a flex ribbon 170. The surface areas 19a of the protrusion 19 on which the sensor's printed circuit board is mounted has a defined orientation within the club head to align the acceleration measurement axis with the pre-defined reference axis of the club head.
[0070] As shown in FIG. 3, which is the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the inner metal layer 14 is more rigid than the outer clubface layer B. Both the outer layer 13 and the inner layer 14 are rigidly attached to the club housing 16 through the aforementioned welding process. In this configuration, the pressure exerted and resulting deformation on the clubface outer layer 13 by the golf clubface 11 and ball create a time varying pressure profile on the non-metallic medium monolith 15. The individual pressure sensors 30 each generate an output voltage proportional to the pressure experienced by that sensor. The pressure sensors 30 in the preferred embodiment are piezoelectric elements of the same surface area and thickness, therefore generating identical pressure force versus voltage profiles. In the case where the clubface inner 14 and outer 13 metal layers are both rigidly connected to the club head shell housing 16, the deformation of the monolith 15 will be less near the edge 28 of the clubface. This means that less pressure will be measured for the same impact force by sensors closer to the edge of the club. These variations will be a constant with respect to the fixed geometric shape of the club head and can be calibrated out in the digital signal process with fixed calibration coefficients programmed into the processing. Calibration could also be done during production on a per club basis.
[0071] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment with only one three dimensional g-force sensor 20 mounted at the center of gravity 40 of the club head 10. This configuration, in association with data from the pressure force sensor array, can calculate all of the metrics listed earlier. However, since there is only a single point to measure club head rotation around the center of gravity and it is at the center of gravity, the radial acceleration vector sum is small and a very high resolution of the signal measurement is required. A preferred method of maintaining accuracy and lowering the measurement resolution requirement is to use more than one three dimensional g-force sensors offset from the center of gravity as seen in FIG. 14.
[0072] As shown in FIG. 5, the two sensor categories, both three dimensional g-force sensor or sensors 200 and the pressure force sensors 100 are connected to electronics that capture the time varying electrical signals of all of the sensors simultaneously. The electrical signals may or may not use signal conditioning 300 before they are input to the simultaneous sample and hold function 401. The simultaneous sample and hold function 401 samples an sensor inputs and at a single point in time then holds the value of each independent sensor for a short period of time. During this short duration in time, the analog to digital conversion function 402 takes each sample value and converts it to a digital representation. All of the digital samples for each sensor are associated with that single sample time of acquisition in the apply sequencing group tag and the reference function 403 and are then moved into digital memory 404. The sampling rate of the simultaneous sample and hold function 401 is at, or faster than, the Nyquist rate determined by the highest pertinent frequency component of all of the time varying analog sensor inputs. After all data has been loaded into memory storage 404 from a given golfer's swing, additional swing data can be captured and stored or the data is further processed and formatted 405 for transfer to a user interface function. All of the functions listed are coordinated by a controller function 406, which may be integrated together with other functions 400 such as a sophisticated PIC (Periphery Interface Control) module with DSP (Digital Signal Processing) functionality such as Motorola's HC11, HC12 and HC16 micro controller families and MicroChip's dsPIC30 and dsPIC33 families. In a preferred embodiment, the signal is processed and formatted 405 to be applied to a wireless transceiver 500, where it is transferred to a remote user interface such as a laptop computer. All of the functions in FIG. 5 that require electrical power to function are supplied by a battery power supply 600 that is detachable from the integrated golf club or rechargeable if it is implemented as a permanent component of the golf club.
[0073] As shown in FIG. 6, the controller organizes and controls the electrical processing of the signals based on triggers. When the club is turned on, the controller is monitoring the g-force sensor 20 or sensors for a predefined level of acceleration force 701. Once the predefined trigger level is met, the controller knows that a golf swing has started 702. The controller then brings out of sleep mode or turns on the circuitry required for all sampling, analog to digital conversion, timing and processing to memory functions for a defined period of time 703. This defined period of time can be either a preprogrammed duration of time or a acquisition circuitry stop function initiated by other trigger levels indicating the swing is substantially past the point in time of club head and ball impact, at which time the data acquisition stops 704. At this point the golfer can take more swings and have data stored in the club head memory in which case the controller goes back to step 701 or the controller further processes the data for transfer to a human interface function. In the preferred embodiment, this processing is preparation for wireless transmission 705. Next, the controller executes the wireless transmission to an external user interface apparatus, which includes transmission reception confirmation or if any data was corrupted during initial transmission, retransmission of those data blocks 706. Once all data has been confirmed as received, the controller resets all electronics in preparation for monitoring the g-force sensors for the next trigger 707.
[0074] Another option (not shown in FIG. 6) utilizes a manual switch that the golfer physically tums on before initiating his swing and turns off after completion of the swing. The switch initiates fun data acquisition allowing the golfer to track acceleration dynamics of his entire swing including backswing and follow through.
[0075] FIG. 7 shows the processing steps described in FIG. 6 in conjunction with a golfer's swing. In FIG. 7a, the golfer is starting his swing and the club movement and acceleration parameters are minimal at this point 801. In FIG. 7b, the club head acceleration parameters hit the defined trigger level and definitively indicate a swing is in progress at which point all of signal capture and processing circuitry is turned on 802. In FIG. 7c, the club makes contact 803 with the ball 803a and all of the data collection circuitry is still recording all sensor information. In FIG. 7d, the club stops recording sensor data at point 804.
[0076] FIG. 8 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention. The golf club transmits the measured data from the golf club to a remote user interface wirelessly 1001. The user human interface apparatus could be a smart phone, PDA, computer or custom wireless enabled thin or thick client device. In the preferred embodimentthe human interface apparatus is a laptop computer 1002. The laptop computer 1002 may have wireless abilities already built in for wireless communication such as WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee or others. If the laptop doesn't have integrated wireless hardware and protocols to communicate wirelessly, a USB wireless adapter and associated software may be used. The laptop 1002 will have software 1100 running on it that is associated specifically with processing the time varying synchronized data from the golf club into golf performance metrics for human interpretation in many different user selectable and definable formats.
[0077] FIG. 9 shows the software 1100 capabilities and the structure of the program. The software 1100 will give great flexibility to the golfer as to how information is conveyed 1120 and what metrics information is conveyed 1130.
[0078] As seen in FIG. 10 the me tries information 1130 that can be conveyed is broken into four categories: (1) audio; (2) text; (3) still graphics; and (4) motion graphics which are time dilation sequenced graphics that would play as a time expanded video of various time varying metrics. Since the content that can be displayed in text is the same content that can be conveyed through audio which are scalar values, these two groups of user selectable metrics can be combined 1131. The available content for the still graphic options 1132 and the motion graphics options 1133 are more complex, therefore they each have their own unique selectable metrics lists.
[0079] As shown in FIG. 11, the still graphic options 1132 and the motion graphics options 1133 are more complex in the sense they both convey three dimensional spatial metrics. However, the motion graphics 1133 adds the fourth dimension of time to create a powerful understanding for the golfer as to the dynamic nature of the metrics being presented.
[0080] FIG. 12 shows an alternative embodiment of the club head face construction where the outer metal layer 13 of the club face 11 is not rigidly connected to the club head housing 16 and the inner layer 14 is rigidly connected the golf club head housing 16. The outer layer 13 is connected to the non-metallic, significantly hard monolith 15 that has the sensor array 30 embedded within it. The outer layer 13 is attached to the monolith material 15 with a strong durable adhesive. The monolith material 15 is also attached to the inner layer 14 with a durable adhesive. The inner layer 14 is rigidly connected. to the club housing 16 with a welded seam as heretofore disclosed.
[0081] FIG. 13 shows yet another embodiment of the club head face construction where there is only an inner metal layer 14 and the outer surface of the clubface 11 is the embedding material 15 that encapsulates the array of pressure force sensors 30. The embedding material 15 in this case is a non-conducting, very hard, durable non brittle material. Many materials exist that could be used and some example material families could be polycarbonates or very hard polymers. In this embodiment, the monolith material 15 is also attached to the inner layer 14 with a durable adhesive, while the inner layer 14 is rigidly connected to the club housing 16 with a welded seam.
[0082] As shown in FIG. 14, a preferred embodiment has two, three dimensional g-force sensors. An inner three dimensional g-force sensor 20a mounted on the axial center of gravity 41 of the club head 10 near where the club shaft connects, and an outer three dimensional g-force sensor 20b that is also mounted on the axial center of gravity 41 but on the other side of the club head and at an equal distance from the center of gravity 40 as that of the inner three dimensional g-force sensors 20a. In addition, each sensor's axial domain will have one axis normal to the clubface and one axis coincident with the axial center of gravity 41. There can be any reasonable number of the three dimensional g-force sensors 20 mounted in the golf club head 10 and that are not aligned with the center of gravity or associated axis. However, as long as the sensors' positions and orientations are known in relation to the mass distribution of the club head, the needed calculations can be made. By utilizing relationships to the center of gravity, the calculations are simplified.
[0083] FIG. 15 shows one embodiment after the point in time when the electronics stop collecting data 804. The collected data is processed in the club head into key metrics that are useful to the golfer. These metrics are then communicated to the golfer directly from the golf club. The metrics content can be conveyed in several forms, one of which is an audible signal or sequence of audible signals from the club 901 such as a synthesized voice stating metrics. Other forms of communication from the golf club to the golfer could include signals that are vibrated through the club handle for privacy or temperature variations in the club handle.
[0084] FIG. 16 shows an alternative embodiment that only encompasses one or more g-force sensors 20, without any pressure force sensors 30 included. The golf club invention of this design offers a subset of metrics that include: [0085] 1. Total energy transferred from club to ball; [0086] 2. Time varying three dimensional motional acceleration and associated force vectors on club head before, during and after club head face and ball impact; [0087] 3. Radial acceleration forces on the club for an estimation of club head velocity; [0088] 4. Three dimensional deceleration force vectors of club head during the club/ball impact;
[0089] Although specific embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that changes can be made to the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is not to be restricted, therefore, to the specific embodiments. Furthermore, it is intended that the appended claims cover any and all such applications, modifications, and embodiments within the scope of the present invention.
[0090] FIG. 17 shows yet still another alternative embodiment that is a golf club 1200 with golf club head 1201, a golf club shaft 1202 and a grip 1203 on the shaft 1202. In this embodiment, the golf club head 1201 can have either a one dimensional or two dimensional acceleration g-force sensor 1204. The one dimensional g-force sensor or sensors 1204 is connected through wire 1205 to electronic circuitry and display module 1206 connected to the club shaft 1202 near the golf club hand grip 1203. The human interface display screen 1206a can be of graphics or text format such as OSRAM's Pivtiva OLED models or Varitronic LCD models, respectively. The electronic circuitry and display module 1206 collect signals from the g-force sensor or sensors 1204, processes: those signals, converts the signals to metrics and displays the metrics regarding the swing of the golf club on the display 1206a.
[0091] The electronic module may also have the ability to receive data from the golfer, such as arm length, which can be used for calculations of golf club head velocity. In this form of the invention, the arm length datum is input into the electronic circuitry and display module 1206 by a smart wheel 1206b, or some such other similar means.
