DE20006816U1 - Ball detection system for golf and minigolf-like facilities - Google Patents

Description

Ball detection system for golf and minigolf-like facilities

The invention relates to a ball tracking system for golf and minigolf courses.

With current golf and minigolf courses, players cannot immediately check their strengths and weaknesses. A comparison between previous games can only be made if the player himself stops the time as he completes each obstacle. When several participants play at the same time, a comparison between players is difficult, especially with minigolf courses.

A current display of the scores, such as the remaining playing time, the number of hits scored and a ratio of hits and playing time, makes the current score transparent, serves as player guidance (the number of the current holes is displayed for each player) and thus gives the game a new attraction that will lead to increased utilization of the facilities, as group play in particular is encouraged and spectators are more involved in the game. For professionals, protocols can be created by a computer that record the strengths and weaknesses of each player over many games and can therefore lead to improvements in the game.

The system should be able to be used for minigolf and similar facilities, as well as for normal golf.

The object of the invention is to display the "holing" of a ball according to time and player at one or more locations, as well as to display derived results such as playing time, odds and the next hole in order to enable player guidance and to save the game results.

Furthermore, a time and hit count will be carried out to enable automatic cashing and thus reduce the need for supervisory staff on railways.

To achieve all of this, in the simplest case, a limit switch must be installed at each hole, which detects the ball being holed and forwards the information to the computer via the bus. This bus can use the usual two-wire cable (or other number) or the fiber optic cable as a carrier, but also media such as radio, infrared or ultrasound.

When using a simple limit switch (see sketch 1 item 5) you must always assume that all players act strictly according to the instructions on the scoreboard or the rules of the game. However, if there are deviations here, the computer can no longer follow the progress of a player's game.

To avoid this, it is advisable to give each player a specially marked ball at the start of the game and to assign the player's name to the ball marking in the computer. If the electronics in the target holes can now distinguish between the balls, errors in the game can always be detected and the players receive the appropriate messages.

It is advantageous to place a device in or on the ball that changes the strength or frequency of applied electromagnetic (or acoustic) fields or that automatically emits electromagnetic radiation (or sound waves) after such fields have been applied.

In sketch 1 it is shown that after "holing" the limit switch (5) switches on the frequency generator (7) (limit switch to save power) and envelops the ball in a field via the air coil (4) (or loudspeaker).

If a small suction circuit is now installed in the ball (sketch 2), a strong change in the field strength will occur at a certain transmission frequency (the resonance frequency of the suction circuit), which is detected by the receiving coil (27) and fed to the computer via the filter (here rectification + averaging) via the ADU.

After searching through a frequency band, the system now knows where the resonance frequencies are and thus which ball it is.

This information can be transmitted to the main computer (PC, 17) via the bus. This is where the evaluation, archiving and display takes place.

If several suction circuits with different resonance frequencies are installed in or on the ball, a large number of balls can be marked with just a few types of resonant circuit. The frequency response is then determined by evenly increasing the frequency applied to coil 4 and recording the resulting field strength with coil 27 and evaluating it with the computer. An example of a frequency response is shown in sketch 4. Here, for example, three resonant circuits are installed on the ball.

Another way of identifying the ball is to install an electronic circuit in the ball (sketch 3) that draws its power from the applied alternating electric field and uses it to feed an oscillating circuit, which here consists of CMOS circuits (NAND) and R-C elements. This arrangement itself then sends out a frequency that is determined by the RC elements. This is detected by means of the coil 27 and a pulse count can be carried out via a threshold switch (11). The number of pulses or the duty cycle can be used to identify the ball. A more modern method would be fast processing using a fast ADU and subsequent computer.

A third way of identifying the ball is to use pre-magnetized metal strips. Depending on the size, material and magnetization, a different spectrum of harmonics is generated after an electromagnetic field is applied, which in turn can be detected and evaluated. The advantage of this is that only small metal strips need to be glued to the ball without the ball having to be modified.

Logically, all devices installed on or in the ball must be extremely small (thin film, SMD technology, etc.) and installed either exactly in the center of the ball or symmetrically on the ball so as not to change the playing characteristics of the ball.

The use of several resonant circuits, transmitters, or harmonic suppliers with different properties for coding the ball are of course

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can be used anywhere. When using "transmitters" with CMOS logic, it would not be necessary to scan a frequency band with the generator (7).

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Legend

1 - Pennant with antenna

2 - Target hole with plastic tube

3 - Ball

4 - Air coil for emitting an electromagnetic field

5 - Limit switch

6 - Battery (can be omitted if power supply via cable)

7 - Frequency generator

8 - one or more frequency filters or bandpasses

9 - Ground level, or minigolf surface

10 - Analog-digital converter

11 - one or more threshold switches

12 - Computer or in the simplest case logic module

13 - Transmitter, receiver for data bus either via radio or

Wired

14 - Protective case for electronics

15 -wie13

16 - one or more identification devices (e.g. resonant circuits

on or in the ball

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

- Main computer

- Scoreboard

- Antenna

- Capacitor

- Antenna

- Kitchen sink

- NAND gate or transistor based on CMOS

- Resistance

- Antenna + rectifier that converts energy from the applied electromagnetic into supply voltage

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Claims (8)

1. Detection devices and identification devices (consisting of a computer, transmitter and receiver with evaluation/frequency analysis devices such as analogue-digital converters and/or filters and threshold switches and 1 or just a computer and reporting device for a "holed" ball) for golf balls and other game balls (e.g. mini golf balls), which are connected to a main computer via a bus system and in the simplest case report the hole-in of a ball, but also by means of the effect of electromagnetic or acoustic fields which are changed by one or more devices on the ball, or which also cause signals to be sent by transmitting devices in (on) the ball, and thus enable identification of different balls in the detection device, or in the simplest case just report the hole-in. 2. Oscillating circuits that are installed on the ball and are stimulated to oscillate when an electromagnetic or acoustic field is applied, thus enabling the identification of the ball. 3. Transmitters that are installed on or in the ball and, after applying an electromagnetic field, draw their supply voltage from it and send a defined frequency pattern to identify the ball (duty cycle, frequency) 4. Metal or magnetic strips which, due to their specific magnetic properties, characteristically change the applied electromagnetic field or emit defined harmonic components and thus characterize the ball. 5. Several of the above-mentioned identification elements, which allow coding of several elements and can therefore identify a large number of balls. The elements can be interrogated by an applied electromagnetic field, the frequency of which is changed. 6. A data bus with a medium as a two-wire line or radio or ultrasound or infrared between the target holes and the evaluation computer which reports the hole-in-the-hole of the ball and, if possible, its identification to the main computer ( 17 ). 7. Use the target pennant as an antenna. 8. That a sound field is used instead of the electromagnetic field.