EP3119484A1

EP3119484A1 - Orientation aid for a golfer

Info

Publication number: EP3119484A1
Application number: EP15720595.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Georg Springub
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-03-18
Filing date: 2015-03-17
Publication date: 2017-01-25
Also published as: WO2015139832A1; DE102014103681B4; US10603567B2; DE102014103681A1; US20180214759A1

Abstract

An orientation aid for a golfer (13) is designed such that, in order to orientate the golfer (13) in the direction of an intended target (3, 7), it comprises a handheld device (18) with a position finder (19) for determining a target vector (V1) to the intended target (3; 7), and a sensor device (30; 31) for determining a position vector (V2) as a measure for the instantaneous orientation of the golfer, and such that it has means for testing an enclosed angle (α) between the target vector (V1) and the position vector (V2) and, when the test is successful, a good signal (G) can be output to a display device (26, 27, 28).

Description

Description:

Alignment aid for a golfer

The invention relates to an alignment aid for a golfer according to the preamble of claim 1.

In order to be able to play a golf ball in the direction of the targeted target, such as a hole on the green of a fairway when playing golf, it is necessary for the player to correctly position himself in the golf course. The feet, knees, hips, eyes and shoulders should be aligned parallel to the line in the direction of the targeted target. The clubface should be exactly aligned with the target. If the golfer is misaligned, the ball may strike the target laterally when hit.

Most errors in a golf swing result from misalignment, with the largest alignment problem

CONFIRMATION COPY is in the way of how to aim the goal. As you stand sideways to the target and want to hit your golf ball, the right eye becomes more dominant as you turn and tilt your head to look for the target. As a result, the line of sight, that is, the line between the eye and the fixed target, is bent further to the right than it actually is, and thus naturally leads to an optical illusion. As a result, the feet, knees, hips, eyes, and shoulders are often not aligned parallel to the finish line.

WO 2012/138605 A2 describes systems and methods for providing golf-specific coaching or training information to individual golfers based on data generated during their individual golf strokes. This golf impact evaluation system includes a data acquisition and storage device that receives data from a GPS system, golf club, golf shoes, and a garment component such as a golf glove or shirt, and processes it over a network to a portable electrical device and / or a data hub specifies where the data is stored, analyzed and displayed. In this case, the data acquisition and storage device may be mounted on a golf cart or a golf bag on which or additionally a video camera, alignment aid, such as laser, tilt sensor and so on may be mounted. The shoes are provided with sensors for detecting force data, whereas sensors for detecting position data are provided in the golf club and the clothing component for determining the position of the body part such as the hands or shoulders, or the golf club. However, such a system and the methods are only for analysis of a golf club during or after the completion of this golf club designed. Advance instructions for optimizing a specific stroke are not possible here.

WO 2012/027726 A2 discloses a portable wireless mobile device as a motion detection and analysis system comprising at least one motion sensing element for interfacing with the golfer or his equipment and an application on a mobile device. The motion sensing element includes a WLAN measurement unit and may be attached to a golf shoe, sunglasses, club face, or golf club handle to capture any combination of position, velocity, and acceleration values. Again, the system and the methods for analyzing a golf club are designed during or after the completion of a specific golf course or to display a training plan. Advance hints for the optimization of a concrete stroke are not possible here either. Thus, the motion detection and analysis system is unsuitable as an alignment aid for golfers before hitting.

The patent application US2010 / 0099509A 1 describes a golf club beater analyzer in which sensors in the golf club and in a glove provide signals about the current bounce and this is evaluated in a display device. The determination of a vector to the target is not made.

In the patent application US2007 / 0265105A 1, an analysis device for the posture and the stroke of a golf club is described. For this purpose, three light sources are mounted on the golf club, which are observed and evaluated by a camera. The determination of a vector to the target is not made. In the "Alignment Aid Tool" of the iPhone application "Golf Tools Pro" by Brendan Magill (http://www.appticker.org/ch/app/585644/golf-tools-pro .html) is revealed that the iPhone as a gyroscope is used to align the feet of a golfer with a chosen target. In a first step, the finish line is sighted and stored by bearing using a Peilmarkierungslinie on the iPhone screen. In a second step, a position line and position markers for the feet of the golfer are then displayed on the screen, which are additionally superimposed with the image currently taken by the rear camera of the iPhone. However, the handling is extremely difficult in practice: it must be held to align the feet of the golfer iPhone device with at least one hand with the camera to the ground. At the same time, the two feet must be brought into coincidence with the position marker or the position line via the current image displayed on the screen. Consequently, the golfer can not assume the striking position in which the grip of the racket is firmly enclosed with both hands in order to convey the golf ball in a swinging movement in the direction of the hole, whereby the club face is aligned at 90 ° to the target line.

The invention is based on the problem of specifying an easy-to-handle and easy-to-transport alignment aid for a golfer.

The invention solves this problem by an alignment aid having the features of claim 1 and a method having the features of claim 16. With regard to advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention, reference is made to claims 2 to 15. The invention is characterized in that the alignment aid for aligning the golfer in the direction of a targeted target comprises a handset with a direction finder for determining a target vector to the target and a sensor device for determining a position vector as a measure of the current orientation of the golfer and that these means for Checking a trapped angle between the target vector and the position vector and upon successful examination, a Gutsignal can be output to a display device, a reliable help for the golfer created. This simply determines only a first vector to the target and a second, actual vector of the orientation of the golfer. If these two vectors are congruent, the alignment is correct and the strike can be made.

If the alignment of a horizontal body line of the golfer can be detected advantageously by the sensor device, further error vectors are switched off.

For example, the sensor device may be formed externally by a bottom-supportable ruler or the like, which is aligned by the feet of the golfer and is therefore variable in its angle to the target vector. The contact of the feet may then be confirmed by touch sensors or the like, and the golfer will align with it. In its function, the sensor device is then in contact with the golfer, so that its orientation then inevitably corresponds to the orientation of the sensor device.

In particular, for a visually inconspicuous mount, the sensor device comprises a single sensor for body alignment, such as an electronic compass, or for a high security and reliable alignment at least two sensor systems, which are arranged in or on the body and / or in or on the clothes of the golfer. These may be, for example, on Velcro straps around the heel or around the MittelfujS halterable sensor systems, also such Velcro strips can alternatively be concealed around the knees or around the lower legs, such as the socks and pants (or with slightly greater uncertainty at the hips or shoulders) be held. A particular advantage of the invention is that it is in function before hitting a golf ball and therefore does not subsequently analyze errors, but optimizes in advance the specific impact. This optimization does not happen on the basis of statistical data, but rather concrete body posture for the respective stroke.

The handset may include a direction finder with a direction sensor for determining a target vector to the targeted target. The target may be a hole on a green at a straight fairway or a first lookout point on a kinked fairway that has a dogleg. Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the first and second sensor system in the first and second shoe each have a direction sensor for determining a position vector between the first and second shoe. These sensor systems are visually very inconspicuous and can be installed as a kit even in the respective shoe. Moreover, here the handset comprises means for checking the included angle between the target vector and the position vector. The included angle is always the smaller angle between the two vectors and can be calculated using the scalar product. In this version, if both golfer's shoes are optimally aligned parallel to the target vector, A successful check of the included angle sets to zero, and a good signal is output to a display device. Alternatively, only one sensor, for example in or on a shoe, may be provided, in particular for advanced players whose foot posture is optimized without bending to the whole body alignment. The display device can display the optimal alignment optically, acoustically and / or by vibration. In the optical display, for example, colored LEDs light up in green, yellow or red, or there is an adequate graphical display on the screen of a smartphone. For example, the audible indicator emits a slow-paced sound on a speaker. And in the vibration display, the optimal alignment is simply communicated by different vibrations. The invention provides, in addition to the output on a handset or smartphone, the attachment of a display device, for example on the shoe or wrist, so that the handling is easy. The transport costs for such an alignment aid is almost zero.

The direction finder may conveniently comprise a dipstick or a bearing marker, with the aid of which one can aim the target essentially by a human eye. In this case, the relative direction to the target and its angle is measured by the direction sensor in the direction finder, from which the target vector can be determined. In addition, the invention provides for the determination of the target vector, the American GPS system. This makes it possible to locate the location of the GPS receiver. For the actual positioning of the GPS receiver measures the signal delay of at least three satellites and calculates its position. Are the coordinates of the target position z. B. the hole on the green known, the coordinates of the position of the golfer at the tee can be determined with a GPS receiver in the handset or smartphone and then determined from both positions of the target vector. Or, first the GPS coordinates of the target are measured and then the GPS coordinates of the reduction, so that the target vector can be determined from both GPS coordinates. The data of the target vector are then stored, for example, in the memory of the handset or in the sensor devices.

The directional sensors which are used in the direction finding device as well as in the first and second sensor systems are favorably designed as a microelectromechanical vibrating gyroscope or MEMS gyroscope. These gyroscopes usually consist of very small mass elements, which are vibrated in one axis and whose movement is measured by influences of the Coriolis force on capacitive elements, which are arranged in a horizontal axis. The MEMS gyroscope is fabricated from a silicon wafer in a similar way to integrated circuits. By means of suitable integration methods, the parameters of position, speed and position can be determined. Accordingly, by disposing the first and second sensor systems in, for example, the first and second heel portions of the first and second shoes, high accuracy in determining the relative position can be achieved. The handheld device or smartphone here comprises a first transmitting / receiving device for exchanging data via radio with the first and second sensor systems for simple, wireless data transmission. This can be different Transmission techniques are used, such as WLAN or Bluetooth. The first and second sensor systems then each include a respective second transmitting / receiving device for exchanging data via radio between the first and second sensor systems and with the handheld device. In this way, by transmitting the relative positions between the two sensor systems, the position vector can be determined in order then to subsequently transmit it to the hand-held device, where it is stored in the memory of the hand-held device. The position vector passes through the center of the first sensor system and the center of the second sensor system. The data of the position vector, for example, stored in the memory of the handset. Furthermore, the handset or smartphone may comprise means for checking the included angle between the target vector and the position vector, which in turn may be part of a processing system. This processing system contains, for example, existing software and / or hardware components of a commercially available smartphone. In the processing system, here the data of the stored target vector and the stored position vector are linked and, as a result, the included angle is determined, and then the angle measure is checked to the value zero. Upon successful verification, the Gutsignal is output to the desired display device.

At the time of hitting the golf ball, however, disturbs the visual, acoustic display or vibration display the golfer. For this reason, the handset or smartphone particularly favorable to a switch or automatic shutdown for switching off the Gutsignals. The automatic switch-off can be time-controlled. Such Shutdown is required to use the device in tournaments.

The automatic switch-off can also evaluate the resting position of the feet after an alignment and then automatically switch off the good signal.

The inventive method for checking the included angle between the target vector and the position vector with the alignment aid provides first aligning the direction finder with the target, whereby the target vector is received by the direction finder. Thereafter, the position vector is determined as a measure of the orientation of the golfer of the sensor device. Both the target vector and the position vector are stored in the memory of the handset or smartphone. Now, the golfer aligns parallel to the target vector, and the processing system determines from the currently received position vector the included angle between the target vector and the position vector and checks the angle of the included angle. The golfer continues to align with his / her transverse axis, for example via his two shoes, parallel to the target vector until the included angle becomes zero. As a result, the good signal is output to the display device, eg optical display, acoustic display and / or vibration display, on the basis of this successful test by the processing system. During the alignment, the golfer is not forced to hold the handset or smartphone in his hands, but he has both hands free to take the stroke position, in which both hands enclose the grip of the golf club and at the same time the club face by 90 ° to the target vector is aligned. Optionally, the target vector may be formed from the GPS coordinates of the GPS receiver. Furthermore, the method according to the invention also provides for switching off the good signal by time or by means of the switch on the handset or smartphone, so that the golf player is not disturbed by the optical, acoustic display or vibration display when the golf club is being executed in the direction of the hole or the first point of the bearing becomes. Particularly advantageous different directional characteristics of the body body can be determined for the attachment of the first and second sensor system. As already described in detail, the directional characteristics may lie in the heels of the first and second shoe. Alternatively, the directional characteristic points may lie in a first and second shoulder region of a shirt or in a first and second hip region of a belt.

Preferred further embodiments of the alignment aid provide that the invention is not limited to the orientation of a golfer before hitting a golf ball, but also in training systems for other ball sports is applicable, for example for mini golf or cricket or tennis and badminton. It goes without saying that the overall system design is adapted to the typical movement sequences in the respective sport.

The invention is explained below by way of example with reference to preferred embodiments with reference to the figures.

It shows schematically: 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of an alignment aid according to the invention-here with two sensors in two shoes-in a state aligned relative to a hole, FIG. 2 shows a plan view of an angular clearance with a first bearing point,

3 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a hand-held device of the alignment aid according to the invention,

4 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a measuring device of the alignment aid according to the invention. Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a fairway 1 with a straight fairway 4. At the bottom of the fairway 1, the tee 2 is arranged with a arranged on the opposite side green 6. The green 6 is the target area in golf, on which Golf ball is transported in the direction of the hole 7. Such a hole 7 consists of a cylindrical insert, which is embedded in the surface of the green 6, in which the flagstaff 8 is inserted, at the upper end of which a flag is attached. Around the green 6 are often obstacles that make it difficult to play. Often the sand bunkers are 5. 1, which can be extremely deep, but also water hazards are common.

The tee 2 is a flat, mostly rectangular and often slightly raised grass area. A tee mark indicates within this area the location where the golf ball 9 must be knocked off. The importance of the correct alignment of the feet, knees, hips, eyes and shoulders parallel to the target line or VI is particularly important in order to convey the golf ball 9 as close as possible to the hole 7. Here are the eyes of the golfer 13 directed directly over the golf ball 9 and the finish line or target vector VI. Therefore, at this stroke, the golfer 13 must feel that his body is properly aligned parallel to the target 7. When knocking off, the clubface 1 1 is optimally aimed exactly at the target or hole 7. The golfer 13 grasps with both hands the handle at the upper end of the shaft 12 of the golf club 10 and align the club face 1 1 by 90 ° to the target line or target vector. In many golfers 13 but the biggest alignment problem is in the way they target the goal 7. For example, the golfer's body 13 is aligned with the target by holding the golf club 10 across the hips and then looking where it points. Already a small deviation in the parallel orientation of the body leads through the golf stroke over a long distance to a significant deviation W from the ideal finish line or target vector VI.

The alignment aid according to the invention supports the golfer 13 in the correct parallel alignment of the body to the target vector VI, which is determined by a GPS bearing 20 using the direction finder 19 in the handset 18 and stored. In addition, a first and second sensor system 30, 31 in the first and second heel region 16, 17 of the first and second shoe 14, 15 of the golfer 13 are arranged, through which the position vector V2 is determined, which in turn transmitted by radio to the handset 18 becomes where it is stored. The two shoes 14, 15 are placed at a distance A to each other, which corresponds approximately to the shoulder width of the body. In the handset 18, the included angle α between the target vector VI and the position vector V2 is determined and checked its angle. If the two shoes 14, 15 are aligned exactly parallel to the target vector VI, the angle of the included angle α equal to zero, and it is a Gutsignal G on the optical display 26 and / or acoustic display 27 output. The Gutsignal G can be switched off after time or by means of the switch 29 so as not to disturb the golfer when performing the golf course and to be able to comply with the tournament rules.

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of an angular fairway 1, the fairway 4 is bent to the left or bent. The change of direction is approximately at the point where a good first golf course S l should land from the tee 2. In addition, a direct impact of the golf ball 9 in the hole 7 on the green 6 is prevented by planting 5.2 of the fairway 4 in the kink area with trees or shrubs.

The golfer 13 uses the alignment aid according to the invention in order to optimally reach the first bearing point 3 with the first golf stroke S 1 from the tee 2. In this case, in the direction of the first Peilpunktes 3 a conspicuous Obj ect 8, such as a tree, be marked for optical bearing, or it is the GPS coordinates of a conspicuous object for the GPS bearing known.

At the first bearing point 3, the golfer 13 again uses the alignment aid according to the invention for optimal success in order to optimally convey the golf ball 9 with a second golf stroke S2 to the hole 7 on the green 6.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the handheld device 18 which has a power supply 25.

The determination of the target vector VI via the direction finder 19 either by optical bearing of the target position Z of the hole 7 or by GPS bearing of the target position Z via the GPS receiver device 21. The target vector VI is then stored in the memory 24 of the handset 18. The position vector V2 is received by the first and second sensor system 30, 3 1 via the first transmitting / receiving device 22 and also stored in the memory 24 of the handset 18.

The processing system 23 accesses the memory 24 to obtain the data of the target vector and position vector. On the basis of the data, the included angle between the target vector V I and the position vector V2 is determined and its angle measured. Upon successful verification, the processing system 23 outputs a Gutsignal G on the optical display 26 and / or acoustic display 27 and / or vibration display 28. In this case, the Gutsignal G can be switched off by an automatic shutdown after time or by means of the switch 29.

4 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the first and second sensor system 30, 3 1, each of which may have a power supply 25 and together represent an example of the above-mentioned. Form sensor device.

To transmit the position vector V2 to the handset 18, the first and second sensor systems each comprise a second transmitting / receiving device 33, the position vector V2 being determined by exchanging data between the two sensor systems 30, 3 1.

In this case, the data of the position vector V2 are determined on the basis of relative positions R, which are measured by the direction sensor 32 in the first and second sensor systems 30, 3 1. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 fairway 23 processing system

5 2 tee 24 storage

3 First Peilpunkt 30 25 Power supply

4 Fairway 26 Optical display

5. 1 sand bunker 27 Acoustic display

5.2 Planting 28 Vibration display

10 6 green 29 switch

7 holes 35 30 First sensor system

8 Flagstaff 31 Second sensor system

9 golf ball 32 direction sensor

10 golf clubs 33 second transmitters

15 1 1 Bat sheet / receiving device

12 shaft 40 α angle

13 golfers A distance

14 First shoe G Good signal

15 Second shoe R Relative position

20 16 First heel area S l First golf swing

17 Second heel area 45 S2 Second golf swing

18 Handset V I Target Vector

19 Direction finding device V2 Position vector

20 GPS system W deviation

25 21 GPS receiver Z Target position

22 first send 50

/ Receiving device

Claims

Claims:

Alignment aid for a golfer (13),

characterized,

in that, in order to orient the golfer (13) in the direction of a targeted target (3, 7), a handheld device (18) with a direction finder (19) for determining a target vector (VI) to the targeted target (3; 7) and a sensor device (30 31) for determining a position vector (V2) as Maj3 for the momentary orientation of the golfer, and in that this means for checking an included angle () between the target vector (VI) and the position vector (V2) and upon successful examination a Gutsignal ( G) can be output to a display device (26, 27, 28).

Alignment aid according to claim 1,

characterized,

in that the orientation of a horizontal body line of the golfer (13) can be detected by the sensor device (30; 3 1).

Alignment aid according to one of claims 1 or 2,

characterized,

in that the sensor device (30; 31) comprises at least two sensor systems which are arranged in or on the body and / or in or on the clothing of the golfer (13) or which are in contact with it in their function.

Alignment aid according to claim 3, characterized,

in that the two sensor systems (30; 3 1) can be held in or on the shoes (14; 15) or on the lower legs or on the knees or on the hip or on the shoulder of the golfer (13).

5. alignment aid according to one of claims 1 to 4,

characterized,

that this is in effect before hitting a golf ball (9).

6. alignment aid according to one of claims 1 to 5,

characterized,

in that a first sensor system (30) is arranged in a first shoe (14) and a second sensor system (3 1) is arranged in a second shoe (15), and in that a handset (18) is provided with a memory (24) for storing data from the first and second sensor system (30, 31) is provided, the handset (18) comprises a direction finder (19) with a direction sensor (32) for determining a target vector (VI) to the targeted target (3, 7) and that the first and second The sensor system (30, 31) each comprise a direction sensor (32) for determining a position vector (V2) between the first and second shoes (14, 15), and the handset (18) further comprises means for checking an included angle (a) between the Target vector (VI) and the position vector (V2).

7. alignment aid according to one of claims 1 to 6,

characterized, in that the display device is designed as a visual display (26), an acoustic display (27) and / or a vibration display (28).

8. alignment aid according to one of claims 1 to 7,

characterized,

that the direction finding device (19) comprises a dipstick or a Peilmarkierung.

9. alignment aid according to one of claims 1 to 8,

characterized,

in that the direction finding device (19) contains a GPS receiving device (21) via which the target vector (V I) is formed to the targeted target (3, 7).

10. alignment aid according to one of claims 6 to 8,

characterized,

in that the directional sensor (32) is designed as a microelectro-mechanical vibration gyroscope.

1 1. Alignment aid according to one of claims 1 to 10,

characterized,

in that the first and second sensor systems (30, 31) are arranged in first and second heel regions (16, 17) and / or heels of the first and second shoes (14, 15).

12. alignment aid according to one of claims 1 to 1 1,

characterized, in that the data from the direction finder (19) can be stored in the memory (24) of the handset (18).

3. alignment aid according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

in that the handset (18) comprises a first transceiver (22) for exchanging data by radio with the first and second sensor systems (30, 3 1) and that the first and second sensor systems (30, 31) j eweils a second transmitting / receiving device (33) for exchanging data via radio between the first and second sensor system (30, 31) and with the handset (18).

4. alignment aid according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized,

that the Gutsignal at the time of hitting the golf ball (9) is not output to the display device (26, 27, 28).

5. alignment aid according to claim 14,

characterized,

in that the handheld device (18) has a switch (29) for switching off the good signal and / or has a time-controlled automatic cutoff for switching off the good signal.

6. Method for checking the included angle (a) between the target vector (VI) and the position vector (V2) with an alignment aid according to one of the preceding claims, comprising:

(i) aligning the direction finder (19) with the target (3, 7) or determining a direction to the target (3; 7) by GPS,

(ii) receiving the target vector (VI) from the direction finder (19) of the handset (18) or the GPS,

(iii) receiving the position vector (V2) from the sensor device (30, 31),

(iv) storing the target vector (VI) and the position vector (V2) in the memory (24) of the handset (18),

(v) aligning the first and second shoes (14, 15) parallel to the target vector (VI),

(vi) determining the included angle (a) between the target vector (VI) and the position vector (V2) in the processing system,

(vii) checking the included angle (a) in a processing system (23),

(viii) further aligning the two shoes (14, 15) parallel to the target vector (VI) until the included angle (oc) becomes zero,

(ix) outputting the Gutsignals on the display device (26, 27, 28) upon successful examination.