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Claims  |
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I claim:
1. A golf driving and chipping range featuring the automatic retrieval of
balls and the compilation of statistical data relates to the performance
of a player, comprising:
(a) a driving range area;
(b) multiple sets of golf balls having a coded inscription marked thereon
capable of recognition by scanning equipment, wherein each set comprises a
fixed number of balls available to a player and all balls of all sets have
a different code;
(c) a multiplicity of sloped curvilinear targets placed in said range area,
each target containing at least one section having a concave
cross-sectional surface with a receiving cup at the lowest point thereof,
wherein the slope anywhere on the surface of the section is sufficient to
cause said ball to roll by gravity to said receiving cup;
(d) a system of inclined pipes connected to each of said receiving cups
from the targets in the range area to carry said coded balls from any of
said cups to a collection container;
(e) first automatic scanning means coupled to said system of inclined pipes
for viewing and identifying the code on each ball in said multiple sets of
coded golf balls after it passes through any one of said receiving cups;
(f) second automatic scanning means for recording the individual codes of
said coded balls as they are being used to reconstitute said multiple sets
of golfing balls comprising a fixed number of balls;
(g) programmable computer means, connected to said first and second
scanning means for receiving input signals related to the code and target
section corresponding to each ball received through a cup and to the code
of each ball used to constitute each of said sets of multiple golf balls,
and available to a user for entering information related to individual
players, wherein said computing means identifies each coded ball passing
through said cups and calculates, stores and reports statistical data
concerning the performance of each player; and
(h) multiple tee stands on said range area from any one of which a player
can hit a said set of coded balls toward said multiple targets.
2. The automated range described in claim 1, wherein the coded inscriptions
marked on said coded balls are scattered randomly around the surface of
the ball.
3. The automated range described in claim 1, wherein the coded inscriptions
marked on said coded balls are repeated longitudinally along the
circumference of the ball.
4. The automated range described in claim 1, wherein the coded inscriptions
marked on said coded balls are repeated radially over the surface of the
ball.
5. The automated range described in claim 1, wherein an equatorial line is
added to said coded balls at a fixed distance from each of said coded
inscriptions in order to give said scanning means an added frame of
reference to enhance code recognition.
6. A golf driving range comprising:
a driving range area;
a plurality of coded golf balls, each of said golf balls having a different
bar code thereon, said bar-coded golf balls being arrangeable into at
least one set comprising a predetermined number of said golf balls;
at least one target in said driving range area, said target having at least
one ball receiving region contained therein for receiving any of said golf
balls of said set which is hit into and maintained in said target;
at least one teeing position in said driving range from which a player can
hit said set of coded golf balls toward said target;
a bar code scanner to identify said coded golf balls within said set prior
to said golf balls of said set being hit toward said target, and to
identify any of said golf balls of said set which are hit from said teeing
position and which are hit into and are maintained in said target; and
a computer system for receiving and processing input related to a player,
said at least one target and said at least one teeing position, said
computer system being operably connected to said scanner for receiving and
processing inputs related to said coded golf balls and said target or
targets into which said golf balls are hit, whereby statistical data
regarding the player's performance is obtained.
7. The driving range of claim 6, comprising a plurality of targets and
multiple tee stands wherein at least one of said targets comprises a
multilevel vertical target for driver shots located at a fixed distance
from each of said multiple tee stands, wherein each level of said
multilevel target includes a receiving region and a gutter connected to
said scanner.
8. The driving range of claim 7 wherein said net is attached to said
multilevel target securely enough to withstand the impact of flying balls,
and yet sufficiently loose to absorb the impact of the ball to cause it to
fall into the gutter below, rather than bounce back and fall to the
ground.
9. The driving range of claim 7, wherein said scanner comprises multiple
gates for interrupting the motion of a golf ball arriving from any of said
receiving regions and said gutters, and comprises a scanning unit
positioned in viewing relation to the output of each of said gates,
whereby each said ball is stopped to permit the individual scanning of
each said ball.
10. The driving range of claim 6, comprising a plurality of targets wherein
at least one of said targets comprises a circular inner section surrounded
by at least one annular section concentric thereto.
11. The driving range of claim 6, wherein said driving range is sloped and
comprises at least one low point with a receiving region for gathering
coded balls that land outside said target or targets, wherein the slope
anywhere in the range area is sufficient to cause said balls to roll by
gravity to said at least one low point and into said receiving region.
12. The driving range of claim 11, further comprising a transfer system to
effect movement of said coded balls from said at least one low point and
from said target or targets to a collection center.
13. A driving range for use by a golfer comprising:
at least one tee position;
at least one target located a predetermined distance from said tee
position;
a plurality of bar-coded golf balls which can be hit from said tee position
toward said target by the golfer;
a first bar code scanner to provide a first identification of said coded
golf balls prior to said coded golf balls being hit from said tee
position;
a second bar code scanner to provide a second identification of said coded
golf balls which are hit from said tee position into said target; and
a computer programmable to receive inputs from said first and second
scanners reflective of said first and second identifications and to
compile statistical data of the golfer's performance.
14. The driving range of claim 13, wherein said first scanner and said
second scanner comprise the same scanner.
15. The driving range of claim 13, wherein said plurality of bar-coded golf
balls are arrangeable into sets of a predetermined number of golf balls.
16. The driving range of claim 15, further comprising at least two targets,
wherein said second scanner further provides a first identification of the
target into which said coded golf ball is hit into and maintained within,
and wherein said first target identification is also receivable by said
computer.
17. The driving range of claim 16, further comprising at least two tee
positions.
18. The driving range of claim 15, wherein said target comprises at least
one ball receiving area and at least one ball receiving cup within said
ball receiving area.
19. The driving range of claim 18, further comprising a collection
container and a system of inclined pipes to carry said coded balls within
said ball receiving cup to said collection container.
20. The driving range of claim 19, further comprising a transfer system to
carry coded balls which are hit from said tee position toward said target,
but which do not land in said target to said collection container.
21. The driving range of claim 20, wherein said collection container is
located adjacent to said target.
22. The driving range of claim 16, wherein said computer is further
programmable to compile a report summarizing golfer performance.
23. The driving range of claim 18, wherein said sets of coded golf balls
are scanned by said first scanner as said set is constituted, and wherein
said second scanner is operable to identify any of said coded balls of
said set which are received in said ball receiving cup.
24. The driving range of claim 23, wherein said second scanner is operably
connected to said at least two said targets, said driving range further
comprising a transfer system to transfer said coded balls received within
said targets from said ball receiving cup to said second scanner. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the general field of golf equipment and driving
and/or chipping ranges. More particularly, it relates to an improved range
using Universal Product Code labeling and optical scanner technology,
which provides golfers with entertainment and an opportunity to improve
their distance and directional skills for driving and/or chipping.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Golf driving and chipping ranges traditionally are of a type that permits a
golfer to rent, for a fee, a bucket of balls which the golfer then propels
using a golf club in a manner described in the sport of golf as driving or
chipping. The balls are hit from a tee stand located in a marked stall or
area onto a range normally equipped with markers that numerically indicate
the distance from the tee stand, thereby enabling the golfer to estimate
or determine the length of his drive or chip. The golfer's ability to
judge the length of his drive or chip is dependent upon his ability to
follow visually the path of the ball and to see the lie (the actual spot
where the ball lands after being hit). That ability may be impaired or
adversely affected by one or any combination of several factors, such as
the golfer's eyesight; inadequate lighting attributable to natural
shading, time of day or dim or poorly directed artificial light;
excessively bright lighting from the sun or from poorly directed
artificial light; natural physical obstructions such as trees, bushes,
grasses, terrain imperfections; and the presence of other balls that have
come to lie at approximately the same place and are generally
indistinguishable from each other even at relatively short distances.
Accordingly, one objective of this invention is to provide a means for
measuring with a degree of exactness the length of the golfers' drive or
chip without depending on his ability to follow visually the path of the
ball.
Conventional driving or chipping ranges are traditionally configured with
tee stands or stalls located in a straight line with distance markers
measured perpendicularly from the line; the farthest marker is generally
about 200 to 250 yards from the tee stands. Notwithstanding the golfer's
need to follow visually the path of the ball and see the lie, the ability
of the golfer to make a determination with any degree of accuracy as to
the length of a particular drive or chip is also dependent on the golfer's
ability to judge the distance of the imaginary line parallel to the tee
stands where the ball landed. In addition, since the markers only indicate
distances that are perpendicular to the tee stands, they are correct for
balls hit in the direction perperdicular to the tees but not for balls hit
at an angle. The ball that travels either to the left or the right of that
direction actually travels farther than indicated by the imaginary line
parallel to the tee stands. Therefore, if the golfer chooses to drive or
chip for the primary purpose of accurately gauging the length of his
shots, he is limited to shots in the direction perpendicular to the tees
and must sacrifice the opportunity to practice in different directions.
Accordingly, it is another objective of this invention to configure a
range in a manner that provides a series of targets throughout the range,
each of which is located at a different angle and a different distance
from each of the various tee stands, and to provide a system of accurately
measuring the length of each individual shot that landed on a target using
Universal Product Code labeling and optical scanning technology, thereby
enabling the golfer to obtain an indication of the success of his shots,
achieve an accurate measure of the length of his successful drives or
chips, and have the opportunity to practice in various directions.
Conventional driving and chipping ranges do not provide golfers with a
record of or statistics concerning the number and/or length of their
drives and chips. In addition, because of the distraction and
inconvenience involved, golfers generally do not attempt to keep these
records themselves. Even if a golfer were to attempt recording the number
and length of his drives on a particular occasion, the difficulty involved
with keeping track of each ball and in estimating its distance from the
tee would render the task practically impossible. Moreover, even if that
were possible, a player would not be able to compare his skill level on
that particular occasion with that achieved on other occasions unless he
had also generated comparable records on previous times and had calculated
accurate and meaningful statistics for comparison. Even so, these records
would not provide him with the ability to make comparisons with other
golfers unless they were also able and willing to do the same. Obviously,
that is an impractical and almost impossible objective to achieve with a
conventional driving-range setup. Accordingly, it is also an object of
this invention to provide a range equipped with automated apparatus using
Universal Product Code labeling and optical scanning technology to produce
information and statistics on a scorecard that provides golfers with a
record of the number, length and success of shots taken on a particular
occasion, a comparison with previous occasions and with other golfers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,104,879, issued to Jetton (1963), describes a driving range
that affords golfers the opportunity to practice driving and chipping for
distance, provides aids to improve directional accuracy and entertains by
rewarding individual golfers who achieve distance and directional
accuracy. This driving range envisions a plurality of flagged holes or
cups, simulating a golf green, arranged at various distances from the tee
stands with signaling devices to indicate when a ball drops into a cup.
The invention does nor include an automated system to retrieve the balls
and keep track of the golfer's performance.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,692, issued to Woodard et al. (1975), describes a golf
yardage measuring device and system to provide a visual read-out of the
distance between a golfer and a particular green on a golf course. A
receiver unit in the possession of the golfer is activated by a signal
emitted by a transmitter on a green, indicating the distance between the
golfer and the green. The object of the invention is to assist the golfer
during a game in selecting the appropriate club for his approach shot. The
invention does not offer the golfer feedback to improve either distance or
accuracy.
Finally, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,868,692 to Horcheler (1974) and 4,660,039 to
Barricks et al. (1987) describe electric oscillator circuits to assists in
the recovery of lost golf balls and other sport objects misplaced during
play, but the teachings of these patents are not utilized in any way to
address the above described problems and objectives.
Therefore, there still exists a need for an automated driving range that
provides a golfer with precise records of his performance during a session
and a comparative analysis with his prior scores and the average
performance of the public at large. The focus of this invention is a
system and apparatus that give a player feedback quantifying his
performance from a tee, much the same way as on approach to a green on the
golf course. Having chosen a target at a given distance and in a given
direction from the tee, the golfer needs to know whether the ball actually
landed within the target and how close it is from the targeted spot, just
as in trying to hit the cup on a green. That must be accomplished in a
driving range environment where other people are hitting balls to the same
and other targets at the same time.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the objectives stated above, this invention consists of
a golf range configuration with a series of independent targets, each of
which consists of a target area located at a different distance from a
multiplicity of tee stands, coupled with a system of scanning equipment
for the identification of the golf balls that land in a target. Each ball
is labeled with Universal Product Codes recognizable by the optical
scanners located within the system. Programmable computer means identifies
each ball passing through each target, records pertinent information, and
calculates, prints out and stores statistics that quantify the golfer's
performance. A comparison of the same information from previous sessions
and other golfers may also be printed out. In another embodiment, the
invention also comprises a multilevel vertical target for driver shots
located at a fixed distance from each tee stand, wherein each level
includes a receiving net and a gutter connected to the system of pipes for
the return of the balls through the scanning apparatus.
This range configuration and automated system enables the golfer to
practice driver and chip shots in various directions while still being
able to have an accurate measure of the length of his shots. The invention
provides golfers with entertainment and an opportunity to improve their
distance and directional skills, together with an ability to measure their
skills against a target standard, skills of other golfers and/or their own
personal past performance.
Various other purposes and advantages of the invention will become clear
from its description in the specifications that follow and from the novel
features particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Therefore, to
the accomplishment of the objectives described above, this invention
consists of the features hereinafter illustrated in the drawings, fully
described in the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and
particularly pointed out in the claims. However, such drawings and
description disclose but one of the various ways in which the invention
may be practiced.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1a illustrates a golf ball according to the present invention, which
is coded with sets of Universal Product Code bars-printed at a fixed
distance from an equatorial line.
FIG. 1b illustrates a golf ball with sets of UPC bars positioned radially
over its surface.
FIG. 1c illustrates a golf ball with sets of UPC bars repeated
longitudinally along the circumference of the ball.
FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of an automated golf range according
to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a sloped circular target including three separate
and concentric sections.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the sloped circular target of FIG. 3
taken along line 4--4 in FIG. 5, illustrating the channel geometry and the
ball-retrieval piping system associated with each section.
FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a sloped driving range according
to this invention.
FIG. 6 illustrates in schematic view the structure and functioning of a
scanner used to identify the coded balls of the invention.
FIG. 7 illustrates the function of commercially available optical devices
that see and recognize the code bars on a ball by scanning it with a laser
beam directed toward the ball.
FIG. 8 is an example of a score card as may be produced to reflect the
performance of a player using the range of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
Referring to the drawings, wherein like parts are referenced throughout
with like numerals and symbols, FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c show different views
of a golf ball 10, referred to herein as a coded ball, used in the
operation of the invention. In accordance with a preferred aspect of the
invention, the outer surface of each ball 10 is imprinted binary Universal
Product Code (UPC) bars 12 in a sufficient number of sets to enable an
optical scanner to read a particular code on the ball without regard to
which portion of the ball surface passes in front of the scanner. To
accomplish this, code labeling or imprinting preferably covers as much of
the surface of the ball as is physically possible, or at least desirable,
and the proper bar and background colors are be chosen for optimal
resolution (such as black on white), as would be known to those skilled in
the art of bar code scanning. A bar code can be selected as any
alpha-numeric or numeric grouping of any characteristics, and its
distribution on the surface of the coded ball may vary as required by the
sensitivity of the scanning equipment available. Preferably, the bar code
comprises a Universal Product Code (UPC) or a Vericode, however, any
number of codes or combinations thereof, or similar indicia may be
suitably utilized in accordance with the present invention. The preferred
bar code may be scattered randomly, or repeated longitudinally along the
circumference of the ball, as illustrated in FIG. 1c, or radially over its
surface, as in FIG. 1b. In order to give the scanner an added frame of
reference to enhance code recognition, an equatorial line 14 may be added
to the ball at a fixed distance from each set of bars, as illustrated in
FIG. 1a.
As in the case of conventional driving ranges, the coded balls 10 are
preferably distributed to golfers in containers 2 (seen in FIG. 2) filled
with a predetermined number of balls. Preferably, each golfer receives a
container with the same number of coded balls that he received on each
previous or will receive on future occasions, and that all other golfers
have received or will receive, so that meaningful statistics may be
developed and retained following each shooting session. Of course, the
number of balls in a set may be varied from time to time as desired or as
required to implement different statistical programs, so long as the same
number is used consistently for comparison purposes. Each ball used in the
system of the present invention is preferably coded with a different "bar
code or other" alphanumerical combination, so that no pair of balls is
labeled with the same code and each ball in any container is coded
differently from all balls in any other container. Obviously, the size and
shape of the container are not material to the invention, so long as the
container is large enough to hold the predetermined number of balls and is
shaped so that it can be carried and filled easily and conveniently.
Likewise, the color, material and other physical characteristics of the
container are not material.
FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a golf driving range 100 according
to this invention with a line of tee stands or stalls 16 at one end of an
imaginary fairway. When a golfer G pays for and receives a bucket 2 of
coded balls 10, he is directed to use an assigned tee stand, such as the
number 1 stand illustrated in the figure, from where he hits each coded
ball toward a target flag 18 within a target 20 of his choice. The line of
tee stands may be either straight or slightly curved; if curved, the
degree of curvature must be such that no golfer of normal ability driving
or chipping in a usual manner would be likely to cause a propelled ball to
hit another golfer positioned at any other tee stand.
Each flag 18 represents a hole within a target 20, preferably with the
general visual characteristics of a golf course green, but not necessarily
as large. The specific target dimensions may vary according to the size of
the range and the number of targets present. Each of these targets 20 is
shown as a circle in the figures for simplicity, but any geometry would be
equivalently appropriate to practice this invention. Each target 20
preferably comprises a surface generally sloped toward the tee stands area
and comprising multiple concentric annular sections corresponding to
various distances from the flag 18, which is normally located
approximately at the center of the target, but not necessarily so. Target
20 and flag 18 optionally simulates a green on a golf course. Thus, for
example, a target may contain an inner section 22 surrounded by a
concentric intermediate section 24, which is itself surrounded by a
concentric outer section 26. As indicated above, the three inner,
intermediate and outer sections (or any different number of sections
chosen to be included in the target area, including only one) can
obviously vary in size and shape, but are illustrated here as having
annular shapes for simplicity.
As illustrated in the plan and cross-sectional views of FIGS. 3 and 4, the
surface of the inner section 22 preferably comprises a concave structure
with an upper rim 28 defining its perimeter and boundary with the
intermediate section 24. A receiving cup 30 is located next to the flag 18
at the lowest spot in the section, thus ensuring that any ball lying in
the inner section 22 would roll into the cup by the force of gravity.
Similarly, each of the annular sections 24 and 26 preferably comprises a
circular channel with upper rims 28 defining an inner and an outer
perimeter and boundaries with the adjacent sections. A cup 30 is also
located at the lowest point of each section for receiving a golf ball that
has landed within the perimeters of the section. Obviously, the lowest
point is determined taking into account the curvature of the surface if
any, as well as the slope of the target, if any. Moreover, the diameter of
each receiving cup must be larger than that of the coded balls to be used
on the range. Optimally, the slope of the target and the configuration of
the various surface areas within the target, preferably causes any coded
ball hit by a user and coming to lie at any point in the inner section to
be moved by gravity into the cup in the inner section and any coded ball
coming to lie at any point within either annular section will be moved by
gravity to the lowermost part of the corresponding channel and then to the
cup in that section. In turn, each cup 30 is preferably is connected to a
tube 33 located below the cup and inclined toward a low point in the range
where each coded ball is scanned and collected, as detailed below.
As clearly understood from the cross-sectional view of a target shown in
FIG. 4, because the highest part of the inner section 22 is its
circumferential rim 28, a ball coming to lie in the inner section will
normally be trapped in that section and be unable to move outside the area
beyond the rim. Rather, because of gravity it will roll into the section's
cup 30 in the direction of either arrow A1 or A2. Likewise, the rims 28
constituting the boundaries of the annular sections 24 and 26 are the
highest points of each; therefore, a ball that comes to lie in the
intermediate section 24 will be unable to move to either of the adjacent
inner and outer sections; and a ball that comes to lie in the outer
section will be unable to move either to the adjacent intermediate section
or off the target. Rather, they will move only toward their respective
cups according to the shortest route in the direction of arrows A3, A4, A5
or A6.
In order to cause a golf ball to remain in the section within which it
first lands, the surface of each section preferably is lined with material
capable of absorbing the shock of a landing ball, so as to prevent it from
bouncing out of the section. Depending on the specific structure
constituting the target 20, this material may be part of the target's
surface itself, rather than a lining. For example, the target 20 may be
constructed by shaping the ground to the desired sectional geometry within
the terrain of the range, in which case a lining of shock-absorbing spongy
material (such as polyethylene foam) would be required to prevent bouncing
of the golf balls. On the other hand, the target may be constructed as a
stand-alone structure erected on the terrain existing on the range. As
illustrated in partial view in FIG. 3 and in cross-sectional view in FIG.
4, this kind of structure could consist, for example, of multiple
concentric rings 25 supported by vertical braces 27 anchored to the ground
and covered by a continuous spread of canvas or similar material 29
constituting the surface of the various sections of the target. The
material marketed by the Ludlow Corporation of Dothan, Ala., under the
trademark "Textoline" is particularly suitable for this purpose because of
its strength and yielding characteristics that make it easy to fit on a
support structure and effective for trapping balls landing in the target.
Of course, such a stand-alone target also affords the advantage of being
movable, so that the configuration of the range may be changed from time
to time. Finally, whether in stand-alone form or shaped out of the ground
of the range, the target 20 may comprise a single section 22 with a single
cup 30 connected to the lowest point in its surface.
As illustrated schematically in FIG. 2, a standing target 40 preferably
consists of two supporting posts 42 placed upright and connected by a
header crossbar 44 at the top and by multiple gutter crossbars 46 below
dividing the vertical space between the posts 42 into multiple target
sections (shown as three, for example, in the figures), preferably
approximately equal in height and corresponding to different distances
from each tee stand 16. As better seen in the perspective view of FIG. 5,
each crossbar 46 is connected to a gutter 48 behind the vertical plane of
each target section, and each gutter contains a receiving hole 50 at its
low point for the collection of any ball landed in the gutter. In order to
provide such low point, each crossbar may be attached to the poles 42 with
a slight bias to one side or to the back of the running surface to create
a slope toward a low point for the collection of balls by gravity. The
resulting slope is such that a ball placed in the gutter at the higher end
would move by gravity to the lower end and be trapped in the hole 50. As
in the case of the cups 30, of course each hole 50 is larger than the
diameter of the coded balls used by the range. Also, since this type of
target would be used primarily to measure driver-shot distances, it should
be positioned at the same distance from all tee stands; that is, it would
be placed approximately at the center of the circle along the
circumference of which the tee stands are located. Alternatively, the tee
stands may be positioned at arbitrary distances from the target, so long
as each distance is known and accounted for in scori | | |
