KR102807854B1 - Method, system and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for providing shot information of golf balls - Google Patents

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for providing quality information about a golf ball is provided, comprising the steps of generating hitting information and direction information about the ball by referring to information about physical quantities of the ball measured or estimated from at least one swing, and visualizing and displaying the generated hitting information and direction information about the ball in a first area or a second area.

Description

METHOD, SYSTEM AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM FOR PROVIDING SHOT INFORMATION OF GOLF BALLS

The present invention relates to a method, system and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for providing spherical information about a golf ball.

Recently, as leisure time has increased in modern people's daily lives due to the development of digital technology, the number of people choosing golf as a hobby and sports activity has been rapidly increasing. Accordingly, the domestic and international golf industry has been growing steadily, and at the center of this is the screen golf system that allows golfers to virtually enjoy golf or improve their golf skills at a low cost in the city. The basic concept of this screen golf system is to acquire multiple images of a golf ball when a golfer hits it, measure physical quantities of the golf ball based on its trajectory, interval, size, etc., and perform a simulation based on this to display the simulation results of the golf shot on the screen.

Meanwhile, as the market size of the golf industry gradually expands, many domestic and foreign companies are participating in the golf industry market, forming a competitive structure. Accordingly, the needs of users of screen golf systems are also changing, and beyond simply being able to enjoy golf indoors, the need for more accurate and sophisticated sensors, and a sense of realism and presence like an outdoor golf course is expanding. In other words, various user interfaces or user experience elements that can further enhance the user's immersion in screen golf are being demanded.

Accordingly, many studies or attempts have been made to improve the sensory interaction with users in order to enhance the immersion of users using screen golf. However, according to the technology introduced so far in relation to virtual golf simulation, although it has been possible to realistically express the trajectory of the ball using various video production methods and accurately measure the physical quantities of the ball using advanced sensors or algorithms, there has been a limitation in that it is insufficient to intuitively provide users with specific shot data such as the speed and direction of the ball hit according to the point where the ball is hit and the direction, angle, or speed of the golf club. Specifically, when the trajectory of the ball is expressed in the simulation system, it has been limited in that it only focuses on the parabola that the ball flies, and it is not possible to intuitively confirm the launch angle and direction angle of the ball in the section where the ball primarily rises (e.g., the ball's rising section).

Accordingly, the inventor(s) of the present invention propose a technology that improves a user's immersion and golf skills by visualizing ball hitting information and direction information generated by referring to information on the physical quantity of the ball measured or estimated from at least one swing and displaying them within a first area or a second area, thereby enabling a user to immediately check whether the ball hit by the user is included in the ball's rising zone and to distinguish between normal and error trajectories.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2235460 (2021.04.02)

The purpose of the present invention is to solve all of the problems of the above-mentioned prior art.

In addition, the present invention provides a user interface or user experience by intuitively visualizing the correlation of information generated before a struck ball forms a trajectory, thereby allowing a user to recognize normal and error trajectories of a golf shot, thereby improving the user's immersion and golf skills.

In addition, the present invention has another purpose of allowing a user to intuitively understand accumulated data regarding his or her golf shot by displaying a plurality of graphic objects generated from a plurality of swings in a time-series or cumulative manner within a single frame, and thereby setting a goal for the golf shot and improving the golf shot.

In addition, another purpose of the present invention is to enable the user to specifically and intuitively determine the speed and direction of travel of a hit ball based on the point where the ball is hit and the direction, angle or speed of the golf club by improving the user interface or user experience.

A representative configuration of the present invention to achieve the above purpose is as follows.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for providing quality information about a golf ball is provided, comprising the steps of generating hitting information and direction information about the ball by referring to information about physical quantities of the ball measured or estimated from at least one swing, and visualizing and displaying the generated hitting information and direction information about the ball in a first area or a second area.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a system for providing quality information on a golf ball is provided, comprising: an information generating unit for generating hitting information and direction information of the ball by referring to information on physical quantities of the ball measured or estimated from at least one swing; and an information display unit for visualizing the generated hitting information and direction information of the ball and displaying them in a first area or a second area.

In addition, other methods for implementing the present invention, other systems, and non-transitory computer-readable recording media recording a computer program for executing the above methods are further provided.

According to the present invention, by intuitively visualizing the correlation between information generated before a struck ball forms a trajectory and providing a user interface or user experience, the user can recognize the normal trajectory and error trajectory of a golf shot, thereby improving the user's immersion and golf skills.

In addition, according to the present invention, by displaying multiple graphic objects generated from multiple swings in a time-series or cumulative manner within a single frame, the user can intuitively understand cumulative data regarding his or her golf shot, and based on this, set a goal for the golf shot and improve the golf shot.

In addition, according to the present invention, the psychological anxiety caused by the error trajectory occurring in the virtual golf simulation system not being directly connected to the score can be resolved, and the sensitivity to normal trajectories and error trajectories can be increased.

In addition, according to the present invention, by improving the user interface or user experience, it is possible to specifically and intuitively determine the speed and direction of travel of the hit ball depending on the point where the ball is hit and the direction, angle or speed of the golf club.

FIG. 1 is a drawing detailing the internal configuration of an information provision system according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a drawing exemplarily illustrating a situation in which an information provision system according to the present invention is utilized in a virtual golf simulation system according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a drawing exemplarily showing a first area and a second area provided by a virtual golf simulation system (200) according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 4 to 6 are diagrams exemplarily illustrating a situation in which a user interface or user experience providing information about a golf ball is provided according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The detailed description of the present invention set forth below refers to the accompanying drawings which illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention, while different from each other, are not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, specific shapes, structures, and characteristics described herein may be modified and implemented from one embodiment to another without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It should also be understood that the positions or arrangements of individual components within each embodiment may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the detailed description set forth below is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is to be taken to encompass the scope of the claims and all equivalents thereof. Like reference numerals in the drawings represent the same or similar elements throughout the several aspects.

Hereinafter, various preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily practice the present invention.

A module according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a gaze tracking camera module, a swing motion camera module, a sensing module, and a main module.

An eye tracking camera module according to one embodiment of the present invention can obtain information about the direction of the head (e.g., up, down, left, right), the direction of the eyes (e.g., the direction of the eyeballs with respect to the head or the direction of the eyeballs themselves), the size of the eyes, or the blinking of the eyes based on an eye tracking algorithm, and can transmit the obtained information to the main module.

A swing motion camera module according to one embodiment of the present invention can obtain information about the direction of a body or head and transmit the obtained information to a main module.

A sensing module according to one embodiment of the present invention can obtain shot data (e.g., launch angle, side angle, ball speed, back spin, side spin) or information on the point of impact, and transmit the obtained information to the main module.

A main module according to one embodiment of the present invention can provide a user with information (e.g., a graphic object generated by referencing ball hitting information and the direction information) obtained by combining or analyzing information transmitted from a gaze tracking camera module, a swing motion camera module, or a sensing module.

Composition of information provision system

FIG. 1 is a drawing detailing the internal configuration of an information provision system (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, an information providing system (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be configured to include an information generating unit (110), an information displaying unit (120), a communication unit (130), and a control unit (140). According to one embodiment of the present invention, at least some of the information generating unit (110), the information displaying unit (120), the communication unit (130), and the control unit (140) may be program modules that communicate with an external system (not shown). Such program modules may be included in the information providing system (100) in the form of an operating system, an application program module, or other program modules, and may be physically stored in various known memory devices. In addition, such program modules may be stored in a remote memory device that can communicate with the information providing system (100). Meanwhile, such program modules include, but are not limited to, routines, subroutines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks described below or execute specific abstract data types according to the present invention.

Meanwhile, although the information provision system (100) has been described as above, this description is exemplary, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that at least some of the components or functions of the information provision system (100) may be realized in a known virtual golf simulation system or included in a known virtual golf simulation system as needed. In addition, in some cases, all functions and all components of the information provision system (100) may be fully executed in a virtual golf simulation system (200) or included in a virtual golf simulation system (200).

First, the information generation unit (110) according to one embodiment of the present invention can measure or estimate information about the physical quantity of the ball from at least one swing. Here, the information about the physical quantity according to one embodiment of the present invention may mean information obtained from at least one module (for example, direction of the body or head, direction of the eyes, launch angle, side angle, point associated with hitting the ball (or impact point), impact point, back spin, side spin, ball speed, club speed, club direction, ball spin, amount of impact, club pass, etc.). However, the information about the physical quantity according to one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to what is listed above, and may be variously changed within a scope that can achieve the purpose of the present invention.

For example, the information generating unit (110) according to one embodiment of the present invention can detect a plurality of dimples from each of a plurality of images that capture a ball that is a target of physical quantity measurement or measurement. Furthermore, the information generating unit (110) according to one embodiment of the present invention can measure or estimate a physical quantity related to the rotation of the ball by referring to the correlation between the properties of the plurality of dimples detected from a first image among the plurality of images and the properties of the plurality of dimples detected from a second image.

Meanwhile, for more detailed information on measuring or estimating physical quantities, reference may be made to the description in the patent application specification initially attached to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0133813 filed by the applicant herein, and it is hereby made clear that the contents described in the patent application specification of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0133813 shall be deemed to be incorporated into this specification in its entirety.

Next, the information generation unit (110) can generate information on the ball's impact and direction by referring to the information on the above physical quantities.

Specifically, the ball hitting information according to one embodiment of the present invention is information about the ball hitting that can be measured or estimated from a user's swing, and may include information about a point associated with the ball hitting or a face angle of the club. The club face angle according to one embodiment of the present invention is an angle created between a virtual line perpendicular to the target line and the club face, and may affect the direction of the ball after impact.

In addition, the ball direction information according to one embodiment of the present invention is information about the direction of the ball that can be measured or estimated from the user's swing, and may include information about a launch angle associated with the ball's reach distance and a side angle associated with the ball's travel direction.

Next, the information display unit (120) according to one embodiment of the present invention can visualize the hitting information and direction information of the generated ball and display them within the first area or the second area.

The first region according to one embodiment of the present invention may mean a frame or zone through which the ball is expected to pass after a predetermined time has elapsed from the time the ball is hit. Preferably, the predetermined time above may mean the time taken until the ball's trajectory (or pitch) is formed after the ball is hit.

Specifically, the first region according to one embodiment of the present invention may mean a region divided into four based on a launch angle associated with a ball's reach distance and a side angle associated with a ball's travel direction.

More specifically, the horizontal axis of the first region according to one embodiment of the present invention relates to a side angle and may be formed to represent a range of -10° to 10° from left to right, and the vertical axis of the first region according to one embodiment of the present invention relates to a launch angle and may be formed to represent a range of 10° to 20° from bottom to top, such that the first region may be divided into four based on the midpoints of the horizontal axis and the vertical axis. In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the range of the horizontal axis or the vertical axis representing the first region may be dynamically changed based on a user's operation or selection.

Meanwhile, the second region according to one embodiment of the present invention may mean a set of regions that can represent information related to speed among the hitting information and direction information of the generated ball.

Specifically, the second region according to one embodiment of the present invention may mean a spectrum (e.g., a set of line segments representing colors that run continuously from red on the left to green on the right) representing the speed of a ball or the speed of a club head measured or estimated from a user's swing.

In addition, the second region according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a region in which the speed of the ball or the speed of the club head measured or estimated from the user's swing may be displayed together with at least one reference speed section. The reference speed section according to one embodiment of the present invention may mean a section for determining whether the speed of the ball or the speed of the club head measured or estimated from the user's swing is appropriate.

More specifically, the second region according to one embodiment of the present invention is a spectrum extending from red to green, and the speed of the ball or the speed of the club head measured or estimated from the user's swing can be displayed within the spectrum in the form of a second graphic object (e.g., a bar or a line segment) to be described later.

In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, if the reference speed range is included in the green area and the second graphic object is within the reference speed range, the user can recognize that he/she has made an appropriate swing (e.g., swinging at an appropriate club head speed or swinging so that the ball speed is appropriate), and if the second graphic object is within the red area outside the reference speed range, the user can recognize that he/she has made an inappropriate swing (e.g., swinging at an inappropriate club head speed or swinging so that the ball speed is appropriate).

Meanwhile, the information display unit (120) according to one embodiment of the present invention can generate a graphic object by referring to the ball hitting information and direction information.

Specifically, a graphic object according to one embodiment of the present invention may mean geometric information that can be displayed as a point, line, or surface with respect to ball hitting information and direction information.

More specifically, a graphic object according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a first graphic object in which a shape of a ball, a point associated with a hit of the ball, and a face angle are expressed in the form of points, lines, or planes and displayed in a first area, and a second graphic object in which a speed of the ball or a speed of the club head measured or estimated from a user's swing is expressed in the form of bars or line segments and displayed in a second area.

Additionally, the first graphic object generated according to one embodiment of the present invention can be displayed at a position that takes into account the launch angle and the side angle in the first area.

More specifically, a first graphic object according to one embodiment of the present invention is an object in which a shape of a ball, a point associated with a hit of the ball, and a face angle are expressed in the form of a point, a line, or a surface, and may be displayed at a position that takes into account a launch angle and a side angle determined based on a relationship among a point associated with a hit of the ball, a face angle, a speed of the ball, or a speed of a club head in a first area before forming a trajectory (or quality) of the ball after the ball is hit.

Additionally, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of first graphic objects generated from a plurality of swings of the user can be cumulatively displayed in the first area.

Specifically, a plurality of first graphic objects generated according to one embodiment of the present invention may be displayed to be distinguished in time series. For example, a plurality of first graphic objects may be displayed with different colors or shapes depending on the order in which they were generated.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of first graphic objects displayed in a first area through a first golf simulation (e.g., a user performs a screen golf round at time t) can be displayed or removed in the first area based on a user's operation or selection when the user performs a second golf simulation (e.g., a user performs a screen golf round at time t+1).

Through this, users can improve their golf skills by improving the accuracy of their hits while updating their own first area.

Next, the communication unit (130) according to one embodiment of the present invention can perform a function that enables data transmission and reception from/to the information generation unit (110) and the information display unit (120).

Finally, the control unit (140) according to one embodiment of the present invention can perform a function of controlling the flow of data between the information generation unit (110), the information display unit (120), and the communication unit (130). That is, the control unit (140) according to one embodiment of the present invention can control the flow of data from/to the outside of the information provision system (100) or the flow of data between each component of the information provision system (100), thereby controlling the information generation unit (110), the information display unit (120), and the communication unit (130) to perform their respective functions.

FIG. 2 is a drawing exemplarily illustrating a situation in which an information provision system (100) according to the present invention is utilized in a virtual golf simulation system (200) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 2, the virtual golf simulation system (200) includes a striking part (10), It may be configured to include a lighting device (20), a photographing device (210), a simulator (220), and a display device (230). In addition, the simulator (220) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include an information providing system (100) according to the present invention.

First, the striking part (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a part on which a golfer steps up and places a golf ball to hit when using a virtual golf simulation system (200). This striking part (10) may include a known swing plate whose inclination angle can be adjusted. For reference, when the present invention is applied to other types of virtual sports simulator systems, those skilled in the art can appropriately change the configuration of the striking part (10), together with the configuration of other components linked thereto, if necessary, to suit the characteristics of the corresponding sport.

Next, the lighting device (20) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a device that can artificially irradiate light when a golfer enjoys virtual golf indoors or outdoors. This lighting device (20) may be turned on and off or its brightness may be adjusted as needed. Preferably, the lighting device (20) may be an infrared light (e.g., an LED light) to prevent natural deterioration of multiple images due to the phenomenon of light shaking.

Next, the photographing device (210) according to one embodiment of the present invention may perform a function of acquiring a plurality of images regarding ball hitting information and direction information, including at least one module (e.g., a gaze tracking camera module, a swing motion camera module, a sensing module, etc.) (not shown). This photographing device (210) may be placed at a position looking down on a moving golf club head from above, but may also be placed at other positions. Meanwhile, the photographing device (210) according to one embodiment of the present invention may implement performance similar to a high-speed camera by sequentially acquiring a plurality of images using at least two cameras with different shooting speeds, or may implement performance similar to a three-dimensional camera by simultaneously acquiring a plurality of images using two two-dimensional cameras.

Next, the simulator (220) according to one embodiment of the present invention may perform a function of providing a user with information (e.g., graphic objects generated by referencing ball hitting information and the direction information) obtained by combining or analyzing information transmitted from a gaze tracking camera module, a swing motion camera module, or a sensing module, including a main module. Meanwhile, the simulator (220) according to one embodiment of the present invention may communicate with a photographing device (210) and a display device (230), and may include a dedicated processor for a virtual golf simulation system (200). Such a dedicated processor may be provided with a memory means and may have numerical calculation capabilities and graphic processing capabilities.

Finally, the display device (230) according to one embodiment of the present invention can perform a function of visualizing and displaying information according to the analysis of the simulator (220). This display device (230) can display a predetermined image through a predetermined display means, and for example, can be composed of a screen that absorbs the impact of a hit golf ball but does not directly emit light, and a projector that outputs an image to this screen.

FIG. 3 is a drawing exemplarily showing a first area and a second area provided by a virtual golf simulation system (200) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

According to FIG. 3, the first region (301) according to one embodiment of the present invention may mean a frame composed of a vertical axis for a launch angle and a horizontal axis for a side angle, and may mean being divided into four based on the center. In addition, the second region (302) according to one embodiment of the present invention may mean a spectrum representing the speed of a ball or the speed of a club head, and may be displayed together with a reference speed section (303) that can determine whether the speed of the ball or the speed of the club head is appropriate.

FIGS. 4 to 6 are diagrams exemplarily illustrating a situation in which a user interface or user experience providing information about a golf ball is provided according to one embodiment of the present invention.

First, according to FIG. 4, ball hitting information and direction information are generated by referring to information about the physical quantity of the ball measured or estimated based on the user's first swing, and a first graphic object (403) and a second graphic object (404) can be generated based on the ball hitting information and direction information.

Next, the first graphic object (403) can be displayed at a position considering the launch angle and the side angle in the first area (401), and the second graphic object (404) can be displayed in the second area (402) considering the speed of the ball or the speed of the club head.

Next, according to FIG. 5, a first graphic object (502) generated based on the user's second swing may be displayed in the first area together with a first graphic object (501) generated based on the user's first swing in the first area. Here, a plurality of first graphic objects (501, 502) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be displayed to be distinguished in time series, and for example, colors or shapes may be displayed differently depending on the order in which they were generated.

Next, according to FIG. 6, it can be confirmed that a plurality of first graphic objects generated based on a plurality of swings of a user according to one embodiment of the present invention are displayed at different locations in the first area with different launch angles and side angles depending on information about a physical quantity of a ball measured from the user's swing (e.g., a point associated with hitting the ball (or impact point), a face angle, a club path, etc.). Specifically, the first graphic object (602) according to one embodiment of the present invention can be visualized and displayed together with the impact point and the face angle in the first area.

In addition, a plurality of first graphic objects displayed in the first area through the first golf simulation (601) according to one embodiment of the present invention can be displayed or removed in the first area based on the user's operation or selection when the user performs the second golf simulation.

The embodiments of the present invention described above may be implemented in the form of program commands that can be executed through various computer components and recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may include program commands, data files, data structures, etc., alone or in combination. The program commands recorded on the computer-readable recording medium may be those specially designed and configured for the present invention or those known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program commands, such as ROMs, RAMs, and flash memories. Examples of the program commands include not only machine language codes generated by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc. The hardware devices may be changed into one or more software modules to perform processing according to the present invention, and vice versa.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to specific details such as specific components and limited examples and drawings, these have been provided only to help a more general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above examples, and those with common knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains may make various modifications and changes based on this description.

10: Striker
20: Lighting device
100: Information provision system
110: Information generation unit
120: Information display section
130: Communications Department
140: Control Unit
200: Virtual Golf Simulation System
210: Filming device
220: Simulator
230: Display device

Claims (15)

As a method of providing quality information about a golf ball,
A step of generating hitting information and direction information of the ball by referring to information about the physical quantity of the ball measured or estimated from at least one swing, and
A step of visualizing and displaying at least one of the generated ball hitting information and direction information within a first region,
The above first region is a region divided into four regions based on the launch angle associated with the distance reached by the ball and the side angle associated with the direction of travel of the ball.
method. In the first paragraph,
The above impact information includes information about a point or face angle of the club associated with the impact of the ball, which is measured or estimated from the swing,
The above directional information includes information about the launch angle or side angle of the ball measured or estimated from the swing.
method. delete In the first paragraph,
In the above display step, the hitting information and direction information of the generated ball are visualized and displayed within the second area,
The second region includes a region in which the speed of the ball or the speed of the club head measured or estimated from the swing can be displayed together with at least one reference speed range.
method. In the first paragraph,
In the above display step, the graphic object generated by referring to the impact information and the direction information is displayed at a position that takes into account the launch angle and side angle in the first area.
method. In paragraph 5,
In the above display step, multiple graphic objects generated from multiple swings are displayed cumulatively.
method. In Article 6,
In the above display step, the plurality of graphic objects are displayed to be distinguished in time series.
method. delete As a system that provides quality information on golf balls,
An information generating unit that generates hitting information and direction information of the ball by referencing information about the physical quantity of the ball measured or estimated from at least one swing, and
Including an information display section that visualizes and displays at least one of the generated ball hitting information and direction information within the first area,
The above first region is a region divided into four regions based on the launch angle associated with the distance reached by the ball and the side angle associated with the direction of travel of the ball.
System. In Article 9,
The above impact information includes information about a point or face angle of the club associated with the impact of the ball, which is measured or estimated from the swing,
The above directional information includes information about the launch angle or side angle of the ball measured or estimated from the swing.
System. delete In Article 9,
The above information display section visualizes the generated ball hitting information and direction information and displays them within the second area,
The second region includes a region in which the speed of the ball or the speed of the club head measured or estimated from the swing can be displayed together with at least one reference speed range.
System. In Article 9,
The graphic object generated by referring to the above impact information and the direction information is displayed at a position that takes into account the launch angle and side angle in the first area.
System. In Article 13,
Multiple graphic objects generated from multiple swings are displayed cumulatively.
System. In Article 14,
The above multiple graphic objects are displayed to be distinguished in time series.
System.

Images