Golf aid including heads up display for green reading

A method of operating an electronic golf aid system for assisting a user with reading a green of a golf course, the electronic golf aid system including a camera, an electronic display device with a display screen, and a processor operable to communicate with the camera and the electronic display device, the method comprising:

• receiving, from the camera via the processor of the electronic golf aid system, signals indicative of captured images of a field of view of the user, the captured images including a golf ball and a cup on the green of the golf course;
• determining, via the processor, a golf ball location of the golf ball and a cup location of the cup;
• retrieving, via the processor from a memory device, a topographical model of a topology of the green;
• pattern matching one or more features in the retrieved topographical model with one or more corresponding features in the captured images of the green to thereby align the topographical model with the captured images of the green;
• determining, based on the topology of the green, a proposed trajectory line from the golf ball location to the cup location;
• and
• directing, via the processor, the electronic display device to display the proposed trajectory line and the retrieved topographical model superimposed on the captured images of the green as the captured images of the green are displayed in real-time via the display screen.

A method of operating an electronic golf aid system for assisting a user with reading a green of a golf course, the electronic golf aid system including a camera, an electronic display device with a display screen, and a processor operable to communicate with the camera and the electronic display device, the method comprising:

• receiving, from the camera via the processor of the electronic golf aid system, signals indicative of captured images of a field of view of the user, the captured images including a golf ball and a cup on the green of the golf course;
• determining, via the processor, a golf ball location of the golf ball and a cup location of the cup;
• determining a position of the electronic display device on the green;
• determining, via the processor, a perspective view of a topology of the green between the golf ball and the cup from a point of view of the user by constructing a perspective view representation of a topographical slope grid of the green at the determined position of the electronic display device;
• determining, based on the topology of the green, a proposed trajectory line from the golf ball location to the cup location;
• and
• directing, via the processor, the electronic display device to display the proposed trajectory line and the perspective view representation of the topology of the green superimposed on the captured images of the green as the captured images of the green are displayed in real-time via the display screen.

A method of operating an electronic golf aid system for assisting a user with reading a green of a golf course, the electronic golf aid system including a camera, an electronic display device with a display screen, and a processor operable to communicate with the camera and the electronic display device, the method comprising:

• receiving, from the camera via the processor of the electronic golf aid system, signals indicative of captured images of a field of view of the user, the captured images including a golf ball and a cup on the green of the golf course;
• determining, via the processor, a golf ball location of the golf ball and a cup location of the cup;
• determining, via the processor, a perspective view of a topology of the green between the golf ball and the cup from a point of view of the user;
• determining a plurality of arrows indicative of one or more gradients of the topology of the green;
• determining, based on the topology of the green, a proposed trajectory line from the golf ball location to the cup location;
• and
• directing, via the processor, the electronic display device to display the proposed trajectory line and the plurality of arrows superimposed on the captured images of the green and aligned with the one or more gradients as the captured images of the green are displayed in real-time via the display screen.