Virtual Golf System and Methods

A virtual golf system for use at a facility, the system comprising:

• a) a plurality of trackable golf balls, wherein each golf ball comprises:
• i) a radio frequency transmitter coupled to an antenna;
• ii) a radio frequency detector circuit coupled to said antenna;
• iii) a micro-controller coupled to both said transmitter and said detector circuit;
• iv) a power source for powering said transmitter, said detector circuit, and said micro-controller;
• v) each golf ball characterized in that said transmitter, said antenna, said detector circuit and said power source are encapsulated so that each of said golf balls has the appearance, size, weight and mechanical characteristics of a standard golf ball;
• vi) each golf ball further characterized in that each of said golf balls has an unactivated state characterized by low power consumption and an activated state, said activated state characterized in that said radio frequency detector circuit and said micro-controller are operative to receive radio frequency commands and said transmitter is operative to transmit golf ball identification data, wherein a portion of said golf ball identification data is unique to each of said plurality of trackable golf balls;
• vii) each golf ball further characterized in that said detector circuit is operative to respond to a predetermined electromagnetic pulse by switching from said unactivated state into said activated state;
• b) a plurality of at least three direction finding receivers, each of said direction finding receivers disposed in a known location about said facility;
• each direction finding receiver operative to receive via radio frequency reception said golf ball identification data and to measure a received phase of the incoming radio frequency reception;
• c) each of said direction finding receivers operative to transmit said golf ball identification data and said received phase via a communications network to a computing unit;
• d) said computing unit operative to receive from each of said plurality of direction finding receivers:
• i) said golf ball identification data;
• ii) said received phase;
• and,
• iii) said location data for each of the plurality of direction finding receivers,
• iv) and in response, said computing unit is further operative to compute a sequence of calculated positions for each of said plurality of trackable golf balls;
• e) said computing unit operative to communicate said sequence of calculated positions to a display, the display operative to update a visual representation of at least one of said calculated positions pertaining to at least one of said plurality of trackable golf balls.

A virtual golf system for use at a facility, the system comprising:

• a) a plurality of trackable golf balls, wherein each golf ball comprises:
• i) a radio frequency transmitter coupled to an antenna;
• ii) a detector circuit coupled to said antenna;
• iii) a micro-controller coupled to both said transmitter and said detector circuit;
• iv) a power source for powering said transmitter, said detector circuit, and said micro-controller;
• v) each golf ball characterized in that said transmitter, said antenna, said detector circuit and said power source are encapsulated so that each of said golf balls has the appearance, size, weight and mechanical characteristics of a standard golf ball;
• vi) each golf ball further characterized in that each of said golf balls has an unactivated state characterized by low power consumption and an activated state, said activated state characterized in that said radio frequency detector circuit and said micro-controller are operative to receive radio frequency commands and said transmitter is operative to transmit golf ball identification data, wherein a portion of said golf ball identification data is unique to each of said plurality of trackable golf balls;
• vii) each golf ball further characterized in that said detector circuit is operative to respond to a predetermined electromagnetic pulse by switching from said unactivated state into said activated state;
• viii) each trackable golf ball further operable to periodically transmit golf ball identification data;
• b) a plurality of at least three direction finding receivers, each of said direction finding receivers disposed in a known location about said facility;
• each direction finding receiver operative to receive via radio frequency reception said golf ball identification data and to measure the direction from which said golf ball identification data was received;
• c) each of said direction finding receivers operative to transmit said golf ball identification data and said direction data via a communications network to a computing unit;
• d) said computing unit operative to receive from each of said plurality of direction finding receivers:
• i) said golf ball identification data;
• ii) said direction data;
• and
• iii) said location data for each of the plurality of direction finding receivers,
• iv) and in response, said computing unit is further operative to compute a sequence of calculated positions for each of said plurality of trackable golf balls;
• e) said computing unit operative to communicate said sequence of calculated positions to a display, the display operative to update a visual representation of at least one of said calculated positions pertaining to at least one of said plurality of trackable golf balls.