Opto-electric golf club swing sensing system and method

A golf club swing sensing system for sensing a golf club head moving along a club path and supplying the sensed information to a personal computer having a microprocessor, an input port, a monitor and a golf video game operable on the microprocessor, the sensing system comprising:

• a horizontal pad having a club head axis defined thereon;
• a light source including a first plurality of light emitting diodes for illuminating the underside of the club head disposed in the pad wherein first plurality of light emitting diodes include a plurality of pairs of light emitting diodes, each pair being associated with a corresponding photodetector, each one of the pair being disposed on a respective side of the corresponding photodetector;
• means disposed in the pad transversely of the club head axis for sensing the offset of the club head relative to the club head axis responsive to light from the light source reflected off an underside of the club head;
• means coupled to the sensing means for converting the offset to a digital format, said sensing means including a first linear array of photodetectors disposed transversely to the club head axis, one of the first plurality of light emitting diodes being interposed between adjacent photodetectors of the first linear array, each photodetector producing an output signal proportional to the amount of detected light reflected off the underside of the club head;
• means coupled between the converting means and the personal computer for transmitting the digital format offset to the microprocessor for input to the golf video game;
• means for driving one of the light emitting diodes of each pair with a clock signal;
• and
• means for driving the other one of the light emitting diodes of each pair with a complementary clock signal, wherein the intensity of the combined light emitted by each pair exceeds the maximum intensity of the individual light emitting diodes.

A golf club swing sensing system for sensing a golf club head moving along a club path and supplying the sensed information to a personal computer having a microprocessor, an input port, a monitor and a golf video game operable on the microprocessor, the sensing system comprising:

• a horizontal pad having a club head axis defined thereon;
• a light source disposed in the pad;
• means disposed in the pad transversely of the club head axis for sensing the offset of the club head relative to the club head axis responsive to light from the light source reflected off an underside of the club head;
• means coupled to the sensing means for converting the offset to a digital format;
• and
• means coupled between the converting means and the personal computer for transmitting the digital format offset to the microprocessor for input to the golf video game, wherein said transmitting means includes:
• a cable having first and second sets of conductors coupled to the converting means,
• a first game board connector coupled to the first set of conductors, and
• a second game board connector coupled to the second set of conductors, the first and second connectors being connectable to first and second compatible connectors, respectively, on a dual port game card received in the personal computer.

A golf club swing sensing system for sensing a golf club head moving along a club path and supplying the sensed information to a personal computer having a microprocessor, an input port, a monitor and a golf video game operable on the microprocessor, the sensing system comprising:

• a horizontal pad having a club head axis defined thereon;
• a light source disposed in the pad;
• means disposed in the pad transversely of the club head axis for sensing the offset of the club head relative to the club head axis responsive to light from the light source reflected off an underside of the club head;
• means coupled to the sensing means for converting the offset to a digital format;
• means coupled between the converting means and the personal computer for transmitting the digital format offset to the microprocessor for input to the golf video game;
• means for detecting the height of the club head at the club head axis responsive to the light from the light source reflected off the underside of the club head, said height detector means including:
• a resistor divider network having an input for receiving a reference voltage signal and a plurality of outputs for providing a respective fractional reference voltage signal, and
• a plurality of comparators each having a first input coupled to the sensing means for receiving a voltage signal proportional to the light detected by the sensing means, a second input connected to a respective one of the resistor divider network outputs for receiving a respective reference voltage signal, and an output for producing a respective output height signal;
• and
• means for calibrating the height detector means including:
• a capacitor,
• a first resistor coupled to the capacitor for charging the capacitor to a desired voltage level,
• a second resistor coupled to the capacitor for discharging the capacitor,
• an amplifier having an input coupled to the capacitor for receiving the capacitor voltage level, and an output, and
• means coupled between the amplifier output and the light source for producing a bias voltage, the light source being responsive to the bias voltage to adjust the light produced thereby in accordance with changes in the bias voltage.

A golf club swing sensing system for sensing a golf club head moving along a club path and supplying the sensed information to a personal computer having a microprocessor, an input port, a monitor and a golf video game operable on the microprocessor, the sensing system comprising:

• means for detecting the velocity of the club head;
• means for determining an optimal club head sampling rate responsive to the detected club head velocity;
• means for detecting the club head position at the optimal club head sampling rate;
• means for determining swing characteristics from the detected club head position;
• and
• means for transmitting the swing characteristics to the personal computer, wherein the video game is responsive to the swing characteristics to determine a ball path on the monitor corresponding to the swing characteristics.

A method of controlling a golf video game operating on a personal computer having a monitor which operates responsive to a golf club, the golf club head attached at an end of a shaft and having a club face for impacting a golf ball, the method comprising:

• detecting the height of the club head at an impact point during address;
• detecting the height of the club head at the impact point as the club head moves along a club head path;
• comparing the detected club head height detected as the club head moves along a club head path with the detected club head height detected during address;
• classifying the swing responsive to the comparison;
• and
• transmitting the swing classification to the personal computer wherein the golf video game is responsive thereto;
• wherein the step of detecting the height of the club head at an impact point during address includes
• generating a light beam that is directed at an underside of the club head,
• detecting the amount of generated light reflected off the underside of the club head,
• reducing the intensity of the light beam until no amount of generated light reflected off the underside of the club head can be detected, and
• increasing the intensity of the light beam a predetermined amount to establish a threshold light intensity.

A method of controlling a golf video game operating on a personal computer having a monitor which operates responsive to a golf club having a club head attached at an end of a shaft, the method comprising:

• detecting the velocity of the club head;
• determining an optimal club head sampling rate responsive to the detected club head velocity;
• detecting the club head position at the optimal club head sampling rate;
• determining swing characteristics from the detected club head position;
• and
• communicating the swing characteristics to the personal computer, wherein the video game is responsive to the swing characteristics to determine a ball path on the monitor corresponding to the swing characteristics.

A method of controlling a golf video game operating on a personal computer having a monitor, the video game operable responsive to a golf club having a golf club head attached at an end of a shaft and having a club face for impacting a golf ball, the method comprising:

• detecting a club head position including at least one angle of the club face;
• and
• transmitting the detected club head position information to the personal computer, wherein the video game is responsive to the detected club head information to determine a corresponding ball path;
• wherein the step of detecting the club head position includes
• forming a matrix of club head samples,
• logically ORing successive samples of the matrix to form a resultant matrix, summing the columns of the resultant matrix,
• performing a regression analysis on the sums of the resultant matrix to produce a slope, and
• determining the angle of the club face from the slope.

A method of controlling a golf video game operating on a personal computer having a monitor, the video game operable responsive to a golf club having a golf club head attached at an end of a shaft and having a club face for impacting a golf ball, the method comprising:

• detecting a club head position including at least one angle of the club face;
• transmitting the detected club head position information to the personal computer, wherein the video game is responsive to the detected club head information to determine a corresponding ball path;
• detecting the follow-through of the club head by sensing reflected light off an underside of the club head;
• detecting the height of the club head;
• and
• transmitting the club head height information and the club head follow-though information to the personal computer, wherein the video game is responsive to the detected club head information to determine a corresponding ball path.