Three dimensional golf swing analyzer

A system for analyzing a golf swing comprising:

• an apparatus comprising:
• a golf club;
• a housing attachable to the golf club;
• a power source in the housing;
• a motion detector coupled to the golf club comprising:
• a three-axis MEMS accelerometer in the housing for generating linear acceleration data from the apparatus;
• a three-axis MEMS gyroscope in the housing for generating angular velocity data from the apparatus;
• a three-axis magnetometer in the housing for generating directional orientation data from the apparatus;
• a three-dimensional image sensor in the housing for generating coordinate and speed data defining the coordinates and the speed of an object moving within a three-dimensional space defined by three orthogonally aligned axes comprising:
• one of a combination of three linear image sensors and a combination of one two-dimensional linear image sensor and one linear image sensor for generating data defining successive optical images along three orthogonally aligned axes;
• a plurality of optical correlators in communication with the image sensors with one optical correlator per image sensor for receiving, comparing and correlating the successive optical images and for generating data defining the correlation of the successive optical images;
• a plurality of delay units in communication with the image sensors and the optical correlators with one delay unit per image sensor that delay the optical correlators from comparing and correlating the successive optical images until the data for comparison and correlation has been communicated from the image sensors to the optical correlators;
• and
• a moving object speed and coordinate calculator in communication with the optical correlators for generating the coordinate and speed data;
• a first microprocessor in the housing and in communication with the accelerometer, the gyroscope, the magnetometer and the three-dimensional image sensor for receiving the linear acceleration data, the angular velocity data, the directional orientation data and the coordinate and speed data;
• a first computer memory in the housing and in communication with the first microprocessor;
• and
• a radio transmitter, in the housing and in communication with the first microprocessor, that transmits the linear acceleration data, the angular velocity data, the directional orientation data and the coordinate and speed data from the first computer memory;
• and
• a portable device comprising:
• a radio receiver, in the portable device and in communication with the radio transmitter, that receives the linear acceleration data, the angular velocity data, the directional orientation data and the coordinate and speed data from the radio transmitter;
• a second computer memory, in the portable device and in communication with the radio receiver, that stores the linear acceleration data, the angular velocity data, the directional orientation data and the coordinate and speed data;
• a third computer memory in the portable device for storing a computer program that processes the data in the second computer memory;
• a second microprocessor, in the portable device and in communication with the second computer memory and the third computer memory, that inputs the angular velocity data and the coordinate and speed data from the second computer memory and that uses the coordinate and speed data for angular velocity error correction;
• the second microprocessor further in communication with the second computer memory and the third computer memory where the second microprocessor controls the computer program to process the linear acceleration data, the angular velocity data and the coordinate and speed data received by the radio receiver into graphical data and statistical data and that transmits the graphical data and statistical data;
• the second microprocessor further in communication with the second computer memory and the third computer memory, where said second microprocessor inputs directional orientation data from the second computer memory and uses the directional orientation data to output data to select the target line on which a golfer wishes to aim;
• a fourth computer memory for receiving the graphical data and statistical data from the second microprocessor;
• and
• a graphics display that displays the graphical data and statistical data in the fourth memory as an image of the movement of the golf club along with related statistics.

A method for analyzing a golf swing comprising:

• providing an apparatus comprising:
• providing a golf club;
• attaching a housing to the golf club;
• inserting a power source in the housing;
• providing a motion detector coupled to the golf club comprising:
• generating linear acceleration data from the apparatus using a three-axis MEMS accelerometer in the housing;
• generating angular velocity data from the apparatus using a three-axis MEMS gyroscope in the housing;
• generating directional orientation data from the apparatus using a three-axis magnetometer in the housing;
• generating coordinate and speed data defining the coordinates and the speed of an object moving within a three-dimensional space defined by three orthogonally aligned axes using a three-dimensional image sensor in the housing comprising:
• generating data defining successive optical images along three orthogonally aligned axes using one of a combination of three linear image sensors and a combination of one two-dimensional linear image sensor and one linear image sensor;
• receiving, comparing and correlating the successive optical images and generating data defining the correlation of the successive optical images using a plurality of optical correlators in communication with the image sensors with one optical correlator per image sensor;
• delaying the optical correlators from comparing and correlating the successive optical images until the data for comparison and correlation has been communicated from the image sensors to the optical correlators using a plurality of delay units in communication with the image sensors and the optical correlators with one delay unit per image sensor;
• and
• generating the coordinate and speed data using a moving object speed and coordinate calculator in communication with the optical correlators;
• providing a first microprocessor in the housing and in communication with the accelerometer, the gyroscope, the magnetometer and the three-dimensional image sensor and receiving the linear acceleration data, the angular velocity data, the directional orientation data and the coordinate and speed data;
• providing a first computer memory in the housing and in communication with the first microprocessor;
• and
• transmitting the linear acceleration data, the angular velocity data, the directional orientation data and the coordinate and speed data from the first computer memory using a radio transmitter in the housing;
• and
• providing a portable device comprising:
• receiving the linear acceleration data, the angular velocity data, the directional orientation data and the coordinate and speed data from the radio transmitter using a radio receiver in the portable device;
• storing the linear acceleration data, the angular velocity data, the directional orientation data and the coordinate and speed data in a second computer memory in the portable device;
• storing a computer program in a third computer memory in the portable device that processes the data in the second computer memory;
• providing a second microprocessor in the portable device and in communication with the second computer memory and the third computer memory that inputs the angular velocity data and the coordinate and speed data from the second computer memory and that uses the coordinate and speed data for angular velocity error correction;
• further providing the second microprocessor in communication with the second computer memory and the third computer memory and controlling the computer program with the second microprocessor to process the linear acceleration data, the angular velocity data and the coordinate and speed data received by the radio receiver into graphical data and statistical data and that transmits the graphical data and statistical data
• further providing said second microprocessor in communication with said second memory, where said second microprocessor inputs directional orientation data from the second computer memory and uses the directional orientation data to output data to select the target line on which a golfer wishes to aim;
• receiving graphical data and statistical data from the second microprocessor into a fourth computer memory;
• and
• displaying an image of a golf club swing and statistical data on a graphics display.