IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,716,971
Granted Patent B1
US 10,716,971 · App. 16/217,886 · Granted Jul 21, 2020

Game implements and system for tracking or locating same

Inventors: Steven M. Oberc (Highland, IN); Hare K. Patnaik (Rochester Hills, MI); Subramaniam Ganesan (Rochester Hills, MI)
Assignee: MITCHELL O ENTERPRISES LLC
A63B37/0054A63B43/00A63B24/0003A63B24/0006A63B69/36A63B69/3632A63B69/3655A63B69/3658A63B2102/32A63B2209/00A63B2220/20A63B2220/40A63B2220/833A63B2225/54G06K9/00342G06K9/00375
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,716,971
App. No.
16/217,886
Granted
Jul 21, 2020
Kind
B1
Abstract

A system for locating an electronic game implement such as an electronic golf ball. The electronic game implement has an outer shell and internal core, with the core containing graphene coated electronics and a battery, wherein the associated electronics of the electronic game implement includes a processor and transceiver configured to measure data including acceleration, speed, travel trajectory and final location while also being configured to transmit the measured data via a communications protocol. The ball or sports game implement that includes the associated electronics are also an embodiment of the invention. The system includes a smart device having associated electronics to communicate with the electronic game implement ball, with the associated electronics of the smart device including a processor configured to receive the measured data from the electronics of the electronic game implement.

Claims (25)

1. A system for locating a golf ball comprising:

a golf ball having an outer shell and internal core, with the core containing associated electronics and a battery, wherein the associated electronics of the golf ball comprise a processor and transceiver which are coated with non-conductive graphene and which are configured to measure data including acceleration, speed, travel trajectory and final rest location of the golf ball while also being configured to transmit the measured data via a communications protocol; and

a smart device having associated electronics to communicate with the golf ball, the associated electronics of the smart device comprising a processor configured to receive the measured data from the associated electronics of the golf ball;

wherein the non-conductive graphene coating allows the measured data that is to be transmitted via the communications protocol from the golf ball to the smart device to pass through the non-conductive graphene coating.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the associated electronics of the golf ball further include a 3-axis gyroscope, a 3-axis accelerometer, and a 3-axis magnetometer.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outer shell of the golf ball comprises an ionomer resin and the core comprises a polybutadiene polymer.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the graphene coated electronics are further provided with an additional moisture resistant coating to prevent water or moisture from contacting the graphene coating or electronics.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the additional coating is a urethane conformal coating.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the ball includes one or more additional layers of the moisture resistant coating or non-conductive graphene coating between the core and outer shell to further protect the core and electronics.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the smart device is a smart phone or smart tablet that includes an app that calculates ball location, ball travel, ball velocity, or ball trajectory from the data provided by the electronics from the ball through the cloud.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the app measures how close the golf ball is to the smart device with different colors used to indicate different distances between the smart device and the ball.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the app uses the color red as an indication of the golf ball is more than 75 feet away, the color yellow as an indication that the ball is within 50 feet, and the color green as an indication that the ball is within 10 feet of the smart device.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor of the golf ball is programmed with algorithms based on Fibonacci sequence, and is configured to measure acceleration of the golf ball by using the algorithms based on the Fibonacci sequence.

11. The ball or sports game implement of claim 1 , wherein the non-conductive graphene coating has a thickness of 25 μm.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the associated electronics of the golf ball are configured to measure data related to the golf ball on 30 Hz basis.

13. A ball or sports game implement that provides sports related data and that includes associated electronics to measure data related to the playing or the ball or game implement; wherein the associated electronics of the ball or game implement comprise a processor and transceiver that are coated with non-conductive graphene, the processor and transceiver are configured to measure acceleration of the ball or game implement by using the algorithms while also being configured to transmit the measured acceleration of the ball or game implement via a communications protocol to a smart device, and;

wherein the non-conductive graphene coating allows the measured acceleration that is to be transmitted via the communications protocol from the ball or sports game implement to the smart device to pass through the non-conductive graphene coating.

14. The ball or sports game implement of claim 13 , wherein the processor of the ball or sports game implement is programmed with algorithms based on Fibonacci sequence, and is configured to measure acceleration of the ball or sports game implement by using the algorithms based on the Fibonacci sequence.

15. The ball or sports game implement of claim 13 , which is a golf ball, baseball, football, basketball, hockey puck, soccer ball, tennis ball, bowling ball, javelin, discuss, shot-put, badminton birdie or arrow.

16. The ball or sports game implement of claim 13 , wherein the measured acceleration is transmitted to a smart device having associated electronics to communicate with the ball or sports game implement, the associated electronics of the smart device comprising a processor configured to receive the measured data from the associated electronics of the ball or sports game implement.

17. The ball or sports game implement of claim 13 , which includes one or more additional layers of moisture resistant coating or the non-conductive graphene coating upon the non-conductive graphene coating to further protect the electronics.

18. The ball or sports game implement of claim 13 , wherein the non-conductive graphene coating has a thickness of 25 μm.

19. The ball or sports game implement of claim 13 , wherein the processor and transceiver are further configured to measure data including one or all of rotation data, acceleration data, or location data.

20. A ball or sports game implement that provides sports related data and that includes associated electronics to measure data related to the playing or the ball or game implement; wherein the associated electronics of the ball or game implement comprise a processor and transceiver that are coated with non-conductive graphene, the processor is programmed with algorithms based on Fibonacci sequence and is configured to measure acceleration of the ball or sports game implement by using the algorithms based on the Fibonacci sequence, and the transceiver is configured to transmit the measured acceleration of the ball or game implement via a communications protocol to a smart device, and;

wherein the non-conductive graphene coating allows the measured acceleration that is to be transmitted via the communications protocol from the ball or sports game implement to the smart device to pass through the non-conductive graphene coating.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 1, 2021
From: MITCHELL O ENTERPRISES LLC
To: OBERC, STEVEN M.
Reel/Frame 056750/0459 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2018
From: OBERC, STEVEN M.; PATNAIK, HARE K.; GANESAN, SUBRAMANIAM
To: MITCHELL O ENTERPRISES LLC
Reel/Frame 047760/0044 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation In Part 15163290 · May 24, 2016
Provisional Application 62169194 · Jun 1, 2015
Provisional Application 62661947 · Apr 24, 2018
Cited By (12)
US 12,191,675 US 12,194,363 US 12,244,153 US 12,249,841 US 12,249,842 US 12,288,992 US 12,409,373 US 12,551,756 US 12,587,035 US 12,665,441 US 12,676,505 US 12,712,389