SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC EQUIPMENT ID AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND RELATED METHODS

1 . A sports simulator, comprising:

a piece of sports equipment bearing a marking configured to at least partially identify the piece of sports equipment;

a first sensor configured to automatically detect the marking;

a second sensor configured to detect a trajectory of a ball;

a display configured to display a sports simulation;

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the sports simulator to:

receive an identification of the marking responsive to the first sensor detecting the marking;

identify a characteristic of the piece of sports equipment associated with the marking in a database responsive to receiving the identification of the marking;

receive the trajectory of the ball from the second sensor responsive to the second sensor detecting use of the piece of sports equipment to interact with the ball;

generate simulation data indicative of a virtual ball with a virtual flight path responsive to the trajectory;

store the characteristic of the piece of sports equipment in association with the virtual flight path of the virtual ball; and

cause the display to display the virtual flight path of the virtual ball in the sports simulation.

2 . The sports simulator of claim 1 , wherein the instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium, when executed by the processor, cause the sports simulator to:

accept a user identification for a user of the piece of sports equipment; and

store the user identification in association with the virtual flight path of the virtual ball.

3 . The sports simulator of claim 1 , wherein the instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium, when executed by the processor, cause the sports simulator to:

determine whether the virtual flight path of the virtual ball underperforms relative to other virtual flight paths of other virtual balls for pieces of sports equipment having characteristics other than the characteristic of the piece of sports equipment detected by the first sensor; and

cause the display to display a recommendation to utilize a different piece of sports equipment selected to improve performance.

4 . The sports simulator of claim 1 , wherein the instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium, when executed by the processor, cause the sports simulator to identify the characteristic of the piece of sports equipment as at least one of golf club type, manufacturer, make, model, year, shaft length, grip type, material, or mass when the piece of sports equipment is a golf club.

5 . The sports simulator of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor is configured to detect at least one of club head speed, ball flight trajectory, ball travel distance, club face angle, ball flight velocity, ball flight acceleration, and ball deformation when the piece of sports equipment is a golf club and the ball is a golf ball.

6 . The sports simulator of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor comprises an infrared (IR) camera.

7 . The sports simulator of claim 1 , wherein the marking comprises a material reflective infrared radiation supported on or embedded within a material of the piece of sports equipment.

8 . The sports simulator of claim 1 , wherein the marking is located on a hosel of a golf club when the piece of sports equipment is the golf club.

9 . The sports simulator of claim 1 , wherein the marking comprises a pattern of dots.

10 . The sports simulator of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor comprises a high-speed camera.

11 . The sports simulator of claim 1 , wherein the instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium, when executed by the processor, cause the sports simulator to:

accept an equipment identification of the piece of sports equipment; and

store the equipment identification in association with the virtual flight path of the virtual ball.

12 . The sports simulator of claim 1 , comprising the ball bearing another marking configured to at least partially identify the ball.

13 . The sports simulator of claim 1 , wherein the instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium, when executed by the processor, cause the sports simulator to:

determine whether the virtual flight path of the virtual ball is expected given the trajectory and the characteristic of the piece of sports equipment;

request verification of the piece of sports equipment when the virtual flight path is not expected; and

store an indication that the virtual flight path of the virtual ball is not expected given the trajectory and the characteristic of the piece of sports equipment in association with the virtual flight path of the virtual ball when the virtual flight path is not expected.

14 . A method for simulating sports equipment performance, comprising:

detecting a marking on a piece of sports equipment utilizing a first sensor;

identifying a characteristic of the piece of sports equipment responsive to detecting the marking;

detecting a trajectory of a ball responsive to use of the piece of sports equipment utilizing a second sensor;

generating simulation data indicative of a virtual ball with a virtual flight path responsive to the trajectory;

storing the characteristic of the piece of sports equipment in association with the virtual flight path of the virtual ball; and

causing a display to display the virtual flight path of the virtual ball in the sports.

15 . The method of claim 14 , comprising:

accepting a user identification for a user of the piece of sports equipment; and

storing the user identification in association with the virtual flight path of the virtual ball.

16 . The method of claim 14 , comprising:

determining whether the virtual flight path of the virtual ball underperforms relative to other virtual flight paths of other virtual balls for pieces of sports equipment having characteristics other than the characteristic of the piece of sports equipment detected by the first sensor; and

causing the display to display a recommendation to utilize a different piece of sports equipment selected to improve performance.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein identifying the characteristic of the piece of sports equipment comprising at least one at least one of golf club type, manufacturer, make, model, year, shaft length, grip type, material, or mass when the piece of sports equipment is a golf club.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein detecting the marking on the piece of sports equipment comprises detecting a material reflective infrared radiation supported on or embedded within a material of the piece of sports equipment.

19 . The method of claim 14 , comprising:

accepting an equipment identification of the piece of sports equipment; and

storing the equipment identification in association with the virtual flight path of the virtual ball.

20 . The method of claim 14 , comprising:

determining whether the virtual flight path of the virtual ball is expected given the trajectory and the characteristic of the piece of sports equipment;

requesting verification of the piece of sports equipment when the virtual flight path is not expected; and

storing an indication that the virtual flight path of the virtual ball is not expected given the trajectory and the characteristic of the piece of sports equipment in association with the virtual flight path of the virtual ball when the virtual flight path is not expected.