Virtual golf simulation apparatus, method of realizing image for virtual golf, and computing-device-readable recording medium having the same recorded therein

1. A virtual golf simulation apparatus comprising:

a sensing device for generating sensing information of a golf ball hit by a user;

an image output device for outputting a simulation image simulating a trajectory of a virtual ball on a virtual golf course to a front screen and a floor screen, wherein the front screen is provided in front of a location at which the user hits the golf ball, wherein the floor screen is provided on a floor between a shot plate, on which the user hits the golf ball and the front screen, wherein the simulation image includes a front screen image and a floor screen image; and

a simulator comprising an image-processor for processing the simulation image to be output by the image output device and a controller for performing a calculation in order to simulate the trajectory of the virtual ball based on the sensing information sensed by the sensing device, performing detecting an occurrence of a predetermined situation before the user hits the golf ball on the shot plate, performing control such that the image-processor processes the simulation image is changed by shifting, and performing control such that the simulation image is output through the image output device, wherein

the controller is configured to receive a result of sensing the golf ball from the sensing device and to determine whether the user is ready to hit the golf ball based on the result of the sensing of the golf ball or to determine whether a ball-ready indication indicating that the sensing device is ready to obtain the sensing information according to the hitting of the golf ball by the user is generated based on the result of the sensing of the golf ball, and

upon determining that the user is ready to hit the golf ball or upon determining that the ball-ready indication is generated, the controller performing control such that the front screen image output to the front screen is shifted to the floor screen, whereby the virtual ball output to the front screen appears on the floor screen image or disappears from the floor screen image as a result of the shift.

2. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the image output device comprises a first image output device for outputting the front screen image and a second image output device for outputting the floor screen image, and

the controller divides the simulation image generated by the image-processor into a first image corresponding to the front screen image to be output to the front screen, and a second image corresponding to the floor screen image to be output to the floor screen, and performs control such that the first image is output to the front screen through the first image output device and such that the second image is output to the floor screen through the second image output device.

3. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the sensing device is configured to sense whether the golf ball is placed on a shot mat provided on the shot plate and to sense whether the golf ball placed on the shot mat remains stationary for a predetermined amount of time, and

the controller is configured to determine that the user is ready to hit the golf ball upon determining that the golf ball placed on the shot mat remains stationary for the predetermined amount of time based on a sensing result received from the sensing device.

4. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the sensing device detects position information of the golf ball on a shot mat provided on the shot plate and transmits the detected position information to the controller, and

the controller performs control such that, when the ball-ready indication is generated, a shift direction and a shift distance of the image are calculated using the detected position information of the golf ball, whereby the image for the front screen is shifted to the floor screen based on the calculated shift direction and the calculated shift distance in order to locate the virtual ball output to the front screen at a detected position of the golf ball.

5. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein

the sensing device generates the sensing information of the golf ball when the user hits the golf ball and transmits the sensing information to the controller, and

the controller performs control such that the simulation image in which the virtual ball corresponding to the golf ball is moved is output to the floor screen or both to the floor screen and to the front screen based on the location at which the golf ball is placed using the sensing information.

6. A method of realizing an image for virtual golf in which a part of the image is output to a front screen provided in front of a location at which a user hits a golf ball and the other part of the image is output to a floor screen provided on a floor between a shot plate on which the user hits the golf ball and the front screen, such that the image for the virtual golf played by the user is realized on the front screen and on the floor screen, the method comprising:

outputting the image for the virtual golf including a virtual golf course to the front screen and the floor screen, wherein a virtual ball corresponding to the golf ball on the virtual golf course is output to the front screen;

sensing whether the golf ball is placed on a shot mat provided on the shot plate by a sensing device configured to generate sensing information of the golf ball moved according to a hit by the user and transmitting a result of sensing whether the golf ball is placed on the shot mat to a controller before the user hits the golf ball;

determining, by the controller, whether the golf ball placed on the shot mat remains stationary for a predetermined amount of time based on the transmitted sensing result; and

controlling by the controller, such that the part of the image output to the front screen is shifted to the floor screen upon determining that the golf ball placed on the shot mat remains stationary for the predetermined amount of time, whereby the virtual ball output to the front screen appears on the image for the floor screen or disappears from the image for the floor screen as a result of the shift.

7. The method according to claim 6 ,

further comprising the controller generating a ball-ready indication indicating that the sensing device is ready to obtain the sensing information of the golf ball moved according to the hit by the user upon determining that the golf ball placed on the shot mat remains stationary for the predetermined amount of time.

8. The method according to claim 6 ,

wherein the step of controlling by the controller, such that the part of the image output to the front screen is shifted to the floor screen comprises:

detecting a position of the golf ball;

calculating a shift direction and a shift distance of the image from a position of the virtual ball to the detected position of the golf ball; and

controlling such that the image that is output to the front screen is shifted and output to the floor screen based on the calculated shift direction and the calculated shift distance.

9. A method of realizing an image for virtual golf including an image of a virtual green for putting of a user and a virtual ball corresponding to a golf ball on the virtual green, wherein a part of the image for the virtual golf is output to a front screen provided in front of a location at which the user putts the golf ball and the other part of the image for virtual the golf is output to a floor screen provided on a floor between a shot plate, on which the user putts and the front screen, such that the image for the virtual golf played by the user is realized on the front screen and on the floor screen, the method comprising:

outputting the image for the virtual golf including the virtual green to the front screen and the floor screen, wherein the virtual ball on the virtual green is output to the front screen;

sensing whether the golf ball is placed on a shot mat provided on the shot plate by a sensing device configured to generate sensing information of the golf ball moved according to a putt by the user and transmitting a result of sensing whether the golf ball is placed on the shot mat to a controller before the user putts the golf ball;

generating, by the controller, a ball-ready indication indicating that the sensing device is ready to perform sensing according to putting the golf ball by the user based on the transmitted sensing result; and

controlling by the controller, such that the part of the image output to the front screen is shifted to the floor screen when the ball-ready indication is generated, whereby the virtual ball output to the front screen appears on the image for the floor screen or disappears from the image for the floor screen as a result of the shift.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein

the step of controlling by the controller, such that the part of the image output to the front screen is shifted to the floor screen comprises:

detecting a position of the golf ball;

calculating a shift direction and a shift distance of the image from a position of the virtual ball to the detected position of the golf ball; and

controlling such that the image that is output to the front screen is shifted to the floor screen based on the calculated shift direction and the calculated shift distance.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:

displaying a guide line indicating a straight direction extending forwards from the virtual ball on the image, wherein

the step of controlling such that the image that is output to the front screen is shifted to the floor screen comprises:

controlling such that the virtual ball disappears from the image as the image is shifted and such that the guide line is output to the floor screen straightly in a forward direction based on a location at which the golf ball is placed.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein

the controller is configured to calculate a putting guide line for guiding a putting direction from the virtual ball to a hole cup on the virtual green based on information about a topography between the virtual ball and the hole cup, and

the step of controlling such that the image is output to the front screen is shifted to the floor screen comprises:

controlling such that the virtual ball disappears from the image as the image is shifted and such that the putting guide line is output to the floor screen based on a location at which the golf ball is placed.

13. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:

generating, by the sensing device, sensing information of the golf ball hit by the user and transmitting the generated sensing information to the controller; and

controlling such that the image simulating a trajectory of the virtual ball is output to the floor screen or both to the floor screen and to the front screen based on a location at which the golf ball is placed using the generated sensing information.