Golf shot tracking system
A golf tracking system including a tag coupled to a golf club. The tag includes a plurality of sensors, each which output a signal based on a detected movement of the golf club, a microcontroller that compares each of the plurality of sensor outputs to stored reference sensor output values, and a transceiver that transmits data corresponding to the sensor outputs to a device remote from the tag based on the comparison performed by the microcontroller. The location-aware device then processes the information received from the tag to determine whether a shot should be registered.
1. A tag, comprising:
a microcontroller;
a plurality of sensors that, when the tag is physically coupled to a golf club, are each configured to output a sensor output signal to the microcontroller based on a detected movement of the golf club; and
a transceiver, wherein:
the microcontroller is configured to;
set, when the tag is physically coupled to the golf club, a sensor processing profile based on physical characteristics of the golf club, the sensor processing profile including profile reference values for each of the plurality of sensor output signals,
compare the plurality of sensor output signals to the profile reference values in the sensor processing profile to determine whether any of the plurality of sensor output signals are equal to or exceed predetermined thresholds, and
control, when at least one of the plurality of sensor output signals exceeds a corresponding predetermined threshold, the transceiver to transmit data corresponding to the plurality of sensor output signals to a remote device that is remote from the tag,
the transceiver is configured to receive, from the remote device, update parameters input to the remote device by a user in response to a display output of the data; and
the microcontroller is further configured to adjust the profile reference values according to the update parameters;
wherein the plurality of sensors comprise a set selected from one or more of an accelerometer configured to detect acceleration of the golf club, a shock sensor configured to detect a shock imparted on the golf club, a position sensor configured to detect a position of the golf club, a tilt sensor configured to output a tilt sensor output signal based on a detected tilt of the golf club, and a gyro sensor configured to detect an orientation of the golf club.
2. The tag of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to compare each of the plurality of sensor output signals to stored reference sensor output values.
3. The tag of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of sensors is an accelerometer configured to detect acceleration of the golf club.
4. The tag of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of sensors is a shock sensor configured to detect a shock imparted on the golf club.
5. The tag of claim 1 ; wherein one of the plurality of sensors is a position sensor configured to detect a position of the golf club.
6. The tag of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of sensors is a gyro sensor configured to detect an orientation of the golf club.
7. The tag of claim 2 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to compare an output signal of each sensor in the selected set of the accelerometer, the shock sensor, the position sensor, and the gyro sensor to the stored reference sensor output values corresponding to a ball strike to determine whether the output signals of each sensor in the selected set correspond to a ball strike event.
8. The tag of claim 7 , wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit data corresponding to the outputs of each sensor in the selected set of the accelerometer, the shock sensor, the position sensor, the tilt sensor, and the gyro sensor to the device remote from the tag when the comparison of the output signal of each sensor in the selected set determines that a ball strike event has been determined.
9. The tag of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to determine whether the golf club is in an active state based on a determination that the golf club is upright based on the output of the tilt sensor.
10. The tag of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to control the transceiver to transmit the data corresponding to each of the plurality of sensor output signals to the device remote from the tag based on the determination that the golf club is in the active state.
11. The tag of claim 1 , further comprising: a light sensor configured to output a light sensor output signal based on a detected level of light.
12. The tag of claim 9 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to determine whether the golf club is in an active state based on a determination that the tag has gone from a dark to light state based on an output of the light sensor.
13. The tag of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to control the transceiver to transmit the data corresponding to each of the plurality of sensor output signals to the device remote from the tag based on the determination that the golf club is in an active state.
14. The tag of claim 11 , wherein the is configured to compute a ball strike probability value based on the sensor output signals received from the tag.
15. The tag of claim 14 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to compare the computed ball strike probability value to a stored threshold value to determine whether to control the memory to store an association between the ball strike event and the current location of the golf club determined by a position sensor.