IP Library Granted Patent US 12,350,563
Granted Patent B1
US 12,350,563 · App. 18/941,236 · Granted Jul 8, 2025

Game with a fully scoreable outfield

Inventor: Scott Moakes (Dallas, TX)
Assignee: Topgolf International, Inc.
A63B67/02A63B24/0021A63B69/3694A63B71/0622A63B2024/0034A63B2024/004A63B2024/0096A63B2071/0638A63B2220/807A63B2220/89
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,350,563
App. No.
18/941,236
Granted
Jul 8, 2025
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method and system playing a game with a fully scoreable outfield at a golf entertainment venue are disclosed herein. The system includes golf ball tracking sensors, hitting bays and a server. The golf ball tracking sensors are positioned at a golf driving range. The hitting bays are also at the golf driving range, and each hitting bay has a video display. The game includes tiles that cover an entire virtual outfield of the golf driving range.

Claims (37)

1. A system for playing a virtual game with a fully scoreable outfield at a golf entertainment venue, the system comprising:

a plurality of golf ball tracking sensors positioned at a golf driving range of the golf entertainment venue;

a plurality of hitting bays at the golf driving range, each of the plurality of hitting bays having a video display; and

a server in communication with each of the plurality of golf ball tracking sensors and each video display of the plurality of hitting bays;

wherein the server is configured to render a game on the video display, wherein the game comprises a virtual outfield composed of a plurality of tiles virtually representing an entire outfield of the golf driving range;

wherein at least one pair of the plurality of golf ball tracking sensors is configured to track a golf ball hit by a player in a hitting bay of the plurality of hitting bays;

wherein the server is configured to generate a trace of the golf ball in flight and a bounce and roll of the golf ball on the virtual outfield;

wherein the server is configured to determine which tiles of the plurality of tiles were virtually contacted by golf ball based on the trace of the golf ball in flight and the bounce and roll of the golf ball on the virtual outfield;

wherein the server is configured to award points to the player for virtually contacting tiles of the plurality of tiles.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of tiles comprises from 100 to 100,000 tiles.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of tiles comprises from 1000 to 50,000 tiles.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of tiles comprises from 10,000 to 20,000 tiles.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein each tile is a hexagon.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of golf ball tracking sensors is a camera sensor.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of golf ball tracking sensors is a radar sensor.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein each tile is a square, circle, diamond, triangle, rectangle or polygon.

9. The system according to claim 1 wherein each of the tiles is the same size.

10. The system according to claim 1 wherein each tile has a representative width ranging from 0.1 meter to 10 meters in the virtual outfield.

11. A method for playing a game with a fully scoreable outfield at a golf entertainment venue, the method comprising:

generating a game on a server for display on a video display in a hitting bay of a plurality of hitting bays of a golf driving range, wherein the game comprises a virtual outfield composed of a plurality of tiles virtually representing an entire outfield of the golf driving range;

hitting a golf ball toward the outfield of the golf driving range from the hitting bay of the plurality of hitting bays of the golf driving range;

tracking a flight of the golf ball using a plurality of golf ball tracking sensors positioned at a golf driving range;

communicating the data for the tracking of the golf ball from the plurality of golf ball tracking sensors to the server;

generating a bounce and roll prediction at the server for the tracked golf ball;

combining, at the server, a trace of the flight of the golf ball and the bounce and roll of the golf ball to generate a complete shot of the golf ball in the game;

displaying, on a video display in the hitting bay, the complete shot of the golf ball in the virtual outfield of the game;

determining which tiles of the plurality of tiles were virtually contacted by golf ball based on the complete shot of the golf ball on the virtual outfield; and

awarding points to the player for tiles of the plurality tiles virtually contacted by the full shot of the golf ball in the virtual outfield of the game.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the plurality of tiles comprises from 100 to 100,000 tiles.

13. The method according to claim 11 wherein the plurality of tiles comprises from 1000 to 50,000 tiles.

14. The method according to claim 11 wherein the plurality of tiles comprises from 10,000 to 20,000 tiles.

15. The method according to claim 11 wherein each tile is a hexagon.

16. The method according to claim 11 wherein each of the plurality of golf ball tracking sensors is a camera sensor.

17. The method according to claim 11 wherein each of the plurality of golf ball tracking sensors is a radar sensor.

18. The method according to claim 11 wherein each tile is a square, circle, diamond, triangle, rectangle or polygon.

19. The method according to claim 11 wherein each of the tiles is the same size.

20. The method according to claim 11 wherein each tile has a representative width ranging from 0.1 meter to 10 meters in the virtual outfield.

Assignments (1)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 5, 2026
From: TOPGOLF INTERNATIONAL, LLC (FKA TOPGOLF INTERNATIONAL, INC.)
To: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 074197/0234 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 63602064 · Nov 22, 2023
References Cited (94)
US 5298904A · Olich · 1994 [cited by examiner]
US 5626531A · Little · 1997 [cited by examiner]
US 5743815A · Helderman · 1998 [cited by examiner]
US 5910057A · Quimby · 1999 [cited by examiner]
US 6113504A · Kuesters · 2000 [cited by examiner]
US 6308160B1 · Rex · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6634959B2 · Kuesters · 2003 [cited by examiner]
US 6705942B1 · Crook · 2004 [cited by examiner]
US 7056221B2 · Thirkettle · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 7143639B2 · Gobush · 2006 [cited by examiner]
US 7160196B2 · Thirkettle et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 7337965B2 · Thirkettle et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 7636669B1 · Bergert · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 7691009B2 · Savarese · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 7806777B2 · Cheng · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 7847808B2 · Cheng et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 8002645B2 · Savarese · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 8077917B2 · Forsgren · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 8270995B1 · Manroa et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8425350B2 · Savarese · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 8500568B2 · Bissonnette · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 8556267B2 · Gobush · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 8758166B2 · Savarese · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 8784199B1 · Henrick · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 9283464B2 · Nipper · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 9308429B1 · Coffman · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 9592424B2 · Savarese · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 10300392B2 · Koo · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 10596416B2 · Forsgren · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10695646B2 · Marten · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10799770B1 · Semsak · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10898757B1 · Johansson et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11055885B1 · Schwaiger · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11335013B2 · Forsgren et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11409411B1 · Levin · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11446580B2 · Martin · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 11504582B2 · Johansson et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11513208B2 · Eriksson · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11557044B2 · Forsgren et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 11644562B2 · Hugmark et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 11779809B1 · Stroud · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 11786783B2 · Ekström · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 11995846B2 · Forsgren et al. · 2024 [cited by applicant]
US 11998800B1 · Stroud · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 12105184B2 · Eriksson · 2024 [cited by applicant]
US 12121771B2 · Hugmark et al. · 2024 [cited by applicant]
US 12128275B2 · Forsgren · 2024 [cited by applicant]
US 12246231B1 · Moakes · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 20010037225A1 · Last · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 20010045904A1 · Silzer, Jr. · 2001 [cited by examiner]
US 20020183872A1 · Matsumoto et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 20020188359A1 · Morse · 2002 [cited by examiner]
US 20040142766A1 · Savarese · 2004 [cited by examiner]
US 20050070376A1 · Savarese · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 20050268705A1 · Gobush · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 20050272516A1 · Gobush · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 20070167247A1 · Lindsay · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 20070206023A1 · Street · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 20090094072A1 · Rodenberg · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20090210263A1 · Smeenge et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20090317020A1 · Gerhard · 2009 [cited by examiner]
US 20110202376A1 · Rodenberg · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20110307392A1 · Jenson · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20120220385A1 · Richardson · 2012 [cited by examiner]
US 20140004967A1 · Jang · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20140004968A1 · Jang · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20140004969A1 · Jang · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20140171167A1 · Hawthorne · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20150196822A1 · Voutiliainen et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160136502A1 · Voutiliainen · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160287967A1 · Baldwin · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20160354671A1 · Nuesmeyer et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160361617A1 · Luciano, Jr. et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170109660A1 · Takuma · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170116548A1 · Ito et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180221747A1 · Coffman · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190303983A1 · Vollbrecht et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200108302A1 · Marten · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200298124A1 · Martin · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200391077A1 · Forsgren · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210101069A1 · Markison · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210223032A1 · Suk · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210236904A1 · Korpach · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20220040534A1 · Imes · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220203178A1 · Burdette et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220219062A1 · Peterson · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220288479A1 · Won · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220347547A1 · Lucey · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220387873A1 · Hall · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220400202A1 · Imes · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20230124155A1 · Ines · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230196214A1 · Cordero et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230338801A1 · Burdette · 2023 [cited by examiner]
“Topgolf Kicks off Its Summer of Play by Giving Players Even More Reasons to Come Play Around.” Jun. 3, 2024. PRNewswire. Accessed Jun. 2, 2025. <https://press.topgolf.com/2024-06-03-Topgolf-Kicks-Off-Its-Summer-of-Play… [cited by examiner]