IP Library Granted Patent US 12,403,366
Granted Patent B1
US 12,403,366 · App. 19/018,074 · Granted Sep 2, 2025

Reactive game play

Inventor: Scott Moakes (Dallas, TX)
Assignee: Topgolf International, Inc.
A63B67/02A63B24/0021A63B69/3694A63B71/0622A63B2024/0034A63B2024/0096A63B71/0669A63B2220/807A63B2220/833A63B2220/89
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,403,366
App. No.
19/018,074
Granted
Sep 2, 2025
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method and system for playing a player reactive game 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 server is configured to modify gameplay based on the shot types detected.

Claims (37)

1. A system for playing a player reactive game at a golf entertainment venue, the system comprising:

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

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 generate a virtual game on the video display, wherein the game comprises a plurality of tiles covering an entire virtual outfield of the golf driving range;

wherein the server is configured to detect golf ball hit by a player at a hitting bay while playing the game

wherein the server is configured to generate a flight and landing of the golf ball based on tracking by the plurality of golf ball tracking sensors;

wherein the server is configured to display the flight and landing of the golf ball on the virtual outfield of the golf driving range; and

wherein the server is configured to award the player with at least one point for virtually hitting a tile of the plurality of tiles.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the server is configured to determine a type of golf shot by the player.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the server is configured to generate a plurality of bonus tiles for a subsequent hit corresponding to the tile previously virtually hit by the player.

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 3 wherein the serve is configured to award the player with extra points if a bonus tile is hit in the virtual game.

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 hexagon, 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 player reactive game at a golf entertainment venue, the method comprising:

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

hitting, by a player, a plurality of shots of golf balls 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 each shot of golf balls 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 full shot of the golf ball in the virtual outfield of the game; and

awarding points to the player for tiles of the plurality tiles impacted by the full shot of the golf ball in the virtual outfield of the game;

wherein the game comprises a plurality of tiles covering an entire virtual outfield of the golf driving range, wherein a golf ball hit by a player at a hitting bay while playing the game is tracked by at least a pair of the plurality of golf ball tracking sensors and the player is awarded with points for virtually hitting tiles of the plurality of tiles, and the method further comprises generating a bounce and roll prediction at the server for the tracked golf ball; and 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.

12. The method according to claim 11 further comprising determining the type of golf shot hit by the player.

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 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 (2)
Continuation 18935203 · Nov 1, 2024
Provisional Application 63603022 · Nov 27, 2023
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