KR102680351B1 - Method and system for measuring the distance in golf course - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a distance measurement method and distance measurement system on a golf course. The method of measuring the distance on a golf course includes the steps of transmitting a hole signal from a hole location in a green area of a golf course, receiving the hole signal at a golf ball location where a golf ball is located or near the golf ball location, and It includes determining the distance between the golf ball location and the hole location using a hole signal.

Description

Distance measurement method and distance measurement system on a golf course {METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MEASURING THE DISTANCE IN GOLF COURSE}

The present invention relates to a distance measurement method and distance measurement system on a golf course.

Recently, as the number of people active in various sports increases, golf is also expanding its base as a popular sport enjoyed naturally by the general public. The number of people who enjoy golf has reached approximately several million, and golf-related businesses have also become very active, so the number of golf courses and driving ranges continues to increase. The golf course consists of 18 holes equipped with tee grounds, fairware, rough, greens, holes, hazards and bunkers, and the 18 holes include 4 par 5 holes and a par 4 hole. It can consist of 10 holes and 4 par 3 holes. The shortest par 3 hole has a course length (length from the tee shot point to the hole cup) of approximately 230 meters or less, and the longest par 5 hole has a course length of approximately 430 meters or more. As golf has a considerable course length, play information such as the distance between the golf ball and the hole cup is very important in order to effectively attack the course. In order to determine the distance between the golf ball and the hole cup, golfers purchase a separate measuring device and use it on the golf course. However, the measuring device is expensive, which is an economic burden, and even if the measuring device is used, there are points in the golf course where it is not easy to measure the distance, so there is a limit to obtaining the necessary information with the measuring device.

The present invention was invented in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a distance measurement method and a distance measurement system on a golf course that can accurately determine the distance between a golf ball and a target point.

Other objects of the present invention can be clearly understood from the following description and accompanying drawings.

A method of measuring a distance on a golf course according to an embodiment of the present invention to achieve the above object includes transmitting a hole signal sent from the hole position in the green area of the golf course, the position of the golf ball where the golf ball is located, or the golf ball. It includes receiving the hole signal near a location, and determining the distance between the golf ball location and the hole location using the hole signal.

In the distance measuring method on the golf course, the hole signal includes different first and second hole signals, and the distance between the golf ball position and the hole position determined based on the first hole signal (first distance) and the distance (second distance) between the golf ball position determined based on the second hole signal and the hole position are different from each other by more than a predetermined threshold, the second distance is set to the golf ball position and the hole position. It can be regarded as the distance between the hole positions. Here, the hole position is provided with a hole cup embedded in the green area and a flagpole placed on the hole cup, and the first hole signal can be transmitted from the flagpole and the second hole signal can be transmitted from the hole cup. there is.

In the method of measuring the distance on a golf course, the step of receiving the hole signal at the golf ball location may be performed using a portable device carried by a user located at the golf ball location. Here, the hall signal may include an RF signal or GPS location information of the hole location.

A distance measuring system on a golf course according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a transmitting means for transmitting a hole signal at a hole position in a green area of a golf course, and a hole signal at a golf ball position where a golf ball is located or in the vicinity of the golf ball position. It includes a receiving means for receiving, and a positioning means for determining the distance between the golf ball position and the hole position using the hole signal.

In the distance measurement system on the golf course, the hole signal includes different first and second hole signals, and the transmitting means transmits the first hole signal and the second hole signal. and a second transmitting means, wherein the positioning means determines the distance (first distance) between the golf ball position determined based on the first hole signal and the hole position and the second transmitting means determined based on the second hole signal. If the distance (second distance) between the golf ball position and the hole position is different from each other by more than a predetermined threshold, the second distance may be regarded as the distance between the golf ball position and the hole position.

In the distance measuring system on the golf course, the hole location is provided with a hole cup embedded in the green area and a flagpole disposed on the hole cup, and the first transmitting means is disposed on the flagpole and the second transmitting means is provided. The means may be disposed in the hole cup.

According to the distance measuring method on a golf course and the distance measuring system on a golf course of the present invention, it is possible to accurately determine the distance between a golf ball and a target point on a golf course and provide it to a golfer playing golf.

1 is a flowchart showing the operation process of a distance measurement method on a golf course according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a distance measurement system on a golf course according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the Hall signal transmitter in FIG. 2.
Figure 4 is a diagram showing a mobile device as an example of a portable device that can be used in a distance measurement system on a golf course.
Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the operation process of a distance measurement method on a golf course according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 6 and 7 are diagrams showing the schematic structure and operation example of a distance measurement system on a golf course according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a diagram showing the schematic structure and operation example of a distance measurement system on a golf course according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a distance measurement system at a golf course according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail through examples. The purpose, features, and advantages of the present invention will be easily understood through the following examples. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. The embodiments introduced herein are provided to ensure that the disclosed content is thorough and complete and to enable the idea of the present invention to be sufficiently conveyed to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Accordingly, the present invention should not be limited by the following examples.

Although terms such as first and second are used in this specification to describe various elements, the elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish the elements from one another. Additionally, when an element is referred to as being on top of another element, it means that it can be formed directly on top of the other element or that a third element may be interposed between them.

In the drawings, the sizes of elements, or the relative sizes between elements, may be somewhat exaggerated for a clearer understanding of the present invention. Additionally, the shapes of elements shown in the drawings may change somewhat due to variations in the manufacturing process. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed in this specification should not be limited to the shapes shown in the drawings unless otherwise specified, and should be understood to include some degree of modification.

Figure 1 is a flowchart showing the operation process of a distance measurement method on a golf course according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a distance measurement system on a golf course according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a block diagram of the hall signal transmitter in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a mobile device as an example of a portable device that can be used in a distance measurement system on a golf course.

Referring to FIG. 1, the method of measuring the distance on a golf course according to this embodiment includes a first step (S1) of transmitting a hole signal sent from the hole position in the green area of the golf course, and a golf ball where the current golf ball is located on the golf course. It includes a second step (S2) of receiving a hole signal at or near the location, and a third step (S3) of determining the distance between the golf ball location and the hole location using the hole signal. This method of measuring distance on a golf course can be used in a distance measuring system on a golf course as shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 2, the distance measurement system at a golf course includes a transmitter 10 and a portable device 20. The transmitter 10 is located on the hole cup, which is the target point of the golf course. A flagpole is placed on the hole cup so that the position of the hole cup can be clearly identified from a distance, and the transmitter 10 can be placed on the flagpole. The transmitter 10 transmits a signal, and for convenience, the signal is called a 'Hall signal' in that it is a 'signal from the transmitter 10 located at the hole location.' The portable device 20 is located at the current location of the golf ball (or near the golf ball) and serves to receive the hole signal. Since the position of the golf ball changes as the golfer hits the golf ball, in order for the portable device 20 to be located at the current position of the golf ball whose position changes, the position of the portable device 20 must also be adjusted to the position of the golf ball. It must change with changes. Since the golfer always moves to the location of the golf ball in order to hit the golf ball, when the golfer carries the portable device 20, the portable device 20 may be located at the current location of the golf ball. Since the golfer hits the golf ball near the golf ball, to be precise, the position of the portable device 20 held by the golfer cannot be considered 100% the same as the position of the golf ball, but the difference in position between the golfer and the golf ball is Because it is very small, there is no major problem even if the golfer's position is considered the position of the golf ball.

Referring to FIG. 3, the transmitter 10 includes a GPS module 11, a communication unit 12, and a power supply unit 13. The transmitter 10 performs the role of determining the location of the transmitter 10 (= location of the hole cup) through the GPS module 11, etc. and transmitting this as a hole signal (the first step (S1) in FIG. 1). . The GPS module 11 is used to determine the location of the transmitter 10, and the location of the transmitter 10 can be determined by receiving a signal from the GPS satellite 30. The communication unit 12 includes a wireless communication module and serves to transmit location information of the transmitter 10 determined by the GPS module 11 as a Hall signal. The power supply unit 13 is used to supply power necessary for the operation of the transmitter 10. The power supply unit 13 may include a battery or a solar module capable of utilizing sunlight.

Referring to FIG. 4, the golfer's own smartphone can be used as the portable device 20. Alternatively, a separate mobile device provided at the golf course that the golfer is using can be used as the portable device 20, which can be used when the golfer does not possess a smartphone. The portable device 20 receives the hole signal transmitted by the transmitter 10 and uses it to determine the distance between the hole and the golf ball (second and third steps (S2, S3) in FIG. 1). Perform. As shown in FIG. 4, when a smartphone is used as a portable device, the smartphone is equipped with a positioning unit 21 and a communication unit 22. The positioning unit 21 determines the location of the hole based on the hole signal transmitted from the transmitter 10 and provides various play information based on this, and the communication unit 22 receives the hole signal. Do it. Although not shown in the drawing, golf course data of the golf course where the golfer is currently playing may be stored in the portable device 20. The position determination unit 21 determines the location of the hole through the hall signal, and determines the location of the portable device 20 using the location tracking function of the smartphone, and then determines the location of the hole and the location of the portable device 20. By substituting the above golf course data, the distance between the hole cup and the position of the golf ball (position of the golfer holding the smartphone) on the golf course currently being played can be determined, and this is displayed on the display screen of the smartphone and provided to the golfer. can do. The location determination unit 21 and the golf course data are connected to a smartphone, which is a portable device 20, by running an app containing a related program that performs the role of the location determination unit 21 and related data including the golf course data. It can be provided by installing.

Here, the case of receiving a signal from the GPS satellite 30 to obtain location information of the transmitter 10 has been described, but it is not necessary to use the GPS satellite 30. For example, the transmitter 10 may be equipped with a simple signal generating means that generates an RF signal, etc. instead of the GPS module 21. In this case, when the signal generating means generates and transmits a Hall signal, the portable device (20) ) can receive the Hall signal. Since the Hall signal generated by the signal generating means does not use the GPS satellite 30, it may not contain the location of the hole cup. However, if the Hall signal includes the time information at which the Hall signal was transmitted, the portable device (20) ) receives the Hall signal and checks the time taken to transmit the Hall signal, so that the distance between the Hall signal generation location (hole cup) and the portable device 20 can be determined. If the portable device 20 has a simple display function, the distance between the identified hole cup (hole signal generation location) and the golf ball (position of the portable device 20 carried by the golfer) can be displayed. In this case, a smartphone may be used as the portable device 20, or a device that is not a smartphone but has only the minimum function of being able to receive a hole signal and displaying the distance between the hole cup and the golf ball may be used. there is.

Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the operation process of a distance measurement method at a golf course according to another embodiment of the present invention, and Figures 6 and 7 are a schematic structure of a distance measurement system at a golf course according to another embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram showing an operation example.

Referring to FIG. 5, the distance measuring method on a golf course according to this embodiment includes a first step (S11) of transmitting first and second hole signals sent from the hole location and/or its vicinity in the green area of the golf course; A second step (S12) of receiving first and second hole signals from the golf ball position (or near the golf ball position) where the golf ball is currently located on the golf course, the distance between the hole position according to the first hole signal and the golf ball position A third step (S13) of checking whether the distance between the hole position and the golf ball position by the second hole signal (named 'first distance') and the golf ball position (named 'second distance') are the same. In step S13, if the first distance and the second distance are the same, a fourth step of determining the distance between the golf ball position and the hole position using the first hole signal or the second hole signal (the first distance or the second hole signal) is performed. (considering the distance as the distance between the golf ball and the hole) (S14), if the first distance and the second distance are not the same in the third step (S13), the distance between the golf ball position and the hole position is determined by the second hole signal. It includes a fifth step of determining the distance (considering the second distance to be the distance between the golf ball and the hole) (S15). This method of measuring distance on a golf course can be used in a distance measuring system on a golf course as shown in FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 6, the distance measurement system at a golf course includes a plurality of transmitters 10 and 40 and a portable device 20. The plurality of transmitters 10 and 40 include a first transmitter 10 and a second transmitter 40, and they are located at the hole cup, which is the target point of the golf course. A flagpole is placed on the hole cup so that the position of the hole cup can be clearly identified from a distance, and the first transmitter 10 can be placed on the flagpole. Additionally, as shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 6, the second transmitter 40 may be arranged to be attached to the inside of the hole cup. The portable device 20 is carried by the golfer, and the golfer always moves to the position of the golf ball in order to hit the golf ball. Therefore, the position of the portable device 20 carried by the golfer can be considered to be the same as the current position of the golf ball. there is. The transmitter 10 serves to transmit a signal (Hall signal) at the Hall location. The first transmitter 10 transmits the first Hall signal and the second transmitter 40 transmits the second Hall signal, and the portable The device 20 serves to receive the first and second Hall signals. Here, the first and second Hall signals may be configured identically or configured differently. For example, the first and second transmitters 10 and 40 each have a GPS module and can determine their own location information through the GPS satellite 30 and then transmit it as the first and second Hall signals. Alternatively, the first transmitter 10 determines its own location information using the GPS satellite 30 and transmits it as a first Hall signal, and the second transmitter 40 transmits an RF signal, etc. as a second Hall signal without location information. Can be sent.

If the method of measuring the distance between the golf ball and the target point (hole cup) on the golf course shown in FIG. 5 is applied to the system of FIG. 6, the first and second transmitters 10 and 40 in the first step (S11) First and second Hall signals are transmitted, respectively. In the second step (S12), the first and second hole signals are received from the portable device 20 carried by the golfer. In the third step (S13), the hole location is determined and the distance between the golf ball and the hole cup is determined. This process is similar to the third step (see step S3 in FIG. 1) in the above-described embodiment. However, this embodiment differs from the above-described embodiment in that there are a plurality of hole signals. In this embodiment, the distance between the golf ball and the hole cup determined by the first hole signal (the first distance (L1)) and the second After determining the distance (second distance L2) between the golf ball and the hole cup determined by the hole signal, the first distance (L1) and the second distance (L2) are compared. If the first and second distances are the same (L1=L2), the fourth step (S14) is performed, and if the first and second distances are not the same (L1≠L2), the fifth step (S15) is performed. . Here, the meaning that the first and second distances are the same includes not only the case where they are 100% the same, but also the case where the difference between the first and second distances is within a predetermined threshold. Since the first transmitter 10 is attached to the flagpole and the second transmitter 40 is attached to the hole cup and the attachment positions are different, the first distance L1 and the second distance L2 are determined according to the difference in the attachment positions. ), there may also be some differences.

If the first distance (L1) and the second distance (L2) are the same or have only a slight difference (situation shown in Figure 6), either the first distance (L1) or the second distance (L2) It is considered the distance between the golf ball and the hole cup and is displayed on the portable device (20). If the first Hall signal and the second Hall signal are configured differently, for example, the first Hall signal includes location information using the GPS satellite 30 and the second Hall signal does not include the location information, the first Hall signal Using , the first distance L1 can be regarded as the distance between the golf ball and the hole cup and displayed on the portable device 20, and at the same time, the location of the hole on the golf course can be displayed using the location information.

During golf play, there may be cases where the difference between the first distance L1 and the second distance L2 becomes more than a predetermined threshold. As shown in Figure 7, when a golfer putsts with a golf ball landing on the green area, a caddy or another golfer playing together must ensure that the putted golf ball can be holed into the hole cup without being disturbed by the flagpole. The flagpole placed in the hole cup can be spaced away from the hole cup and placed in an arbitrary location near the hole cup. In this case, there is a difference between the location for transmitting the first hole signal and the location for transmitting the second hole signal, so a difference greater than a threshold may occur between the first distance (L1) and the second distance (L2), and in this case, golf The exact distance between the ball and the hole cup is not the first distance (L1) but the second distance (L2). In putting, it is very important to accurately determine the distance between the hole cup and the golf ball, and if you misunderstand the distance even slightly, you may fail in putting. According to this embodiment, when the flagpole is spaced apart from the hole cup, the fifth step (S5) is performed and the distance between the golf ball and the hole cup (second distance L2) is based on the hole signal generated from the hole cup rather than the flagpole. Because it detects , accurate distance measurement is possible.

There are various advantages when attaching the transmitters 10 and 40 to the flagpole and hole cup, respectively, as in this embodiment. Since the flagpole has a predetermined height, when the first transmitter 10 is attached to the upper side of the flagpole, the first Hall signal generated from the first transmitter 10 can reach a relatively wide range. In comparison, since the hole cup is buried in the ground in the green area, the second hole signal generated from the second transmitter 40 attached to the hole cup may have a narrower propagation range than the first hole signal. In normal cases, the position of the golf ball is determined using the first hole signal, and the second hole signal is used only when the exact position of the golf ball cannot be determined using the first hole signal (when the flagpole is spaced away from the hole cup for putting). If a Hall signal is used, the disadvantage of the narrow propagation range of the second Hall signal can be overcome. This is because the flagpole is generally separated from the hole cup only in situations where the golfer is not far away from the hole cup, so in this situation, there is no problem in the second hole signal reaching the golfer even if the propagation range of the second hole signal is narrow. . In this way, if the first transmitter (10) is mainly used and the second transmitter (40) is operated to be used only in specific situations, a location tracking function using GPS is given to the mainly used first transmitter (10), so that the golf ball and hole cup are simply used. It is possible to determine not only the distance between the two, but also the location of the hole cup on the golf course. The second transmitter 40, which is used only in specific situations such as putting, can omit the location tracking function and generate only RF signals. This is because in a putting situation on the green area, the golfer can determine the location of the hole cup with the naked eye, so there is little need to separately provide the golfer with the location of the hole cup on the golf course in addition to the accurate distance information between the golf ball and the hole cup. In this way, by configuring the first and second transmitters 10 and 40 differently, the cost of the transmitters 10 and 40 is lowered, and at the same time, it is possible to obtain all the information necessary for the situation depending on the situation in which the golf ball is located. There is.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing the schematic structure and operation example of a distance measurement system on a golf course according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, the distance measurement system at a golf course includes a transmitter 10 and a portable device 20. The transmitter 10 is attached to the flagpole in an easily detachable manner. For example, the transmitter 10 may include a magnet and the flagpole may be configured to include a metal component in at least a portion of the body, and according to this configuration, the transmitter 10 can be easily attached to and detached from the flagpole by the magnetic force of the magnet. You can. The portable device 20 is carried by the golfer, and the golfer always moves to the position of the golf ball in order to hit the golf ball. Therefore, the position of the portable device 20 carried by the golfer can be considered to be the same as the current position of the golf ball. there is. The transmitter 10 transmits a signal at the hole location (hole signal), and the portable device 20 receives the hole signal to determine the distance between the golf ball and the hole cup and/or the location of the hole cup and golf ball on the golf course. and provides it to the golfer. As shown in FIG. 8, in the putting stage, when the golfer is located near the hole cup and the flagpole is spaced apart from the hole cup, the transmitter 10 is detached from the flagpole and attached to the hole cup (the hole cup can be made of a metal material). If the transmitter 10 includes a magnet, the transmitter 10 can be easily attached to the hole cup. If the hole cup is made of a non-metallic material, a metal part that can attach the transmitter 10 to the hole cup is formed. By attaching the transmitter 10, the Hall signal can be transmitted from the position of the hole cup. According to this embodiment, even if a plurality of transmitters 10 are not provided, there is an effect of always transmitting a hole signal at the hole cup location.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a distance measurement system on a golf course according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9, the distance measurement system at a golf course includes a transmitter 10, a portable device 20, and a service device 100. The transmitter 10 is located on the hole cup, which is the target point of the golf course, and can be specifically placed on a flagpole mounted on the hole cup. The portable device 20 is carried by a golfer located near the golf ball, and the golfer's own smartphone can be used as the portable device 20. The service device 100 is connected to the portable device 20 through a wired or wireless communication network, and the service device 100 may be a server accessible from the portable device 20. The service device 100 is provided with a positioning unit 110 that can determine the positions of the hole cup and golf ball or the distance between the golf ball and the hole cup. Also, although not shown in the drawing, the service device 100 includes a golf There may be a database storing course data, etc. The process of determining the location of a golf ball according to this embodiment involves transmitting a hole signal from the transmitter 10, receiving the hole signal from the portable device 20, and combining the received information and the location information of the portable device 20. When delivered to the service device 100, the positioning unit 110 of the service device 100 applies the transmitted information to the golf course data, such as the hole cup, the position of the golf ball, and/or the distance between the golf ball and the hole cup, etc. When the service device 100 transfers the identified information to the portable device 20, the transmitted information is displayed on the portable device 20 and provided to the golfer.

According to this embodiment, the positioning unit 110 or golf course data is provided in the service device 100 instead of the portable device 20 owned by the golfer, so that the above-mentioned service is provided in the portable device 20 of each golfer. The functions of the device 100 can be used, and there is no need to separately store programs that serve as the position determination unit 110 or golf course data in each golfer's portable device 20.

Although we have looked at specific embodiments of the present invention above, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. . Accordingly, the disclosed embodiments should be considered from an illustrative rather than a restrictive perspective. The scope of the present invention is indicated in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the equivalent scope should be construed as being included in the present invention.

10: Transmitter
20: Portable device
100: service device

Claims (8)

Transmitting a hole signal sent from a hole location in the green area of a golf course;
Receiving the hole signal at or near the golf ball location where the golf ball is located; and
determining the distance between the golf ball location and the hole location using the hole signal;
Contains,
The Hall signal includes different first and second Hall signals,
The distance between the golf ball position and the hole position determined based on the first hole signal (first distance) and the distance between the golf ball position determined based on the second hole signal and the hole position (second distance) ) are different from each other by more than a predetermined threshold, the second distance is regarded as the distance between the golf ball position and the hole position,
The hole position is provided with a hole cup embedded in the green area and a flagpole disposed on the hole cup, wherein the first hole signal is transmitted from the flagpole and the second hole signal is transmitted from the hole cup,
When the golf ball is located in the green area and the flagpole is arranged to be spaced apart from the hole cup, the first and second distances differ by more than a predetermined threshold and the second distance is adjusted to the golf ball location. Considered as the distance between the hole location and
How to measure distance on a golf course. delete delete According to paragraph 1,
A method of measuring a distance on a golf course, wherein the step of receiving the hole signal at the golf ball location is performed using a portable device carried by a user located at the golf ball location. According to paragraph 4,
The Hall signal includes an RF signal or includes GPS location information of the hole location, the first Hall signal includes GPS location information of the hole location, and the second Hall signal does not include the GPS location information. not
How to measure distance on a golf course. Transmitting means for transmitting a hole signal at a hole position in the green area of a golf course;
Receiving means for receiving the hole signal at or near the golf ball location; and
Position determination means for determining the distance between the golf ball position and the hole position using the hole signal;
Contains,
The Hall signal includes different first and second Hall signals,
The transmitting means includes a first transmitting means for transmitting a first Hall signal and a second transmitting means for transmitting the second Hall signal,
The position determination means determines the distance (first distance) between the golf ball position determined based on the first hole signal and the hole position and the golf ball position determined based on the second hole signal and the hole position. If the distance (second distance) is different from each other by more than a predetermined threshold, the second distance is regarded as the distance between the golf ball location and the hole location,
The hole location is provided with a hole cup embedded in the green area and a flagpole disposed on the hole cup, the first transmitting means is disposed on the flagpole and the second transmitting means is disposed on the hole cup,
When the golf ball is located in the green area and the flagpole is arranged to be spaced apart from the hole cup, the first and second distances differ by more than a predetermined threshold and the second distance is adjusted to the golf ball location. Considered as the distance between the hole location and
Distance measurement system on a golf course.
delete delete

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