Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02363946 2001-11-28
TITLE: Golf Related Video Recording Apparatus
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
This invention relates generally to the game of golf and more particularly to
a particular
contest type of game played on a golf course.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART:
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Jetton, U.S. 3,104,879 describes a golf driving range comprising a fairway, a
line of tee
I S stands adjacent an end of said fairway, a pond located in said fairway, a
generally annular
float on said pond, a flagged pole centrally upstanding from said float, means
secured to
said float supporting said pole, and upwardly-convex generally frusto-conical
plate
concentric with said pole, the peripheral edge of said plate being disposed
closely adjacent
the inner periphery of said float to define an annular trough; flexible means
suspending said
plate from said pole in a manner whereby the weight of a golf ball in said
trough will cause
said plate to tilt downwardly into engagement with said float, and means
defining annular
electrical switch contacts at the peripheral edge of said plate and at the
inner periphery of
said float along the annular area of the latter engaged by said plate on
downward tilting
movement of the latter.
Baker, U.S. 4,922,222 describes a golf ball whose presence is sensed upon a
tee. After it is
struck, its presence is sensed in a target cup. A Hole in One Alarm receives
status
information from the tee sensor and the cup sensor, and processes that
information using
logic and timing elements to determine that the sequence and timing conforms
to a true
"hole in one" event, then activating a signal. The logic and timing elements
are coupled and
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set so as to reject deliberate attempts to defeat the Hole in One Alarm and
other event
sequences not consistent with a true "hole in one" event.
Shirley, U. S. 4,934,705 describes a mufti-holed golf course having fairways,
greens and tee
boxes comprising a television monitor located on the tee box; a videocassette
player; a
videocassette within said videocassette player having video images stored
thereon including
images of the golf hole on which the apparatus is located; and apparatus to
initiate play of
the videocassette player so as to display video images of said golf hole upon
said television
monitor. Electrical power may be provided by a battery connected to a battery
charger
operated by solar panels located on top of a cabinet which contains the
television monitor
and videocassette player.
Vincent, U. S. 5,102,140 describes a system for recording the occurrence of a
hole-in-one or
other preselected event at a golf layout including a video camera trained upon
the tee, the
target putting green, and any intervening area between the tee and putting
green, plus a
recording device for storing video images showing the flight trajectory of a
golf ball from a
tee to the green. The video camera and recording device are operated by a coin
control
adjacent to the tee. A golfer first inserts the appropriate coins, causing the
video camera and
recording device to be operational for a predetermined time period. if a hole-
in-one or other
specified event occurs, the recorded video images can be monitored to verify
this fact and to
substantiate the claim of a player to any outstanding offer of a prize or
reward.
Nichols et al., U.S. 5,354,052 describes a device for detecting the presence
of a golf ball in a
ball-receiving cup comprising a flag pole having a tubular lower portion
dimensioned to be
received within a standard ball-receiving cup and supporting four
photointerruptors each
comprising an infrared emitter and a corresponding photodetector, with the
beams from the
emitters passing through opening in the tubular portion and being spaced at 90-
degree
intervals around the periphery of the tubular portion so that the four
quadrants of the cup are
within the fields of the photointerruptors. When a golf ball enters the cup,
the infrared beam
from one of the emitters is reflected from the surface of the golf ball and is
received by the
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corresponding photodetector to cause a change in the state of the
photodetector which in turn
causes a display to be illuminated to indicate that a golf ball has ended the
cup.
Reising, U.S. 5,370,389 describes a golfing range game which allows a player
to practice
both long-range and close-range shots while aiming for different target greens
located at
varying distances from the teeing area. Lf the player lands a ball on one of
the greens, he
receives a score on a visual display that is located near the teeing area so
the player can
easily see his score. Each of the greens is sloped so that a ball that lands
upon the greens'
surface will roll into a hole located at the lowest point of the surface. Each
ball has a
distinctive marking, either a color code or a bar code, so that it can be
determined from
which tee the ball was hit. After the ball rolls into the hole of a green, a
sensor scans the ball
and identifies from which tee the ball came. A score is then added to the
visual display at the
corresponding tee. Each green can have a different point value, depending upon
the difficulty
of the golf shot required to land on that green.
Clark, Jr., U.S. 5,445,374 describes a tee area from which contestants may hit
golf balls
toward flag cups located on a plurality of greens. If a contestant hits a golf
ball into a flag
cup, a ball sensor detects the presence of the golf ball and a remote
indicator announces the
presence of such a golf ball in the flag cup. Thereafter, an actuator may be
utilized to move a
door from a closed position to an open position. When such a door is in the
open position, the
golf ball is permitted to enter a conduit which extends from the flag cup to a
remotely located
ball receptacle. The actuator then closes the door and a vacuum pump applies a
vacuum to
the conduit to move the golf ball from the flag cup to the ball receptacle.
Air entering the
conduit at the flag cup is filtered to prevent debris or other foreign objects
from entering the
conduit. The ball receptacle may be made from a transparent material so that
the golf ball
may be identified as belonging to a particular contestant.
Bonacorsi, U. S. 5,653,642 describes a golfing game and the apparatus for
accomplishing the
same. The game apparatus includes a driving range having a tee area and a
target or series of
targets. Using all the skill he possess, the players) strikes) the ball toward
the targets)
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attempting to reach the target on one stroke. Upon reaching the target in one
stroke a
verification system signals the validity of the ball entering the target.
After the ball entering
the target is declared valid, a notification is activated which alerts the
other players and
personnel on the driving range. Immediately, thereafter the winning player is
provided with
additional rewards.
Cohen, U.S. 5,884,913 describes a golf tee shot-green placement monitoring
system for
monitoring golf tee shots to a designated green of a three-par golf course
hole for
determining the placement of such tee shots upon the green in connection with
hole-in-one
and closest-to-the-pin contests or challenges. The system comprises a club
house base unit, a
tee unit, and a green unit. Upon payment of a specified nominal fee, the
participating golfer
is issued a game card at the club house terminal. Upon reaching the designate
three-par hole
tee, the golfer inserts the card, or inputs encoded data, into the tee unit
which then activates
the green unit. Upon driving the tee shot, the green unit, comprising
photodetectors and
ultrasonic ranging devices, determines the achievement of a hole-in-one or the
placement of
the tee shot within specified distances from the cup or hole. If the golfer
achieves a hole-in-
one or places his tee shot within the specified distances from the hole or
cup, prize money is
awarded.
Nation, U.S. 6,012,987 describes an apparatus to facilitate the playing of a
recreational game.
The apparatus includes an electronic surveillance camera and a motion sensor
mounted
above and focused on a target area. The image data generated by the camera and
the data
generated by the motion sensor is transmitted to a central processing unit.
The image of the
target area transmitted by the surveillance camera is displayed on the screen
of a video
monitor. Movement of an object on the target area is detected by the motion
sensor and
displayed on the monitor screen. The central processing unit includes a
library of target area
overlays to alter the viewed characteristics of the target area on the monitor
screen. Each
target area may include a marker surrounded by a spaced apart scoring ring or
rings so that a
ball lying on the target area can, if it lies within a predetermined area, be
allocated a score.
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The prior art teaches the use of golf ball sensing devices used in conjunction
with certain
games and contests on the golf course, but does not teach the use of a self
contained and
sufficient and coin operated video recording system for recording golf drives
in a hole in one
contest. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further
related advantages as
described in the following summary.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which
give rise to the
objectives described below.
A golf related video recording apparatus and method comprises a single hole
golf course
fairway, having positioned at one end a tee-off area, and at another end, a
golf green with cup
area. A field house structure is positioned adjacent the tee-off area and
houses an electrical
power source for powering video capturing means, a video storing means, and a
video
playback means. The video capturing means are preferably video cameras set for
viewing
the tee area and the cup area. The apparatus is electrically interconnected
and enabled for
capturing golf ball drives from the tee area and golf ball arrivals and cup
drops for permanent
recording. The system is fully self contained and may be coin or token
operated.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and
method of use of
such apparatus that provides advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to provide such an invention capable of recording golf
play on a fairway
of a golf course.
A further objective is to provide such an invention capable of composite video
from plural
cameras.
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A still further objective is to provide such an invention capable of being
operating at remote
locations without connection to the power grid and with activation by a coin
or token
operated switch.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent
from the
following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings,
which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings:
Figure 1 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of a golf fairway and also
shows
a video monitor with screen showing four views simultaneously;
IS
Figure 2 is an elevational view of a field house structure thereof with
electrical
components of a video system; and
Figure 3 is a block diagram of the video system.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The above described drawing figures illustrate the invention in at least one
of its preferred
embodiments, which is further defined in detail in the following description.
A golf related contest and game apparatus, as shown in Fig. l, comprises a
single hole golf
course fairway I0, and positioned at one end of the golf course fairway, a tee-
off area 20, and
positioned at another end of the golf course fairway, a golf green with cup
area 30. A field
house structure 40 is positioned adjacent to the tee-off area 20. The field
house structure 40
houses an electrical power source 50, and energized thereby: a first video
capturing means
60, a video storing means 70, and a video playback means 80. The apparatus
further
comprises a second video capturing means 90 positioned adjacent the golf green
with cup
area 30. The apparatus is electrically interconnected and enabled for
capturing on video
l 5 tape, golf ball drives from the tee-off area 20 and golf ball arrivals at
the golf green with cup
area 30, whereby golfers are able to obtain video recordings of golf play.
Preferably, the first video capturing means 60 is a video camera positioned
relative to the
tee-off area 20 so that it is able to view the tee of the tee-off area 20 and
for viewing the line
of flight of a typical golf ball drive from the tee. Likewise, the second
video capturing
means 90 is a set of three video cameras positioned at left, right and far
center around the
golf green with cup area 30 so as to be able to view all of the golf green
with cup area 30.
This is illustrated in Fig. 1.
Preferably, the video playback means 80 is video monitor as shown in Fig. 1.
Preferably, the
video playback means is enabled for display of views from the first 60 and the
second 90
video capturing means simultaneously, and this technique is very well known in
the art.
Preferably, the electrical source SO comprises an electricity storing means,
such as plural 12
volt lead-acid type storage batteries wired in parallel, a solar powered
electricity generator
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100 such as cadmium-sulfide solar-electric generating cells which are well
known in the art,
a do to ac current inverter 110, also well known in the art and an
uninterruptible power
supply -120, and a coin or token operated access device or switch 130 which
are also very
well known in the art. A charging connector 135 is adapted for enabling
charging of the
electricity storing means 50 by a standard 115 volt ac power line.
Preferably, a motion sensing means 140, such as an infrared sensor, well known
in the art, is
adapted for actuating each of the video capturing means upon sensing motion in
the field of
view of each respective of the video capturing means. This would be an
optional method of
operation of the cameras.
Clearly, one of skill in the art would have no trouble in operating the above
elements using a
microcomputer 95 with common commercial software for enabling. the operation
of plural
video cameras 60, 90 and controlling the power system 50, 100, 130, 110, 120
described
above.
The above described apparatus is useful in golf related contest and games and
particularly in
a method comprising the steps of providing the single hole golf course fairway
10, having
positioned at one end, the tee-off area 20, and at another end, the golf green
with cup area 30;
positioning the field, house structure 40 adjacent to the tee-off area 20;
viewing golf play on
the golf course fairway 10 with the video capturing means 60, 90; storing the
captured video
and playing back the captured video on demand. In this manner golfers are able
to obtain
video recordings of golf play. Plural views of the .golf play may be shown
simultaneously:
The method may be practiced using solar power to operate the above described
apparatus so
that such video recordings may be made in remote locations far from standard
power. To
conserve power and video tape, the cameras may be placed in the 'record' mode
upon
sensing of motion by the motion sensors 140 mgunted on, or in, the cameras 60.
.
The above apparatus and method is intended to be used in contests and games
such as: trying
to obtain a hole-in-one, trying to drive closest to the pin, trying to be the
first down, i.e., in
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the cup, and many alternative game and contest possibilities. More than one
fairway of a
golf course may be fitted with the apparatus of the present invention and
including all of the
holes on the course. As such, the present invention may be used for games and
contests as
described, or for recording play for instruction purposes.
While the invention has been described with reference to at least one
preferred embodiment,
it is to be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that the invention
is not limited
thereto. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in
conjunction with the
appended claims.
