| Method and system for determining the roundness of a golf ball -> Monitor Keywords |
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Method and system for determining the roundness of a golf ballRelated Patent Categories: Printing, Processes, Condition ResponsiveMethod and system for determining the roundness of a golf ball description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060185550, Method and system for determining the roundness of a golf ball. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present invention claims priority to provisional Patent Application No. 60/654,000 filed Feb. 18, 2005, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to a method, a system and a computer program product for determining properties of a golf ball. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method, a device and a computer program product for determining properties of a golf ball as a function of orientation using a hand-held portable device. [0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0005] Golf balls used by ordinary golfers vary in perfection. Imperfections may occur in golf ball manufacture that are not detected. More often, imperfections are introduced to a golf ball during usage of a golf ball. The imperfections that a golf ball is manufactured with and the imperfections introduced during usage of a golf ball affect the golf ball's flight on long drives or the golf ball's roll or direction when putted on a green. As a consequence of golf ball imperfections, the quality of a golfer's game may be reduced by factors not within his or her control. The enjoyment of the game as a challenge of skill is thus adversely affected. [0006] Techniques have been developed to monitor golf ball quality in order to identify imperfections so that they do not have an impact on a game of golf. Techniques developed to determine the spherical shape of a golf ball implement gauges, various types of rings, and tubes which may be used. More recently, machine vision techniques have been described for determining the orientation of golf balls. These techniques print logos with respect to golf ball orientation and automation of this printing greatly improves golf ball manufacturing. This is important as golfers rely on the consistent placement of the logo to orient a ball for play. Other techniques inspect the repeated patterns, such as dimples, found on golf balls or the game ball to locate the position for printing a logo. The use of special lighting for obtaining CCD images of spherical objects, such as golf balls, has been implemented for visual or camera assisted evaluation of the golf ball patterns. However, the technologies currently available rely on visual interpretation of differences between a reference and the game ball. In addition, the technologies currently available focus on one kind of potential defect. [0007] Accordingly, there is a need for a device to monitor the differences in properties between golf balls. There is a need for the device to be lightweight, and hand-held. There is a further need for the device to employ CCD images to assist a golfer in determining the properties of a golf ball. There is a further need for the device to determine a variety of properties of a golf ball. There is a further need for the device to determine the properties of a golf ball that directly affect putting. There is a further need for the device to determine a golf ball's out-of-roundness, size variations (oversized or undersized), balance, and blemishes on the golf ball surface. Also important is the golf ball's elastic properties that influence the length of drives. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] According to embodiments of the present invention, a method, a device and a computer program product for determining properties of a golf ball as a function of orientation using a hand-held portable device are provided. The method illuminates a golf ball with diffused back lighting. CCD images of the golf ball are taken while the golf ball is being illuminated with the diffused back lighting. The edge or circumference of the golf ball is captured and sharply defined in the CCD images. The uniformity of the circumference may be determined by evaluating the radius of the circumference at n points around the circumference, such as every 20.degree. or 30.degree.. The evaluation of the radius is well known, for example as described in the publication Machine Vision, by E. R. Davies, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. By rotating the game ball, preferable with a battery operated stepper motor, the surface of the golf ball can be mapped. The generation of the CCD images, from an imaging system, such as the Scout.TM., may be triggered by the position of the stepper motor so as to have a correlation between image and ball position. The use of the logo as a reference point is of value in this regard. [0009] In an embodiment of the invention, the uniformity of the circumference may be determined by the imaging system. [0010] In an embodiment of the present invention, the uniformity of the circumference may be determined by a system separate from the imaging device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0011] The above described features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated with reference to the detailed description and appended figures in which: [0012] FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary functional block diagram of a device in which the present invention can find application; [0013] FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary image of a golf ball with diffusive back lighting; and [0014] FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary schematic of the monitoring system 104 shown in FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0015] The present invention is now described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings that show embodiments of the present invention. The present invention, however, may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to embodiments set forth herein. Appropriately, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present invention. [0016] According to embodiments of the present invention, a method, a device and a computer program product for determining properties of a golf ball as a function of orientation using a hand-held portable device are provided. The method illuminates a golf ball with diffused back lighting. CCD images of the golf ball are taken while the golf ball is being illuminated with the diffused back lighting. The edge or circumference of the golf ball is captured and sharply defined in the CCD images. The uniformity of the circumference may be determined by evaluating the radius of the object's circumference in an image, where an image is generated for n points around the circumference of the object, such as every 20.degree. or 30.degree.. The evaluation of the radius is well known, for example as described in the publication Machine Vision, by E. R. Davies, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. By rotating the game ball, preferable with a battery operated stepper motor, the surface of the golf ball can be mapped. The generation of the CCD images, from a imaging system, such as the Scout.TM., may be triggered by the position of the stepper motor so as to have a correlation between image and ball position. The use of the logo as a reference point is of value in this regard. [0017] FIG. 1 depicts a functional block diagram of a system 100 in which the present invention can find application. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the system 100 is a handheld device operable to determine the properties of a golf ball as a function of the golf ball's orientation using CCD images of the golf ball at different orientations with diffused back lighting. In the FIG. 1 embodiment of the present invention, the system 100 includes a processor (CPU) 102, imaging circuitry 106, memory 110, data 112, display 108, and program 114. In the FIG. 1 embodiment, imaging circuitry 106 is a CCD camera that captures diffused back lighting and generates at least one image of an object, such as a golf ball, with diffused back light for determining the uniformity of the circumference of the object by evaluating the radius of the object's circumference in the at least one image. In an embodiment of the present invention, an image of the object is generated at n points around the object's circumference. In an embodiment of the present invention, the radius is evaluated at orientations between 20 degrees and 30 degrees around the circumference and an image is taken at each orientation. [0018] In the FIG. 1 embodiment of the present invention, images of the object can be generated in response to the orientation the object as directed by a stepper motor in monitoring system 104 and provided to memory 110. For example, a stepper motor can change the orientation of a golf ball to a new orientation that is 20 degrees from a previous orientation and take an image of the golf ball at the new orientation. This process can be repeated until sufficient images of the golf ball are generated at the different orientations. The images are provided in a code suitable for further digital signal processing by CPU 102. The CPU 102 is a microprocessor, such as an INTEL PENTIUM.RTM. or AMD.RTM. processor, but can be any processor that executes program instructions in order to carry out the functions of the present invention. In an embodiment of the present invention, the images generated by image circuitry 106 are provided to a memory remotely located from system 102 by wirelessly transmission using network interface 106. In the FIG. 1 embodiment of the present invention, memory 110, monitoring system 104, imaging circuit 106, CPU 102, display 108 and network interface 116 communicate using bus 1 18 [0019] In the FIG. 1 embodiment of the present invention, the memory 110 is coupled to CPU 102 and stores program 114 and data 112. The data 112 includes, but is not limited to, images depicting the object with diffuse back lighting in different orientations and edge property data related to the evaluation of the radius of the object in each image in order to determine the uniformity of the object. In an embodiment of the present invention, the object is a golf ball. In the FIG. 1 embodiment of the present invention, the program 114 provides the functionality associated with determining the properties of a golf ball including, but not limited to, the uniformity of the golf ball's circumference and the elasticity of the golf ball, as executed by the CPU 102. In an embodiment of the present invention, the program 114 is designed to determine the uniformity of the golf ball's circumference by evaluating the edge properties of the golf ball using images of the golf ball taken in different orientation with back lighting at each orientation and presenting the results of the evaluation on display 108. In an embodiment of the present invention, the program 114 is designed to determine the elasticity of the golf ball by applying forces to the object, such as a golf ball, and measuring the return force and displaying the magnitude of the return force on the display 108. In an embodiment of the present invention, the program 114 is designed to determine the balance of the golf ball by rotating the object, such as a golf ball, and measuring the center of gravity and displaying the magnitude of the center of gravity on the display 108. Continue reading about Method and system for determining the roundness of a golf ball... Full patent description for Method and system for determining the roundness of a golf ball Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method and system for determining the roundness of a golf ball patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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