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Method and systems using prediction of outcome for launched objectsRelated Patent Categories: Games Using Tangible Projectile, GolfMethod and systems using prediction of outcome for launched objects description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070167247, Method and systems using prediction of outcome for launched objects. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application is a national stage completion of PCT/GB2005/000611 filed Feb. 18, 2005 which claims priority from British Application Serial No. 0423500.8 filed Oct. 22, 2004, which claims priority from British Application Serial No. 0414028.1 filed Jun. 23, 2004, which claims priority from British Application Serial No. 0412583.7 filed Jun. 5, 2004, which claims priority from British Application Serial No. 0403561.4 filed Feb. 18, 2004. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to methods and systems using prediction of outcome for launched objects. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for deriving representations of the individual outcomes of launching objects into an area that contains a plurality of mutually-spaced object-sensing means, wherein each sensing means detects the presence of any of the launched objects that arrive in the location of that respective sensing means, a prediction of the outcome of the launching of each individual object is computed in dependence upon measurements of velocity vectors of that object at launch, the prediction is used to provide representation of the outcome of the launch of that respective object in the event that the presence as aforesaid of that object is not detected by the sensing means, and the computation process by which the predictions are computed is subject to adaptive correction in dependence upon error between the outcome predicted and the actual outcome realised in respect of individual objects for which the presence as aforesaid is detected by any of the sensing means. [0004] According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a system for deriving representations of the individual outcomes of launching objects into a defined area, comprising a plurality of mutually-spaced object-sensing means within the defined area, each of the sensing means being operative to detect the presence of any of the launched objects that arrive in the location of that respective sensing means, launch-analyser means for deriving measurements of the launch velocity vectors of each of the objects individually, computer means for computing in dependence upon these measurements a prediction for the respective object of the outcome of its launch, and means for providing representation of the computed prediction in the event that the presence as aforesaid of the respective object is not detected by the sensing means, and wherein the computation process by which the predictions are computed by the computer means is subject to adaptive correction in dependence upon error between the outcome predicted and the actual outcome realised in respect of individual objects for which the presence as aforesaid is detected by any of the sensing means. [0005] With the method and system of the invention, the representation provided in respect of the individual objects for which the presence as aforesaid is detected by any of the sensing means, may be the actual outcome realised. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] The method and system of the invention is especially applicable to providing representations of the outcome of successive strikes of a golf ball, for example in the context of a golf range. In this respect, measurements of the launch velocity and spin vectors of a ball can be used to predict its ensuing flight-carry and -duration, its landing speed, landing backspin, angle of descent and subsequent bounce and roll. However, the accuracy of such prediction is very prone to errors arising from inaccuracies in the flight model, the bounce and roll model and the launch measurements and also variations in atmospheric conditions (e.g. wind speed, rain, temperature and pressure) and also in the rebound and friction properties of the landing terrain. The method and system of the present invention enable a significant improvement in prediction accuracy to be achieved by sensing the actual outcomes realised in relation to some shots and from the way in which these differ from the predicted outcomes computed for those same shots, correct the computation process adaptively to reduce error. [0007] The "end-of-flight" parameters may be predicted and measured, namely, the carry-length, the direction and the flight duration. One possible means of achieving the measurement of actual carry distance and deviation and the flight duration is disclosed in WO-A-9201494 which describes the use of geophones distributed around a reception area to sense the impact of the ball as it lands. Signals corresponding to the time of arrival of the impact vibration at proximate geophones are recorded and, by analysing the time differences in these signals at different geophones, the position and time of impact can be accurately measured. [0008] As an alternative, passive or active radio-frequency identification ("RFID") tags may be embedded in each golf ball and used for identifying the final position of the ball. A system that employs passive RFID tags to locate the final positions of golf balls is described in US-B-6,607,123. In the present case, balls may be first identified at the tee and then at instrumented target areas on the driving range outfield where means is provided to interrogate the tags, dependent on ball position. This in turn provides data on the final outcomes of a proportion of golf shots and such measurements may be used to correct the ball launch calibration parameters and the prediction of ball carry, bounce and roll, taking into account prevailing atmospheric conditions and prevailing bounce and roll characteristics of the terrain. [0009] The measurement of velocity vectors and/or other parameters of a launched ball or other object may be carried out for the method and system of the present invention by detecting light-change resulting from passage of that object through detection planes defined by respective slit-apertures. Each detection plane may involve means for emitting light as a beam through the respective slit-aperture and means for sensing light from the beam reflected back through that same slit-aperture from the object. The angle subtended at the object by the light-emitting means and the light-sensing means is preferably less than 3 degrees, in these circumstances. More particularly, the subtended angle (identified as the "observation angle") is preferably less than 1 degree, and more desirably less than 0.5 degree or even 0.2 degree. [0010] The light-emitting means and its co-acting light sensing means (referred to collectively as a "TXRX pair") preferably operate in the infrared or near-infrared spectrum as this suppresses interference from extraneous daylight sources and is invisible to the user; however, other light wavelengths may be used. Furthermore, the light emitted may be continuous or pulsed. For example, low duty-cycle pulsed emissions with a repetition frequency in the range 10 kHz to 100 kHz may be used with measurements coinciding with each pulse. This corresponds to providing measurements of club-head and ball positions at intervals of a few millimeters to a fraction of a millimeter. (In a `full swing` golf shot the club head speed at impact is typically in the range 25 meters per second to 55 meters per seconds, and ball launch speeds are typically 30% to 60% greater). For applications where the movement of a golf putter is to be measured, the repetition frequency can be much lower (e.g. about 1 kHz). [0011] The light emission may be square-wave or sinusoidal modulated or the like, with high modulation frequency (e.g. 50 to 100 kHz or higher), and the received signal highly amplified and narrow-band filtered (preferably with a phase sensitive detector) so that very weak signals from retro-reflectors can be detected. This embodiment can be arranged to read identifying codes, such as dot-codes, on more slowly moving objects and/or on larger retro-reflectors with long-range and large capture-window applications. [0012] A detection plane may be established as indicated above by arranging the active elements in a TXRX pair in close proximity (e.g. 2 to 10 millimeters apart, but not limited to this range) and some distance behind a slit-aperture. The width of the slit-aperture may nominally equal the distance between the emitting means and the light-sensing means in the TXRX pair ("the TXRX separation"), with the length axis of the aperture perpendicular to the axis that is co-linear with the centre of the light emitting means and the centre of the light-sensing means in the TXRX pair ("the TXRX axis"). Neglecting the finite size of the active areas in the TXRX pair and diffraction effects at the edges of the aperture, the width of the detection plane in this arrangement is nearly constant throughout the useful extent of the detection plane and is equal to the TXRX separation (typically 3 to 4 millimeters). This controlled-width detection plane is advantageously used in conjunction with retro-reflectors that have much greater reflective efficiency than diffuse reflectors, with the efficiency increasing with smaller observation angles. This increased efficiency helps to compensate for spreading losses at increasing range (and thus decreasing observation angle). When the detection plane is not more than x millimeters in width (where x can be any number, but typically 3 to 4 millimeters), different features in the shape or pattern of the reflector can be detected provided that these features are separated by at least x millimeters. By providing a line array of light emitters and light sensors with adjacent elements in the array forming a TXRX pair and with the array axis normal to the length axis of the slit-aperture, the position of the detection plane can be altered, depending on which TXRX pair is selected or made active. In this arrangement, each TXRX axis is co-linear with the array axis. [0013] Another way of creating a detection plane is to arrange that the TXRX axis is parallel to the length axis of the slit-aperture. Provided the TXRX separation is small compared to the length of the slit-aperture, the fields of view for the light emitting means and light-sensing means are nearly identical. The detection plane thus formed comprises the common field of view. An advantage of this type of detection plane compared with that previously described, is that more light is emitted into the detection plane and more light is reflected back from the detection plane because the entire field of view is used. However, the width of the detection plane increases with range as it spreads out into a wedge shaped volume. This can be corrected using a cylindrical lens, so that the detection plane is again of uniform thickness (equal to the width of the slit-aperture) or nearly so. This method of forming the detection plane improves its sensitivity and operating range. [0014] It is sometimes desirable to use a diffuse reflector (e.g. one side of the surface of a golf ball). Because diffuse reflection is inefficient, the method of creating detection planes described in the immediately-previous paragraph is preferred for diffuse reflection. In this case it is sometimes advantageous to have larger TXRX separation (giving greater observation angles) to suppress retro-reflection relative to diffuse or spectral reflection from the golf ball or other object. [0015] The golf ball or other object may carry one or more reflectors. A single reflector comprising an area of reflective surface of distinctive shape, such as a triangle or rectangle, may be used. Alternatively, two or more separate reflective surfaces may be used in a defined pattern, such as circular dots arranged along a line, a barcode pattern, or three dots on the corners of a triangle. Although diffuse reflection may be used, there are advantages to be achieved using retro-reflective elements. These later elements are preferably, but not necessarily, of the corner-cube or prism type, and may be provided with special prism structures with biased and/or variable tilt axes in orderto orientate the maximum reflectivity at an incidence angle other than 90 degrees, and/or to make the reflectivity more uniform over a range of incidence angles. In the case of a golf ball, it may have just one retro-reflector with the remainder of the ball surface providing a diffuse reflector, but preferably it carries a plurality of retro-reflective dots arranged in a spherically symmetric orientation on the ball. The golf club used may also carry at least one retro-reflector preferably on the club-head and/or on the lower end of the shaft, above the club-head. [0016] Means may be provided to enhance the detection of a retro-reflector in the presence of unwanted reflections from other parts of the moving article by placing a first light polarizing filter in front of the light emitter and a second light polarizing filter in front of the co-acting light sensor. Light reflected from the retro-reflector has its plane of polarization rotated 90 degrees (or theoretically so). The two filters are oriented so that the planes of polarization are at 90 degrees to one another (or at optimum cross orientation), so only the polarized target-reflected light is allowed to pass through the said second polarizing filter and into the light sensor. When the polarized emitted light strikes other (non-retro-reflective) surfaces of the object being detected or internal surfaces in the measurement apparatus, its plane of polarization is not rotated, and the returned beam is blocked from entering the sensor. A second co-acting light sensor may be provided on the obverse side of the light emitter with a polarized filter aligned with the plane of polarisation of the emitted light. This is insensitive to reflected light from retro-reflective surfaces but sensitive to other reflective surfaces, and provides two signals, for example, one responsive to retro-reflective dots on the surface of a golf ball and the second responsive to reflections from the ball surface alone. [0017] Various types of polarizing filters may be used such as Rochon, Brewster or dichroic polarizers. One type of dichroic polarizer that is advantageously useful at infrared wavelengths is the wire-grid polarizer. Wire-grid polarizers are very expensive to manufacture compared to the much more common sheet polarizers (based on modified polyvinyl alcohol iodine) but, in the present context, the dimensions of the filters are exceptionally small so it is economic to use wire-grids. Since both the emitter and sensor devices in a TXRX pair share a common focusing lens and/or slit-aperture, the filters are preferably fabricated on or very close to the active areas of these devices. The active areas are very small (e.g. 0.1 to 1.0 square millimeters) so the polarizing filters are also very small. Judicious design of the wire-grids and associated conductors can also help to reduce radio frequency interference in the sensor signals generated by the relatively high power emitter drive signals. Anticipating future developments in light emitter and sensor devices, the emitter and/or sensor may transmivrespond in one plane of polarization without need of additional filters. [0018] Preferred shapes for the reflectors have simple geometries such as circular, hemispherical (i.e. a golf ball surface), triangular or quadrilateral. However, any shape that can be defined mathematically may be used. In one preferred embodiment, the shape comprises one or more small circular dots having diameters of similar sizes as the width of a detection plane and arranged in known relative positions on a golf club, golf ball or other object to be measured. The detection planes are preferably arranged to traverse the path of a reflector at various positions along the path and at various angles thereto. As a reflector travels through the various detection planes, data capture circuits record the corresponding time and amplitude response. These data are used to compute the speed, position and direction of the reflector and thus determine the ball and/or club head motion. A powerful technique for extracting accurate three-dimensional data of the motion of a reflector as it passes through an array of detection planes is the Levenberg-Marquardt method for non-linear estimation. This, and alternative estimation algorithms, require a fairly representative mathematical model of the measurement system and to this end it is advantageous that the reflectors have basic geometries that can be described in simple mathematical terms. [0019] The object-sensing means, which may for example utilise optical, acoustic, electromagnetic, electromechanical, or radio-frequency sensing, may be utilised in the context of golf shots for example, to detect the outcome of the ball flight (i.e. the carry distance and deviation and the duration of flight), or of the entire travel of the ball to where it comes to rest. The vibration created by the impact of the ball on landing may be detected, and data derived from the position and time of impact for a proportion of balls may be utilised with data comprising the carry distance, deviation and duration of flight, to correct the ball launch calibration parameters and/or the ball flight model parameters. Optionally, the position and/or timing of a second impact of a ball (i.e. after bouncing off the ground) may be measured to determine the final direction, descent speed and other end-of-flight parameters. [0020] The vibration sensing means may be single devices, each attached, for example, to an individual panel that vibrates on impact so as to indicate the landing of a ball on the panel, and/or may involve a distributed array of geophones to sense ground transmitted vibrations or the like. One preferred geophone arrangement uses buried piezoelectric cables near the perimeter of a sensing zone and/or arranged along grid lines distributed across the sensing zone. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Continue reading about Method and systems using prediction of outcome for launched objects... Full patent description for Method and systems using prediction of outcome for launched objects Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method and systems using prediction of outcome for launched objects patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. 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