JP7094031B2 - Golf practice / support equipment and programs - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a golf practice / support device and a program having a function of providing golf information about golf to a golf player and a function useful for practicing golf.

For example, using a GPS receiver, the distance from the current position to the green, bunker, etc. and the course layout can be displayed at the golf course, and the hit position of the ball during golf play can be recorded accurately and easily. There is a golf support device (Patent Document 1 etc.). The device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a position information acquisition means for communicating with a GPS satellite and acquiring its own position information, a position information recording means for recording the position information, and a layout of a hole in a golf course. A layout information recording means that records visually recognizable layout image information together with its latitude and longitude information, and a hit locus display processing means that plots position information on the layout image to display a hit locus. It is equipped with.

According to the invention of Patent Document 1, by confirming the hit locus after playing, the content of the play can be confirmed and reflected, the course layout can be confirmed in advance or during the play, and the green or bunker can be checked from the current position during the play. By checking the distance to etc., you can make a play strategy.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-339929

Improvements to the conventional golf support device are made exclusively by increasing the types of information provided about golf and adding functions related to golf. As the number of functions increases, the types of antennas and sensors used also increase, and the entire device becomes larger. In addition, functions that are not used in the place where they are taken are included, and there is a problem in portability along with the increase in size of the device.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the golf practice / support device according to the present invention includes (1) a speed measurement sensor for measuring the speed of a moving object, a position measurement unit for determining the current position, and the position measurement unit. Based on the current position obtained in step 1, access to the golf course data storage means that stores and holds the course layout information of the golf course, the first control unit that reads out the course layout and outputs it to the first display unit, and the speed measurement sensor. It is provided with a second control unit that obtains the speed of a golf ball or a club head that moves with the swing of the golf club based on the output and outputs information based on the obtained speed to the second display unit. The speed may be based on the speed (swing speed / ball speed) itself, or may be information obtained based on the speed (estimated flight distance, etc.).

The speed measurement sensor corresponds to the Doppler sensor 31 in the embodiment. Like the Doppler sensor of this embodiment, the speed measurement sensor only needs to be able to detect and output information for measuring the speed, and the sensor does not necessarily have to be able to detect and calculate the actual speed. In the embodiment, the golf course data storage means corresponds to the golf course data storage unit 12. In the embodiment, it is integrally mounted in the case, but as described in the modified example, it may be separately set in a server or the like.

In the present invention, the first control unit is operated to execute a golf support mode (in the embodiment, a golf navigation mode) in which the course layout information is displayed on the first display unit based on the current position, and the output from the speed measurement sensor is executed. Can be executed by the second control unit, the swing speed and the ball speed are calculated, and the result and the like are output to the second display unit.

(2) A separable first case main body and a second case main body are provided, and the speed measurement sensor and the output of the speed measurement sensor are transmitted to the first case main body side in the second case main body. The first case main body includes an interface, a communication interface for receiving the output of the speed measurement sensor sent from the second main body case, the position measurement unit, the first control unit, and the first. It is preferable to provide two control units.

Since the speed measurement sensor is not essential during the golf support mode (in the embodiment, the golf navigation mode) in which the first control unit is operated and the course layout information is displayed on the first display unit based on the current position. Separate the second case body and the first case body. Therefore, the first case body can be used alone, and it becomes compact and convenient to carry. In particular, when this golf support mode is operated, since it is moving in the golf course, it is preferable that it is small and lightweight because it does not interfere with carrying.

On the other hand, during practice, both the first case body and the second case body are used, the output from the speed measurement sensor is acquired by the second control unit, the swing speed and the ball speed are calculated, and the result is displayed in the second display. Activate the golf practice mode that outputs to the club. Normally, in golf practice, you actually hit a golf ball in the practice field or swing in your yard or other place, but you do not move in a wide range and connect the second case body to the first case body. Even if the entire device becomes slightly larger by using both of them, there is no problem. In addition, a control unit and a man-machine interface (input means such as a switch and output means of the display unit) for executing the golf practice mode are incorporated in the first case body, and also used for executing the golf support mode. By doing so, the entire device can be further miniaturized.

Further, when the second control unit operates, the second control unit acquires the output of the speed measurement sensor, so that the second case body and the first case body can operate and communicate with each other. Therefore, the installation position of the second display unit is , The second case main body side may be used, or the first case main body side may be used as in the embodiment. When the second display unit is installed in the first case main body, the first display unit and the second display unit may be shared and shared as actual hardware parts. Further, each display unit may be provided separately from each case main body, and each control unit may output necessary information to the display unit.

(3) The first case main body is provided with a determination unit for determining whether or not the second case main body is connected, and the second case main body is not connected to the first case main body. It is preferable to configure the second control unit to operate when the first control unit operates and the second case body is connected to the first case body. By automatically switching the operation mode (operating control unit) depending on the presence or absence of the second case body, it is convenient because the user can operate in the mode suitable for each connection situation without switching the mode. .. Of course, even when the function of switching the automatically operating control unit is provided, the switching may be prioritized so that the operation can be executed in another mode by manual operation or the like.

(4) The first display unit and the second display unit may be provided on the first case main body. By arranging the first display unit and the second display unit together, the display unit can be set in an easily visible place in the entire case. That is, even if both display units are installed separately, both display units are arranged in easy-to-see places, so that the user can easily see which mode is executed and which display unit is displayed. Can be secured. (5) Further, the first display unit and the second display unit may be configured in common. By doing so, not only the cost can be reduced by reducing the number of parts, but also the compactness can be achieved as a whole, which is preferable.

(6) The first control unit and the second control unit may be configured by the same CPU. By configuring the control unit that realizes each function with the same CPU, it is possible not only to simplify and miniaturize the device configuration including the interface with the input / output unit, but also to easily switch the program to be executed.

(7) A club type input unit for designating the club type to be used is provided, and the second control unit estimates using the obtained speed and a coefficient associated with the club type specified by the club type input unit. A distance calculation function for calculating the flight distance may be provided, and the estimated flight distance obtained by the distance calculation function may be stored in the storage unit in association with the club type. In the embodiment, the club type input unit is realized by the switch 19. The storage unit may be provided on the main body of the first case as in the embodiment. Since the estimated flight distance measured in the golf practice mode is stored in the storage unit of the first case body, the data stored in the storage unit can be read and written even after the second case body is removed.

(8) The first control unit draws a mark at a position corresponding to the current position obtained by the position measurement unit in the course layout displayed on the first display unit, and obtains an estimated flight of the club type to be used. It is preferable to have a function of reading the distance from the storage unit and displaying it on the first display unit. The mark corresponds to the own icon I of the embodiment. By displaying the current position and the estimated flight distance, it is possible to easily understand whether or not the selected club type reaches the target location.

(9) The estimated flight distance may be displayed by drawing a circle centered on the mark and having the estimated flight distance as a radius. By drawing in a circle, it can be visually and intuitively recognized, and the position where the ball flew can be predicted if the ball is launched diagonally due to a missed shot or the like.

(10) The estimated flight distance displayed on the first display unit may be at least one of an average value, a maximum value, and a minimum value. By displaying the average value, it is possible to predict the arrival position when flying normally, and by displaying the maximum and minimum values, the arrival of the ball when the hit is too good or when the ball is missed. It is preferable because the position can be predicted.

(11) The second control unit has a function of displaying the hole layout of the golf course on the first display unit or the second display unit, and the distance calculation unit centering on a designated point on the hole layout. It is equipped with a ball stop point candidate display function that draws a circle with the estimated flight distance as the radius obtained in step 1, and the designated point is a designated point in the tee ground on the hole layout or the ball stop point candidate display. It should be the point specified on the circumference of the circle drawn by the function. The hole layout may be a virtual golf course or a real golf course. In either case, the practice can be closer to the actual golf play.

(12) The hole layout may be for an actual golf course stored in the golf course data storage unit. This is preferable because the simulation can be performed using the hole layout of the actual golf course.

(13) The second control unit has a function of displaying an actual golf course course layout stored in the golf course data storage means on the first display unit or the second display unit, and on the course layout. With the designated point as the center, the intersection of the circumference of the circle whose radius is the estimated flight distance obtained by the distance calculation unit and the reference line set in the course layout is obtained, and based on the obtained intersection. It may be provided with a function of determining a ball stop point and displaying the determined point. By doing so, the stop position of the ball can be automatically determined, so that the user does not have to specify the stop position for each shot, which is convenient.

(14) The reference line may indicate a capture route for a hole in the course layout. In this case, the intersection of the capture route and the circumference can be set as the stop position, and the position can be easily obtained.

(15) The capture route is a line connecting a predetermined position of the tee ground to a predetermined position of the green, and when the line is non-straight, it is specified by one or a plurality of reference points indicating a position where the direction changes. It is good to configure it so that it does. By doing this, it is possible to set a capture route based on a small amount of information.

(16) The reference line may be the boundary line of the fairway and / or the boundary line of the course of the course layout. In this case, the intersections of the two paired boundary lines and the circumference can be obtained respectively, and a predetermined position (for example, the midpoint) on the line (chord / arc) connecting the two intersections can be set as the stop position. ..

(17) When the function of displaying the course layout of the golf course on the first display unit or the second display unit and the designation of the target point on the displayed course layout are received, the distance from the current position to the target point is received. And access to the estimated flight distance storage means that stores the estimated flight distance for each club type, and use it when hitting toward the target point based on the obtained distance and the estimated flight distance for each club type. It is preferable to have a function of determining a suitable club type and notifying information about the determined club type. By doing so, the club type can be easily selected.

(18) The estimated flight distance of the determined club type and the function of notifying the determined distance may be further provided. By doing so, it can be easily determined whether or not the club type determined by the device is correct.

(19) The program of the present invention is a program for realizing the function of the golf practice / support device according to any one of (1) to (18) above on a computer.

In the present invention, the golf support mode for displaying the course layout information on the first display unit based on the current position and the second control unit acquire the output from the speed measurement sensor, calculate the swing speed and the ball speed, and obtain the same. Both golf practice modes that output the results and the like to the second display unit can be executed. In particular, if the first case main body and the second case main body can be separated, the dimensions can be adjusted according to the place of use, and the size is not unnecessarily increased, which is suitable for portability.

It is a figure which shows an example of the usage mode. It is a figure which shows an example of the usage mode. It is a figure which shows one preferable embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the display screen. It is a figure which shows an example of the display screen. It is a figure which shows an example of the hole layout in the virtual golf course and the hole in the software stored in the apparatus. It is a figure explaining another embodiment. It is a figure explaining another embodiment. It is a figure explaining another embodiment. It is a figure explaining another embodiment.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The golf practice / support device of the present embodiment displays the course layout of an actual golf course, positions the current position, moves the player, and notifies the current position and the remaining distance to the green in real time, such as golf navigation. It is equipped with a golf support function and a golf practice function that obtains and outputs the head speed of a golf club, the ball speed of the ball actually hit, the estimated flight distance, and the like.

1 and 2 are diagrams showing an example of a usage state of the golf practice / support device of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (a), the golf practice / support device 10 is installed at a predetermined position behind the golfer 1 who swings the golf club 2. The specific installation position is such that the detection range of the golf practice / support device 10 includes a point where the head 2a of the golf club 2 during the swing moves at the maximum speed. As an example, as shown in FIG. 1, the vicinity of the lowest point of the movement locus 3 of the head 2a of the golf club 2 is the impact position with respect to the ball 4, and the movement speed of the head 2a is usually the maximum speed near the position. Therefore, the installation position is on the tangent line 5 of the lowest point of the movement locus 3 and behind the golfer 1. In this case, the distance between the ball 4 and the golf practice / support device 10 is about 1 m. As will be described later, since the Doppler sensor is built in the golf practice / support device 10, the opening surface 11a of the antenna of the Doppler sensor is installed so as to face the ball 4 (facing the tangent line 5). To.

This installation position corresponds to the case where the club used is a club other than a putter, and the ball 4 may be omitted. That is, when the golf practice / support device 10 actually hits the ball 4, it measures both the head speed and the ball speed at the same time for each swing, and does not place the ball 4 (even if it is placed). If you make a swing without actually hitting it, only the head speed is measured.

On the other hand, when the club used is a putter, the installation position is as shown in FIG. 2 (b). That is, the golf practice / support device is located diagonally in front of the golfer 1, more specifically, about 20 cm away from the golfer 1 in front of the ball 4 and about 20 cm ahead in the launch direction of the ball 4. Put 10 on it. Then, the opening surface 11a of the antenna of the golf practice / support device 10 is oriented toward about 1 m of the rolling destination of the ball 4. In this usage mode, it is essential that the golfer 1 actually hits the ball 4 in order to measure the ball speed. Then, the speed measurement area of the golf practice / support device 10 is set to a certain area where the ball B rolls, and there is no movement locus of the head 2'a of the putter 2'in the measurement area. It cannot be measured. Therefore, only the velocity of the ball is measured.

FIG. 3 shows a preferred embodiment of the golf practice / support device 10 according to the present invention. The golf practice / support device 10 includes a first case main body 21 and a second case main body 22, and both case main bodies 21 and 22 are removable. A connecting mechanism is provided on the side surfaces of both case bodies 21 and 22, and the side surfaces are brought into contact with each other while being aligned and connected. When connected, it constitutes one housing. Along with this connection, the first connector 23 and the second connector 36 arranged on the respective side surfaces are coupled and electrically conducted so that data can be transmitted and received and power can be supplied. Further, by connecting the first and second connectors 23 and 36, mechanical coupling between the first and second case main bodies 21 and 22 may be possible.

The first case main body 21 incorporates elements constituting a golf support function such as golf navigation. That is, in the first case main body 21, a position measuring unit 11 that receives a GPS signal and obtains a current position, a golf course data storage unit 12 that stores golf information such as a golf course course layout in advance, and a position. A control unit 13 that accesses the golf course data storage unit 12 based on the current position information from the measurement unit 11 to acquire information about the golf course and output the information to the output device, a display device 14 constituting the output device, and the display device 14 It includes a speaker 15, a connection state detecting unit 16 that detects whether or not the second case main body 22 is connected, and a battery 17 that serves as a power source for carrying. Further, the first case main body 21 also includes a storage device 18, various switches 19, and a communication interface 20.

The golf course data storage unit 12 is composed of an internal memory and a recording medium such as a detachable external recording medium (micro SD memory card or the like). The golf information stored in the golf course data storage unit 12 includes data about an actual golf course (course layout of each hole, position of an object on the course such as a green of a golf course or a bunker). These information can be, for example, the same as those disclosed in JP-A-7-57189 and JP-A-2003-339929.

The control unit 13 includes a microcomputer including a CPU, ROM, RAM, flash memory, various peripheral circuits, interfaces, and the like. When the power switch is turned on, the control unit 13 is supplied with power from the battery 17 and starts operation. The control unit 13 expands the OS and the application program recorded in the flash memory on the RAM by the boot loader recorded in the ROM, and executes the OS and the application program on the RAM to perform various processes shown below. To realize various functions.

The storage device 18 records the calculation result, and may be an internal storage device that cannot be attached or detached, or a slot portion (including a read / write function) for mounting a detachable recording medium such as an SD memory card. .. The recording medium / device constituting the storage device 18 may be shared with the golf course data storage unit 12 in an actual device.

The connection state detection unit 16 detects whether or not the second case main body 22 is attached to the first case main body 21, and for example, the side surface of the first case main body 21 (the connection surface with the second case main body 22). ), A pressure-sensitive / contact type switch (sensor) such as a limit switch is placed, and when both case bodies 21 and 22 are connected, the switch is turned ON (or OFF) and both case bodies 21 and 22 are separated. This can be achieved by setting the switch to switch to OFF (or ON) when the second case body 22 is removed from the first case body 21. At this time, the switch may be placed flush with the surface of the first case main body 21 or slightly recessed inside, and the switch may be pressed by a protrusion or the like provided on the second case main body 22. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the switch from being erroneously pressed and erroneously determined that the second case main body 22 is connected when the first case main body 21 is carried alone. Further, the present invention is not limited to those that come into direct contact with each other, and non-contact type sensors such as proximity sensors can also be used. The detection result of the connection state detection unit 16 is given to the control unit 13.

The display device 14 is formed of an LCD, an organic EL display, or the like. The battery 17 may be a primary battery such as a dry battery, or may be a rechargeable secondary battery such as a rechargeable battery. The switch 19 includes a power switch that turns the power on and off, and an operation switch that gives various instructions. Further, a touch panel may be provided on the surface of the display device 14, and the touch panel may be used as an operation switch.

The control unit 13 determines the operation mode based on the detection result from the connection state detection unit 16. That is, the control unit 13 obtains an application program for realizing a golf support function (golf navigation mode) such as golf navigation, a head speed of a golf club, a ball speed of an actually hit ball, an estimated flight distance, and the like. It is equipped with an application program for realizing the output golf practice function (golf practice mode), and switches and executes them. Then, in the present embodiment, when the second case main body 22 is not connected and the first case main body 21 is used alone, the control unit 13 executes the golf navigation mode and uses the second case main body 22 as the first. When connected to the case body 21, the control unit 13 executes the golf practice mode.

In this way, the control unit 13 automatically switches between the golf navigation mode and the golf practice mode based on the detection result of the connection state detection unit 16, but the user is provided with a mode changeover switch by manual operation as the switch 19. The mode may be switched based on the instruction of. In this case, the manual mode switching function based on the user instruction and the automatic switching function can coexist. That is, for example, when the first case main body 21 and the second case main body 22 are connected, when the control unit 13 automatically switches to the golf practice mode based on the detection result from the connection state detection unit 16. When the golf navigation mode is selected by the mode changeover switch, the control unit 13 switches the program to be executed to the golf navigation mode. As a result, for example, the first case main body 21 and the second case main body 22 are brought to the golf course, practice is performed with both cases connected before play, and both case main bodies 21 and 22 are connected. When making a round, you can switch to golf navigation mode and carry it on the course. That is, by removing the second case main body 22 for use in the golf navigation mode, it is possible to prevent the user from misplaced the second case main body.

The control unit 13 that is executing the golf navigation mode accesses the golf course data storage unit 12 based on the position information (longitude / latitude) from the position measurement unit 11 and reads out the information of the golf course currently being played. Then, the corresponding course is read out from the current position information and drawn on the display device 14. An example of the display screen drawn on the display device 14 is shown in FIG. In this figure, the self icon I indicating the location of oneself is drawn in the center of the display screen, and the layout of the hole currently being played is drawn so that the green is on top. This makes it possible to know the direction toward the green and the position, size, and shape of the ponds and bunkers that exist around the green. In addition, the concentric circle lines L are drawn so as to be superimposed on the layout of the hole, centering on the own icon I. This will give you an idea of the approximate distance to the pond or bunker. By displaying the course layout in this way, the user can confirm how to capture each hole even if it is the first course.

Further, the remaining distance display area R1 is set at the lower right of the screen. That is, the position of the green edge and the position of the center of the green are registered in the golf course data storage unit 12 as information on the green. Therefore, the control unit 13 obtains the distance between the current position and the center of the green, and displays the remaining distance to the center of the green (“149” in the figure). In addition, the intersection of the line connecting the current position and the center of the green and the green edge is obtained, the distance between the obtained intersection position and the current position is obtained, and the remaining distance to the green edge is displayed (in the figure, "132"). "). Further, a directional arrow Y is drawn from the current position toward the center of the green.

In addition, any point can be registered based on the switch operation or the like. Specifically, the control unit 13 acquires the current position when the point registration process by the switch operation or the like is received from the position measurement unit 11 and registers the point. This arbitrary point can be used, for example, to register the point where the ball was actually hit. If any point registered in this way exists in the hall layout displayed on the display screen, the point registration icon I0 is drawn at the corresponding position. Further, the distance from the position registered at that point to the current position of the own icon I is obtained and displayed in the flight distance display area R2 prepared at the lower left of the display screen (“138” in the figure). Further, a plurality of point registrations can be performed, and the position information of each point registration is recorded in the storage device 18 in the order of registration for each hole. As a result, by registering the position where the ball is hit each time, the trajectory of the actual golf course play can be recorded, and each hole layout is drawn on the display device 14 together with the point registration icon I0. By doing so, you can check the actual play trajectory on the display screen.

Further, in the upper area of the display screen of the display device 14, the icon I1 indicating the remaining battery level, the icon I2 indicating the hole number currently being played, and the icon I3 (L (L)) specifying the green used in the hole of 2 greens. Left side) / R (right side)) and icon I4 (yd (yard) / m (meter)) indicating a unit of distance display are displayed. Further, a time display is displayed at the right end of the information area.

Further, as will be described later, the present embodiment includes a golf practice mode, in which the estimated flight distance for each club type can be recorded. Therefore, when the control unit 13 recognizes the designation of the club type (count) when used as the golf navigation mode, the control unit 13 reads the estimated flight distance for the designated club type from the storage device 18 and displays the course layout on the display screen. Display in layers. At this time, the estimated flight distance may be displayed as a text as a number, or a circle having a radius of a length corresponding to the estimated flight distance on the display screen may be drawn around the self icon I. In particular, when the estimated flight distance is shown in a circle, whether or not the club type selected in relation to the remaining distance is appropriate, and if the launch direction deviates from the target direction, hazards or roughs such as bunkers and ponds. It is preferable because it is possible to visually and intuitively understand the judgment of the possibility of being caught in.

The club type can be specified by operating the club selection switch for selecting and designating the club type provided as a kind of switch 19. Then, the control unit 13 calculates the estimated flight distance from the selected club type and information such as the head speed and the ball speed. Specifically, when the control unit 13 recognizes the pressing of the club selection switch (for example, "short pressing"), the control unit 13 circulates the club types in the following order.
"1W->3W->5W->3I->4I->5I->6I->7I->8I->9I-> W (wedge)-> Pt (putter)"

Further, the control unit 13 currently selects "W, I, t and 7 segments" in the club type display area set at a predetermined position on the display screen of the display device 14 in accordance with the patrol of the club type. Display the club type that is being played. That is, when the wood (1W, 3W, 5W) is selected, the number selected as "W" is displayed, and the iron (3I, 4I, 5I, 6I, 7I, 8I, 9I) is selected. If, the number selected as "I" is displayed, if the wedge (W) is selected, only "W" is displayed, and if the putter (Pt) is selected. Displays only "t" (P can be displayed side by side using 7 segments).

Further, as described later, when the function of obtaining the maximum value and the minimum value of the estimated flight distance measured in the golf practice mode is provided, the control unit 13 has the maximum value in addition to the above estimated flight distance (average value). It is good to display the value and the minimum value together. As an example of the display layout in such a case, as shown in FIG. 5, it can be performed by drawing concentric circles (S0: average value, SH: maximum value, SL: minimum value) centered on the self icon I. As a result, the range of the arrival point of the ball can be predicted more accurately when the ball hits too well and flies too much (highest value) or when the ball fails to hit (minimum value), and the club type can be appropriately selected.

As described above, in the golf navigation mode, the control unit 13 draws the course layout of the hole currently being played on the display screen of the display device 14, and also draws its own icon at the point corresponding to the current position on the course layout. Draw I. Therefore, when an arbitrary point on the displayed course layout is designated as a point (target point) to be hit, the control unit 13 calculates the distance from the current position to the designated point and hits the distance. It is desirable to have a function to determine a suitable club type and display information about the determined club type. At this time, the distance to the point should also be displayed.

That is, as will be described later, information (average value, maximum value, minimum value, etc.) regarding the estimated flight distance for each club type is recorded in the storage device 18 and the like. Therefore, the distance to the point obtained is compared with the estimated flight distance (for example, the average value) of each club type, and the closest club type is determined. Further, the determination of the club type is not limited to this, and the club type having the closest estimated flight distance among those having a larger estimated flight distance may be used.

Then, the control unit 13 may display the type of club type and the estimated flight distance as the information of the determined club type. When the estimated flight distance is displayed together with the average value and the maximum value and the minimum value, the distance to the point is also displayed, so that it is easy to judge whether or not the club type is appropriate.

Further, in the golf navigation mode, the actual play can be recorded by using the above-mentioned point registration function and the club type designation function. When hitting the ball, the user operates the switch 19 to register the location of the hit and to register the club type to be used. The control unit 13 registers the position where the ball is hit and the club type used at that time in the storage device 18 in order from one hit. Since the flight distance of the ball hit this time is the distance between the position registered at the point registered this time and the position registered at the next point, the control unit 13 calculates the actual flight distance and the hit point. , Register the club type and the actual flight distance in association with each other. As a result, the control unit 13 obtains the average flight distance, the maximum flight distance, and the minimum flight distance for each club type, and displays them on the display device 14. At this time, for example, by displaying the actual flight distance and the estimated flight distance together (simultaneously / alternately), it is possible to recognize the difference between the estimated flight distance and the actual flight distance. During play, the user sequentially displays the estimated flight distance and the actual flight distance to check the deviation, and whether the state of the day is flying or not compared to the normal estimated flight distance. In addition, it is possible to recognize the degree and appropriately select the club type to be actually used based on the displayed estimated flight distance + club type when playing after that day.

Further, although the flight distance is displayed when the club type is selected, the actual flight distance may be used instead of the estimated flight distance acquired in the golf practice mode as described above. The estimated flight distance is calculated simply and conveniently based on the swing speed, ball speed, etc., and does not necessarily represent the actual flight distance due to the coefficients used at the time of calculation. Therefore, as the flight distance displayed when the club type is selected, the control unit 13 has a function of displaying information based on the past actual flight distance of the same club type of the user. As the information based on the actual flight distance in this case, the average value of the actual flight distance may be used, or the maximum flight distance or the minimum flight distance of the actual flight distance may be used as in the above estimated flight distance. In addition, whether to output the actual flight distance or the estimated flight distance can be selected as an alternative based on the switch operation, or both can be displayed.

Further, by registering the history data of the actual flight distance in association with the date (date and time) information, for example, the control unit 13 can display the information based on the actual flight distance based on today's play. By doing so, the actual flight distance closer to the play environment such as the state of the player and the state of the course of the day is displayed, so that it is easy to formulate a strategy. In particular, in the case of club types that are used many times, such as drivers on the tee ground and clubs that are good at using on the fairway, if the actual flight distance of the day can be confirmed, the direction of launch and the direction of launch, It can provide useful information for making an appropriate selection of counts.

Furthermore, since the control unit 13 recognizes where the golf course currently being played is, the information based on the above actual play (striking position, club type, flight distance, etc.) is played. It is advisable to register in association with information that identifies the golf course (golf course name, identification code, etc.). In this way, when playing multiple times at the same golf course, information based on the actual flight distance at that golf course (average flight distance, maximum flight distance, minimum flight distance, etc. for each club type) is displayed. Then it is good.

Further, even when the mode for displaying the actual flight distance is selected, the actual flight distance data for the selected club type may not be available, so that the control unit 13 determines the estimated flight distance in such a case. It is good to have a function to read and display the distance. In particular, as mentioned above, if you select the actual flight distance limited to the play of the day or the actual flight distance limited to the golf course, the club type selected for the next hit may be used for the first time. Therefore, it is good to display the estimated flight distance as reference information. In that case, it is displayed so that the estimated flight distance can be understood.

Further, by using a removable recording medium such as a memory card as the storage device 18 or using a communication interface with a USB or other predetermined wired / wireless external device, the actual play stored in the storage device 18 can be performed. Based on this, the collected and recorded information can be transferred to an external device such as a personal computer for management and display on a large screen.

In the second case main body 22, the microwave Doppler sensor 31 having an output frequency of 24.15 GHz and the output signal of the Doppler sensor 31 (one wave corresponds to the movement of the head of the golf club by 6 mm) are amplified. Golf such as a comparator 33 that compares the signal amplified by the amplifier 32 with the reference value and outputs a Doppler pulse (a high level signal when the value is above the reference value and a low level signal when the signal is smaller than the reference value). It includes a component used only in the practice mode, a communication interface 34 necessary for sending and receiving data and the like to and from the first case main body 21 side, and a second connector 36. Further, on the side surface of the second case main body 22, a protrusion 35 for causing the connection state detecting unit 16 in the first case main body 21 to detect the connection is also provided. A control unit such as a CPU that performs arithmetic processing and control for executing the golf practice mode, a switch as a man-machine interface, and an output device (display device) are mounted on the first case main body 21. It is also used.

As a result, when using the golf navigation mode, the second case body containing the Doppler sensor and the like unnecessary for the mode is removed, and the first case body 21 operates independently, so that it becomes compact and can be carried to the golf course. And it doesn't get in the way when you carry it around while playing. On the other hand, when using the golf practice mode, by connecting the second case main body 22 and the first case main body 21, the control unit and the man-machine interface mounted on the first case main body 21 can be used. The entire device that combines the case body does not become so large, and although it is a device that can execute two modes, by sharing many devices and parts, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and reduce the cost.

The sensor and various electronic circuits in the second case main body 22 operate based on the battery 17 in the first case main body 21. That is, by connecting the first case main body 21 and the second case main body 22, power is supplied from the first connector 23 to the inside of the second case main body 22 via the second connector 36.

The analog signal amplified by the amplifier 32 and the pulse signal output from the comparator 33 are given to the control unit 13 via the communication interface 34 → the second connector 36 → the first connector 23 → the communication interface 20. The analog signal amplified by the amplifier 32 is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter built in the control unit 13.

When the second case main body 22 is connected to the first case main body 21, the control unit 13 executes the golf practice mode. Therefore, the control unit 13 obtains the swing speed based on these signals. That is, as described above, when the power is turned on, the Doppler pulse encoded by threshold-processing the analog waveform obtained by amplifying the output of the Doppler sensor 31 by the amplifier 32 by the comparator 33 is generated from the comparator 33 to the control unit 13. Is entered in. Therefore, the control unit 13 obtains the period of the Doppler pulse by using the built-in counter, and obtains the speed of the moving body. When the moving body is the head of a golf club, the head speed is obtained, and when the moving body is a ball, the ball speed (initial speed) is obtained. As this specific calculation algorithm, for example, various calculation algorithms can be used in addition to the technique disclosed in JP-A-6-86845.

Furthermore, in order to specialize in measuring the speed of the head speed during a swing of a golf club, this device temporarily accumulates speed data from the start to the end of the swing, and then calculates the maximum speed of the swing from the accumulated data. It is good to do it.

Further, when only swinging without placing the ball, the control unit 13 can easily obtain the head speed by the above-mentioned known algorithm. Further, in the present embodiment, when the ball is actually hit, the control unit 13 simultaneously obtains the ball speed and the head speed. This is because the moving speed of the head accompanying the swing of the golf club gradually increases from the start of the swing, reaches the maximum speed in the vicinity of before and after hitting the ball, and then gradually decreases. On the other hand, at the beginning of the swing of the golf club, the moving speed of the ball is 0 because the ball remains stopped, and the speed is increased because the ball moves when the head hits and launches the ball. Then, there is a discrepancy between the peak of the speed change of the head speed and the peak of the speed change of the ball speed (the peak of the ball speed occurs with a delay). Therefore, since two speed peaks occur, the speed of each can be obtained. Specifically, for example, both speeds can be obtained by using a technique such as JP-A-6-86845.

Further, the ball speed is not limited to the one obtained based on the Doppler pulse as described above. For example, the signal output from the amplifier 32 (the signal obtained by amplifying the Doppler signal output by the Doppler sensor 31) is A /. The D-converted data may be separately stored in a memory and calculated by performing a frequency spectrum analysis (for example, fast Fourier transform (FFT) or the like) on the A / D-converted data stored in the memory. The golf ball is smaller and farther than the head. Even in an input signal with a small level of Doppler signal due to such a small reflected wave and an unfavorable SN ratio, in FFT, the noise component is dispersed over the entire frequency by frequency decomposition, and the signal component is extracted as a line spectrum. It is possible to secure a sufficient SN ratio for analysis.

Further, it is preferable to start the storage in the memory on the condition that the swing is detected. By doing so, it is not necessary to constantly store the memory, and the load required for the memory update process is reduced. At this time, the function for determining the swing may determine that the swing has occurred when the cycle of the Doppler signal based on the Doppler signal output by the Doppler sensor 31 has a cycle pattern corresponding to the swing of the golf club. The control unit 13 displays the obtained speed on the display device 14 or stores it in the storage device 18.

Further, the present device is provided with a club selection switch as a switch 19 for selecting and designating the club type according to the club to be used. The button elements constituting the switch 19 are the same as those used in the golf navigation mode, and the control unit 13 recognizes that the operation for the same switch is different depending on the mode being executed. Then, the control unit 13 calculates the estimated flight distance from the selected club type and information such as the head speed and the ball speed. Specifically, when the control unit 13 recognizes the pressing of the club selection switch (for example, "short pressing"), the control unit 13 circulates the club types in the following order.
"1W->3W->5W->3I->4I->5I->6I->7I->8I->9I-> W (wedge)-> Pt (putter)"

Further, the control unit 13 currently selects "W, I, t and 7 segments" in the club type display area set at a predetermined position on the display screen of the display device 14 in accordance with the patrol of the club type. Display the club type that is being played. That is, when the wood (1W, 3W, 5W) is selected, the number selected as "W" is displayed, and the iron (3I, 4I, 5I, 6I, 7I, 8I, 9I) is selected. If, the number selected as "I" is displayed, if the wedge (W) is selected, only "W" is displayed, and if the putter (Pt) is selected. Displays only "t" (P can be displayed side by side using 7 segments).

The control unit 13 has an estimated flight distance calculation function. This estimated flight distance calculation function obtains the estimated flight distance from the ball speed and the club type used when actually hitting the ball, and obtains the estimated flight distance from the head speed and the club type used in the case of swinging. It is a function. Specifically, a coefficient for the ball speed and a coefficient for the bed speed are set in advance for each club type (a table of the club type-coefficient is provided), and the coefficient corresponding to the club type is set for the ball speed or the head speed. The value multiplied is taken as the estimated flight distance. The presence or absence of the ball may be manually specified by manual operation, or various sensors may be provided and the device may automatically recognize the presence or absence of the ball.

The measurement result is stored in the storage device 18. The control unit 13 reads the past history stored in the storage device 18 according to the instruction based on the operation of the switch 19, displays it on the display device 14, obtains the average value of the past measurement results, and displays it. It has a function of displaying on the device 14. The average value is the average value of the club type selected from the history (up to 500 cases) recorded in the storage device 18. Further, the control unit 13 extracts the maximum value and the maximum value for each club type and displays them together.

Further, as described in the golf navigation mode, when the actual flight distance is calculated by registering a point or the like and recorded together with the club type used, the control unit 13 controls the same club type stored in the storage device 18. It is advisable to read out the actual flight distance of, calculate the correction value from the difference / ratio with the estimated flight distance, and correct with the correction value when calculating the estimated flight distance. In addition, for the actual flight distance, for example, a driver or the like often makes a full shot even in actual play, but when it comes to an iron with a large count, he often makes a half shot from the remaining distance or the like. Therefore, in the golf navigation mode, information on whether or not to use it as data when calculating the average value of the actual flight distance (whether or not a full shot was taken) is also recorded as additional information, and this correction value is recorded. When calculating, it is preferable to use the average value of the actual flight distance when a full shot is taken from the additional information. The display of the actual flight distance in the golf navigation mode may also be obtained from a full shot or the like that meets certain conditions.

Next, "training mode", which is one of the golf practice modes, will be described. The training mode assumes a virtual golf course and goes around the virtual course like a game. There are "full round" that goes around 1 to 18 holes in one set and "hole designation" that is completed with arbitrarily specified holes. .. By operating the hole designation switch prepared as the switch 18, the play style of "full round" or "hole designation" is selected. In this embodiment, 18 holes are prepared, so for example, each time the hole designation switch is pressed, "full round" → "hole designation (1st)" → "hole designation (2nd)" → ... … The selection is switched in the order of “Hole designation (No. 18)” → “Full round” → ……. Of course, it can be specified more easily by increasing the number of switches.

The course layout (for all 18 holes) of the virtual course used in the training mode is stored in the storage device 18 of the first case main body 21 or the golf course data storage unit 12, and is displayed on the display device 14.

As an example of the layout of one hole, the hole layout shown in FIG. 6 is used. Then, the user advances the game based on the layout diagram of the hole to be played. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the holes on the software executed by the control unit 13 simply divide each zone according to the distance.

In this training mode, the map data (distance from the tee ground to the cup, the position of the penalty zone such as OB / water hazard, etc.) of the virtual golf course (course) stored in the memory is read out, and the head accompanying the swing of the golf club is read. The estimated flight distance is calculated from the speed or ball speed, the remaining distance to the cup is calculated, the calculated remaining distance and the number of hits up to that point are displayed on the display device 14, and finally the cup-in (the remaining distance is the threshold value). Repeat until (below).

That is, the control unit 13 calculates the estimated flight distance based on the head speed or the ball speed, subtracts the calculated estimated flight distance from the remaining distance at the shot position of the ball, and stops the ball (the next shot of the ball). The remaining distance at the position) is calculated, and the number of strokes is added by "1 stroke". The control unit 13 displays the obtained remaining distance and the number of strokes on the display device 14. If the stop point of the ball (the shot position of the next ball) obtained by adding the estimated flight distance to the current position is a penalty area such as water hazard or OB, the control unit 13 blinks the remaining distance for a few seconds and then blinks the remaining distance for several seconds. A penalty is added to the number of strokes, the remaining distance is corrected, and the corrected number of strokes and remaining distance are displayed. When entering the water hazard, the remaining distance is calculated by setting the boundary position on the tee ground side of the water hazard to the shot position of the next ball and calculating the distance from there to the cup. When the ball enters the OB zone, the previous shot position is set to the next shot position, and the distance from there to the cup is set as the remaining distance after correction. That is, the remaining distance at the time of the previous shot (the distance obtained by adding the estimated flight distance associated with the previous shot to the current remaining distance) is the remaining distance after the correction.

Then, when the stop point of the ball becomes the green area (green is turned on), the microcontroller 14 lights the "NICE ON" logo on the display device 14. Also, on the green, the unit of distance changes from "yard" to "m" (meters).

Further, when the remaining distance becomes 1 m or less, it is regarded as a cup-in, and the control unit 13 displays the cup-in on the display device 14 for several seconds. Further, when the remaining distance is in the range of 1 to 3 m, "OK" (hole out with one stroke plus) is set, and the control unit 13 displays the display device 14 indicating OK for several seconds.

Further, the course layout used in this training mode is provided with a function of using the actual course layout of the golf course stored in the golf course data storage unit 12. This makes it possible to simulate and enjoy playing at a golf driving range, for example, as if playing at an actual golf course, or to use it for pre-practice of actual play.

Actually, the user selects a golf course to be used from the menu screen (not shown). As described above, the golf course data storage unit 12 contains data on an actual golf course as one of golf information (course layout of each hole, position of an object on the course such as a golf course green or a bunker) and the like. Is stored, the control unit 13 accesses the golf course data storage unit 12, reads out the course layout for the designated golf course, and draws the course layout of a predetermined hole on the display device 14. At this time, the predetermined hole to be drawn is the predetermined hole to be drawn first when "full round" in which all the holes are played in order from the first hole is selected as in the virtual golf course in the above training mode. When the play of that hole is completed, the next hole becomes the predetermined hole. Further, when "Hole designation" for playing the designated hole is selected, the designated hole becomes a predetermined hole to be drawn.

The user specifies a place (shot position) for hitting the ball in the hole to be played drawn on the display device 14. This can be specified, for example, by providing a touch panel on the display screen of the display device 14 and touching an arbitrary point on the course layout drawn on the display device 14. The control unit 13 sets a point of the course layout touched by the touch panel as a shot position, and draws a predetermined icon (mark) at the shot position. The user can check whether the shot position is correct by looking at the icon. If the position of the drawn icon is different from what the user expects, touch the display device 14 (touch panel) again to reset the shot position.

In actual golf play, the first shot is a tee shot from the tee ground. Therefore, the position touched by the user can specify the position of the tee shot by touching an arbitrary point in the tee ground on the course layout drawn on the display device 14. Also, if you touch the area outside the tee ground, you can practice the shots after the second shot in the actual golf course play. In other words, practice aiming at the green from various points by designating various points near the green, or practice the strategy for the second and subsequent shots in case you miss a tee shot. Can be done.

Further, since the first shot in the actual play is a tee shot from the tee ground, a predetermined position in the tee ground (a preset position such as the center in the area and the center of the front end) is stored in the golf course data storage unit 12. ) May be registered, and the control unit 13 may read out a predetermined position in the registered tee ground and determine the shot position. By doing so, the shot position is automatically determined, so that the user does not have to manually specify the shot position.

The control unit 13 recognizes the designated club type via the club selection switch, obtains the estimated flight distance from the swing speed or the ball speed by the estimated flight distance calculation function, and arranges the course centering on the shot position determined above. Draw concentric circles of estimated flight distance on the display.

The user specifies a predetermined position on the concentric circles of the displayed estimated flight distance. When the ball is actually hit, it is estimated from the direction of the ball that actually flew, and the intersection of the flying direction and the concentric circles is specified. Also, in the case of only swinging, specify an arbitrary point. This designation is made by touching the corresponding position on the displayed concentric circles when the touch panel is superimposed on the display device 14. If there is no touch panel, the control unit 13 draws a mark (cursor) indicating a ball stop position candidate at an arbitrary point on the displayed concentric circles. Then, the user can specify by operating the cursor key or the like prepared as the switch 19 and moving the mark indicating the above stop position candidate along the concentric circles of the estimated flight distance and selecting the mark at an arbitrary position. ..

This designated point becomes the point (shot position) where the next ball is hit. In addition, displaying the flight distance, the remaining distance to the hole, and the like is the same as in the golf navigation mode and the golf practice mode. This process is repeated until it is holed out. Further, when the player is on the green, as in the above training mode, if the distance to the cup position is reached, it may be regarded as a cup-in or one stroke may be added to make an OK putt.

This simulation data is recorded in the storage device 18, can be taken into a personal computer or the like as an external device, and can be displayed, stored, and processed by the personal computer. Further, when the actual data in the actual play is stored for the course during the simulation, the control unit 13 reads out the average value, the maximum value, the minimum value, etc. of the data, and displays and compares them at the time of this simulation. Display etc.

The result of the simulation using the course layout of the actual golf course is stored in the storage device 18, and when the golf course is executed in the golf navigation mode in the actual golf course, the control unit 13 stores the storage. The simulation result stored in the device 18 can be read out and output to the display device 14. This makes it possible to check the simulation results during actual play and use them as a reference when capturing holes.

From FIG. 7, another algorithm for executing a training mode (simulation) using an actual golf course course layout is shown. In the above-described embodiment, the stop position of the ball is determined by the user designating an arbitrary point on the concentric circle corresponding to the estimated flight distance centered on the shot position. This is because the device can calculate the estimated flight distance of the shot ball, but cannot detect the direction in which the ball flew. Therefore, in the above embodiment, it is specified by a manual operation by the user. By letting the user specify in this way, when the ball is actually hit, the stop position can be determined according to the flight direction, so that a simulation closer to the actual play can be performed. On the other hand, it is complicated in that it is necessary to specify the stop position of the ball each time a shot is made. Therefore, in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 7 and 7 onward, the golf practice / support device 10 (control unit 13) is provided with a function of automatically determining the stop position of the ball.

In order to realize the function of automatically determining the stop position of the ball, the above-described embodiment is related to the course layout of each hole as data about an actual golf course stored in the golf course data storage unit 12. In addition to the ones, the position information for identifying the position of the boundary line between the fairway and the rough is also registered. The position information for specifying the position of the boundary line is information indicating the absolute position of an arbitrary point on the boundary line and the order of arrangement of each point. As a result, the boundary line between the fairway and the rough can be reproduced by connecting the absolute positions of adjacent points with a straight line or the like. The larger the number of points on the boundary line to be registered, the closer to the actual fairway shape can be reproduced. In addition, the boundary line of the pond and other water hazards, the position information for specifying the outer edge of the green, and the position information for specifying the position of the outer edge of the hole for specifying the area of each hole are also registered. do. The boundary line of these water hazards, the position information for identifying the outer edge of the green, and the position information for specifying the position of the outer edge of the hole are the positions for specifying the boundary line between the fairway and the rough. Similar to the information, it is information indicating the absolute position information of each boundary line or an arbitrary point on the outer peripheral edge and the order of arrangement of each point. Further, the position information (absolute position information) of the cup is also registered in the golf course data storage unit 12.
The algorithm for implementing the function of automatically determining the stop position of the ball is as follows.

[Determination of tee shot position]
First, as shown in FIG. 7A, the control unit 13 determines the position P of the tee shot. This determination may be made in accordance with the user's designation as in the above-described embodiment, or may be made at a predetermined position in the tee ground registered in the golf course data storage unit 12 (center in the area, center of the front end, etc.). It may be automatically set to the preset position).

[Determination of ball stop position: based on both sides of the fairway]
Next, the control unit 13 recognizes the designated club type via the club selection switch, and obtains the estimated flight distance from the swing speed or the ball speed by the estimated flight distance calculation function. The control unit 13 obtains the intersections A and B of the concentric circles S of the estimated flight distance r centered on the position P of the shot and both sides of the fairway F (the boundary line with the rough), and determines the intersections A and B. Find the midpoint Q of the connecting virtual line KS. That is, the control unit 13 extracts points registered as position information in order to specify the boundary line with the fair weight rough existing near the circumference of the concentric circle S, and from the information indicating the order of arrangement of the points, the concentric circle S. Find two consecutive points that exist across the circumference of the circle, and find the intersection of the line segment connecting the two points and the concentric circle S. The control unit 13 obtains the intersection points A and B by executing the processing on both sides of the fairway F, respectively.

The control unit 13 determines the stop position of the ball based on the obtained midpoint Q. Specifically, the position of the midpoint Q is set as the stop position. Then, the control unit 13 may use an icon ("x" in the figure, which imitates a ball or other various objects) indicating the stop position at the position on the course layout display corresponding to the obtained stop position. Can) draw. In this way, the midpoint of the virtual line KS, which consists of a straight line connecting the two intersections A and B, is determined as the ball stop position because the arithmetic processing can be easily performed. The illustrated concentric circles S and virtual line KS are for explaining the algorithm of the arithmetic processing of the control unit 13, and the concentric circles S and virtual line KS are not actually displayed on the display device 14.

[Shots after the second shot]
In the case of the second and subsequent shots, the control unit 13 sets the stop position of the ball automatically determined according to the previous shot to the current shot position. As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 13 obtains an estimated flight distance from the swing speed or the ball speed by the estimated flight distance calculation function in the same manner as described above, and the estimated flight distance centered on the hit point (this shot position). The intersections A1 and B1 between the concentric circles S1 of r1 and both sides of the fairway F (the boundary line with the rough) are obtained, and the midpoint Q1 of the virtual line KS1 connecting the intersections A1 and B1 is obtained. Then, the control unit 13 determines the stop position of the ball based on the obtained midpoint Q1. Here, the position of the midpoint Q1 is determined to be the stop position of the ball. Then, the control unit 13 has an icon indicating the stop position at a position on the course layout display corresponding to the obtained stop position (although it is indicated by "x" in the figure, it may be an icon imitating a ball or any other type). To draw.

[Green on processing]
As shown in FIG. 8, when the concentric circles based on the estimated flight distance intersect the green G as in the concentric circle S3, the control unit 13 determines that the green is turned on. The determination of whether or not to intersect the green G is made based on whether or not there is an intersection of the outer peripheral edge of the green registered in the golf course data storage unit 12 and concentric circles based on the estimated flight distance. If the intersection exists, the control unit 13 determines that the green is turned on.

When the green is on, the control unit 13 determines the stop position of the ball on the green. That is, the control unit 13 finds the intersection of the concentric circles S3 and the boundary line of the green G, finds the midpoint of the virtual line connecting the intersections, and determines the green-on position based on the midpoint. Such a process can be executed by replacing both sides of the fairway in the process of finding the intersection of both sides of the fairway (the boundary line with the rough) and the concentric circles S and S1 with the boundary line of the green.

[Hole-out processing]
The control unit 13 reads out the position information of the cup position registered in the golf course data storage unit 12 and obtains the distance (remaining distance) from the green-on position to the cup position. If the obtained remaining distance is less than or equal to a predetermined distance (for example, 1 m), it is regarded as a chip-in, the processing of the hole is terminated, and the play of the next hole is started.

The golf practice / support device of this embodiment can also estimate the distance of the putt. Therefore, when the remaining distance to the cup exceeds a predetermined distance, the control unit 13 subtracts the estimated flight distance obtained by putting from the remaining distance from the green-on position to the cup to putt. Find the remaining distance afterwards. When the remaining distance after the putt becomes a predetermined distance (for example, 1 m) or less, it is regarded as a cup-in, and the control unit 13 displays the cup-in on the display device 14 for several seconds. Further, when the remaining distance is in the range of 1 to 3 m, "OK" (hole out with one stroke plus) is set, and the control unit 13 displays the display device 14 indicating OK for several seconds.

In addition, the process based on the putt is omitted, the green-on position is obtained, and if the distance between that position and the cup is within a predetermined distance (for example, 1 m), it is determined that the chip is in, and if it is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance. May perform control assuming that one stroke is added as the number of putts and the hole is out. Further, the number of putts may be a predetermined number according to the distance to the cup, instead of adding one stroke if the green is simply turned on.

[Processing when both sides of the fairway are not available]
As shown in FIG. 7, for example, the estimated flight distance r4 of a ball hit from the tee ground may be too short to reach the fairway. Then, the intersection of the concentric circles S4 having the estimated flight distance r4 and both sides of the fairway F cannot be obtained. In such a case, the control unit 13 uses both sides of the hole instead of both sides of the fairway. That is, since the position information for specifying the position of the outer peripheral edge of the hole is also registered in the golf course data storage unit 12, the same processing as on both sides of the fairway described above, that is, the fairway and the rough The position information for specifying the position of the boundary line is replaced with the position information for specifying the position of the outer peripheral edge of the hole for processing.

That is, the control unit 13 extracts points registered as position information in order to identify the outer peripheral edge of the hole existing near the circumference of the concentric circle S4, and from the information indicating the order of arrangement of the points, the circumference of the concentric circle S4. Two consecutive points existing across the two points are obtained, and the intersection of the line segment connecting the two points and the concentric circle S4 is obtained. The control unit 13 obtains the intersection points A ″ and B ″ by executing the processing on both sides of the hall. Then, the control unit 13 obtains the midpoint Q4 of the virtual line KS "connecting the intersections A" and B ", and determines the stop position of the ball based on the obtained midpoint Q. The position of the point Q4 is set as the stop position. Then, the control unit 13 imitates the ball at the position on the course layout display corresponding to the obtained stop position, which is an icon indicating the stop position (in the figure, "x" is used. It can be anything else).

In addition, the estimated flight distance of the ball hit toward the green may be short and the stop position of the ball may be between the fairway and the green (see concentric circles S2 in FIG. 8). In such a case, since the intersection of the concentric circles S2 and both sides of the fairway cannot be obtained, the control unit 13 obtains the intersections A2 and B2 between both sides of the hole and the concentric circles S2, and virtually connects the intersections. The stop position of the ball is determined based on the midpoint of the line KS2.

[Determination of ball stop position (modification example 1): based on the hole side]
In the above-described embodiment in which the stop position of the ball is automatically determined, the stop position is determined based on the midpoint Q between both sides A and B of the fairway, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 13 determines based on the midpoint of the intersections A'and B'of both sides of the hole and the concentric circle S. That is, since the position information for specifying the position of the outer peripheral edge of the hole is also registered in the golf course data storage unit 12, the same processing as on both sides of the fairway described above, that is, the fairway and the rough The position information for specifying the position of the boundary line is replaced with the position information for specifying the position of the outer peripheral edge of the hole for processing. That is, even if the intersection of the concentric circles and both sides of the fairway exists, the above-mentioned "processing when both sides of the fairway cannot be used" is executed. By doing so, the stop position of the ball can be determined by the same algorithm regardless of the presence or absence of the intersection of the fairway and the concentric circles.

However, depending on the hole, there may be a large forest on one side of the left or right side, and the area on one side of the fairway may be extremely wide. In such a case, taking the midpoint between both sides of the hole may cause the ball to stop off the fairway or even in the woods. In this case, it is preferable to have a function of determining a predetermined position in the fairway as a stop position of the ball. Such a function obtains, for example, the midpoint of a virtual line connecting the intersections with both sides of the hole, and determines whether or not the midpoint position is within the fairway. In the case of the fairway, the midpoint position is determined as the stop position of the ball. On the other hand, in the case of outside the fairway, a predetermined position in the fairway on the virtual line KS, for example, the intersection with the side of the fairway near the midpoint position is obtained, and the stop position of the ball is determined based on that position. do. If the intersection does not exist, it may not reach the fairway, so the midpoint of the virtual line is determined as the stop position of the ball.

[Determination of ball stop position (modification example 2)]
In the above-described embodiment and the first modification, a virtual line connecting the intersections of the concentric circles having a radius centered on the shot position with the estimated flight distance and the intersections of the fairway, the green, or both sides of the course is obtained, and the inside of the virtual line is obtained. The point was set as the stop position of the ball. This virtual line is also a string between two intersections on the circumference of concentric circles, and if the position of the midpoint of the virtual line is the stop position of the ball, it is shorter than the estimated flight distance.

Therefore, it is advisable to set the stop position of the ball to a predetermined position on the circumference of the concentric circle. Specifically, the control unit 13 obtains the midpoint of the arc AB when the intersections of the concentric circles and both sides of the fairway are A and B, and determines the position as the stop position of the ball. The midpoint of this arc AB intersects the radius passing through the midpoint Q from the center P (shot position) of the concentric circle S, for example, by using the midpoint Q of the linear virtual line KS connecting the above-mentioned intersections A and B. Find a point on the circumference of the concentric circle S, and use that as the stop position of the ball. As described above, the process is not limited to the one determined based on the midpoint Q of the virtual line KS, and the arithmetic processing for obtaining the midpoint of the arc AB may be performed. By determining the stop position of the ball on the circumference of the concentric circles S in this way, the stop position of the ball comes to the position according to the estimated flight distance, which is preferable in that accurate simulation can be performed.

It is not only the midpoint of the arc between both sides of the fairway that determines the predetermined position on the circumference of the concentric circle as the stop position of the ball, but the arc between the intersections of the concentric circle and both sides of the green. The midpoint may be used to determine the green-on position, or the midpoint of the arc between the concentric circles and the intersections of both sides of the hole may be used to determine the stop position of the ball.

Taking the case where the estimated flight distance r2 is short and does not reach the fairway after hitting from the tee ground in FIG. 7, the width of both sides of the hole is longer than the width of the fairway. When the midpoint Q4 of the chord A "B" and the midpoint Q4'of the arc A" B "are set, the difference in flight distance becomes large, so the midpoint Q4'of the arc A" B "is the ball. Accurate simulation can be performed by setting the stop position of.

Taking the second shot of FIG. 8 as an example, when the estimated flight distance is between the fairway and the green, such as when the concentric circles of the estimated flight distance are “S2”, the intersection points A2 on both sides of the hole. When the position of the midpoint of the virtual line (string) KS2 connecting B2 is set to the stop position of the ball, the position of the midpoint of the virtual line KS2 is the fairway even though the estimated flight distance exceeds the fairway. There is a contradiction that the ball fits inside, but if the ball stop position is determined on the circumference of the concentric circle S2 with the estimated flight distance as in this modification, the contradiction does not occur.

In particular, when the course layout of the hole is dog-wrecked or the hole is wide and the distance between the two intersections of the concentric circles and both sides of the hole is long, a virtual line connecting the intersections with a straight line ( Since the stop position of the ball is determined on the chord) and the stop position of the ball is determined on the concentric circle (arc), the difference becomes large.

Therefore, the specification may be such that the stop position of the ball is set on the concentric circles as in this modification, or the midpoint of the virtual line, which is usually easy to perform arithmetic processing, is used, and the intersection between the two intersections on the concentric circles is used. If the distance exceeds the reference value, it may be set on a concentric circle (the midpoint of the arc between the two intersections).

[Ball stop position correction function]
The control unit 13 may have a position correction function for the automatically determined stop position of the ball. That is, for example, when the touch panel is placed on the display device 14 in an overlapping manner, when the control unit 13 detects that the user has dragged the icon indicating the stop position of the ball, the control unit 13 moves the stop position according to the drag. The movement at this time may be on a virtual line or concentric circles. If there is no touch panel, the control unit 13 receives an instruction of the movement direction from the cursor key prepared as the switch 19, and displays an icon indicating the stop position in the instructed movement direction on a virtual line or concentric circles. Moving.

[Treatment of water hazards, etc.]
Position information (boundary line) for specifying an area such as a water hazard is also registered in the golf course data storage unit 12. Therefore, the control unit 13 determines whether or not the stop position of the ball obtained by the various algorithms described above is within the water hazard, and if it is within the water hazard, the predetermined position on the front side of the water hazard is set on the ball. The stop position is determined and one stroke is added. The predetermined position on the front side of the water hazard is, for example, the intersection of the initially obtained stop position of the ball in the water hazard, the straight line passing through the cup position, and the boundary line of the water hazard (opposite the green). Obtain and determine the relevant intersection at the predetermined position.

[Visualization of arithmetic processing]
In the above-described embodiment, the concentric circle S and the virtual line KS are not drawn, but the icon indicating the stop position is drawn, but the control unit 13 also draws the concentric circle S having the estimated flight distance r. , In addition to the concentric circles S, a function of drawing a virtual line KS may be provided.

[Embodiment using a capture route]
The algorithm for automatically determining the stop position of the ball is not limited to the above-mentioned examples. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the capture route RT is registered for each hole, and the ball is determined to stop on the capture route RT.

That is, the position information for specifying the capture route RT is registered in the golf course data storage unit 12 in association with each hole. This capture route RT connects a predetermined position (for example, the center) of the tee ground to the green (cup). The position information for specifying this capture route RT is the absolute position of any point on the capture route RT and the absolute position of each point, as well as the position information for specifying the position of the boundary line between the fairway and the rough. Information indicating the order of arrangement. By registering the position information of many positions on the line indicating the capture route RT, even a complicated curve can be reproduced and a more accurate capture route can be created.

Then, as shown in FIG. 9, in the doglegged course, the capture route RT is specified by a curve or a polygonal line. When the capture route is curved in this way, the position information for identifying the capture route RT is the predetermined position in the tee ground, the predetermined position in the green (cup position), and the curved inflection point. Register the location information of the point. As the number of inflection points to be registered increases, it is possible to set a strategy route that is smooth and follows the course layout. On the other hand, as the number of registrations decreases, the reproduced capture route RT becomes a straight polygonal line, and a smooth curve cannot be reproduced, but the memory usage capacity can be reduced.

In short holes and other holes with a straight course layout, the capture route RT may be specified by a straight line connecting the tee ground and the cup. In the case of such a straight line, at least the predetermined position in the tee ground and the absolute position of the two points of the green (cup) are registered as the position information for specifying the capture route RT. Of course, the position information of a plurality of points on the straight line may be registered.

Since the actual cup position varies from day to day, it is advisable to set the capture route RT with the center of the green as a virtual cup position. In addition, the capture route RT actually differs depending on the influence of trees and other obstacles planted on the course and the flight distance of the player, but if there is a recommended / exemplified route at a golf course, for example, , You should use it.

[Stop position determination process]
The process of determining the actual stop position of the ball is as follows. The control unit 13 recognizes the designated club type via the club selection switch, obtains an estimated flight distance from the swing speed or the ball speed, and concentric circles S of the estimated flight distance r centered on the hit point P. The intersection Q'with the capture route RT is obtained, and the position of the intersection Q'is determined as the stop position of the ball. The intersection Q'of the concentric circle S and the capture route RT is, for example, the adjacent 2 registered on the front side and the back side of the circumference of the concentric circle S from the position information registered for specifying the capture route RT. It is determined by acquiring the position information of one position and finding the intersection of the line connecting the two positions and the circumference of the concentric circle S. Then, an icon indicating the stop position is drawn at a position on the course layout display corresponding to the determined stop position of the ball. For the second and subsequent shots, the stop position of the ball is obtained by the same procedure, and the process is repeated until the ball is holed out. Other processes can be the same as those described above. By setting the capture route RT in this way, the process of determining the stop position of the ball for each shot can be easily performed.

[User registration process for capture route]
The capture route RT is registered in the golf course data storage unit 12 by updating the data at the time of shipment or after purchase, but it is preferable to have a function for the user to register. That is, the control unit 13 displays the course layout of the hole to be registered according to the instruction from the user on the display device 14. The user touches and specifies an arbitrary point in the displayed course layout. At this time, touch the route from the tee ground to the green in order. The control unit 13 draws a designated point with a circle or other mark, and draws a straight line connecting adjacent points. As a result, the capture route consisting of the polygonal lines is drawn overlaid on the course layout. The user presses the confirmation button or the like if the displayed capture route is acceptable. When the control unit 13 detects that the confirmation button is pressed, the control unit 13 registers the currently displayed capture route (point touched by the user) as information about the capture route of the user data.

In addition, each point that specifies the capture route of the user data may be provided with a function of moving the position in the edit mode, deleting the set point, or adding a new one. As a result, the capture route can be set according to the improvement of the user's technical ability and the like. By doing so, the user can set an appropriate capture route according to his / her own ball, flight distance, etc., and can perform simulation / practice more suitable for the actual battle.

In addition, it is good to have a function to edit the capture route registered as standard. That is, when the capture route is reproduced by connecting a plurality of registered points (inflection points), it is possible to move each point. The captured route after editing may be updated by overwriting, or may be saved separately as user data.

Further, although the capture route prepared as standard is set to one for each hole in the embodiment, a plurality of capture routes may be set and the user may select the route when using the route. As multiple capture routes, for example, there are "general male", "female" (capture route from ladies' tee), "long-distance hitter", "beginner" (for short-distance people) and the like.

At the time of use, the control unit 13 determines the stop point of the ball based on either the capture route of the user data or the capture route set as standard. Which one to use may be instructed by the user each time, or if there is user data, the user data may be preferentially used.

In each of the above modes, the control unit 13 may have a function of obtaining a meet rate when the ball is actually hit. The meet rate can be obtained based on the head speed and the speed (initial speed) of the launched ball. That is, when the ball can be punched cleanly (the moment of inertia is high), the head 2a of the golf club 2 pushes out while crushing the ball 4, and the ball 4 receives the repulsive force due to its own elastic restoring force and the head 2a. The moment of inertia increases the ball speed (initial speed). On the other hand, when the ball cannot be punched cleanly (bad hit: the meet rate is small), the above-mentioned repulsive force is small, the moment of inertia received from the head 2a is small, and the ball speed is slow. Therefore, the control unit 13
Meet rate = Meet rate is calculated by ball speed / head speed.

The control unit 13 totals the meet rate for each club type, obtains an average value, a maximum value, and a minimum value, records them in the storage device 20, and displays them on the display device 14. By looking at the average value for each club type, the user can objectively recognize the clubs that are good at high meet rates and the clubs that are not good at low meet rates, which can be useful for the subsequent practice plan construction. .. Also, by looking at the highest and lowest values, it is possible to know the club types with stable and unstable meet rates from the difference. In the case of a club type with a stable meet rate, if the head speed is constant, the variation in flight distance will be small, but if the meet rate is not stable, the variation in flight distance will be large even if the head speed is constant. Become. The actual predicted flight distance may be obtained by multiplying the estimated flight distance obtained from the head speed by a coefficient based on the meet rate.

For this coefficient, the meet rate may be simply used as it is, or a table of the multiplication rate for the meet rate may be prepared and the multiplication rate for the meet rate may be used. The higher the meet rate, the larger the multiplication rate.

In the golf practice mode, as described above, by outputting the meet rate to the display device 14 as the measurement result, the user can recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each club type. The meat rate can be displayed simply as text, or the average, maximum, and minimum values are shown in a bar graph or graphic such as concentric circles so that the range of variation can be intuitively understood for each club type. You can do it.

In addition, while operating in the golf navigation mode, the estimated flight distance (average value) and the range of variation (maximum / minimum) when the club type is selected from the current position are obtained, and when displaying, the predicted flight considering the meet rate. You may ask for the distance and display it.

Further, in the training mode using the course layout of the actual golf course, if the processing in consideration of the meet rate is performed, it becomes more realistic. That is, when the meet rate is low, the estimated flight distance is reduced, but it often does not fly straight (slice / hook) due to a missed shot. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, when the meet rate is equal to or less than the reference value, the control unit 13 determines the position shifted by a predetermined angle θ from the capture route RT as the stop position of the ball. That is, the control unit 13 obtains the intersection Q ″ of the concentric circle S ′ whose estimated flight distance has become shorter as the meet rate decreases and the correction line rotated by the angle θ from the capture route RT, and stops the ball. By using the angle, if the flight distance is short, the amount of deviation from the capture route RT is small, but if the flight distance is long, the amount of deviation from the capture route RT is large, so it is in line with the actual play. It will be.

The angle θ may be a fixed value, or may be increased as the meet rate is lower so that the angle θ bends more (shifts from the capture route). Then, although the direction is shifted, it may be randomly determined each time, or it may be shifted in a predetermined direction, and when the meet rate is less than or equal to the reference value, it is either right or left with respect to the user. You may inquire whether to shift or inquire, wait for an instruction from the user, and shift in the direction instructed. The predetermined direction may be a device that is always shifted to one side as a device, or may be specified by a user. If it is decided to some extent whether the user will turn right or left when a miss shot is made, the latter method will bring the situation closer to the actual situation.

In the next shot, the processing is executed with the stop position of the ball deviated from the capture route as the shot position. That is, if the estimated flight distance is obtained based on the swing or the like, the intersection of the concentric circles centered on the stop position of the displaced ball and the capture route RT is obtained, and that is used as the stop position of the next ball.

In addition, when the ball deviates from the capture route RT in this way, or when the flight distance is too short or too long, the stop position of the ball may deviate from the fairway such as rough. In this case, when actually hitting the ball from the relevant position, it is easy to make a miss shot, so when shooting from a place other than the fairway, the estimated flight distance obtained is multiplied by a predetermined coefficient to shorten the flight distance. Or, if it has a function to randomly shift from the capture route RT by a predetermined angle θ, it will be more interesting.

Each result stored in the storage device 14 in each mode can be transferred to a personal computer, stored in the storage device of the personal computer, and a large amount of data can be stored and managed for a long period of time. In addition, by displaying the data recorded in this way on the screen of a personal computer, it becomes easier to see, and by performing more complicated arithmetic processing and statistical processing, more detailed analysis can be performed.

Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, golf information such as the course layout of the golf course is registered in the golf course data storage unit 12, and the control unit 13 accesses the golf course data storage unit 12 to provide necessary data. Was read and various processes were performed, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, a part or all of the information to be registered in the golf course data storage unit 12 is registered in the server. The golf practice / support device is provided with a function of communicating with the server, and the control unit 13 appropriately accesses the server, acquires necessary information, and executes processing.

In this case, the information registered in the server includes not only information common to multiple users such as the course layout of the golf course, but also user-specific information such as the capture route set by the user used in the training mode. obtain. Common information can be accessed and acquired by each person, and user-specific information is identified by an ID or the like so that only the user himself / herself can access it. Further, each result stored in the storage device 14 in each mode is also registered in the server as user-specific information, and after accessing and acquiring the server when using it afterwards such as the average flight distance, each of the above-mentioned processes is performed. You may want to do it.

In each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, both case bodies are integrated by directly connecting the first connector 23 and the second connector 36 provided on the side surfaces of the first case body 21 and the second case body 22. The present invention is not limited to this, and both connectors 23 and 36 may be connected by a connection cable. In that case, a connection cable that can send power as well as a signal may be used, and power may be supplied from the first case main body 21 to the second case main body 22 or on the second case main body 22 side. However, a separate battery or the like may be provided and the second case body 22 may be driven independently.

Further, the data communication between the first case main body 21 and the second case main body 22 is not limited to the one performed by wire such as a connection cable, and may be performed by using infrared rays or other wireless communication. In that case, the first case main body 21 and the second case main body 22 become separate units, and each of them can be installed and used at an appropriate position.

When data communication is performed between the two case main bodies using a connection cable or wireless communication, the determination of whether or not the second case main body 22 is connected is based on, for example, a switch provided on the first case main body 21. It may be done, or it may be judged by whether or not a signal is sent from the second case main body 22 side.

10 Golf practice / support device 11 Position measurement unit 12 Golf course data storage unit 13 Control unit 14 Display device 15 Speaker 16 Connection status detection unit (judgment means)
17 Battery 21 1st case body 22 2nd case body 31 Doppler sensor (speed measurement sensor)

Claims (2)

A function to calculate the flight distance of the ball when the user hits the ball using the club, and
A function to specify the club type to be used, and
A function to associate and register the calculated flight distance of the ball with the specified club type, and
A function to display an image of the golf course based on a storage means for storing golf course information, and
The function of finding the current position of the user on the golf course and
Based on the registered flight distance of the ball, the club type, and the distance from the current position to the target point on the golf course, information on a club type suitable for hitting the distance is displayed as a display means. The function to display and
It is a function to display the capture route based on the information of the golf course, and when the golf course is a dogleg course, it is bent at a predetermined position in the tee ground and at a predetermined position in the green. Ability to display the strategy route identified by a curve or a fold line to reach,
The function to edit the capture route based on the information of the golf course and
Have,
The function of editing the capture route makes it possible to move an inflection point that is bent at a predetermined position in the tee ground on the golf course that is the doglegged course.
Device. A program for realizing the function of the device according to claim 1 in a computer.

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