JPH08257191A - Golf swing diagnostic device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To reduce costs required for diagnose of a swing when a player hits a ball with a golf club by automatically diagnosing the swing without a help of specialist or operators. CONSTITUTION: The front image of a swing is taken by a front video camera 14 and recorded in a front VTR 24. The front VTR 24 is played back at a low speed and coordinates of such points as a golf ball 18, both knees, etc., that are required for diagnose are detected for each frame from image signals out a VRAM 30 and input to a coordinate memory 38. Starting from tire final frame, the coordinate data of the golf ball 18 are read out in reverse. A timing detected within a specified range is judged to be the timing of impact, a timing traced back for a specified period of time is judged to be the timing of address and they are input to a timing memory 40. The moving distances and directions of both knees, etc., at each timing are calculated from the coordinate data of both knees, etc., and compared with diagnose references to perform diagnose.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for diagnosing a swing when a person to be diagnosed hits a golf club.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a device for diagnosing a swing form when a golf club is swung, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-55158 discloses a swing form diagnosing device.

One example of diagnosis of a swing form by this device is that an operator plots a part such as a head or a shoulder at an address as a dot or a line on a captured image of the swing form by a superimpose function. A specialist advisor or the person himself / herself makes a diagnosis by comparing the movement of each part during the swing with the position at the time of addressing.

In another example, the operator inputs the address, the head and shoulders of the top, etc. on the photographed image of the swing form by the superimpose function, and the golf swing is based on the data. The evaluation parameter for consultation is calculated and compared with the standard pro-swing evaluation parameter to output the swing diagnosis result.

In any case, since a dedicated operator or an advisor is required for the diagnosis by the swing form diagnosis apparatus, the labor cost increases, and the form diagnosis cannot be performed at a low cost.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems existing in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to specialize in swing when a person to be diagnosed hits with a golf club. It is an object of the present invention to provide a golf swing diagnosis apparatus and a golf swing diagnosis method that can automatically make a diagnosis without the need for humans such as a house or an operator and can greatly reduce the cost required for the diagnosis.

[0007]

A golf swing diagnosis apparatus of the present invention that achieves the above object is an apparatus for automatically diagnosing a swing when a person to be hit is hit by a golf club. The shooting means for shooting the golf ball swinging and hitting the ball, and the shooting means for outputting the video signal, and the coordinates on the video of the part necessary for the diagnosis of the swing,
Timing for determining, based on the video signal, coordinate detection means for detecting a predetermined time on the video, and one or two or more timings that are criteria for swing diagnosis based on the coordinates of the part detected by the coordinate detection means. Discriminating means,
Diagnostic processing means for processing coordinate data at the timing determined by the timing determination means and outputting diagnostic information.

Further, the golf swing diagnosis apparatus of the present invention is
The coordinate detecting means may calculate the coordinates of a necessary part of the subject from the coordinates of the contour of the subject on the image.

Further, the golf swing diagnosis apparatus of the present invention is
The timing determination means may determine the timing at which the sphere is not detected within the predetermined range as the impact timing.

Further, the golf swing diagnosis apparatus of the present invention is
The timing discriminating means may discriminate a predetermined time before the impact timing as the address timing.

Further, in the golf swing diagnosis apparatus of the present invention, the timing determining means may determine the time when the club head approaches the ball again, which is traced back from the impact timing, as the address timing.

Further, the golf swing diagnosis apparatus of the present invention is
The timing determination means may determine the timing at which the club head changes from the backswing movement to the forwardswing movement as the top timing, dating back from the impact timing.

Further, the golf swing diagnosis apparatus of the present invention is
The diagnostic processing means includes input means for the addressee to input the address timing, and the diagnostic processing means processes the coordinate data at the timing determined by the timing determination means and the address timing input by the input means to output diagnostic information. Can be one.

Further, the golf swing diagnosis apparatus of the present invention is
Display means for displaying the timing of the address to the diagnosed person is provided, and the diagnosis processing means processes the coordinate data at the timing determined by the timing determination means and the timing of the address displayed by the display means to output diagnostic information. Can be one.

Further, the golf swing diagnosis apparatus of the present invention is
An analog video recording means capable of recording the video signal output from the photographing means and performing low-speed reverse reproduction is provided, and the coordinate detection means determines the coordinates on the video of the part necessary for the diagnosis of the swing, from the analog video recording means. Thus, it is possible to detect the video signal at predetermined time intervals based on the video signal reproduced at low speed reverse rotation.

Further, the golf swing diagnosis apparatus of the present invention is
The detection of the coordinates by the coordinate detecting means may be performed on the data on the VRAM in which the video signal is written.

Next, a golf swing diagnosis method of the present invention which achieves the above object is a method of diagnosing a swing when a person to be hit hits a golf club, and the person to be hit swings the golf club. Shoot the action of hitting the ball,
Obtaining the video signal, detecting the coordinates on the video of the part necessary for the swing diagnosis at predetermined time intervals on the video based on the video signal, and performing the swing diagnosis based on the detected coordinates of the part. It includes determining one or two or more timings that are the reference of, and processing coordinate data at the determined timings and outputting diagnostic information.

[0018]

According to the first aspect of the invention, the photographing means photographs the motion of the person to be diagnosed who swings the golf club and hits the golf ball, and outputs the image signal. The coordinate detecting means detects the coordinates on the image of the part necessary for the swing diagnosis, based on the image signal, at predetermined time intervals on the image. Based on the coordinates of the region detected by the coordinate detection means, the timing determination means determines one or more timings that are the criteria for swing diagnosis. The diagnostic processing means processes the coordinate data at the timing determined by the timing determining means and outputs diagnostic information. In this manner, the swing when the person to be diagnosed hits the golf club is automatically diagnosed.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the length on the image of the predetermined portion of the person to be diagnosed is obtained from the coordinates of the contour of the person to be diagnosed on the image, and there is a predetermined relationship with the length. The coordinates of the position can be calculated as the coordinates of a necessary part of the subject.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the impact timing can be surely automatically determined, and the diagnostic processing means can process the coordinate data using the impact timing and output diagnostic information.

In the invention of claim 4, the address timing can be easily and automatically determined, and the diagnostic processing means processes the coordinate data by utilizing the address timing and the impact timing, and outputs the diagnostic information. You can

According to the invention of claim 5, the timing of the address can be surely automatically determined by determining the timing of the club head approaching the ball again from the timing of the impact as the timing of the address. Can process coordinate data using address timing and impact timing to output diagnostic information.

According to the invention of claim 6, the top timing can be surely determined automatically, and the diagnostic processing means processes the coordinate data by utilizing the impact timing and the top timing and outputs diagnostic information. You can

In the invention of claim 7, the diagnosis processing means processes the coordinate data at the timing determined by the timing determination means and the timing of the address input by the input means to output the diagnostic information, and the subject to be diagnosed. Automatically diagnoses a swing when hitting a golf club.

In the invention of claim 8, the diagnosis processing means processes the coordinate data at the timing determined by the timing determination means and the timing of the address displayed by the display means to output the diagnostic information, and the subject to be diagnosed. Automatically diagnoses a swing when hitting a golf club.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the video signal output from the photographing means is recorded by the analog video recording means and reversely reproduced so that the reproduction can be started immediately and the low speed reproduction is performed. It is possible to detect the coordinates on the image of the part necessary for the swing diagnosis by the coordinate detecting means at sufficiently short predetermined time intervals on the image.

[0027]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a golf swing diagnosis apparatus as an embodiment of the present invention.

Although this embodiment relates to a device for automatically diagnosing a swing when a right-handed subject hits a golf club, the present invention also applies to a left-handed subject's swing. Needless to say, it can be used.

The rear video camera 10 (a video camera is an example of photographing means) is installed so as to photograph the swing of the person to be diagnosed from the rear (right hand side) of the person to be diagnosed 12 who is standing at the bat. The rear video signal is output as an analog signal.

The front video camera 14 is installed so as to photograph the swing of the person to be diagnosed (including the club head 16 and the golf ball 18 before hitting) from the front of the person to be diagnosed, and the photographed front video signal is taken. Output as an analog signal.
The golf ball 18 is set within a predetermined range (for example, the length and height in the front-rear direction are both within 10 cm).

Rear VTR 20 (video tape recorder:
The rear video camera 1 is an example of an analog video recording means.
The backward video signal from 0 can be recorded on a video tape, reproduced at normal speed or low speed (slow), and the backward reproduced video signal can be output. The operation of the rear VTR 20 is controlled by a control signal from the rear VTR controller 22.

The front VTR 24 is a front video camera 14.
It is possible to record a front video signal from the device on a video tape, reproduce it at a normal speed or a low speed (slow), and output the front reproduction video signal. It is also possible to perform reverse reproduction at low speed and output the front reverse reproduction video signal.
The operation of the front VTR 24 is controlled by a control signal from the front VTR controller 26.

The front reverse reproduction video signal from the front VTR 24 is supplied to the A / D converter 2 in video capture or the like.
Converted to a digital video signal by VRAM3
0 (video random access memory). V
The RAM is a RAM in which a video signal for displaying a video on a video display device such as a CRT is written, but the device of the present invention does not necessarily require the video display device.

The central processing unit 32 includes a rear VTR controller 22, a front VTR controller 26, and an editing VTR.
A signal for instructing the control of each VTR is output to the editing VTR controller 36 that controls 34.

Further, the central processing unit 32 has a VRAM for each frame of the video (that is, for every predetermined time on the video).
From the digital video signal on 30, the coordinates of the golf ball 18, both knees, head, shoulders, waist, club head 16, etc. of the person to be diagnosed 12 necessary for the swing diagnosis are detected and the coordinate data is stored. It is output to the unit 38. Further, the coordinate data of a required portion is read from the coordinate data storage unit 38, the timing of the address, the top, the impact, the follow-through, etc., which is the reference of the swing diagnosis is discriminated and output to the timing storage unit 40.

Further, the central processing unit 32 reads the timing stored in the timing storage unit 40, and the coordinate data of the necessary portion at each timing is stored in the coordinate data storage unit 38.
Then, the moving distance and the direction from the time of address are calculated, the diagnosis contents are calculated by comparing with the diagnosis reference stored in advance in the diagnosis reference storage unit 42, and the diagnosis contents are output.

The editing VTR outputs the diagnostic content output from the central processing unit 32 and converted into an analog signal by the DA converter 44, the front reproduction video signal from the front VTR 24, and the rear reproduction video signal from the rear VTR 20. Record on videotape.

Next, a golf swing diagnosis method using the golf swing diagnosis apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to the central processing unit 32.
The operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 2 and FIG.

First, via the front VTR controller 26 and the rear VTR controller 22, the front VTR 24 and the rear VTR 20 are instructed to record the front video signal from the front video camera 14 and the rear video signal from the rear video camera 10. (S1).

Thereafter, within a certain time, the person to be diagnosed 12 swings the golf club and hits the golf ball 18.

After the elapse of the predetermined time, the front VTR controller 26 is instructed to the front VTR 24 for low speed reverse reproduction, and the rear VTR controller 22 is instructed to rewind the rear VTR 20 (S2).

During low speed reverse reproduction of the front VTR 24, A-D
From the front reverse reproduction video signal on the VRAM 30 converted into a digital video signal by the converter 28, it is possible to set every one or two or more frames for each frame of the video (if the number of frames per unit time is sufficiently large. ), Golf ball 18, both knees, head, shoulders of the diagnosed person 12,
The coordinates of the waist, the club head 16, etc. necessary for the swing diagnosis on the image are detected and output to the coordinate data storage unit 38 (S3). For example, the golf ball 18 can detect its coordinates by the color difference with the background within the set predetermined range, and the club head 16 can detect it by coloring with a special color that is easy to detect. You can
Further, for example, each part of the person to be diagnosed 12 detects the coordinates of the contour of the person to be diagnosed 12 on the image based on the difference in color from the background, and both ends of the contour at a certain proportion of the height are bound to both knees. Can be detected as the coordinates of
The coordinates of both ends of the waist and both shoulders can be detected. The head can be detected, for example, as the coordinates of both ends of the contour at a height of a certain proportion of the height. Furthermore, it is also possible to attach an adhesive sticker of a specific color to each part of the person to be diagnosed 12 and detect the coordinates thereof as the coordinates of each part. In order to ensure the detection, it is desirable that the background be formed in a non-pattern of an appropriate color or a fixed pattern of an appropriate color.

Next, the coordinate data of the golf ball 18 is read out from the coordinate data storage section 38, for example, from the data of the last frame (S4), and the time (frame) when the golf ball 18 is detected within the predetermined range. Is determined to be the impact timing (S5), and the timing of tracing back a predetermined period (frame) from that timing is determined to be the address timing and output to the timing storage unit 40 (S6). At the same time, the timing storage unit 40 discriminates the timing after a predetermined period from the impact timing as the follow-through timing.
It is also possible to output to. Further, it is possible to determine the time when the club head 16 approaches the golf ball 18 again from the timing of impact as the address timing. In addition, the coordinate data of the golf ball 18 is
For example, the timing at which the golf ball 18 is no longer detected within the predetermined range can be determined as the impact timing by sequentially reading from the data of the start frame. As other means for determining the timing of the address, the person to be diagnosed 12 inputs the timing of the address to the central processing unit 32 by the input device 46 which can be input to the central processing unit 32 by remote operation or the like. According to an instruction from the central processing unit 32, the person to be diagnosed 12
It can be mentioned that the person 12 to be diagnosed makes an address in accordance with the visual or auditory display.

Next, while the coordinate data of the club head 16 is read out from the coordinate data storage unit 38 retroactively from the timing of impact (S7), the speed direction of the club head 16 is calculated, and the speed of the club head 16 is changed from the forward direction. The time when it changes to the backward direction (the time when the club head 16 moves from the backswing movement to the forwardswing movement to move to the address through the top, going back from the impact timing) is determined as the top timing (S8). ) Output to the timing storage unit 40 (S
9).

Next, the timings of the address, top, impact, follow-through, etc. stored in the timing storage unit 40 are read out, and both knees, waist, and
The coordinate data of necessary parts such as both shoulders, head, club head 16 and the like are read from the coordinate data storage unit 38, and the moving distance and the direction of each part from the address at the time of top, impact, follow-through, etc. are calculated. (S1
0), and diagnoses by comparing it with the diagnostic standard stored in advance in the diagnostic standard storage unit (S11). It is also possible to diagnose the presence or absence of head-up by calculating the presence or absence of the increase in the distance between the coordinates of both ends of the head (that is, the width of the head) or the degree of the increase.

Then, via the editing VTR controller 36, the editing VTR 34 is instructed to record, and the diagnostic information is converted into an analog signal by the DA converter 44 and output to the editing VTR 34 (S12). As diagnostic information, for example, in addition to words such as "I am swelling a lot" and "I am heading up a little", the movement distance and direction of each part are represented by numbers and figures, and at the time of impact The speed of the club head 16 may be a number or the like calculated from changes in the coordinates of the club head 16 in the frames before and after that. It does not necessarily have to be based on the above-mentioned diagnostic criteria. The figure may be superimposed on a swing image described below. Also, club head 1
It is also possible to output the trajectory during the swing of 6 and other parts.

Next, while the editing VTR 34 maintains the recording state, the front VTR controller 26 is used to drive the front V
The TR 24 is instructed to perform low speed reproduction (S13).

Then, after a lapse of a certain time after which the front VTR 24 finishes the low speed reproduction, the rear VTR 20 is instructed to perform the low speed reproduction through the rear VTR controller 22 (S1).
4).

Further, after a lapse of a certain time after the rear VTR 20 finishes the low speed reproduction, the rear VTR controller 22, the front VTR controller 26 and the editing VTR controller 3 are provided.
The rear VTR 20, the front VTR 24 and the editing VTR 34 are instructed to rewind via 6 (S15).

As described above, the edited VTR 34 records the diagnostic contents, the front slow motion image of the swing, and the rear slow motion image of the swing, and a rewound video tape is obtained. The diagnosed person 12 can repeatedly reproduce this video tape on another reproducing apparatus to study his / her swing.

In addition to the front video camera 14 and the rear video camera 10, a video camera which shoots from above or from the front can be used. The video camera may output a digital video signal. Also VTR
Alternatively, a digital VTR may be used, or analog recording means or digital recording means other than the VTR may be used.

Further, not only the image in one direction but also the image in two directions may be used to detect the three-dimensional coordinates of each part, and it may be used for diagnosis to output the content.

The above description of the embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention thereto, but is merely an illustrative example.

[0055]

According to the golf swing diagnosing device and the golf swing diagnosing method of the present invention, the person to be diagnosed plays the golf on the basis of the video signal obtained by photographing the motion of the person to be hit to swing and hit the golf club. The swing at the time of hitting by the club can be automatically diagnosed without the help of experts or operators, and the cost required for the diagnosis can be greatly reduced.

In the apparatus according to the second aspect, the coordinates of the necessary part of the subject are automatically calculated from the coordinates of the contour of the subject on the image, and 1 or the reference of the swing diagnosis is obtained based on the coordinates. It is possible to automatically output diagnostic information by determining two or more timings and processing coordinate data at the determined timings.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reliably and automatically determine the timing of impact, and use the timing of impact to reliably and automatically diagnose the swing.

In the apparatus according to the fourth aspect, the timing of the address can be easily and automatically determined, and the swing can be easily and automatically diagnosed by utilizing the timing of the address and the timing of the impact.

In the apparatus of the fifth aspect, the timing of the address can be surely automatically discriminated, and the swing can be surely automatically diagnosed by utilizing the timing of the address and the timing of the impact.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the timing of the top can be reliably and automatically determined, and the swing can be reliably and automatically diagnosed by utilizing the timing of the top and the timing of the impact.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the subject is diagnosed on the basis of the timing of the image signal obtained by photographing the photographing operation of the subject swinging and hitting the golf club by the photographing means and the address inputted by the input means. It is possible to automatically diagnose a swing when a golf ball is hit by a golf club without intervention of an expert or an operator.

In the apparatus of claim 8, the subject is diagnosed on the basis of the timing of the address displayed by the video signal and the image signal output by the photographing means for photographing and outputting the motion of swinging and hitting the golf club by the examinee. It is possible to automatically diagnose a swing when a golf ball is hit by a golf club without intervention of an expert or an operator.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the video signal output from the photographing means is recorded by the analog video recording means, and the analog video recording means reversely reproduces the reproduction so that the reproduction can be started immediately. It is possible to detect the coordinates of the part necessary for the image on the image at sufficiently short predetermined time intervals on the image, and it is possible to reliably and promptly diagnose the swing automatically.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart.

[Description of sign]

 14 Front video camera 18 Golf ball 24 Front VTR 30 VRAM 38 Coordinate data storage unit 40 Timing storage unit

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A device for automatically diagnosing a swing when a person to be diagnosed hits a golf club with a golf club, wherein the person to be diagnosed swings the golf club and hits the ball.
An image pickup unit that outputs the image signal, and a coordinate detection unit that detects the coordinates on the image of the part necessary for the swing diagnosis based on the image signal at predetermined time intervals on the image.
Based on the coordinates of the region detected by the coordinate detection means, a timing determination means for determining one or more timings as a reference for swing diagnosis, and coordinate data at the timings determined by the timing determination means are processed for diagnosis. A golf swing diagnosis apparatus comprising: a diagnosis processing unit that outputs information. 2. The golf swing diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coordinate detecting means calculates the coordinates of a necessary portion of the subject from the coordinates of the contour of the subject on the image. 3. The golf swing diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the timing discriminating means discriminates the time when the ball is no longer detected within the predetermined range as the impact timing. 4. The golf swing diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the timing discriminating means discriminates a predetermined time before the impact timing as the address timing. 5. The timing discriminating means discriminates the time when the club head approaches the ball again, which is traced back from the impact timing, as the address timing.
The golf swing diagnosis apparatus described. 6. The timing discriminating means discriminates a timing at which the club head changes from a backswing movement to a forwardswing movement as a top timing, tracing back from the impact timing. The golf swing diagnosis apparatus described. 7. An input means for allowing a person to be diagnosed to input an address timing, wherein the diagnosis processing means processes coordinate data at the timing determined by the timing determination means and the address timing input by the input means. The golf swing diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, which outputs diagnostic information. 8. A display means for displaying the address timing to a person to be diagnosed, wherein the diagnosis processing means processes coordinate data at the timing determined by the timing determination means and the address timing displayed by the display means. The golf swing diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, which outputs diagnostic information. 9. An analog video recording means capable of recording a video signal output from the photographing means and performing low-speed reverse reproduction, wherein the coordinate detecting means detects a coordinate on a video image of a portion required for swing diagnosis. The detection is performed at predetermined time intervals on the image based on the image signal reproduced at low speed by the analog image recording means at low speed.
The golf swing diagnosis apparatus described. 10. The golf swing diagnosis according to claim 1, wherein the detection of the coordinates by the coordinate detecting means is performed on the data on the VRAM in which the video signal is written. apparatus. 11. A method of diagnosing a swing when a person to be diagnosed hits a golf club with a golf club, wherein the person to be diagnosed shoots a motion of hitting the golf club by hitting the golf club, and obtaining a video signal thereof. The coordinates of the part necessary for the diagnosis of the image on the image based on the image signal at predetermined time intervals on the image, and based on the detected coordinates of the part, one or two or more serving as a reference for the swing diagnosis. Determining the timing of, and outputting the diagnostic information by processing the coordinate data at the determined timing.