Golf simulator

Abstract

The present invention provides a golf simulator comprising a launch area facing a screen at which the ball is driven and used to display part of a golf course. Sensors detect the impact of a ball on the screen, and/or flight towards it, and/or club head trajectory. The launch area is a playing surface panel tiltable by a displacement device, to provide a desired slope angle α and slope direction β relative to a driving direction. A computer is connected to the sensors and displacement device, and programmed to control display of the course, based on its topography, and position of the launch area, and compute an estimated ball trajectory, ball lie based on the estimated trajectory and landing zone topography. The computer then controls the screen display and displacement device so that the next drive can be played from a realistic lie.

1 . A golf simulator comprising a launch area facing a screen at which the ball is driven and which is used to display an image of part of a golf course; sensor devices formed and arranged for detecting at least one of: the impact of a golf ball on the screen, the flight of the ball towards said screen, and the trajectory of the golf club head during the golf club swing; a tiltable tee apparatus having a playing surface panel and at least one displacement device formed and arranged for tilting said playing surface panel so as to provide a desired slope angle and slope direction relative to a golf driving direction; and a computer apparatus operatively connected to said sensor devices and to said at least one displacement device, and programmed so as to control display of part of a golf course on said screen, based on the topography of the golf course, and the position of the launch area in relation to said golf course, and compute an estimated trajectory of the ball on the basis of the inputs received from said sensor devices, compute an estimated position of the ball based on the estimated trajectory and the ball landing zone topography, control said display on the screen so as to display the estimated position of the ball on the screen image, compute the slope angle and slope direction of the estimated position or lie of the ball, and control said at least one displacement device so as to bring the playing surface panel slope angle and slope direction into correspondence with the computed slope angle and slope direction so that the next drive can be played from a realistic lie.  
     
     
         2 . A simulator according to  claim 1  wherein the tiltable tee apparatus is provided with control signal receiving inputs for a tee platform tilting device motor and the tee platform rotation drive motor, for tilting and rotation of the tee platform respectively, towards required slope angle and slope direction or orientation values, said control signal receiving inputs being operatively connected to the computer of said golf simulator so that the slope and slope direction of the tee platform may be adjusted under the control of the computer so as to be brought into correspondence with the slope angle and slope direction values at the estimated position of the ball as defined by the ball landing zone topography.  
     
     
         3 . A simulator according to  claim 2  wherein the computer is used to control stepper drive motors which are drivable between positions with fixed predetermined relationships to given reference positions so that a control signal from the computer to achieve a desired slope angle and/or slope direction is executable directly.  
     
     
         4 . A simulator according to  claim 2  wherein there is used a feedback system with slope angle and slope direction sensing devices provided on the tiltable tee platform and having outputs for slope angle and slope direction signals, respectively; and a tee platform tilting device motor and the tee platform rotation drive motor, for tilting and rotation of the tee platform respectively, towards required slope angle and slope direction values.  
     
     
         5 . A simulator according to  claim 4  wherein the slope angle and slope direction (orientation) sensing devices, are selected from resistive or capacitative sensors, optical sensors and LVDT sensors.  
     
     
         6 . A simulator according to  claim 1  wherein is used a displacement device selected from: a pressurized fluid operated devices; a motor with a mechanical drive transmission.  
     
     
         7 . A simulator according to  claim 6  wherein separate displacement devices are provided for tilting of the playing surface panel and for rotation of, at least, the playing surface panel.  
     
     
         8 . A simulator according to  claim 6  wherein at least three, independently operable displacement devices are used to raise selectively, different sides of the playing surface panel, thereby providing different slope directions without the need for rotation of any part of the tee platform.  
     
     
         9 . A simulator according to  claim 6  wherein is used a displacement device comprising an elongate toothed drive output transmission member in the form of a worm screw rotatable, in use of the apparatus, directly or indirectly, by a motor.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein the elongate toothed drive output transmission member comprises an elongate rack member driven by a screw jack device operated by said drive motor.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein at least one said screw jack is a telescopic screw jack.  
     
     
         12 . A simulator according to  claim 1  wherein is used a tiltable and rotatable tee apparatus comprising a ground support, and a tee platform rotatably mounted on said ground support, said tee platform comprising a base portion and a playing surface panel hingedly connected at a first edge portion to a corresponding edge portion of said base portion, said playing surface panel being supported at a jack support portion remote from said first edge portion on an upper end of at least one screw jack pivotally connected thereto, said at least one screw jack having its lower end pivotally connected to said base portion, one of said ground support and tee platform base portion having a fixed spur gear secured thereto in a substantially horizontal plane on the rotational axis of said rotable tee platform, and the other having mounted thereon a drive motor with an elongate toothed drive output transmission member for driving engagement with said spur gear so as to rotate said tee platform in use of the apparatus, whereby in use of the apparatus said tee platform may be tilted throughout a range of slope angles and slope directions by operation of said at least one screw jack and said tee platform rotation drive motor.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein is provided a locking device which is engagable after the tee platform has been rotated to a desired position.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 13  wherein said locking device comprises a plurality of angularly distributed electromagnet units with axially displaceable elements with end portions which function as brake pad elements extending into braking engagement with a disk brake type plate when the electromagnets are powered up, and returning to a retracted position when the electromagnets are powered down.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the playing surface panel is provided with an artificial turf synthetic matting simulating grass for supporting the ball on. Claim  16 . An apparatus according to  claim 15  wherein the matting has an outer annular zone with shorter turf for simulating fairway, an inner annular zone with longer turf for simulating rough, and a central zone having a non-slip surface for supporting a player thereon.