Golf analysis system with frameless optical sensor net

Abstract

A golf analysis system includes a light emitter assembly, including first and second light emitters spaced apart from one another, and a light detector assembly, including first and second sets of light detectors arranged along a surface of a practice area beneath the light emitters. The light emitters emit first and second spreads of non-parallel light rays, received by the light detectors, to form an optical sensor net for capturing relational kinetic information when at least one of a golf ball and a golf club passing through the optical sensor net. The region between the level of the light detectors and the level of the light emitters is substantially free of mechanical structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf analysis system comprising:
 a light emitter assembly comprising first and second light emitters spaced apart from one another by first distance;   a light detector assembly comprising first and second sets of light detectors arranged at a first level along a surface of a practice area, the practice area comprising a tee region and an intended golf ball path extending from a chosen tee location within the tee region;   the first and second sets of light detectors positioned opposite one another and oriented transversely to the intended golf ball path;   the first and second light emitters capable of emitting first and second spreads of non-parallel light rays to be received by the first and second sets of light detectors, respectively;   the first and second light emitters located at a second level vertically above the practice area by at least a second distance;   the first and second spreads of non-parallel light rays forming an optical sensor net to permit capturing relational kinetic information of at least one of a golf ball and a golf club during a golf club swinging motion on the practice area when said at least one of the golf ball and golf club passes through at least a portion of the optical sensor net; and   the region above the first level and below the second level being substantially free of mechanical structure to prevent inadvertent contact between a golf ball or a golf club and such mechanical structure during the golf club swinging motion.   
     
     
         2 . The golf analysis system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second light emitters emit laser light. 
     
     
         3 . The golf analysis system according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second spread of non-parallel light rays extend downwardly toward the first and second sets of light detectors at angles of about 5° to 15° from vertical. 
     
     
         4 . The golf analysis system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second light emitters are located at positions vertically above locations situated between the first and second sets of light detectors and the tee region. 
     
     
         5 . The golf analysis system according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second sets of light detectors comprise individual light detectors separated by distances that are less than the minimum radius of a typical golf ball of about 0.8 inch. 
     
     
         6 . The golf analysis system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second sets of light detectors define a cross sectional ball/clubhead detection area with a first width and a first height of the optical sensor net. 
     
     
         7 . The golf analysis system according to  claim 6 , wherein said detection area is about 2 to 4 feet in both width and height. 
     
     
         8 . The golf analysis system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second sets of light detectors are oriented generally perpendicular to and generally centered on a plane extending vertically or tilted vertically at about 5 to 10 degrees downwardly from the intended golf ball path. 
     
     
         9 . The golf analysis system according to  claim 1 , wherein the second distance is at least about 9 feet. 
     
     
         10 . The golf analysis system according to  claim 1 , comprising first and second light emitter assemblies and first and second light detector assemblies defining first and second optical sensor nets, said first and second optical sensor nets being spaced apart from one another. 
     
     
         11 . The golf analysis system according to  claim 10 , wherein the first and second optical sensor nets are oriented generally parallel to one another. 
     
     
         12 . The golf analysis system according to  claim 10 , wherein the first and second light detector assemblies are oriented generally perpendicular to and generally centered on the intended golf ball path. 
     
     
         13 . The golf analysis system according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 the first and second sets of light detectors of the first light detector assembly define a cross sectional area with a first width and a first height;   the first and second light detector assemblies being separated by a distance of about 100% of the first width.   
     
     
         14 . The golf analysis system according to  claim 1 , wherein the light emitters and detectors are capable of providing information to a data processor. 
     
     
         15 . The golf analysis system according to  claim 1 , further comprising visual display to display data generated by the data processor from the movement of the golf ball through the optical sensor net. 
     
     
         16 . The golf analysis system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a catching net placed along the golf ball intended path. 
     
     
         17 . A method for enabling the determination of dynamic spatial information for a golf practice swing using a golf analysis system comprising an optical sensor net, the method comprising:
 taking a golf practice swing at the tee region of a practice area of the golf analysis system with or without hitting a golf ball along an intended golf ball path;   passing at least one of a golf club head and a golf ball hit by the golf club along a golf ball/club path through an optical sensor net;   emitting, by the optical sensor net, first and second spreads of non-parallel light rays downwardly from first and second light emitters of a light emitter assembly, the first and second light emitters spaced apart from one another by a first distance and located vertically above the practice area by at least a second distance;   receiving, by the optical sensor net, the first and second spreads of non-parallel light rays by first and second sets of light detectors of a light detector assembly, respectively, the first and second sets of light detectors arranged along a surface of the practice area, each set of light detectors comprising a plurality of detector elements;   interrupting at least two of said non-parallel light rays by said at least one of the golf club head and the golf ball; and   eliminating substantially all mechanical structures above and nearby the practice area between the level of the practice area and the level of the first and second light emitters thereby preventing inadvertent contact between the golf ball or the golf club and such mechanical structures during the practice swing.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 identifying light detector elements that receive interrupted non-parallel light rays as a result of the practice golf swing;   measuring interruption times for the identified detector elements that detect the interrupted non-parallel light rays; and   determining dynamic spatial information for the golf club practice swing based on the measured interruption times for the selected light detectors that receive interrupted non-parallel rays of light; and   the identifying, measuring and determining steps carried out using information supplied by at least the light detector assembly providing data to a data processor.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising:
 placing a golf ball at a tee location within the tee region;   determining the location of the tee location relative to the optical sensor net; and   providing tee location information to the data processor.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising:
 placing a golf ball at a tee location within the tee region;   wherein the passing step comprises passing the golf ball through first and second optical sensor nets, the optical sensor nets spaced apart from one another at first and second positions along the intended golf ball path, the use of the first and second spaced apart optical sensor nets eliminating a need to provide the tee location information to the data processor.   
     
     
         21 . Given an undetermined tee location, a method for providing dynamic spatial information with an optical sensor net for a golf practice swing comprising the steps of:
 selecting a sensor system including a divergent light source for emitting at least two non-parallel rays of light towards an array of light detectors to form an optical sensor net;   passing the golf ball through the non-parallel rays of light within the optical sensor net to interrupt emission of the rays of light to the array of light detectors;   identifying selected light detectors that receive interrupted rays of light emitted by the divergent light source caused by the golf ball passing through the optical sensor net;   detecting interruption times for the selected detectors within the array of light detectors that detect interrupted rays of light;   measuring dynamic spatial information for the golf ball based on the detected interruption times for the selected light detectors that receive interrupted non-parallel rays of light;   identifying second, third, and fourth groups of selected light detectors that receive interrupted rays of light emitted by the divergent light source caused by the golf ball passing through the optical sensor net;   detecting interruption times for the second, third, and fourth groups of selected detectors within the array of light detectors that detect interrupted rays of light; and   computing dynamic spatial information for the golf ball based on the measured interruption times for the selected light detectors that receive interrupted non-parallel rays of light.   
     
     
         22 . The method for providing dynamic spatial information as recited in  claim 21 , further comprising:
 passing a golf club through the optical sensor net through the non-parallel rays of light within the optical sensor net to interrupt emission of the rays of light to the array of light detectors;   identifying a second group of selected light detectors that receive interrupted rays of light emitted by the divergent light source caused by the golf club passing through the optical sensor net;   detecting interruption times for the second group of selected detectors within the array of light detectors that detects interrupted rays of light; and   computing dynamic spatial information for the golf club based on the measured interruption time for the selected light detectors that receive interrupted non-parallel rays of light.   
     
     
         23 . The method for providing dynamic spatial information as recited in  claim 21 , wherein the dynamic spatial information includes golf ball speed and trajectory. 
     
     
         24 . The method for providing dynamic spatial information as recited in  claim 21 , wherein the dynamic spatial information includes club speed information and club swing path information. 
     
     
         25 . Given an undetermined tee location, a method for providing dynamic spatial information with an optical sensor net for a golf practice swing comprising the steps of:
 selecting a sensor system including first and second divergent light sources for emitting at least two non-parallel rays of light from each divergent light source towards first and second arrays of light detectors to form first and second optical sensor nets;   passing the golf ball through the non-parallel rays of light within the optical sensor net to interrupt emission of the rays of light to the first and second arrays of light detectors;   identifying selected light detectors that receive interrupted rays of light emitted by the divergent light source caused by the golf ball passing through the optical sensor nets;   detecting interruption times for the selected detectors within the first and second arrays of light detectors that detect interrupted rays of light;   measuring dynamic spatial information for the golf ball based on the detected interruption times for the selected light detectors that receive interrupted non-parallel rays of light;   identifying second, third, and fourth groups of selected light detectors for each of the first and second arrays of light detectors that receive interrupted rays of light emitted by the divergent light source caused by the golf ball passing through the optical sensor net;   detecting interruption times for the second, third, and fourth groups of selected detectors within the first and second arrays of light detectors that detect interrupted rays of light; and   computing dynamic spatial information for the golf ball based on the measured interruption times for the selected light detectors that receive interrupted non-parallel rays of light.   
     
     
         26 . The method for providing dynamic spatial information as recited in  claim 25 , wherein the dynamic spatial information includes golf ball speed and trajectory. 
     
     
         27 . The method for providing dynamic spatial information as recited in  claim 25 , wherein the dynamic spatial information includes club speed information and swing path information.