Golf game device, golf game server, and golf game system

Abstract

A novel golf game device includes a field simulating a green, a plurality of cups provided in the field, a ball-in-cup detecting section which detects that a ball has entered the cup, a cup designating section which designates to a player a target cup to be aimed at from among the plurality of cups, a putting position designating section which designates to the player a putting position on the field from where the player hits a ball, and a control section which is operable, in response to the player hitting a ball set at the putting position, to determine whether the hit ball has entered the target cup, on the basis of a detection signal from the ball-in-cup detecting section, and control the progress of the golf game on the basis of the determination result.

1 . A golf game device comprising:
 a field simulating a green;   a plurality of cups provided in the field;   a ball-in-cup detecting section which detects that a ball has entered the cup;   a cup designating section which designates, to a player, a target cup to be aimed at from among the plurality of cups;   a putting position designating section which designates, to the player, a putting position on the field from where the player hits a ball; and   a control section operable, in response to the player hitting a ball set at the putting position, to determine whether the hit ball has entered the target cup, on the basis of a detection signal from the ball-in-cup detecting section, and control the progress of a golf game on the basis of the determination result.   
     
     
         2 . The golf game device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the control section is operable to
 select one of the plurality of cups as the target cup for the cup designating section to designate, 
 determine a distance to the selected target cup, and 
 on the basis of the determined distance, determine the putting position on the field for the putting position designating section to designate. 
   
     
     
         3 . The golf game device according to  claim 2 , wherein the putting position designating section designates the putting position to the player by emitting a laser beam onto an arbitrary position on the field. 
     
     
         4 . The golf game device according to  claim 3 , wherein
 for a first shot in the golf game, the control section is operable to
 select one of the plurality of cups as the target cup for the cup designating section to designate, 
 determine a first distance to the selected target cup, and 
 on the basis of the determined first distance, determine a first putting position on the field for the putting position designating section to designate, and 
   for a second shot in the golf game, the control section is operable to
 determine a second distance to the target cup, the second distance being shorter than the first distance, and 
 on the basis of the determined second distance, determine a second putting position on the field for the putting position designating section to designate. 
   
     
     
         5 . The golf game device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a tilting section which is operable to tilt the field. 
     
     
         6 . The golf game device according to  claim 5 , wherein
 when causing a player to hit a first shot, the control section operates the tilting section to tilt the field, and   when causing the player to hit a second shot, the control section maintains the tilting of the field on which the first shot was hit, without operating the tilting section.   
     
     
         7 . A golf game system having a plurality of golf game devices and a golf game server, the golf game server being connected to the plurality of golf game devices via a network, the golf game device comprising:
 a field simulating a green;   a plurality of cups provided in the field;   a ball-in-cup detecting section which detects that a ball has entered the cup;   a cup designating section which designates, to a player, a target cup to be aimed at from among the plurality of cups;   a putting position designating section which designates, to the player, a putting position on the field from where the player hits a ball;   a control section operable, in response to the player hitting a ball set at the putting position, to determine whether the hit ball has entered the target cup, on the basis of a detection signal from the ball-in-cup detecting section, and control the progress of a golf game on the basis of the determination result, to thereby determine game result information including a game score of the player; and   a transmitting section which transmits the game result information of the player to the golf game server via the network;   
       the golf game server comprising:
 a receiving section which receives the game result information of the player transmitted from the golf game device via the network; and 
 a storage section which stores the received game result information in association with the player. 
 
     
     
         8 . A golf game server connected to a golf game device via a network, the golf game device including a field simulating a green, a plurality of cups provided in the field, a ball-in-cup detecting section which detects that a ball has entered the cup, a cup designating section which designates, to a player, a target cup to be aimed at from among the plurality of cups, a putting position designating section which designates, to the player, a putting position on the field from where the player hits a ball, a control section operable, in response to the player hitting a ball set at the putting position, to determine whether the hit ball has entered the target cup, on the basis of a detection signal from the ball-in-cup detecting section, and control the progress of a golf game on the basis of the determination result, to thereby determine game result information including a game score of the player, and a transmitting section which transmits the game result information of the player to the golf game server via the network, the golf game server comprising:
 a receiving section which receives the game result information of the player transmitted from the golf game device via the network; and   a storage section which stores the received game result information in association with the player.   
     
     
         9 . The golf game device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 for a first shot in the golf game, the control section is operable to
 select one of the plurality of cups as the target cup for the cup designating section to designate, 
 determine a first distance to the selected target cup, and 
 on the basis of the determined first distance, determine a first putting position on the field for the putting position designating section to designate, and for a second shot in the golf game, the control section is operable to 
 determine a second distance to the target cup, the second distance being shorter than the first distance, and 
 on the basis of the determined second distance, determine a second putting position on the field for the putting position designating section to designate.