Golf instruction method, apparatus and analytics platform

Abstract

A golf instruction method, apparatus and analytics platform for determining the state of a putted golf ball relative to a target using information about the golf ball and external variables and remotely displaying the same, comprising a base unit, a mobile device or terminal, and an associated computer program including an analytics engine for analyzing a user's performance. The computer program determines whether and how a putted golf ball has missed said target and then stores, aggregates and displays that information for a user. The analytics engine is operable to aggregate data, analyze data and then correlate a user's actual skill proficiency to ball performance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile device and computer instructions, comprising: a sensor operable to receive stimuli related to the state of a golf ball; a microprocessor coupled to the sensor operable to digitize said stimuli into input data; an analytics engine comprising software in the form of instructions stored on a computer readable medium and executed by a processor, the analytics engine operable to (i) correlate the input data with at least one external variable, (ii) using an algorithm, process the correlated data and at least one variable to obtain a result and (iii) output the result. 
     
     
         2 . The mobile device and computer instructions of  claim 1 , wherein the analytics engine comprises instructions being stored on a computer readable medium to be executed by the microprocessor to query for and accept user input, communicate said user input with firmware in said microprocessor, receiving video data from a camera on the mobile device, correlate the video data with the at least one external variable; operate on such correlated video data and at least one external variable, obtain a result, format the result for output to a display on the mobile device. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile device and computer instructions of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the input data, external variables, algorithm and output are transmitted and stored in a remote or distributed server. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile device and computer instructions of  claim 1 , wherein the input data, external variables, algorithm and output are collected, transmitted and stored in a remote or distributed server and machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques are applied thereto to provide insights into the user's past, current and predicted performance. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile device and computer instructions of  claim 1 , wherein the stimuli is at least one selected from the group consisting of location of the golf ball relative to a start position and an actual or virtual target or target hole, speed, velocity or acceleration of the golf ball over a selected length of travel, golf ball force at any time prior to, and upon impacting or reaching the actual or virtual target or target hole, spin of the golf ball at any time prior to, and upon reaching or impacting the actual or virtual target or target hole and lift of the golf ball off a club face and wherein the at least one external variable is one selected from the group consisting of actual or virtual target location, actual or virtual target hole location, gradient between selected locations, wind velocity, wind acceleration, characteristics of a putting surface, including attributed speed based on the measurement of static and dynamic co-efficient of friction and obstacles. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile device and computer instructions of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one external variable is sensed, collected and stored in a memory accessible by the processor contemporaneously with the receipt of stimuli related to the state of the golf ball. 
     
     
         7 . An enhanced data capture device comprising of at least one camera capable of capturing data and said at least one camera positioned in a camera housing and said at least one camera is attached to a pole and said at least one camera is focused facing down onto the green and a target and said at least one camera data is captured video of a ball traveling on said green and said enhanced data capture device is connected to a wireless data system having a wireless communications protocol which is wirelessly in communication with a base unit having a base unit housing and said base unit having a microprocessor located in the said base unit housing and said microprocessor having a program on said microprocessor and said program is capable of collecting and analyzing said data comprising of video from said at least one camera and said enhanced data capture device and said base unit capable of wirelessly sending data to a smart device. 
     
     
         8 . The enhanced data capture device of  claim 7 , having a wireless communications protocol wherein the wireless communications protocol is selected from the group consisting of network connection, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee and cellular. 
     
     
         9 . The enhanced data capture device of at least one camera of  claim 7 , wherein said at least one camera is selected from the group consisting of Standard Definition and High Definition. 
     
     
         10 . The enhanced data capture device attached to a pole of  claim 7 , wherein said pole height is adjustable from 24 inches to 96 inches. 
     
     
         11 . The enhanced data capture device having a microprocessor program of  claim 7 , wherein said microprocessor program is an artificial intelligence program. 
     
     
         12 . The enhanced data capture device of at least one camera of  claim 7 , wherein said camera senses motion and captures the ball movement. 
     
     
         13 . The enhanced data capture device having a microprocessor program of  claim 7 , wherein said microprocessor program using said video from said at least one camera determines spatial orientation of ball relative to target, end point, made/missed, missed left/right, short/long, speed and velocity of the ball, spin of the ball and lift of the ball. 
     
     
         14 . An enhanced data capture device comprising of at least one camera capable of capturing data and said at least one camera positioned in a camera housing and said at least one camera is attached to a pole and said at least one camera is focused facing down onto the green and a target, and said at least one camera data is captured video of a ball traveling on said green and said enhanced data capture device is connected to a wireless data system having a wireless communications protocol and a microprocessor contained in said camera housing, and said microprocessor in communication with said at least one camera and said microprocessor having a program on said microprocessor and said program is capable of collecting and analyzing said data comprising of video from said at least one camera and said enhanced data capture device and said base unit capable of wirelessly sending data to a smart device. 
     
     
         15 . The enhanced data capture device of  claim 14 , having a wireless communications protocol wherein the wireless communications protocol is selected from the group consisting of network connection, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee and cellular. 
     
     
         16 . The enhanced data capture device of at least one camera of  claim 14 , wherein said at least one camera is selected from the group consisting of Standard Definition and High Definition. 
     
     
         17 . The enhanced data capture device attached to a pole of  claim 14 , wherein said pole height is adjustable from 24 inches to 96 inches. 
     
     
         18 . The enhanced data capture device having a microprocessor program of  claim 14 , wherein said microprocessor program is an artificial intelligence program. 
     
     
         19 . The enhanced data capture device of at least one camera of  claim 14 , wherein said camera senses motion and captures the ball movement. 
     
     
         20 . The enhanced data capture device having a microprocessor program of  claim 14 , wherein said microprocessor program using said video from said at least one camera, determines spatial orientation of ball relative to target, end point, made/missed, missed left/right, short/long, speed and velocity of the ball, spin of the ball and lift of the ball.