Electronic compartment assembly for a golf flagstick

Abstract

An electronic compartment assembly is configured to be received along a longitudinal axis of a golf flagstick and includes a sensor array housing with at least two sensor top support features and at least two sensor bottom support features, which together define openings in a circumferential surface of the sensor array housing. The sensor array housing is configured to position sensors within the respective openings at any appropriate angle that allows sensor data to be captured substantially adjacent to the golf flagstick. Some sensor top support features include a protrusion for protecting the sensors in which, with a respective bottom support feature, define a linear span from which the openings are recessed such that an outermost sensor surface is recessed. Some compartment assemblies further include sensors and a processor for determining GPS coordinates associated with data captured by the sensors.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic compartment assembly configured to be received along a longitudinal axis of a golf flagstick, comprising:
 a sensor array housing comprising at least two sensor top support features and at least two sensor bottom support features which together define openings in a circumferential surface of the sensor array housing; and   at least two sensors disposed within a respective one of the openings of the sensor array housing, wherein the sensor array housing is configured to position the at least two sensors within the respective openings at any appropriate angle that allows the at least two sensors to be configured to capture data substantially adjacent to the golf flagstick,   wherein an external portion of each of the sensor top support feature comprises at least one protrusion arranged above each of the at least two sensors and extending outwardly beyond an outermost surface of each of the at least two sensors, and   wherein each of the protrusions and outermost surfaces of each bottom support feature define a linear span from which the outermost surface of each of the at least two sensors is recessed.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic compartment assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two sensors are together configured to capture images including a 360 degree view of an area surrounding the golf flagstick. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic compartment assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two sensors are in electronic communication with a processor. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic compartment assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the processor comprises at least one of a processor disposed in the compartment assembly or a remote processor. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic compartment assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the at least two sensors are configured to sense an object proximate to the golf flagstick, and the processor is configured to analyze the object and at least one of:
 determine the object as being received by a golf cup in a single stroke, or   classify the object as a hole-in-one.   
     
     
         6 . The electronic compartment assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the at least two sensors are configured to sense an object proximate to the golf flagstick, and the processor is configured to analyze the object and calculate a distance of the object from the golf flagstick. 
     
     
         7 . The electronic compartment assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the at least two sensors are configured to sense an object proximate to the golf flagstick, and the processor is configured to calculate a distance of the object from the golf flagstick for a plurality of objects such that the processor calculates a relative distance of each object to the golf flagstick. 
     
     
         8 . The electronic compartment assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the at least two sensors are configured to sense an object proximate to the golf flagstick, and the processor is configured to sense GPS coordinates of at least one of the golf flagstick or of the object. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic compartment assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the at least two sensors are configured to sense an object proximate to the golf flagstick and comprise video cameras configured to record a video of the object. 
     
     
         10 . The electronic compartment assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the video cameras each record at least a 180 degree video of an area proximate the object. 
     
     
         11 . The electronic compartment assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit the recorded video over a computer network. 
     
     
         12 . The electronic compartment assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the processor is communicatively coupled to a computer network. 
     
     
         13 . The electronic compartment assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the compartment assembly comprises a tubular housing with an enlarged diameter relative to a diameter of the golf flagstick. 
     
     
         14 . An electronic compartment assembly configured to be received along a longitudinal axis of a golf flagstick, comprising:
 a computing assembly mounting structure received in an interior of the compartment assembly and comprising mounting areas for mounting one or more electronic components; and   a sensor array housing comprising at least two sensor top support features and at least two sensor bottom support features which together define openings in a circumferential surface of the sensor array housing,   wherein the sensor array housing is configured to position, within respective openings at any appropriate angle, a sensor configured to capture data substantially adjacent to the golf flagstick,   wherein an external portion of each of the sensor top support feature comprises at least one protrusion arranged above each of the respective openings and extending outwardly beyond an outermost surface of each of the respective openings, and   wherein each of the protrusions and outermost surfaces of each bottom support feature define a linear span from which the openings are recessed such that an outermost sensor surface is recessed.   
     
     
         15 . The electronic compartment assembly of  claim 14 , further comprising at least two sensor housings, each comprising a coupler configured to couple the sensor housing to the sensor array housing at a respective opening of the sensor array housing, a lens opening for receiving a sensor lens, and an attachment configured to position the sensor lens at a selected angle. 
     
     
         16 . The electronic compartment assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the computing assembly mounting structure is removable from the interior of the compartment assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The electronic compartment assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the compartment assembly comprises a tubular housing with an enlarged diameter relative to a diameter of the golf flagstick. 
     
     
         18 . An electronic compartment assembly configured to be received along a longitudinal axis of a golf flagstick, comprising:
 a computing assembly mounting structure received in an interior of the compartment assembly and comprising mounting areas for mounting one or more electronic components;   a processor mounted in one of the mounting areas;
 a sensor array housing comprising at least two sensor top support features and at least two sensor bottom support features which together define openings in a circumferential surface of the sensor array housing; and 
   at least two sensors disposed within a respective one of the openings of the sensor array housing, wherein the sensor array housing is configured to position the at least two sensors within the respective openings at any appropriate angle that allows the at least two sensors to be configured to capture data substantially adjacent to the golf flagstick,   wherein the processor is communicatively coupled to the at least two sensors and is configured to determine GPS coordinates associated with the captured data.   
     
     
         19 . The electronic compartment assembly of  claim 18 , further comprising at least two sensor housings, each comprising a coupler configured to couple the sensor housing to the sensor array housing at a respective opening of the sensor array housing, a lens opening for receiving a sensor lens, and an attachment configured to position the sensor lens at a selected angle. 
     
     
         20 . The electronic compartment assembly of  claim 18 , further comprising a communications component mounted in another of the mounting areas, wherein the communications component is communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to transmit the determined GPS coordinates over a network.