Virtual golf simulation apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10773147-B2
Application number	US-201916286832-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2019
Priority date	Mar 5, 2018
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

Provided is a virtual golf simulation apparatus including a processor. The processor is connected to an output device and is configured to acquire measurement data obtained by using a measurement device to measure an actual shot performed by a golfer, analyze a shot characteristic of the golfer based on the measurement data, virtually generate a virtual golfer having a shot characteristic corresponding to the shot characteristic of the golfer, receive, from the golfer, an instruction instructing the virtual golfer to perform an action in a virtual space, simulate a shot of the virtual golfer in the virtual space in accordance with the instruction, and output a result of the simulation to the output device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A virtual golf simulation apparatus comprising a processor, wherein
the processor is connected to an output device and is configured to:
acquire measurement data obtained by using a measurement device to measure an actual shot performed by a golfer;
analyze a shot characteristic of the golfer based on the measurement data;
virtually generate a virtual golfer having a shot characteristic corresponding to the shot characteristic of the golfer;
receive, from the golfer, an instruction instructing the virtual golfer to perform an other shot based on the shot characteristic in a virtual space;
simulate the other shot of the virtual golfer in the virtual space in accordance with the instruction; and
output a result of the simulation to the output device.

2. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to
receive selection of a golf course serving as the virtual space, and
successively simulate shots of the virtual golfer such that the virtual golfer virtually progresses through the golf course.

3. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to
successively simulate multiple shots so as to cause the virtual golfer to play a virtual round in the golf course.

4. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the measurement data includes data relating to at least one of a flight distance, a head velocity, a ball velocity, a launch angle, a lateral deflection angle, a spin amount, a variation degree, a face angle, and a head path angle.

5. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the shot characteristic includes characteristics relating to at least one of the flight distance, lateral deflection, a miss direction, and a missed shot probability.

6. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
for each shot of the virtual golfer, receive selection of a golf club to be used by the virtual golfer, out of a group of a plurality of types of golf clubs selected from a driver, a fairway wood, a utility, an iron, a wedge, and a putter.

7. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to:
for each shot of the virtual golfer, receive selection of a golf club to be used by the virtual golfer, out of a group of a plurality of types of golf clubs selected from a driver, a fairway wood, a utility, an iron, a wedge, and a putter.

8. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to:
for each shot of the virtual golfer, receive selection of a golf club to be used by the virtual golfer, out of a group of a plurality of types of golf clubs selected from a driver, a fairway wood, a utility, an iron, a wedge, and a putter.

9. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
generate an image showing the virtual space in two dimensions or three dimensions.

10. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to:
generate an image showing the virtual space in two dimensions or three dimensions.

11. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to:
generate an image showing the virtual space in two dimensions or three dimensions.

12. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
generate an image in which a character imitating the virtual golfer moves in the virtual space.

13. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to:
generate an image in which a character imitating the virtual golfer moves in the virtual space.

14. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to:
generate an image in which a character imitating the virtual golfer moves in the virtual space.

15. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
acquire the measurement data from the measurement device or a server that is connected to the measurement device and in which the measurement data transmitted from the measurement device is accumulated.

16. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to:
acquire the measurement data from the measurement device or a server that is connected to the measurement device and in which the measurement data transmitted from the measurement device is accumulated.

17. The virtual golf simulation apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to:
acquire the measurement data from the measurement device or a server that is connected to the measurement device and in which the measurement data transmitted from the measurement device is accumulated.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a virtual golf simulation program for causing a computer connected to an output device to execute:
acquiring measurement data obtained by using a measurement device to measure an actual shot performed by a golfer;
analyzing a shot characteristic of the golfer based on the measurement data;
virtually generating a virtual golfer having a shot characteristic corresponding to the shot characteristic of the golfer;
receiving, from the golfer, an instruction instructing the virtual golfer to perform an other shot based on the shot characteristic in a virtual space;
simulating the other shot of the virtual golfer in the virtual space in accordance with the instruction; and
outputting a result of the simulation to the output device.

19. A virtual golf simulation method, comprising:
acquiring measurement data obtained by using a measurement device to measure an actual shot performed by a golfer;
analyzing a shot characteristic of the golfer based on the measurement data;
virtually generating a virtual golfer having a shot characteristic corresponding to the shot characteristic of the golfer;
receiving, from the golfer, an instruction instructing the virtual golfer to perform an other shot based on the shot characteristic in a virtual space;
simulating the other shot of the virtual golfer in the virtual space in accordance with the instruction; and
outputting a result of the simulation to an output device.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Rubber Ind

Inventors

• Okazaki Kousuke
• Nakamura Yuto
• Ueda Masahiko

Classifications

• G09B19/0038 Primary

  Sports · CPC title

• A63B71/0622 Primary

  Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user · CPC title

• A63B2071/0638

  Displaying moving images of recorded environment, e.g. virtual environment · CPC title

• A63B69/3658

  Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction · CPC title

• A63B2071/0636

  3D visualisation · CPC title