Device, system, and method for tracking multiple projectiles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11086005-B2
Application number	US-201916514384-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2019
Priority date	Jul 11, 2016
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A system for tracking multiple projectiles includes a first radar device aimed so that a field of view of the first radar device covers at least a portion of a target area into which projectiles are to be launched from a plurality of launch locations and a processor receiving data from the radar and identifying from the data tracks of a plurality of projectiles. The processor determines for each projectile track identified a specific one of the launch locations from which the projectile was launched and provides to the launch location associated with each projectile data corresponding to a trajectory of the projectile.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for tracking multiple projectiles, comprising:
a first radar device aimed so that a first field of view of the first radar device covers at least a portion of a target volume into which projectiles are to be launched, wherein a predetermined launch location is located adjacent to the target volume, the predetermined launch location having a plurality of individual launch areas; and
a processor receiving data from the first radar and identifying from the data from the first radar a track for each of a plurality of projectiles, the processor projecting each track back in time to identify a launch location associated with the corresponding projectile and identify which one of the individual launch areas is the launch area from which the corresponding projectile was launched.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined launch location is subdivided into the plurality of individual launch areas, each individual launch area having a pre-installed device associated with the launch area.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein a first portion of the individual launch areas are elevated above a second portion of the individual launch areas.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the individual launch areas are hitting bays at a driving range and the projectiles are golf balls.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein each of the pre-installed devices has a screen configured to display golf ball trajectories and flight data associated with the trajectories.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processor provides trajectory data to a given pre-installed device at a given hitting bay, the trajectory data corresponding to a trajectory of a golf ball launched from the given hitting bay.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor associates a user with a user location when the user registers with the system and enables a GPS functionality on a user device.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein, when each of a plurality of users is associated with a corresponding user device, the processor associates a first track with a first one of the user devices when a launch location of the first track is closer to a location of the first user device than to a location of any of the other user devices.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor queries each user device to ask the user to indicate whether the user launched any of a group of recently launched projectiles.

10. A method for tracking multiple projectiles, comprising:
receiving data from a first radar device aimed so that a first field of view of the first radar device covers at least a portion of a target volume into which projectiles are to be launched, wherein a predetermined launch location is located adjacent to the target volume, the predetermined launch location having a plurality of individual launch areas;
identifying from the data from the first radar a track for each of a plurality of projectiles; and
projecting each track back in time to identify a launch location associated with the corresponding projectile and identify which one of the individual launch areas is the launch area from which the corresponding projectile was launched.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined launch area is subdivided into the plurality of individual launch areas, each individual launch area having a pre-installed device associated with the launch area.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein a first portion of the individual launch areas are elevated above a second portion of the individual launch areas.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the individual launch areas are hitting bays at a driving range and the projectiles are golf balls.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein each of the pre-installed devices has a screen configured to display golf ball trajectories and flight data associated with the trajectories.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
providing trajectory data to a given pre-installed device at a given hitting bay, the trajectory data corresponding to a trajectory of a golf ball launched from the given hitting bay.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
associating a user with a user location when the user registers with the system and enables a GPS functionality on a user device.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
when each of a plurality of users is associated with a corresponding user device, associating a first track with a first one of the user devices when a launch location of the first track is closer to a location of the first user device than to a location of any of the other user devices.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
querying each user device to ask the user to indicate whether any of a group of recently launched projectiles were launched by the user.

Assignees

• Trackman As

Inventors

• Tuxen Fredrik

Classifications

• G01S13/88

  Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications (electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00) · CPC title

• G01S13/878

  Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector (G01S13/874 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01S13/876

  Combination of several spaced transponders or reflectors of known location for determining the position of a receiver (G01S13/874 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01S13/726 Primary

  Multiple target tracking · CPC title

• G01S13/58

  Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems · CPC title