Apparatus and method for virtual golf simulation imaging mini map

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9427650-B2
Application number	US-201013520001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2010
Priority date	Dec 31, 2009
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed herein are an apparatus and method for virtual golf simulation imaging a mini map that provides contents on the mini map for allowing a golfer to recognize the state of a golf course and a state in which a round of golf is being currently played in a virtual golf process through virtual golf simulation in a more active user-oriented form. The apparatus includes a simulation means for performing golf simulation on a virtual golf course, an image processing means for displaying a golf simulation image obtained by the simulation means and a mini map image having a downscaled image of the virtual golf course displayed in a predetermined region of the golf simulation image, and a mini map control means for controlling a plurality of mini maps showing states and information changed according to progress of the virtual golf simulation performed in the virtual golf course to be displayed step by step.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for virtual golf simulation for a user to play golf on a virtual golf course, the method comprising:
sensing a flight of a golf ball hit by the user;
simulating a trajectory of the hit golf ball on a hole of the virtual golf course currently played, based on a sensing result;
displaying on a screen or a display device a simulation image which shows the simulated trajectory of the hit golf ball on the hole currently played;
displaying in a predetermined region of the simulation image a mini map which shows a downscaled image of a whole or a part of the hole currently played together with a state and information on the hole;
displaying on the displayed mini map a wind object which indicates a wind direction and a wind velocity according to weather information on the virtual golf course currently played, wherein the wind object is overlapped with the downscaled image of the whole or the part of the hole on the displayed mini map at a predetermined degree of transparency such that a part of the mini map illustrated under the overlapped wind object is visible; and
moving the wind object overlapped with the downscaled image on the displayed mini map from a first position to a second position on the downscaled image on the displayed mini map in a direction corresponding to the wind direction at a velocity corresponding to the wind velocity according to the weather information such that the part of the downscaled image on the mini map illustrated under the overlapped moving wind object is visible and a size of an area that the downscaled image is overlapped with the wind object varies.

2. The virtual golf simulation method according to claim 1 , wherein the wind direction and the wind velocity displayed in the form of the animation on the displayed mini map are obtained from predetermined weather information which is stored or obtained from weather information received from a weather information server.

3. The virtual golf simulation method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of displaying the wind object comprises displaying the weather information on the downscaled image of the hole on the displayed mini map in the form of predetermined text.

4. The virtual golf simulation method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of displaying the wind object comprises animating the wind object in which at least one of a shape, a form, and a color of the wind object is changed on the displayed mini map.

5. The virtual golf simulation method according to claim 1 , wherein a moving velocity of the animated wind object is changed in correspondence to the wind velocity of the wind object according to the weather information.

6. A virtual golf simulation apparatus for a user to play golf on a virtual golf course realized by imaging processing, comprising:
a sensing device which senses a golf ball hit by the user;
a controller which simulates a trajectory of the hit golf ball on a hole of the virtual golf course currently played, based on a sensing result; and
an image processing means configured to:
display on a screen or a display device a simulation image which shows a simulated trajectory of the hit golf ball on the hole currently played,
display a predetermined region of the simulation image a mini map which shows a downscaled image of a whole or a part of the hole currently played together with a state and information on the hole,
display on the displayed mini map a wind object which indicates a wind direction and a wind velocity according to weather information on the virtual golf course currently played, wherein the wind object is overlapped with the downscaled image of the whole or the part of the hole on the displayed mini map at a predetermined degree of transparency such that a part of the mini map illustrated under the overlapped wind object is visible, and
move the wind object overlapped with the downscaled image on the displayed mini map from a first position to a second position on the downscaled image on the displayed mini map in a direction corresponding to the wind direction at a velocity corresponding to the wind velocity according to the weather information such that the part of the downscaled image of the whole or the part of the hole on the mini map illustrated under the overlapped moving wind object is visible and a size of an area that the downscaled image is overlapped with the wind object varies.

7. The virtual golf simulation apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to determine progress of a virtual golf simulation currently played according to a simulation result, and determine a mini map among plurality types of mini maps each configured to show different state and information on the hole currently played, according to the determined progress of the virtual golf simulation,
wherein the plurality types of mini maps include:
a hole mini map showing the entirety of a corresponding hole,
a double mini map showing both i) a portion of the corresponding hole including a green and a specific area adjacent to the green, and ii) a whole green area of the corresponding hole illustrated with information on a state of the green and separately illustrated from the portion of the corresponding hole, and
a green mini map showing the entirety of the green showing information on the state of the green more concretely than the whole green area,
wherein the image processing means is configured to sequentially display the hole mini map, the double mini map, and the green mini map in a predetermined region of the simulation image in a step by step fashion according to the determined progress of the virtual golf simulation.

8. The virtual golf simulation apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the controller determines the progress of the virtual golf simulation by determining a distance between the golf ball and a hole cup during the progress of the virtual golf simulation.

9. The virtual golf simulation apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the image processing means is configured to display the determined mini map in a scaled-up state or in a scaled-down state according to a ratio of the currently remaining distance to the initial distance on the hole currently played based on the progress of the golf simulation to be displayed.

10. The virtual golf simulation apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the image processing means is configured to display an animation in which the size of the golf ball is changed according to a trajectory height of the golf ball based on the virtual golf simulation on the displayed mini map.

11. The virtual golf simulation apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the image processing means is configured to display an animation in which the golf ball is rotated according to a spin property of the golf ball based on the simulation on the displayed mini map.

12. The virtual golf simulation apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate the size of the golf ball so that size of the golf ball corresponds to the flight height of the golf ball according to the trajectory of the golf ball, and the image processing means is configured to change the golf ball moving along the trajectory in correspondence to the calculated size on the displayed mini map.

Assignees

• Lee Hyang Rak
• Golfzon Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Hyang Rak

Classifications

• A63B71/0622

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

• A63B69/3623 Primary

  for driving (A63B69/3608, A63B69/3658, A63B69/3661, A63B69/3667 and A63B69/3691 take precedence) · CPC title

• A63B2225/20

  with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like · CPC title

• A63B2220/80

  Special sensors, transducers or devices therefor · CPC title