|Publication number||US7205894 B1|
|Application number||US 10/873,677|
|Publication date||Apr 17, 2007|
|Filing date||Jun 22, 2004|
|Priority date||Jun 22, 2004|
|Publication number||10873677, 873677, US 7205894 B1, US 7205894B1, US-B1-7205894, US7205894 B1, US7205894B1|
|Inventors||Paul A. Savage|
|Original Assignee||Savage Paul A|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (55), Referenced by (55), Classifications (21), Legal Events (3)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to automatically counting the removal of golf clubs from a golf club bag, and more particularly, to automatically counting and alerting a golfer to the number of golf clubs that have been removed from a golf club bag that need to be restored and automatically alerting the owner of the golf club bag, and even golf grounds personnel, of the non-authorized removal of a golf club from the bag or the bag itself.
2. Description of Related Art
It is usually the practice of a golfer to remove more than one club from their golf bag when considering how to make an upcoming shot. Normally this is done because they are uncertain of what club is appropriate to use. It is then more convenient to have several clubs with them in hand with which to make a selection from than having to walk back to the golf cart for additional clubs. After choosing the correct club to use, the other clubs are placed on the ground. When the shot is made, the golfer may then walk towards the hole to putt the ball in and not realize that he/she left a club on the green. It may then take the golfer several holes later to realize that he/she has forgotten the misplaced club. Furthermore, golf clubs, and even bags, are frequently stolen and easily sold, since they tend to be unmarked. Because golf clubs are so expensive, it is important that golfers have some way to immediately notify them that a theft may be occurring if they are away from their bag.
Misplaced golf club warning devices consist primarily of two types. The first uses a plurality of switches or sensors installed in the bag, which then issue an alarm if one or more clubs are removed. The second type utilize some form of RF (radio frequency) communication from a component either installed in the golf bag or one worn by the golfer which is in contact with a device placed on or in the golf club.
By way of example, in one system using the first type of golf club inventory/reminder device, there are a plurality of cylindrical tubes or openings in a disk that is manufactured into a golf bag at the top opening or further down inside the bag. A sensor consisting of a loaded mechanical switch, and inductive coil or magnetic sensor is located in or around or at the end each receiving member respectively. As a club is removed or replaced, a switch is mechanically unloaded, which then electrically opens or closes a circuit, establishing the presence or absence of a club. Those with magnetic sensors located at the bottom of the plurality of tubes detect the presence or absence of a magnet contained in the grip of the golf club. Further, in yet another method, the presence or absence of a club is determined by the change in the frequency of an electronic oscillator. This is caused by the increase or decrease in the inductance of a tank circuit due to the presence or absence of the ferrous metal golf club shaft, which alters the electrical permeability of an inductive loop that is placed coaxially around each of the plurality of tubes or receiving members. Examples of such systems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,918 (Klitzman); U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,314 (Miller); U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,909 (Miller); U.S. Pat. No. 5,565,845 (Hara); U.S. Pat. No. 6,377,175 (Williams). In the systems described above, each golf club must be returned to an individual opening at the top of or in the bag. These inventions require a golfer to pay careful attention when returning a club to the bag and can become a source of annoyance.
The other known systems use active or passive RF (radio frequency) methods to detect when clubs are missing from a golf bag. These systems are further divided into two separate categories: RSSI (received signal strength indication) and RFID (radio frequency identification). RSSI systems rely on the distance between a golfer-carried transceiver and a transceiver contained on or in a golf club. As the golfer travels away from a misplaced club, the strength of the signal received by the golfer-carried device diminishes. When it falls below a threshold, an alarm is sounded to alert the golfer that a club is now some distance from the bag. Unlike an RFID system, the transponder device in the golf club must be powered by an internal battery source.
RFID systems utilize a reader device that generates a low frequency RF near field that illuminates the transponders contained in the bag. This field is rectified into a DC voltage, which powers up the transponders and activates them to communicate to the reader device. When a bag is polled, the present inventory count is stored in memory. At any later time, if the polled count returns a lower number, an alarm is sounded.
These systems use a considerable amount of power and require frequent battery replacement. Also, since these devices consume so much power, they require an on/off switch to conserve batteries when the device is not in use. Because of this, a golfer may forget to activate these systems when on the golf course, which may then result in the loss of a club. Examples of such systems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,952,921 (Donnelly); U.S. Pat. No. 6,118,376 (Regester); U.S. Pat. No. 6,407,667 (Jackson); U.S. Pat. No. 6,057,762 (Dusza); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,025 (Sutphen).
Examples of golf bag alarm systems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,815 (Newton); U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,274 (Long); U.S. Pat. No. 5,610,585 (Kobe); U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,996 (Musznski); U.S. Pat. No. 5,844,483 (Boley); U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,023 (Jackson); U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,596 (French, et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 6,411,211 (Boley et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 6,696,950 (Adolphson); and U.S. Pat. No. 2,334,801 (Gazeley).
As can be appreciated by one skilled in the art, many of these prior art devices require specialized golf bag designs or inserts to support golf club removal/restoration detection, along with specialized components mounted to or within the golf club itself. The direct mounting of the components of the known systems on the golf clubs have required some damage or defacement to the golf clubs. Further, adding new clubs to the player's collection requires that a component be mounted on each added club for the system to be functional with respect to the added club. Also, any clubs that are replaced or otherwise removed from the collection must have the component removed from the club, or a new component must be obtained for the replacement club. Such component mounting directly on the club thus makes it difficult to add or subtract clubs from the collection if the system is to operate with respect to all clubs of the collection. And since typically the system component is mounted on the tip of the club grip, the system component is vulnerable to damage if the club is dropped on the tip of the club grip. Furthermore, many of these devices employ a continuous transmission of signals that consume large amounts of power which, in turn, requires bulky batteries or short operational periods of time. As a result, the device also includes an on/off switch to save power; however, the presence of the on/off switch introduces a failure mode in that the user may forget to turn the device on, thereby defeating the purpose; or in the alternative, forget to turn the device off, thereby resulting in an inoperative device well before its useful lifetime.
Thus, there remains a need for a device that can be easily coupled to any conventional golf bag and conventional golf clubs without damaging or defacing them, that automatically counts the number of golf clubs removed from the golf club bag while using low power, that automatically informs the user of the number of golf clubs that need to be restored to the golf club bag, that automatically alerts the user, either locally or remotely, that at least one club has not been restored, and which also can provide automatic alerts to the golf bag owner, or golf grounds personnel, as to unauthorized contact with the golf bag and/or its contents.
All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
An apparatus for automatically counting golf clubs removed from a conventional golf club bag and automatically alerting the user that the number of removed golf clubs have not been returned to the conventional golf club bag. The apparatus comprises: a detector disposed around the opening of the conventional golf club bag for generating a signal when the golf club is moved through the opening of the bag; a tag coupled to each of the golf clubs that is detected by the detector when any of the golf clubs is moved through the opening of the bag; and a controller, coupled to the detector, that is activated by receipt of the signal and wherein the controller processes the signal and controls a display indicating the number of golf clubs removed from the bag.
An apparatus for providing an indication as to the unauthorized contact or movement of a golf club bag. The apparatus comprises: a motion detector coupled to the bag for emitting motion detector signals whenever the bag is experiencing motion; a first transmitter, coupled to the motion detector, for emitting a wireless signal whenever the motion detector emits the motion detector signals; and a first receiver associated with a person who has authorized control of the bag, wherein the receiver has an indicator and wherein the indicator is activated whenever the first receiver receives the wireless signal.
A system for providing an indication as to the unauthorized contact or movement of at least one golf bag from a plurality of golf club bags positioned on golf course grounds that include a structure having a video camera or audio alarm equipment. The system comprises: a respective motion detector coupled to each one of the plurality of bags for emitting respective motion detector signals whenever each one of the plurality of bags is experiencing motion; a respective transmitter, coupled to each one of the respective motion detectors, for emitting respective wireless signals whenever the respective motion detector emits the respective motion detector signals; a receiver secured to the structure, wherein the receiver is coupled to the video camera or audio alarm equipment and activates the video camera or audio alarm equipment whenever the receiver receives at least one wireless signal.
A method for automatically detecting the removal of a golf club from a conventional golf club bag and automatically providing a count of the golf clubs that have not been restored to the bag. The method comprises the steps of: coupling a tag to each golf club in the conventional golf club bag; disposing a detector around the opening of the bag which generates a signal each time a golf club, including a tag, is moved through the opening; activating a controller by the signal which then processes the signal; and controlling a display, by the controller, to indicate the number of golf clubs removed from the bag.
A method for providing an indication as to the unauthorized contact or movement of a golf club bag. The method comprising the steps of: coupling a motion detector coupled to the bag for emitting motion detector signals whenever the bag is experiencing motion; emitting a wireless signal whenever the motion detector emits the motion detector signals; activating a remotely-located indicator associated with a person who has authorized control of the bag whenever the wireless signal is received by a remotely-located receiver coupled to the remotely-located indicator.
A method for providing an indication as to the unauthorized contact or movement of at least one golf bag from a plurality of golf club bags positioned on golf course grounds that include a structure having a video camera or audio alarm equipment. The method comprises the steps of: coupling a respective motion detector to each one of the plurality of bags for emitting respective motion detector signals whenever each one of the plurality of bags is experiencing motion; emitting respective wireless signals whenever the respective motion detector emits the respective motion detector signals; activating the video camera or audio alarm equipment whenever a receiver, coupled to the video camera or audio alarm, receives at least one wireless signal.
The invention will be described in conjunction with the following drawings in which like reference numerals designate like elements and wherein:
It should be understood that the following disclosure is for a golf club counting device but that it is within the broadest scope of the present invention to cover any device that can count the number of objects removed from a specified location with the understanding that the objects are to be returned to the specified location after use. For example, a tool removed from a tool chest, a tool/machine from a desk drawer, an article of clothing from a dresser, etc.
The present invention 20 (
As will be discussed below, the present invention 20 is easy to install, use and operate. It can be adjusted to fit any size golf bag, including golf bags that use a stand. The present invention 20 is small, unobtrusive and lightweight (e.g., less than 2 ounces). The sensor belt assembly 24 also comprises means for releasably securing the present invention 20 to the conventional golf bag 1. Where a golf bag 1A includes a stand 5 (see
By way of example only, as can be seen most clearly in
Alternatively, where the golf bag 1A includes the stand 5 (
It should be understood that any further discussion regarding the golf bag 1 includes the golf bag 1A which comprises the stand 5 and that once the present invention 20 is attached to either golf bag 1 or 1A, operation of the present invention 20 is the same.
As shown in
As shown in
The amplified bipolar pulse signal BP is then passed to a window comparator stage 54/154. The window comparator comprises a pair of wired-OR open drain comparators 54A/54B (e.g., MCP6549T-I/SL comparator), as shown most clearly in
The positive-going portion PP and the negative-going portion of the bipolar pulse BP is detected by a respective comparator. Thus, the positive-going portion PP is detected by comparator 54A if the amplitude of that positive-going portion PP exceeds the upper threshold (VRef Hi) on comparator 54A; similarly, the negative-going portion NP is detected by comparator 54B if the amplitude of that portion exceeds the lower threshold (VRef Lo) on comparator 54B. Where a metal shaft golf club is used (as opposed to a graphite club) and to which the sensor tag 32 is attached, part of the magnetic flux from the magnet 32A is distorted by the ferrous material therein. As a result, the bipolar pulse signal BP may not be symmetrical about the reference voltage (e.g., 1.5VDC); thus, the amplitude of each portion PP/NP may be different. In contrast, where a graphite golf club is used, the magnetic flux of the magnet 32A is not distorted and a low frequency sinusoidal pulse is generated, such as those shown in
As can be appreciated, each coil 26/126 is able to accurately detect the presence of the sensor tag 32 as it passes therethrough. Thus, depending on which comparator 54/154 sends the low pulse first to the microcontroller 48, the microcontroller 48 is able to detect if the golf club 3 is being removed from the golf club bag 1 or restored therein.
In addition to the top and bottom sense coils 26/126, the present invention 20 also includes a motion sensor 56 (
Another important feature of the present invention 20 is the automatic check of battery power. In particular, the microcontroller 48 comprises low battery voltage detection circuitry 68 (
The function switch 38 provides several user functions. The function switch 38, if momentarily depressed, informs the golfer how many clubs 3 have not been restored to the bag. The second function allows the resetting of the “out-of-bag club count” if several clubs 3 are removed and will not be replaced, and thereby prevents any club reminder alerts from occurring. The third function is a demo mode where the user can show how the invention operates and prevents a golfer from leaving his/her club behind.
In view of the above discussion, once installed on the bag 1, operation of the present invention 20 is as follows:
If a golf club 3 is removed from the bag 1 and not returned, the next time another club 3 is removed, the invention 20 “remembers” the originally-removed club 3 and initiates the alert. Thus, the LED display 36 indicates the number of clubs removed from the golf club bag 1 and not restored. The only time that the display indicates a “0” is when all of the clubs 3 have been restored. If two or more clubs 3 are taken out of the bag and then one is returned and the others are not replaced within 10 seconds of the first, the invention 20 emits a subtle beep tone (from the audio transducer 62), reminding the user to restore the remaining clubs.
It should be noted that the present invention 20 counts only the number of clubs 3 removed from the bag 1. When newly installed on a bag 1, the present invention 20 has no means to determine the number of clubs 3 currently in the bag 1. The number of clubs 3 contained in the bag 1 is not important; only the number of clubs 3 that have been removed matters. After a play, all clubs 3 removed must be returned to the bag 1. If this is not done, two things occur that will initiate a “club left behind” or reminder alarm: (1) If after a fixed amount of time the invention 20 detects sustained motion exceeding a fixed limit (e.g., 10 seconds), a reminder alarm (from the audio transducer 62) sounds. The golfer will instantly be reminded by the invention 20 that a club 3 has not been returned to the bag, at which point he/she can return to retrieve the club 3. This instant notification method eliminates the possibility of the golfer leaving his/her club behind, since he/she will not be able to travel more than several yards from the hole before they are notified. (2) If the golfer fails to hear the alarm while driving away in the golf cart and arrives at the next hole and removes yet another club(s), the reminder alarm will then again sound instantly and display the total number of clubs 3 now out of the bag. The golfer will then be alerted to the fact that one or more clubs 3 were removed at the last hole and not replaced back into the bag 1. He/she must then return to retrieve them. This shortened notification time increases the likelihood that the misplaced club will be recovered. Without the present invention 20, the golfer may not realize that a club 3 was left behind until quite some time or several holes later. The golfer can determine the current out-of-bag club-count at anytime by momentarily pressing the function switch 38. The club count is then displayed on the numeric LED display 36 and simultaneously checks the condition of the batteries. If the batteries are nearing depletion, a short audible reminder sounds every hour that the present invention 20 is in use. If one or more clubs 3 are removed from the bag during a game and loaned to another golfer to use, the owner may simply hold the function switch 38 down for a few seconds (e.g., 2 seconds), which resets the out-of-bag club count. This prevents the invention 20 from issuing a reminder alarm as the golfer drives off to the next hole. It further prevents any reminder alarm from occurring when the golfer arrives at the next hole and removes yet another club 3 from the bag 1.
Further, if the pager 20A is operative (the details of which will be discussed later), the pager 20A also activates only a tactile indicator, e.g., a motorized vibrator 228 (see
It should also be noted that once the present invention 20 is installed on the golf club bag 1, the user does not need to activate it (power it on/off) because the invention 20 is activated as soon as a golf club 3 is removed or restored. When the batteries need replacement, the invention emits an predetermined (e.g., an hourly) audible alert using an unobtrusive tone only when in use to remind the user that the batteries are low. Once that low battery alert is active, the user will have at least eight hours of further use until operation stops.
As mentioned earlier, the present invention 20 can be supplemented with a remote alerting feature for the golfer himself/herself, as well as for alerting country club (or public golfing facility, etc.) personnel about a potential theft occurring, using the pager 20A and the monitor receiver 20B. To achieve this, as mentioned earlier, the present invention comprises the transceiver 70. This digital RF transceiver 70 operates to: (1) transmit a club reminder packet P1 to the pager 20A whenever the present invention 20 generates a club reminder signal that activates the missing club display 36 count and the audio transducer 62 and where the motion detector 56 detects a sustained motion of a predetermined period (e.g., 10–15 seconds); (2) receive an arm packet (or disarm packet) P2 (see
In particular, the digital RF transceiver 70 comprises an external transmission antenna 72 and an internal receiver antenna 74 that are coupled to the transceiver electronics, as shown in
The present invention 20 can be armed or disarmed by the golf bag owner whenever he/she needs to be away from the bag 1 and wants to protect it and the contents from theft or other unauthorized contact. To accomplish this, the owner uses the pager 20A and depresses an arm/reset switch 232 which generates and transmits an arm packet P2 (
In particular, as shown in
Once the present invention 20 is armed, the top/bottom coil 26/126 paths and the motion sensor 56 path are used by the microcontroller 48 to determine whether to issue an alarm signal or not. Should an unauthorized person attempt to reach into the bag 1 and remove a club 3, or in anyway move the bag 1 itself, such action will be detected by the present invention 20 and the microcontroller 48 activates the transceiver 70 to issue an alarm packet P4 (see
Simultaneously, the alarm packet P4 is received by the monitor receiver 20B, assuming the armed present invention 20 is within range of the monitor receiver 20B. As mentioned earlier, the monitor receiver 20B is installed at a fixed site location where golf carts are parked of golf bags are left unattended by their owners (e.g., the country club house, public golfing facility house, etc.). Since the monitor receiver 20B does not need to distinguish an alarm packet based upon a particular electronic serial indicia, the monitor receiver 20B checks to see if the alarm bit is set. If the alarm bit is set and depending upon how the monitor receiver 20B is configured to interface with the existing security equipment 1000, the monitor receiver 20B may sound an alarm alerting country club (or public golfing facility, etc.) personnel, as well as the golf bag owner, of a theft or other unauthorized contact occurring; alternatively, or in addition, a video camera may be activated to record the unauthorized act(s).
In particular, the monitor receiver 20B is a line powered wide area RF monitoring receiver that is installed at a fixed site adjacent to or in a common area where golf carts are parked or wherever golf bags are left unattended. It receives all RF transmissions from any armed golf bag component activated by an attempted theft within the receiver's coverage area. Upon the detection and receipt of any theft alarm signal, it then actuates a relay contact closure that will alert an employee or attendant nearby by an audible or visual means. The relay closure may further activate a video recording device to obtain visual evidence for criminal prosecution of an actual theft occurring in the area under surveillance. As shown in
The configuration of the present invention 20, along with the pager 20A and monitor receiver 20B, provides a unique alerting system that prevents the theft of a golf bag and/or its contents. Once armed, the present invention 20 can detect either (or both) the movement of the golf bag 1 or the removal of just a single golf club 3 from the bag 1 and then emit the alarm packet P4. As a result, if a would-be thief were to notice the presence of the present invention 20 and incorrectly conclude that the present invention 20 only detected the movement of the bag 1, he/she would be surprised to find out later that by removing one or more golf clubs 3 from the bag 1, the present invention 20 had emitted an alarm packet P4 to both the pager 20A and the monitor receiver 20B. Thus, the present invention 20, along with the pager 20A and monitor receiver 20B, provide comprehensive protection of a golf bag and/or its contents.
A flow diagram of the microcontroller 48 operation of the present invention 20 is given in
Thus, in view of all of the above, the present invention 20 provides for reminding golfers when clubs have been forgotten or misplaced on the green and thus eliminates the problem of lost clubs, saving golfers time and money. The present invention 20 instantly reminds a golfer, as he/she moves on to the next hole, that they have left a club out of the bag. This reduces the retrieval time for misplaced clubs and further increases the chances of recovering the forgotten club. Furthermore, to eliminate the theft of an expensive club or the entire bag, the present invention 20 sends a wireless alarm signal to a golfer carried pager and also a facility monitor receiver whenever someone lifts, moves, or takes a club or clubs out of the bag. This instant notification of a theft in progress will allow the golfer and personnel of the golfing facility to take immediate action in apprehending the thief.
The present invention 20 utilizes none of the known methods, discussed earlier, to sense the removal or replacement of a club. Further, unlike any existing system, the present invention 20 uses motion sensing to initiate an alarm if a club 3 is missing from the bag 1 as the golfer leaves the area.
It should be understood that it is within the broadest scope of the present invention to include the enclosure 22 and the sensor belt assembly 24 as being formed integrally (not shown) with the golf bag 1 itself. Thus, instead of being a device that couples to the golf bag 1, during manufacture of the golf bag 1 itself, the enclosure and the sensor belt assembly are embedded in the golf bag 1. Similarly, it is within the broadest scope of the present invention to include the sensor tags 32 on each of the golf clubs 3 that are purchased with the golf bag 1 that includes the integrated enclosure 22/sensor belt assembly 24.
While the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific examples thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.
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|U.S. Classification||340/568.6, 340/572.1, 340/568.1, 340/539.32, 340/686.6|
|Cooperative Classification||G08B13/2462, G08B13/19669, G08B13/19634, G08B13/1436, A63B2225/72, G08B13/1427, A63B55/00, A63B2225/50, A63B2055/402|
|European Classification||G08B13/24B5T, G08B13/196S2, G08B13/196E, A63B55/00, G08B13/14D, G08B13/14F|
|Nov 22, 2010||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|Apr 17, 2011||LAPS||Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees|
|Jun 7, 2011||FP||Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee|
Effective date: 20110417