Zollie L Johnson

US Patent:

6774932, Aug 10, 2004

Filed:

Sep 26, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/669812

Inventors:

David J. Ewing - Sugar Land TX
Zollie L. Johnson - Sugar Land TX
Donald A. Vossler - Missouri City TX

Assignee:

Ewing Golf Associates, LLC - Sugar Land TX

International Classification:

H04N 718

US Classification:

348157, 473199, 473266

Abstract:

A system for the enhancement of a televised golf broadcast, which requires: obtaining detailed topographic measurements of golf greens; inputting these data into a Geographic Information System (GIS) program, smoothing the data, and generating contours on a selected interval; storing and processing the contour data such that it may be viewed from various other perspectives; selecting a real-time televised image of a golf green from a plurality of camera positions; synchronizing and superimposing the contour database image over the televised feed; computing and processing equations of motion which take into account the location of the golf ball relative to the golf cup, the weight of the golf ball, the effect of the wind, the Stimpmeter speed of the green, and the gravitational influence of the slope of the green, to determine a path the putt can take to roll into the cup or to come to rest within 18 inches of the cup; and displaying the combined images along with the projection of the calculated ball path on a real-time televised broadcasts. Before the golfer strikes the golf ball toward the cup, this system provides the viewer with a visual image of an optimal path the golf ball can traverse to result in a successful putt. With the addition of the contours and the calculated trace of the putt trajectory, the viewer has a visual assessment of the break of the putt, without depending upon the announcers comments.