US-12618962-B2 - Device, system, and method for tracking multiple projectiles

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.

Inventors

• Fredrik Tuxen

Assignees

• TRACKMAN A/S

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20230907

Claims (18)

1. 1 . A system for tracking multiple sports balls, comprising: a first radar device covering at least a first portion of a target volume into which the sports balls are to be launched from a launch location adjacent to the target volume; and a processor receiving data from the first radar device and identifying the sports balls moving through the first portion of the target volume, the processor calculating, based on the data from the first radar device, a respective track for each of the sports balls and projecting each of the tracks back in time based on the data from the first radar device to identify a launch area within the launch location from which each of the sports balls was launched.
2. 2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a first device associated with a first launch area from which a first sports ball was launched, the processor being configured to forward information corresponding to a first track of the first sports ball projectile to the first device.
3. 3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the first radar device is aimed so that the first portion of the target volume includes at least the first launch area and a second one of the launch areas where the first launch area is elevated above the second launch area.
4. 4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the sports balls are golf balls and wherein the launch areas are hitting bays at a driving range.
5. 5 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the sports balls are golf balls and the first device has a screen configured to display golf ball trajectories and flight data associated with the trajectories.
6. 6 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the first device is a first mobile device, wherein the processor associates a first user with a first user location when the first user registers with the system and enables a GPS functionality on the first mobile device, wherein the processor associates the first mobile device with the first launch area based on the first user location.
7. 7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein, when each of a plurality of users is associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of mobile devices, the processor associates the first track with the first mobile device when a launch position of the first track is closer to the first user location of the first mobile device than to each of a plurality of further user locations determined for a plurality of further ones of the other mobile devices.
8. 8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor queries each of the mobile devices to ask the corresponding user to indicate whether the user launched any of a group of recently launched sports balls.
9. 9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a second radar device aimed so that a field of view of the second radar device covers at least a portion of the target volume including a portion of the target volume outside a field of view of the first radar device as well as an overlap portion of the target volume also included in the field of view of the first radar device.
10. 10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to analyze data from the first and second radar devices to identify a first track determined based on data from the first radar device that forms part of a second track determined based on data from the second radar device and to combine the first and second tracks to generate a combined track representing a flight of an object through the fields of view of the first and second radar devices.
11. 11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the first radar device is a doppler radar and wherein the processor is configured to analyze the data from the first radar device to identify peaks in an output from the first radar device associated with objects moving through the field of view of the first radar device and to compare the peaks to tracks of the sports balls currently being tracked to determine, for each peak, whether the peak corresponds to a currently tracked sports ball.
12. 12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor determines for a first one of the peaks, whether the first peak corresponds to the currently tracked sports ball by comparing data from the first peak to data for each currently tracked sports ball from at least one prior time intervals to determine whether the data from the first peak is consistent with prior velocity and position data for any of the currently tracked sports balls.
13. 13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein, when the data from the first peak is not consistent with any of the currently tracked sports balls, the processor sets the first peak as an initial point of a new track.
14. 14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the processor determines a launch area for each new track.
15. 15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor generates trajectory data corresponding to the new track associated with the first peak and provides the trajectory data to a device associated with the launch area determined for the corresponding track.
16. 16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to analyze the data from the first and second radar devices and to generate tracks only for objects that follow a trajectory type associated with launched golf balls.
17. 17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the launch areas are predetermined subdivisions of the launch location.
18. 18 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the launch areas is a subdivision of the launch area defined based on a launch location identified for a corresponding one of the sports balls.

Description

PRIORITY INFORMATION The present application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/305,498 filed on Jul. 8, 2021; which is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/514,384 filed on Jul. 17, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,086,005; which is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/206,996 filed Jul. 11, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,379,214. The entire disclosure of these patent(s)/application(s) is expressly incorporated herewith by reference. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Systems are known for tracking the flight of a single projectile such as a golf ball. However, tracking becomes significantly more difficult in situations where multiple projectiles are being launched from multiple launch areas into a common target area. Although it would be possible to provide a dedicated tracking system for each launching area, depending on the number of launch areas, the cost of such an arrangement may be prohibitive. In addition, where many projectiles are being launched at unpredictable intervals, trajectories of projectiles may intersect (or nearly intersect) requiring the system to distinguish between these trajectories to ensure that portions of the trajectories after the intersection are associated with the proper initial trajectory (before intersection) to ensure that the full trajectory for each projectile is accurately determined. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a system for tracking multiple projectiles comprising 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 determining for each projectile track identified a specific one of the launch locations from which the projectile was launched and providing to the launch location associated with each projectile data corresponding to a trajectory of the projectile. According to an exemplary embodiment, the system of further includes a second radar device aimed so that a second field of view of the second radar device covers at least a portion of the target volume including a portion of the target volume outside the first field of view as well as an overlap portion of the target volume also included in the first field of view. According to an exemplary embodiment, the device associated with each location includes a screen displaying the data. According to an exemplary embodiment, for each of a plurality of time frames, the processor receives from the first radar device a radar signal and calculates from this radar signal projectile data including position and speed values for each projectile identified. According to an exemplary embodiment, for each time frame, the processor refers to data from at least one prior time frame and determines for each projectile identified, whether the projectile data correlates with an existing trajectory and, when the projectile data correlates with an existing trajectory, the processor updates the existing trajectory with which the current projectile data correlates to include the current projectile data. According to an exemplary embodiment, when the current projectile data for an identified projectile does not correlate with an existing trajectory, initiating a new trajectory. According to an exemplary embodiment, for each trajectory the processor compares an initial projectile position to known launch locations and, if the initial projectile position matches a known launch location, the processor assigns this launch location to the trajectory. According to an exemplary embodiment, when the initial projectile position for a trajectory does not match a known launch location, the processor, based on the trajectory, extrapolates backward in time from the initial projectile position to a launch location for the projectile. According to an exemplary embodiment, the multiple projectiles are golf balls being launched in a driving range and wherein the processor compares launch locations to known locations of a plurality of hitting bays from which golf balls are hit into the driving range, with each hitting bay being identified by the processor as a single launch location so that any golf balls launched from any location within a hitting bay are identified as originating from that hitting bay and provides to a device associated with the hitting bay the data corresponding to a trajectory of the projectile. According to an exemplary embodiment, the system further includes a third radar device aimed so that a third field of view of the second radar device covers at least a portion of the target volume including a portion of the target volume outside the first and second fields of view as well as an overlap portion of the target volume also included in one of the first and second fields of view. According to an exempl