System, apparatus, and method for using mobile sporting goods

Abstract

Systems, apparatus, and methods for using mobile sporting goods. In one aspect, the system permits a sporting enthusiast to track the location of a mobile sporting good, such as a golf ball, relative to a target, such as a target on a driving range, and correlate that location to a simulated location on a simulated golf hole.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A golf ball having a center, an equator, an outer cover, and an inner core having an outer surface, the golf ball further including, embedded therein, at least one tracking device comprising:
 a. a thin layer located between the outer cover and the inner core; or   b. a sphere.   
     
     
         2 . The golf ball of  claim 1  wherein the tracking device comprises a thin layer that partially or fully circumnavigates the equator. 
     
     
         3 . The golf ball of  claim 2  wherein the tracking device comprises a spherical layer that covers the outer surface of the inner core. 
     
     
         4 . The golf ball of  claim 1  wherein the tracking device comprises a sphere located proximate the center of the golf ball. 
     
     
         5 . The golf ball of  claim 1  wherein the tracking device is configured and located to minimize effects of the tracking device on a center of gravity of the golf ball. 
     
     
         6 . The golf ball of  claim 1  wherein the tracking device comprises one or more of an RFID chip, a homing beacon, a transmitter, a receiver, an antenna, a microprocessor, and a rechargeable power source. 
     
     
         7 . A mobile sporting good having at least one curvilinear outer surface and having a shape selected from the group consisting of round, cylindrical, bat-shaped, and football-shaped, the mobile sporting good further including at least one tracking device comprising:
 a. A thin layer having a curvilinear shape conforming to the at least one curvilinear shape of the outer surface of the mobile sporting good; or   b. A shape having an outer surface conforming to the shape of the outer surface of the mobile sporting good.   
     
     
         8 . The mobile sporting good of  claim 7  wherein the mobile sporting good is selected from the group consisting of round balls, footballs, pucks, bats, and cylindrically-shaped objects. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile sporting good of  claim 7  wherein the tracking device comprises a shape having an outer surface conforming to the shape of the outer surface of the mobile sporting good, and is located within the mobile sporting good to minimize effects of the tracking device on a center of gravity of the mobile sporting good. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile sporting good of  claim 7  wherein the tracking device comprises one or more of an RFID chip, a homing beacon, a transmitter, a receiver, an antenna, a microprocessor, and a rechargeable power source. 
     
     
         11 . The mobile sporting good of  claim 7  wherein the mobile sporting good comprises a football-shaped object, and the tracking device comprises a thin strip either positioned longitudinally relative to the football-shaped object, or positioned so as to partially or fully circumnavigate the football-shaped object. 
     
     
         12 . The mobile sporting good of  claim 7  wherein the mobile sporting good comprises a round ball having a center, and the tracking device comprises a sphere located proximate the center of the round ball. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile sporting good of  claim 7  wherein the mobile sporting good comprises a cylindrical-shaped object selected from the group consisting of javelins, bullets, or arrows, and the tracking device nests within a shaft, slug, or casing of the cylindrical-shaped object. 
     
     
         14 . A system comprising an actual mobile sporting good comprising a tracking device, a field of play comprising an actual target, the tracking device configured to enable tracking a location of the actual mobile sporting good in relation to the actual target, a signal generating device configured to relay a position of the actual mobile sporting good relative to the actual target to a display, wherein the display is configured to display an image of a simulated mobile sporting good in relation to a simulated target corresponding to the location of the actual mobile sporting good relative to the actual target, and wherein the mobile sporting good has at least one curvilinear outer surface having a shape selected from the group consisting of round, cylindrical, bat-shaped and football-shaped, the tracking device comprising:
 a. a thin layer having a curvilinear shape conforming to the at least one curvilinear shape of the outer surface of the mobile sporting good; or   b. a shape having an outer surface conforming to the shape of the outer surface of the mobile sporting good.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  further comprising a reading device configured to read the tracking device when the actual mobile sporting good is within a predetermined range of the reading device. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the mobile sporting good comprises a golf ball, the field of play comprises a driving range, and the simulated target comprises an image associated with a golf course. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the golf ball has a center, an equator, an outer cover, and an inner core having an outer surface, the golf ball further including, embedded therein, the tracking device, the tracking device comprising at least one of:
 a. a thin layer located between the outer cover and the inner core; or 
 b. a sphere. 
 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the tracking device comprises a thin layer that partially or fully circumnavigates the equator. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein the tracking device comprises a spherical layer that covers the outer surface of the inner core. 
     
     
         20 . The golf ball of  claim 17  wherein the tracking device comprises a sphere located proximate the center of the golf ball.