Sport apparatus with integrated sensors

Abstract

A sport apparatus comprising a shaft, wherein the shaft comprises a notch fitting and a sensor housing. The sensor housing comprises an alignment rib fitting, printed circuit board, rechargeable battery, one or more motion sensors, a transceiver, an inductive charging coil, among other necessary elements for the sport apparatus as described herein. A portion of the sensor housing resides within the shaft, wherein the alignment rib of the sensor housing mates with a notch or other locking mechanism of the shaft.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sport apparatus for measuring swing force and swing path of an athlete, the sport apparatus comprising:
 a sensor system;   a shaft, wherein the shaft comprises a first fitting;   an enclosure configured to encase the sensor system, wherein the enclosure comprises a second fitting, wherein the second fitting is configured to align and mate with the first fitting, wherein a portion of the enclosure resides within the shaft; and   a grip, wherein the grip encases the sensor system and a portion of the shaft.   
     
     
         2 . The sport apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor system comprises one or more magnetic, angular rate, or gravity (MARG) sensors configured to measure the swing force and swing path of the athlete. 
     
     
         3 . The sport apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the sensor system comprises a barometer configured to determine a proximate distance a sport object travels through air based on the swing force and swing path of the athlete determined by the one or more MARG sensors. 
     
     
         4 . The sport apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor system comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver and antenna configured to track a plurality of shots from the sport apparatus. 
     
     
         5 . The sport apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor system comprises an inductive charging coil configured to wirelessly charge the sensor system. 
     
     
         6 . The sport apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the inductive charging coil is positioned at a first end of the sensor system abutting the grip of the sport apparatus, wherein the first end is positioned away from the shaft of the sport apparatus. 
     
     
         7 . The sport apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the sensor system is oriented in a golf bag such that the inductive charging coil of the sensor system is aligned with an inductive charging emitting coil of a charging pad located in a floor portion of the golf bag. 
     
     
         8 . The sport apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the sensor system is oriented in a golf bag such that the inductive charging coil of the sensor system is aligned with an inductive charging emitting coil of a charging pad located in a bottom golf bag carrying portion of a golf pull or push cart. 
     
     
         9 . The sport apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the sensor system is oriented in a golf bag such that the inductive charging coil of the sensor system is aligned with an inductive charging emitting coil of a charging pad located in a golf bag carrying floor portion of a motorized golf cart. 
     
     
         10 . The sport apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the inductive charging coil of the sensor system is aligned with an inductive charging emitting coil of a wireless charging cup. 
     
     
         11 . The sport apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first fitting is a notch and the second fitting is an alignment rib, wherein the alignment rib mates with the notch. 
     
     
         12 . The sport apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the first fitting is the notch and the second fitting is an alignment rib strip, wherein the alignment rib strip mates with the notch. 
     
     
         13 . The sport apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first fitting is a lock and the second fitting is an alignment rib key, wherein the alignment rib key mates with the lock via a twist of the alignment rib key into the lock. 
     
     
         14 . The sport apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first fitting is a first alignment hole and the second fitting is a spring button, wherein the spring button mates with the first alignment hole. 
     
     
         15 . The sport apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the first fitting is the first alignment hole and the second fitting is a second alignment hole, wherein a fastener mates with the first alignment hole and the second alignment hole. 
     
     
         16 . A method of integrating a sensor system into a golf club for measuring swing force and swing path of an athlete, comprising:
 affixing a head of the golf club to a ferrule end of a shaft of the golf club, wherein a leading edge of a club face of the golf club is in a known angular orientation relative to a first fitting of the shaft of the golf club;   inserting the sensor system into the shaft of the golf club, wherein a portion of an enclosure of the sensor system resides within the shaft;   rotationally aligning the first fitting of the shaft of the golf club with a second fitting of the enclosure of the sensor system to orient the sensor system at a fixed orientation; and   storing the rotational alignment in memory of the sensor system.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein one or more sensors of the sensor system are aligned on a PCB of the sensor system. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the PCB is aligned with the enclosure of the sensor system. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the enclosure of the sensor system is aligned with the face of the golf club.