KR20230020076A - Virtual golf device setting user's personal environment - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a virtual golf device for setting a user's personal environment. The virtual golf device comprises: a calculation unit which calculates motion when a user hits a real golf ball, assuming that the real golf ball is on a real golf course; a display unit which shows a virtual golf ball moving as calculated by the calculation unit in a virtual golf course; and a setting unit which is configured to set a personal environment for the user. The personal environment may be set differently for each user with respect to a plurality of users.

Description

Virtual golf device for setting user's personal environment {VIRTUAL GOLF DEVICE SETTING USER'S PERSONAL ENVIRONMENT}

The present invention relates to a virtual golf device, and more particularly, to allow users to play screen golf in various ways desired by setting personal environments for options, interfaces, etc. in screen golf play customized to each user. It relates to a configured virtual golf device.

Recently, as the popularity of golf has increased, the number of people who enjoy playing golf is increasing. In addition to golf on an outdoor golf course, popularity of screen golf, which can be played using a virtual golf device or the like, is also increasing. In screen golf, since the video of the golf course is displayed on the screen, it gives the impression that you are actually playing golf outdoors, but it saves time and money compared to playing on an outdoor golf course, so screen golf is time-consuming and economical. It is very popular with busy modern people who have difficulty playing outdoor golf with their backs.

As the number of people using screen golf increases and users' expectations rise, it is required to provide more diverse services to arouse users' interest in screen golf. In screen golf, various information that is difficult to provide in an actual golf course may be provided and there may be various play options. However, each user has a different taste, so there may be differences in information provision methods or play options, and it is necessary to develop a service that can satisfy all of the various needs of these users.

The present invention was invented in view of the above circumstances, and provides a virtual golf device configured to allow a user to play screen golf in various ways desired by enabling a user to customize a personal environment related to screen golf play. The purpose.

In addition, other objects of the present invention can be clearly understood from the following description and accompanying drawings.

In order to achieve the above object, a virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a calculation unit that calculates motion when a user hits a real golf ball, assuming that the real golf ball is on a real golf course, and a virtual golf ball. A display unit showing a virtual golf ball moving as calculated by the calculation unit in a course and a setting unit for setting a personal environment for a user, wherein the personal environment can be set differently for each user for a plurality of users. .

The virtual golf device may further include a storage unit configured to store user information for each of a plurality of users by user, and the personal environment may be automatically set using the user information stored in the storage unit. Here, the personal environment may be automatically set based on information about the user's golf play record among the user information stored in the storage unit.

The virtual golf device further includes a sound unit that generates sound during play, and the personal environment that can be set is at least one of a sound generated by the sound unit, an image of an object displayed on the display unit, and text displayed on the display unit. can include

In the virtual golf apparatus, the configurable personal environment may include the amount of golf play information provided to the user or a method for providing the information.

In the virtual golf device, the display unit may display a hole cup indicating a target point in a virtual golf course currently being played, and the settable personal environment may include whether or not to place a flagpole on the hole cup.

In the virtual golf device, the display unit displays a green area of a virtual golf course currently being played and a hole cup located on the green area and indicating a target point, and the settable personal environment provides slope information of the green area. whether or not to do so, or a method of providing inclination information of the green area. Here, the personal environment configurable may include whether to provide a putting guide indicating putting information or a method of providing information when providing the putting guide.

The virtual golf device further includes a hitting plate on which a user places the real golf ball to hit, the display unit displays a virtual golf course currently being played, and the virtual golf course includes a fairway area and a non-fairway area. And, the hitting plate includes a fairway corresponding area and a non-fairway corresponding area corresponding to the fairway area and the non-fairway area, respectively, depending on whether the area where the virtual golf ball is located is a fairway area or a non-fairway area. A method of placing the real golf ball in the fairway corresponding area or non-fairway corresponding area and hitting the target is referred to as a first method, regardless of whether the area where the virtual golf ball is located is a fairway area or a non-fairway area. Assuming that a method of hitting an actual golf ball in the fairway corresponding area is a second method, either of the first and second methods may be set through the personal environment. The personal environment, which can be set here, determines whether or not to provide information informing which area of the fairway corresponding area and the non-fairway corresponding area the actual golf ball should be placed and hit according to the first or second method. Alternatively, it may include a method of providing information when providing information indicating the location of the actual golf ball placement.

In the virtual golf device, the configurable personal environment may include at least one of a consent range, the number of mulligans, and a display method of distance information.

According to the virtual golf device of the present invention, it is possible to play screen golf in various ways desired by the user by allowing the user to set a personal environment related to screen golf play in a customized way.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram illustrating a screen menu screen showing an example of setting various personal environments.
3 is a diagram illustrating a screen display showing an example in which golf play information is differently displayed.
4 is a view showing a screen display showing an example in which there is a difference in whether a flagstick is disposed in a hole cup in a green area.
5 is a diagram illustrating a screen image showing an example in which there is a difference in whether slope information of a green area is displayed.
6 is a view showing a screen display showing an example in which a putting guide indicating a putting direction in a green area is displayed in various ways.
7 to 10 are views for explaining the first and second methods.
11 to 13 are screen views illustrating examples of displaying guide information indicating a hitting position of a golf ball in various ways.
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a screen view showing a comparison between a normal image and an example of a visually enhanced image.
FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a screen shot showing a comparison between a normal image and an example of a vision protection image.
16 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
17 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a system in which a plurality of virtual golf devices are connected through a network.
FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a screen menu screen showing an example of setting a personal environment in the virtual golf device of FIG. 17 .

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail through examples. Objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be easily understood through the following examples. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. The embodiments introduced herein are provided so that the disclosed contents may be thorough and complete and the spirit of the present invention may be sufficiently conveyed to those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited by the following examples.

Although terms such as first and second are used in this specification to describe various elements, the elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the elements from one another. Also, when an element is referred to as being on another element, it means that it can be formed directly on the other element or a third element may be interposed therebetween.

In the drawings, the size of elements or the relative sizes between elements may be slightly exaggerated for a clearer understanding of the present invention. In addition, the shape of the elements shown in the drawings may be slightly changed due to variations in the manufacturing process. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification should not be limited to the shapes shown in the drawings unless otherwise specified, and should be understood to include some degree of modification.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the virtual golf device includes a hitting plate 10 , a control unit 20 , a sensing unit 30 , an input unit 40 , a sound unit 50 and a display unit 60 .

The hitting plate 10 is an area where a user is positioned to hit a golf ball, and an auto tee movable up and down is installed on the hitting plate 10 so that a golf ball for hitting can be automatically provided to the user through the auto tee. there is.

The controller 20 controls the overall operation of each component of the virtual golf device. For example, the control unit 20 may control the auto tee installed on the hitting plate 10 so that a golf ball for hitting is provided from the auto tee according to the user's hitting time point. In addition, when the user selects a specific golf course, the controller 20 executes a related operation so that the user can play on the golf course. That is, the control unit 20 may form an image of a specific golf course selected by the user through an image processing unit that processes the image, and then transfer the image to the display unit 60 to be displayed.

The control unit 20 includes a calculation unit 21, a setting unit 22, and a storage unit 23. The control unit 20 executes a calculation operation of calculating a trajectory when the golf ball is assumed to fly in an actual golf course in the physical state based on the physical state of the golf ball hit by the user through the calculation unit 21. In addition, the control unit 20 sets personal environments such as play options or interfaces when the user plays screen golf through the setting unit 22, and also sets the virtual golf device to operate according to the set personal environment. run The control unit 20 includes a storage unit 23, and various data necessary for performing operations of the control unit 20, including calculation operations and setting operations, are stored in the storage unit 23.

The sensor 30 detects the motion of the golf club or the motion of the golf ball hit by the user when the golf ball is hit to grasp physical state information about the golf ball, etc. Sensing means such as a camera or a sensor capable of capturing the movement of a club or golf ball may be used. Various sensing methods such as image sensing, light emitting/light receiving sensing, and laser sensing may be applied to the sensing means, and the motion of a golf club or state information of a golf ball hit by a user may be grasped by such a sensing method. The camera or detection sensor may be used alone or together, and only one may be used, or several may be used as needed.

The input unit 40 is for receiving various types of information from a user, and a keyboard or mouse may be used. A login system that requires a user to log in before providing service may be applied to screen golf, and if the login system is applied, the input unit 40 may be used when a user inputs his/her ID or password. In addition, the input unit 40 can be used even when a user selects a golf course to play or a level of difficulty in screen golf.

The sound unit 50 may include a sound device such as a speaker, and through this, informs the user of the progress of the game and reproduces various sound effects according to the progress of the game.

The display unit 60 includes devices such as a beam projector and a screen. The beam projector projects a golf-related image onto a screen so that a golf course and a golf ball are displayed on the screen, and the screen displays the projected image to the user. In this specification, there is a case where the term 'virtual' is attached to some objects displayed on the screen, which is used to mean that they are displayed as images on the screen, and to avoid confusion with objects existing in the real world. it will be used For example, 'virtual golf ball' means a golf ball displayed on a screen, and is expressed by adding the term 'virtual' so as not to be confused with an actual golf ball hit by a user in the real world.

The virtual golf device is a device installed in a screen golf course to play screen golf, and when a user plays screen golf, the virtual golf device operates in the following process. When the user strikes the golf ball, the sensing unit 30 detects physical conditions such as the movement of the golf club or the speed or direction of movement of the golf ball hit by the user. The information detected by the sensor 30 is transmitted to the controller 20, and the controller 20 determines the trajectory of the golf ball based on the transmitted information assuming that the user hits the golf ball at an outdoor golf course. Calculate what to show The trajectory of the golf ball may be calculated only by the movement of the golf ball or may be calculated by considering the movement of the golf club at the time of hitting. The display unit 60 displays an image of the virtual golf ball moving according to the calculated trajectory. At this time, the virtual golf ball flies along the calculated trajectory and lands at a specific point of the virtual golf course on the screen, and the user can The next hit continues at the point where the virtual golf ball landed.

2 is a diagram illustrating a menu screen for setting various personal environments.

Referring to FIG. 2 , in screen golf play, the user can set personal environments such as play options or user interface through the setting unit 22 of the control unit 20 as desired. For example, the user can select which unit (meter, yard, etc.) to display the distance information displayed on the screen. Also, the user can set the number of mulligans. A mulligan means giving a chance to cancel a miss shot and play a shot again. If the mulligan is set to 3, the user can cancel the worst shot up to 3 times during play and try the shot again. In addition, the user can set the acceptance range of consent. Consid means that if the putt golf ball is within a certain distance from the hole cup, it is recognized as entering the hole cup. If the concede is set to 1.5m, a golf ball located within a radius of 1.5m from the hole cup is regarded as entering the hole cup. In addition, the user can set the color of the tee, the size of the golf ball, and the color of the golf ball displayed on the screen as desired, and as a result, the user can make the tee or golf ball good for identification. In addition, the user can set a golf ball sound or various sound effects. The sound generated when the golf ball is hit, the golf ball is flying, or the golf ball is rolling can be set to a small size or a normal size, or it can be set not to generate a sound, and special effects are added to various sounds to make the sound You can make it sound more, echo it, or prevent these special effects from occurring. Here, if the source data for the golf ball sound or various sound effects is abundantly provided, each user may generate his or her own unique sound different from that of other users. In addition, the user may set the golf ball image displayed on the screen to be a golf ball image of a specific manufacturer used in an actual golf course. Actual golf balls are produced in a variety of products by many manufacturers, so the shapes and colors of golf balls are also different for each product. Conventionally, most of the golf balls displayed on the screen were the same or very similar despite the difference in actual golf balls. You can choose by image. If the golf ball actually being used is displayed on the screen as it is, it is possible to improve the reality of playing real golf while playing screen golf. In addition, the user can set the color or size of the text displayed on the screen. The text may include information related to golf play (distance information from the current golf ball position to the hole cup, etc.) or a caddy talking during play. Users with poor eyesight can select text that is large in color and size that is easy for them to identify, and users who feel that text distracts them from concentrating on playing can select text that is small in size. In addition, a caddy may appear on the screen to encourage golf play or provide advice, as in real golf, and the user may select the content of the caddy's comment as desired. For example, choose a caddy with kind comments, or a caddy who enthusiastically shouts 'nice shot' with excitement when a good play is made, or a caddy with strict comments so that the user can stay calm and focus on the play. You can choose.

As described above, the user can set his or her own personal environment, and the setting unit 22 sets the personal environment as set by the user and performs necessary operations so that the user's settings are reflected on the sound unit 50 or the display unit 60. run Meanwhile, items that can be set as personal environment may include other items not mentioned above. For example, play options such as weather conditions (wind direction, wind speed, etc.) during play may be set as personal environments. In addition, the user interface, such as the presence or absence of various information sections displayed on the screen during play, the location of information sections, and the shape of information sections, can be set differently for each user as a personal environment. For example, when a windy play option is selected, the user may be allowed to select a user interface for displaying wind direction or speed. That is, it may be selected to display the wind direction and speed as text such as "southeast wind; 1 - 3 m/s" or to display the wind direction and speed as an animation.

In addition to the above items, there are more items that can be set by the user as a personal environment, and some of these items will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

3 is a diagram illustrating a screen display showing an example in which golf play information is differently displayed.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the user can set the amount of information or the method of providing the information for the golf play information displayed on the screen as a personal environment. For example, assuming that golf play information can be classified into first, second, third, and fourth grades, the user can select which grade of information to be provided from among first to fourth grade information.

Referring to FIG. 3(a), when the first level is selected, the information level is the lowest, and thus the amount or accuracy of information is reduced. Specifically, distance information (1) and height information (2) between the point where the virtual golf ball is located on the current screen and the final target point, the hole cup, are provided. The distance and height are not displayed as specific values, but as predetermined values. displayed as a range. Therefore, the user can only approximate the distance or height between the golf ball and the hole cup, and must set a strategy with a slight margin of error in mind.

Referring to FIG. 3(b), when the second level is selected, the amount of information increases compared to the first level. Specifically, distance information (1) and height information (2) between the point where the virtual golf ball is located on the current screen and the final target point, the hole cup, are provided. it displays The target point indicates a point that can be targeted in this hitting, considering the distance to the hole cup, which is the final target, and the characteristics of the golf course. As for the distance and height, they are not displayed as specific values as in the case of the first grade, but only within a predetermined numerical range.

Referring to FIG. 3(c), when the third level is selected, the amount and accuracy of information are increased compared to the first and second levels. Specifically, distance information (1) and height information (2) between the point where the virtual golf ball is located on the current screen and the final target point, the hole cup, are provided, and the target point information (3) of the hit is displayed on the mini-map. . Regarding the distance and height, unlike the first and second grades, the distance and height are displayed as specific values rather than numerical ranges. Therefore, the user can accurately grasp the distance or height between the golf ball and the hole cup, and based on this, can accurately set a strategy for hitting.

Referring to FIG. 3(d), when the fourth grade is selected, the amount and accuracy of information are further increased compared to the first, second, and third grades. Specifically, distance information (1) and height information (2) between the point where the virtual golf ball is located on the current screen and the final target point, the hole cup, are provided, and information on the target point of the next hit (3) is displayed on the mini-map. it does In addition, distance information (4) from the current target point to the final target, the hole cup, is provided, and recommended distance information (5) for the current hit is provided. The recommended distance is climatic conditions such as wind speed and direction, or specific variables such as the user's golf ability (wind speed, etc. may change each time you play, and the user's golf ability may vary depending on who the user is, such as the situation at the time It indicates the recommended distance to be set as the target distance when hitting at the current stage, considering variables that may vary in . If the fourth grade information is provided, the user can accurately grasp almost all necessary information about the current hit, and based on this, can surely set a strategy for the hit.

From the user's point of view, if you want detailed information, you can select the 3rd or 4th grade, and if you want to play with a challenging mind on a high difficulty level, you can select the 1st or 2nd grade. Here, the case where the information level is divided into four types has been described, but this is only one example, and the number of levels and the content of information provided in each level may be configured differently from the example described above. Here, golf play information is provided in a manner displayed on a screen, but the user may set a personal environment so that the golf play information is provided in a different manner. For example, the golf play information may be provided through a caddy's voice rather than a screen.

4 is a view showing a screen display showing an example in which there is a difference in whether a flagstick is disposed in a hole cup in a green area.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the user may set a personal environment as to whether or not to display the flagpole at the position of the hole cup, which is the target point, in the putting stage. In the case of displaying the flagstick, both the hole cup and the flagpole are displayed in the green area on the screen as shown in FIG. 4(a). When the flagstick is not displayed, only the hole cup is displayed in the green area in the screen as shown in FIG. 4(b). Since golf is a sport in which rankings are determined according to the number of total strokes until a golf ball is holed into a hole cup, the hole cup represents a target point for hitting a golf ball. From the user's point of view, the location of the target point can be better recognized through the flagstick, and the golf ball can be hit using the flagstick as a target. However, among users, there may be users who do not want the flagpole to be displayed because they think that the flagpole reduces the concentration of play. The user can select whether or not to display the flagpole according to his/her position.

The presence or absence of flagsticks can affect not only the visual difference but also the outcome of screen golf play. When a flagpole exists in the movement path of the virtual golf ball on the putt screen, a situation in which the virtual golf ball collides with the flagpole may occur, and the trajectory of the virtual golf ball is calculated by reflecting the collision situation. Therefore, the flagstick can be regarded as a kind of sudden variable that can affect the moving path of the virtual golf ball, and the user can select whether to display the flagstick depending on whether or not to apply such an unexpected variable.

5 is a diagram illustrating a screen image showing an example in which there is a difference in whether slope information of a green area is displayed.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the user may set whether or not to provide slope information of a green area in a putting step according to a personal environment. When the slope information is not displayed, as shown in FIG. 5(a), no information about the slope (direction or degree of slope, etc.) of the green area where putting is made is not provided. In the case of displaying the slope information, information indicating the slope of the green area is provided as shown in FIG. 5(b). A grid 6 consisting of a plurality of horizontal lines 6a and vertical lines 6b is displayed in the area drawn for the inclination information, and a mobile body 7 moving along the horizontal lines 6a and vertical lines 6b ) is displayed. The moving body 7 includes a horizontal moving body 7a moving along a horizontal line 6a and a paper moving body 7b moving along a vertical line 6b. The movable body 7 has a predetermined speed, and the moving direction of the movable body 7 represents the slope direction of the green area, and the moving speed of the movable body 7 represents the slope. That is, the movable body 7 moves from a place with a high slope to a place with a low slope, and its moving speed increases as the slope increases. Therefore, when the grid 6 and the mobile body 7 are provided, the user can grasp the slope direction and slope in the corresponding green area through the moving direction and speed of the mobile body 6, and can utilize the identified information for putting. there is. From the user's point of view, if you want to make putting easier, set up your personal environment so that the grid 6 and moving object 7 are displayed, and if you want to play with a mindset to challenge a high level of difficulty, do not display the grid 6 and moving object 7. You can set your personal environment.

6 is a view showing a screen display showing an example in which a putting guide indicating a putting direction in a green area is displayed in various ways.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the user may set a personal environment as to whether or not to display a putting guide indicating putting information in a putting step or how to display the putting guide. The putting guide plays a role of informing which direction to putt in consideration of the terrain characteristics (slope direction, slope, etc.) of the green area. In an actual golf course, a user can determine the putting direction by himself by grasping the topographical characteristics of the green area with the naked eye. Considering this point, in screen golf, a putting guide for informing a user of a putting direction may be provided. When the user sets the personal environment so that the putting guide is not displayed, the putting guide is not provided. When the user sets the personal environment so that the putting guide is displayed, the putting guide is provided, and the putting guide indicates an expected trajectory 8a of the virtual golf ball moving by correct putting, as shown in FIG. 6 (a). may be displayed. Alternatively, the putting guide may be indicated by an arrow 8b as shown in FIG. 6 (b), and the direction of the arrow indicates the putting direction and the length of the arrow indicates the putting strength. When the putting guide is provided in this way, the user can easily grasp the expected trajectory of the virtual golf ball or the putting direction/putting strength, and the likelihood of succeeding in putting using this increases.

7 to 10 are diagrams for explaining the first and second methods, and FIGS. 11 to 13 are diagrams showing screen screens showing examples of displaying guide information indicating the hitting position of a golf ball in various ways. am.

The user can select any one of the first and second methods in golf play, and can set various personal environments according to the selection of the first and second methods. Hereinafter, the first and second methods will be described first, and then the contents of setting the personal environment according to the first and second methods will be described.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the striking plate 10 may be divided into a plurality of regions. Specifically, the hitting plate 10 is divided into a first hitting area HA1 and a second hitting area HA2, and the second hitting area HA2 can be divided into two sub areas Sub1 and Sub2. . The division area of the hitting plate 10 may correspond to areas having various topographic attributes in an actual golf course. For example, in an actual golf course, there are areas having various topographic attributes such as fairways, roughs, and bunkers. The rough is an area in which the length of the grass is longer than that of the fairway. As such, in the rough with the long grass, it is more difficult to hit than the fairway with the short grass, so the hitting difficulty is high. In addition, the bunker represents an area mainly composed of sand, and it is difficult to hit a golf ball because of the sand, so the difficulty of hitting is higher in the bunker than in grass areas (fairway, rough).

The hitting plate 10 is configured to correspond to areas having various topographic attributes in an actual golf course, such as fairways, roughs, and bunkers. For example, the first hitting area HA1 corresponds to a fairway with the lowest hitting difficulty in actual golf, and the second hitting area HA2 corresponds to a non-fairway with a higher hitting difficulty than the fairway (herein, the rough, bunker Areas with higher hitting difficulty than the back fairway are collectively referred to as 'non-fairways'), and the two sub-areas (Sub1, Sub2) of the second hitting area (HA2) are rough and bunkers with different hitting difficulties respond to Among the first hitting area (fairway corresponding area) HA1 and the second hitting area HA2, the rough response area Sub1 is formed of artificial turf having different lengths, and of the second hitting area HA2, the bunker corresponding area ( Sub2) may be formed of a material capable of giving a feeling of impact as if hitting sand.

Referring to FIG. 8 , a virtual golf course is displayed on the screen, and the virtual golf course is formed by reproducing an actual golf course. That is, just as there are areas with various properties such as fairways, roughs, and bunkers in a real golf course, various terrain properties such as virtual fairways (FA), virtual roughs (RA), and virtual bunkers (BA) exist in the virtual golf course on the screen. An area having may be displayed (the terrain in the screen is named virtual fairway/virtual rough/virtual bunker so as not to be confused with the fairway/rough/bunker of the hitting plate 10).

As described above, when the fairway area and the non-fairway area are displayed on the virtual golf course on the screen and the hitting plate 10 is divided into the fairway corresponding area HA1 and the non-fairway corresponding area HA2, the user selects the first method. and the second method.

Referring to FIG. 9 , in the first method, according to whether the area where the virtual golf ball VB is located in the screen is a fairway area or a non-fairway area, an actual golf ball RB is placed on the hitting plate 10. Place it in the fairway response area or non-fairway response area and hit. That is, as shown in FIG. 9(a), when the virtual golf ball VB in the screen is located on the virtual fairway, the user places the actual golf ball RB in the fairway corresponding area of the hitting plate 10 and hits it. do. In addition, as shown in FIG. 9 (b), when the virtual golf ball VB on the screen is located in the virtual rough, the user places the actual golf ball RB in the rough response area of the hitting plate 10 and hits it. do. In addition, as shown in FIG. 9(c), when the virtual golf ball VB in the screen is located in the virtual bunker, the user places the actual golf ball RB in the bunker corresponding area of the hitting plate 10 and hits do.

Referring to FIG. 10, in the second method, regardless of whether the area where the virtual golf ball VB is located on the screen is a fairway area or a non-fairway area, a real golf ball RB is placed in a fairway corresponding area and hit. do. That is, as shown in FIGS. 10 (a), (b) and (c), when the virtual golf ball (VB) in the screen is located in a virtual fairway, virtual rough, or virtual bunker, the user can use the actual golf ball ( RB) is placed in the fairway corresponding area of the hitting plate 10 and hit.

In the first method, the area where the actual golf ball RB is placed on the hitting plate 10 and the area where the virtual golf ball VB is located on the virtual golf course on the screen correspond to each other. In the second method, when the area where the actual golf ball RB is placed on the hitting plate 10 and the area where the virtual golf ball VB is located on the virtual golf course on the screen correspond to each other (FIG. 10 (a)) and When the area where the actual golf ball RB is placed on the hitting plate 10 and the area where the virtual golf ball VB is located on the virtual golf course on the screen do not correspond to each other (see FIGS. 10(b) and (c) ) is there. In the second method, when the area where the actual golf ball RB is placed on the hitting plate 10 and the area where the virtual golf ball VB is located on the virtual golf course on the screen do not correspond to each other, the calculation unit 21 When performing the calculation operation, a flight distance adjustment process for reducing the calculated flight distance at a predetermined rate may be applied (the case shown in FIG. 10(b) is reduced compared to the case shown in FIG. 10(c)). ratio can be set small).

Depending on whether the first method or the second method is selected, where the golf ball should be placed on the hitting plate 10 and hit may vary, and the user may mistakenly place the golf ball on the hitting plate 10 by mistake. It may happen that you put it in position and hit it. In order to prevent this problem, information informing the correct hitting position of the golf ball may be provided on the screen. Whether or not to provide the information can be set by the user through the personal environment, and when the information is provided, the user can also set how to provide it through the personal environment.

For example, as shown in FIG. 11 , an indicator I indicating a position to hit a golf ball may be displayed on the screen. Indicator (I) may be expressed in a shape corresponding to the striking plate (10). The indicator (I) is displayed in the shape of a hitting plate including a fairway response area (I1), a rough response area (I2), and a bunker response area (I3). It includes an identifier (I4) indicating the correct hitting position in the area (I2)/bunker correspondence area (I3). The indicator (I) displays an '○' identifier (I4) to indicate a correct hitting position, and displays a 'X' identifier (I4) to indicate an incorrect hitting position. Referring to FIG. 11, when the virtual golf ball VB on the screen is located in the virtual rough RB and the first method is selected, the user must place the actual golf ball in the rough response area of the hitting plate and hit it. In response, the indicator (I) displays the 'X' identifier (I4) to indicate that the fairway correspondence area (I1) and the bunker correspondence area (I3) are the wrong hitting positions, and the rough correspondence area (I2) is the correct hitting position. To indicate this, '○' identifier I4 is displayed.

Referring to FIG. 12, when the virtual golf ball VB on the screen is located in the virtual rough RB and the second method is selected, the user must place the actual golf ball in the fairway corresponding area of the hitting plate and hit it. On the other hand, the indicator (I) displays the 'X' identifier (I4) to indicate the wrong hitting position in the rough response area (I2) and the bunker response area (I3), and the correct hitting position in the fairway correspondence area (I1) To indicate this, '○' identifier I4 is displayed.

Referring to FIG. 13, the indicator (I) can display only the area corresponding to the correct hitting position without displaying the entire hitting plate. For example, when the virtual golf ball (VB) is located in the virtual rough (VR) and the rough response area is the correct hitting position under the first method, as shown in FIG. 13, the indicator (I) displays the fairway of the hitting plate. Excluding the correspondence area and the bunker correspondence area, only the remaining rough correspondence area may be displayed, and the identifier I4 may be displayed there. Alternatively, although not shown in the drawing, as another display method, the degree of recognition between areas may be displayed by making the brightness, chroma, transparency, etc. of the correct hitting position and the wrong hitting position different. For example, when the virtual golf ball (VB) is located in the virtual rough (VR) and the rough corresponding area is a correct hitting position under the first method, brightness, chroma, transparency, etc. are adjusted to match the fairway corresponding area of the hitting plate. The bunker correspondence area may be weakly identified and only the remaining rough correspondence areas may be marked to be strongly identified.

From the user's point of view, it is easier to hit in the fairway response area than in the rough response area/bunker response area of the hitting plate. If so, the first method may be set through the personal environment.

Meanwhile, a user may set various display modes through a personal environment, and a video image displayed on a screen may vary according to the display mode.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a screen screen showing a comparison between a normal image and an example of a vision enhancement image, and FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a screen screen showing a comparison between a normal image and an example of a vision protection image.

Referring to FIG. 14 , a user may select one of a normal mode and a color vision mode through a personal environment. Referring to FIG. 14(a), when the normal mode is selected, a virtual golf course currently being played, a virtual golf ball representing a golf ball hit by the user flying in a predetermined trajectory, and a virtual golf course currently being played are displayed on the screen. A mini-map (upper right corner) representing a reduced golf course may be displayed as a normal image. Referring to FIG. 14(b), when a color vision mode is selected, some of the same objects as in FIG. 14(a) are displayed as a video image having a visual enhancement function for color weakness. For example, a mini-map may be displayed as an image for people with color weakness. In the image for color-weakness, the use of colors that are difficult for color-weakness to recognize is excluded, and the target image is expressed using the remaining colors. For example, for a red-blind user who has difficulty recognizing red, a mini-map can be formed with only blue and yellow as the basic colors without using red, and accordingly, the red-blind user can view the mini-map more easily. easily recognizable. Although the mini-map has been described as an example here, the use of some colors for other display targets other than the mini-map may be restricted, and an image easily recognized by people with color weakness may be formed.

Referring to FIG. 15 , a user may select one of a normal mode and a high contrast mode through a personal environment. Referring to FIG. 15 (a), when the normal mode is selected, a normal image of a virtual golf course currently being played and a virtual golf ball representing a golf ball hit by the user flying in a predetermined trajectory is displayed on the screen. can be displayed as Referring to FIG. 15(b), when a high contrast mode is selected, some of the same objects as in FIG. 15(a) are displayed as images having a vision protection function. While the image having the visual protection function appears as a light and dark area displayed in gray color (a virtual golf course is displayed as a light and dark area in FIG. 15(b)), a virtual golf ball flying in a predetermined trajectory has It is displayed in a single color with high saturation. Therefore, the contrast is very high because the brightness difference between the virtual golf ball and the virtual golf course is large, and a very clear high-contrast image can be formed. As a result, since the virtual golf course that occupies most of the screen is displayed only in light and shade in gray color, it is possible to reduce eye fatigue compared to using various colors, and the trajectory of the virtual golf ball is clearly different from the light and dark area. It can be contrasted and displayed clearly. In addition to the virtual golf ball, other objects of interest to the user may be expressed in color.

As described above, the user can select a desired display mode among various display modes, and different screens can be displayed on the screen according to the user's selection.

16 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a virtual golf device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 16, the virtual golf apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of booths 101, 102, and 103. Each booth 101, 102, 103 is configured identically. For example, the first booth 101 has a hitting plate 101a, a simulator device 101b equipped with a kiosk screen, a screen 101c, and the like, and the other booths 102 and 103 also have the same components. Although not shown in the drawing, each booth 101, 102, 103 is further equipped with other devices including a camera for detecting the movement of a golf ball. In each of the booths 101, 102, and 103, a plurality of users can alternately play golf. Alternatively, in each of the booths 101, 102, and 103, the user alone can enjoy a solo play while being separated from users of other booths. The simulator device 101b of the virtual golf device according to the present embodiment may include a setting unit identical to or similar to that described above, and the user may set a personal environment suitable for himself through the setting unit.

17 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a system in which a plurality of virtual golf devices are connected through a network. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a screen menu screen showing an example of setting a personal environment in the virtual golf device of FIG. 17 .

Referring to FIG. 17 , a system in which virtual golf devices are connected through a network includes a plurality of screen golf courses 100 and a server unit 200 . The screen golf course 100 is provided with virtual golf devices as shown in FIGS. 1 to 16 so that screen golf play can be enjoyed. The virtual golf device provided in the screen golf course 100 is connected to the server unit 200 through a wired or wireless communication network. Each screen golf course 100 serves as a service providing unit that provides a screen golf service to the user when login is made. The server unit 200 may be a central server used by a service provider operating a plurality of screen golf courses 100 to manage virtual golf devices provided in the plurality of screen golf courses 100 . The server unit 200 includes a setting unit 210 and a storage unit 220 . Through the setting unit 210, the user can set personal environment such as play options or interface in playing screen golf. Various data are stored in the storage unit 220 .

In the storage unit 220, information on a plurality of users is stored separately for each user. For example, assuming that there are different users A and B, the storage area P1 for user A and the storage area P2 for user B are separated from each other. In the storage area for each user, personal information, play information, setting information, and the like are stored.

The screen golf service can be provided after the user logs in, and the personal information can be used to determine whether to approve the log-in by confirming the user's identity when the user logs in. The play information may include a past play record of the corresponding user or a user's personal record (average distance per club, average number of strokes, etc.) obtained from the past play record. The setting information includes information about the personal environment set by the user. In this way, as the setting unit 210 and the storage unit 220 are provided in the server unit 210, the virtual golf devices of the screen golf course 100 connected to the server unit 200 are wired and connected to the server unit 200. / Or in a wirelessly connected state, the operation of the setting unit 210 and the information stored in the storage unit 220 can be used in common.

There are many detailed items in the personal environment set through the setting unit 210 . Therefore, it can be very cumbersome for a user to set a large number of detailed items individually. However, according to the present embodiment, an option for simply setting a personal environment can be provided. Referring to FIG. 18 , a user may set a personal environment through any one of individual setting/automatic setting/recommended setting. 'Individual setting' is for setting each item of the personal environment one by one, and can be selected if the user wants to set their own play options or interface in detail, even if it is cumbersome. 'Automatic setting' is for automatically setting all items of the personal environment in the setting unit 210, and the user can automatically end the personal environment setting for all detailed items by clicking 'auto setting'. 'Recommended setting' allows the user to select one of a plurality of items according to the user's golf skills, such as a setting suitable for beginners, a setting suitable for intermediate players, and a setting suitable for advanced players. You can automatically end the personal environment settings for detailed items according to your skill level. Automatic setting and recommended setting are separate items, but the basic operation method can be configured similarly. Specifically, as an example, as a personal environment suitable for beginners, the setting content of A1 is determined in advance for each detail item, and the setting content of A2 is determined in advance for each detail item as a personal environment suitable for intermediate users, As a personal environment suitable for advanced users, it is assumed that the setting contents of A3 are determined in advance for each detailed item. In this state, if user A selects 'beginner' of recommended setting, detailed items of personal environment are set as A1, and if user B selects 'intermediate' of recommended setting, detailed items of personal environment are set as A2. On the other hand, when users A and B select automatic setting, the setting unit 210 first determines the golf ability of users A and B by referring to the play information of users A and B in the storage unit 220, If the result setting unit 210 determines that user A's golf skills are beginners, the detailed items of personal environment are set as A1, and if it is determined that user B's golf skills are advanced, detailed items of personal environment are set as A3. .

Regarding the detailed items of the personal environment described above, looking at what options can be set for beginner, intermediate, and advanced, in the menu item described with reference to FIG. The range is maximized, and the number of mulligans or conceded recognition range decreases as you go to advanced levels. Also, in the case of the caddiment item, 'kind comments' can be set to be provided in the beginner level, and 'strict comments' can be set to be provided in the advanced level. The play information item described with reference to FIG. 3 can provide detailed golf play information as much as possible in the beginner level and provide brief golf play information as possible in the advanced level. Regarding the item of whether or not to display the flagpole described with reference to FIG. 4, considering that the flagpole can act as an 'unexpected variable' that is difficult to predict, and that it is better for beginners to avoid such 'unexpected variable', the flagpole is displayed in the beginner/intermediate level. You can disable it and make the flagpole visible in advanced. For the items described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 , the slope information and putting guide of the green area may be displayed in the beginner/intermediate level, and the slope information or putting guide of the green area may not be displayed in the advanced level. Regarding the selection items of the first and second methods described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 13, since it may be difficult for beginners to hit a golf ball in the rough response area/bunker response area, beginners may choose the second method. Options can be set, and options for selecting the first method can be set in the intermediate/advanced level.

Among the items of the personal environment, there are items selected according to the user's personal inclination rather than the user's golf ability. For example, selection items such as 'distance display' and 'golf ball sound' in FIG. 220), it is possible to select the same content that the corresponding user selected in the past. Alternatively, if no past selection record remains, a method of randomly selecting a specific option may be applied.

Although the specific embodiments of the present invention have been reviewed as above, those skilled in the art can understand that the present invention can be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. will be. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered from an illustrative rather than a limiting point of view. The scope of the present invention is shown in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the equivalent scope will be construed as being included in the present invention.

100: screen golf course
200: server unit
10: hitting plate
20: control unit
30: sensing unit
40: input unit
50: sound unit
60: display unit

Claims (11)

a calculation unit that calculates motion when a user hits a real golf ball, assuming that the real golf ball is on a real golf course;
a display unit showing a virtual golf ball moving as calculated by the calculation unit in a virtual golf course; and
a setting unit for setting a personal environment for the user;
include,
The personal environment may be set differently for each user for a plurality of users. According to claim 1,
Further comprising a storage unit for storing user information for each of a plurality of users by classifying them;
The personal environment may be automatically set using the user information stored in the storage unit. According to claim 2,
The virtual golf device of claim 1 , wherein the personal environment can be automatically set based on information about a user's golf play record among the user information stored in the storage unit. According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Further comprising a sound unit for generating sound during play;
The configurable personal environment includes at least one of a sound generated by the sound unit, an image of an object displayed on the display unit, and text displayed on the display unit. According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The configurable personal environment includes an information amount of golf play information provided to a user or a method for providing information. According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
wherein the display unit displays a hole cup representing a target point on a virtual golf course currently being played, and the configurable personal environment includes whether or not to place a flagpole on the hole cup. According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The display unit displays a green area of a virtual golf course currently being played and a hole cup located on the green area and indicating a target point. A virtual golf device including a method for providing inclination information of . According to claim 7,
The personal environment that can be set includes whether to provide a putting guide indicating putting information or a method of providing information when providing the putting guide. According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Further comprising a hitting plate for the user to hit the actual golf ball,
The display unit displays a virtual golf course currently being played,
The virtual golf course includes a fairway area and a non-fairway area, and the hitting plate includes a fairway area and a non-fairway area corresponding to the fairway area and the non-fairway area, respectively;
According to whether the area where the virtual golf ball is located is a fairway area or a non-fairway area, a method of placing the actual golf ball in the fairway corresponding area or non-fairway corresponding area and hitting the ball is referred to as a first method, and the virtual golf ball is called a first method. If the second method is to place the actual golf ball in the fairway corresponding area regardless of whether the area where the golf ball is located is a fairway area or a non-fairway area,
A virtual golf device capable of setting any one of the first and second methods through the personal environment. According to claim 9,
The configurable personal environment determines whether to provide information informing whether the actual golf ball should be placed and hit in which of the fairway corresponding area and the non-fairway corresponding area according to the first or second method or the A virtual golf device comprising a method of providing information when providing information indicating a location of a real golf ball. According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The personal environment that can be set includes at least one of a consent range, the number of mulligans, and a display method of distance information.

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