Patents by Inventor Chris Hixenbaugh

Chris Hixenbaugh has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230330492
    Abstract: A golf ball has a generally spherical surface and a plurality of dimples formed on the surface. The dimples are arranged in a dimple pattern defined by a heptagonal dipyramid projected on the surface. The pattern includes fourteen substantially identical dimple sections including seven dimple sections in a first hemisphere and seven dimple sections in a second hemisphere.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2022
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci, Chris Hixenbaugh
  • Publication number: 20230101793
    Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying golf equipment. The system may include one or more performance tracking devices, such as an optical sensor system or a radar sensor system for tracking at least one of a golf club swing or a golf ball flight. The system also may include at least one processor and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform a set of operations. The operations include receiving current dynamic input for a golf shot from a golfer and current static input for the golfer. The operations also include executing a trained machine-learning model based on the received current dynamic input and current static input to generate predicted golf club properties and/or predicted golf ball properties for the golfer. The predicted golf club properties and/or predicted golf ball properties are displayed on a connected display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Chris Hixenbaugh, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Patent number: 11497963
    Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying golf equipment. The system may include one or more performance tracking devices, such as an optical sensor system or a radar sensor system for tracking at least one of a golf club swing or a golf ball flight. The system also may include at least one processor and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform a set of operations. The operations include receiving current dynamic input for a golf shot from a golfer and current static input for the golfer. The operations also include executing a trained machine-learning model based on the received current dynamic input and current static input to generate predicted golf club properties and/or predicted golf ball properties for the golfer. The predicted golf club properties and/or predicted golf ball properties are displayed on a connected display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Chris Hixenbaugh, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20200406100
    Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying golf equipment. The system may include one or more performance tracking devices, such as an optical sensor system or a radar sensor system for tracking at least one of a golf club swing or a golf ball flight. The system also may include at least one processor and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform a set of operations. The operations include receiving current dynamic input for a golf shot from a golfer and current static input for the golfer. The operations also include executing a trained machine-learning model based on the received current dynamic input and current static input to generate predicted golf club properties and/or predicted golf ball properties for the golfer. The predicted golf club properties and/or predicted golf ball properties are displayed on a connected display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Chris Hixenbaugh, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Patent number: 10799759
    Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying golf equipment. The system may include one or more performance tracking devices, such as an optical sensor system or a radar sensor system for tracking at least one of a golf club swing or a golf ball flight. The system also may include at least one processor and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform a set of operations. The operations include receiving current dynamic input for a golf shot from a golfer and current static input for the golfer. The operations also include executing a trained machine-learning model based on the received current dynamic input and current static input to generate predicted golf club properties and/or predicted golf ball properties for the golfer. The predicted golf club properties and/or predicted golf ball properties are displayed on a connected display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: ACUSHNET COMPANY
    Inventors: Chris Hixenbaugh, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Patent number: 10716970
    Abstract: The present invention provides a golf ball having an aerodynamic subsurface for packing dimples. More particularly, the invention relates to a golf ball having an exterior surface and at least a first subsurface containing at least two dimples located solely on the subsurface and lying below the exterior surface of the golf ball. A transition zone between the exterior surface and the subsurface is disclosed having an angle of transition and a top radius and a bottom radius. According to the present invention, the exterior surface and at least the first subsurface have at least a first and second surface colors that are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Emilia DaCosta, Nicholas M. Nardacci, Chris Hixenbaugh
  • Patent number: 10682551
    Abstract: The present invention provides a golf ball having an aerodynamic subsurface for packing dimples. More particularly, the invention relates to a golf ball having an exterior surface and at least a first subsurface containing at least two dimples located solely on the subsurface and lying below the exterior surface of the golf ball. A transition zone between the exterior surface and the subsurface is disclosed having an angle of transition and a top radius and a bottom radius. According to the present invention, the exterior surface and at least the first subsurface have at least a first and second surface textures that are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Nicholas M. Nardacci, Michael R. Madson, Chris Hixenbaugh
  • Publication number: 20200155899
    Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying golf equipment. The system may include one or more performance tracking devices, such as an optical sensor system or a radar sensor system for tracking at least one of a golf club swing or a golf ball flight. The system also may include at least one processor and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform a set of operations. The operations include receiving current dynamic input for a golf shot from a golfer and current static input for the golfer. The operations also include executing a trained machine-learning model based on the received current dynamic input and current static input to generate predicted golf club properties and/or predicted golf ball properties for the golfer. The predicted golf club properties and/or predicted golf ball properties are displayed on a connected display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Chris Hixenbaugh, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Patent number: 10413780
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to golf balls having improved aesthetics and desirable aerodynamic properties due, at least in part, to the novel shape of the dimples on the surface thereof. In particular, the present invention is directed to a golf ball that includes at least a portion of its dimples having a shape obtained from the intersection of a toroid and a sphere. The resulting curve of intersection represents the dimple perimeter and the intersecting portion of the surface of the toroid represents the dimple surface shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci, Chris Hixenbaugh
  • Patent number: 10398941
    Abstract: The present invention provides a golf ball wherein each hemisphere has a dimple pattern based on a pyramid having dissimilar sides. The resulting overall dimple pattern is not based on preexisting polyhedral, and is not attainable using conventional dimple packing methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci, Chris Hixenbaugh
  • Patent number: 10369417
    Abstract: The present invention provides a golf ball having an aerodynamic subsurface for packing dimples. More particularly, the invention relates to a golf ball having an exterior surface and at least a first subsurface containing at least two dimples located solely on the subsurface and lying below the exterior surface of the golf ball. A transition zone between the exterior surface and the subsurface is disclosed having an angle of transition and a top radius and a bottom radius.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Nicholas M. Nardacci, Michael R. Madson, Chris Hixenbaugh
  • Patent number: 10363457
    Abstract: The present invention provides a golf ball having an aerodynamic subsurface for packing dimples. More particularly, the invention relates to a golf ball having an exterior surface and at least a first subsurface containing at least two dimples located solely on the subsurface and lying below the exterior surface of the golf ball. The present invention also describes a method for creating the dimple pattern including providing a spherical section having an exterior surface and at least a first subsurface, arranging at least two dimples located solely on the first subsurface and then tessellating the spherical surfaces around the golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Nicholas M. Nardacci, Michael R. Madson, Chris Hixenbaugh
  • Patent number: 10343018
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to golf balls having improved aerodynamic performance due, at least in part, to the selection of the dimple plan shapes. In particular, the present invention is directed to a golf ball that includes at least a portion of its dimples having a plan shape defined by high frequency periodic functions along a simple closed path. In addition, the present invention provides methods for producing dimples having a plan shape defined by a high frequency periodic function along a simple closed path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Nicholas M. Nardacci, Michael R. Madson, Chris Hixenbaugh
  • Patent number: 10335640
    Abstract: Golf ball dimples having a surface defined by a mode, or a weighted superposition of multiple modes, of oscillation of a circular membrane are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: Chris Hixenbaugh
  • Publication number: 20190184236
    Abstract: The present invention provides a golf ball having an aerodynamic subsurface for packing dimples. More particularly, the invention relates to a golf ball having an exterior surface and at least a first subsurface containing at least two dimples located solely on the subsurface and lying below the exterior surface of the golf ball. A transition zone between the exterior surface and the subsurface is disclosed having an angle of transition and a top radius and a bottom radius. According to the present invention, the exterior surface and at least the first subsurface have at least a first and second surface colors that are different.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Emilia DaCosta, Nicholas M. Nardacci, Chris Hixenbaugh
  • Publication number: 20190168076
    Abstract: The present invention provides a golf ball having an aerodynamic subsurface for packing dimples. More particularly, the invention relates to a golf ball having an exterior surface and at least a first subsurface containing at least two dimples located solely on the subsurface and lying below the exterior surface of the golf ball. The present invention also describes a method for creating the dimple pattern including providing a spherical section having an exterior surface and at least a first subsurface, arranging at least two dimples located solely on the first subsurface and then tessellating the spherical surfaces around the golf ball.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Nicholas M. Nardacci, Michael R. Madson, Chris Hixenbaugh
  • Publication number: 20190168075
    Abstract: The present invention provides a golf ball having an aerodynamic subsurface for packing dimples. More particularly, the invention relates to a golf ball having an exterior surface and at least a first subsurface containing at least two dimples located solely on the subsurface and lying below the exterior surface of the golf ball. A transition zone between the exterior surface and the subsurface is disclosed having an angle of transition and a top radius and a bottom radius.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Nicholas M. Nardacci, Michael R. Madson, Chris Hixenbaugh
  • Publication number: 20190168077
    Abstract: The present invention provides a golf ball having an aerodynamic subsurface for packing dimples. More particularly, the invention relates to a golf ball having an exterior surface and at least a first subsurface containing at least two dimples located solely on the subsurface and lying below the exterior surface of the golf ball. A transition zone between the exterior surface and the subsurface is disclosed having an angle of transition and a top radius and a bottom radius. According to the present invention, the exterior surface and at least the first subsurface have at least a first and second surface textures that are different.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2018
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Nicholas M. Nardacci, Michael R. Madson, Chris Hixenbaugh
  • Patent number: 10124213
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a golf ball that includes at least a portion of its dimples having a plan shape defined by superposed curves. In addition, the present invention is directed to golf balls having improved aerodynamic performance due, at least in part, to the selection of the dimple plan shapes and resulting dimple patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Nicholas M. Nardacci, Michael R. Madson, Chris Hixenbaugh
  • Publication number: 20180318651
    Abstract: The present invention provides a golf ball wherein each hemisphere has a dimple pattern based on a pyramid having dissimilar sides. The resulting overall dimple pattern is not based on preexisting polyhedral, and is not attainable using conventional dimple packing methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci, Chris Hixenbaugh