Patents by Inventor Douglas C. Winfield

Douglas C. Winfield 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).

  • Patent number: 6500073
    Abstract: A launch monitor system including a support structure, a first light-reflecting element disposed on this support structure, a lighting unit and an camera unit. A computer receives signals generated by light patterns received by the camera unit and computes a variety of flight characteristics for the object. The system may be moved back and forth to vary the field-of-view of the camera unit. The system also computes and displays object trajectories from the computed flight characteristics which account for the characteristics of the object and the atmospheric conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: William Gobush, Diane Pelletier, Douglas C. Winfield, Charles Days, Steven Aoyama, Edmund A. Hebert, James Alan Silveira
  • Patent number: 6488591
    Abstract: A launch monitor system including a support structure, a first light-reflecting element disposed on this support structure, a lighting unit and an camera unit. A computer receives signals generated by light patterns received by the camera unit and computes a variety of flight characteristics for the object. The system may be moved back and forth to vary the field-of-view of the camera unit. The system also computes and displays object trajectories from the computed flight characteristics which account for the characteristics of the object and the atmospheric conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: William Gobush, Diane Pelletier, Douglas C. Winfield, Charles Days, Steven Aoyama, Edmund A. Hebert, James Alan Silveira
  • Publication number: 20020165043
    Abstract: Golf balls are disclosed having novel dimple patterns determined by polyhedrons and intersecting great circles that connect points on the polyhedral segments. A method of packing dimples according to positions of the polyhedron and the intersecting great circles is also disclosed. For each disclosed dimple pattern, dimples of varying size are positioned along the edges of a polyhedron and then dimples of varying size are positioned where great circles that connect points on the edges of the polyhedral segments intersect. Any remaining space on the golf ball surface is filled with dimples. This results in a golf ball having a dimple pattern that has some uniformity but also some variance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2001
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Inventor: Douglas C. Winfield
  • Publication number: 20020155896
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a launch monitor system that measures club motion data and ball motion data. The system includes a club monitor and a ball monitor. The club monitor obtains images of the club before impact with the ball, and the ball monitor takes images of the ball after impact during a single swing. The present invention further includes a method of monitoring a club and ball in a single swing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2001
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventors: William Gobush, Douglas C. Winfield, Diane I. Pelletier, Charles A. Days
  • Publication number: 20020151384
    Abstract: Golf balls are disclosed having novel dimple patterns determined by a plurality of connected polygon regions. A method of packing dimples using the connected polygons is also disclosed. For each disclosed dimple pattern, connected polygons extend from a pole of the golf ball towards the parting line. Dimples are positioned on the golf ball surface according to the pattern of connected polygons and then the remaining space of the golf ball is filled with dimples. This results in a golf ball having a dimple pattern that has some uniformity but also some variance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Inventor: Douglas C. Winfield
  • Publication number: 20020147058
    Abstract: Golf balls are disclosed having novel dimple patterns determined by a pentagonal hexecontahedron. A method of packing dimples according to a pentagonal hexecontahedron is also disclosed. For each disclosed dimple pattern, a pentagonal hexecontahedron extend from a pole of the golf ball and dimples are positioned on the golf ball surface according to a pentagonal hexecontahedron.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2001
    Publication date: October 10, 2002
    Inventors: Douglas C. Winfield, Steven Aoyama
  • Patent number: 6390934
    Abstract: A method of automatically calculating the spatial relationship of a plurality of diffuse dots on a ball, comprising the automated steps of obtaining at least two ball images of the ball at two or more discrete times; calculating a first gray level of the image; smoothing and binarizing the image; locating and determining the number of ball images in the image; locating and determining the number of diffuse dots on each ball image; confirming that the calculated number of dots equals a predetermined number of dots on each ball image; and calculating movement characteristics of the ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Douglas C. Winfield, William Gobush, Diane Pelletier
  • Publication number: 20020019275
    Abstract: Golf balls are disclosed having novel dimple patterns determined by the science of phyllotaxis. A method of packing dimples using phyllotaxis is disclosed. Phyllotactic patterns are used to determine placement of dimples on a golf ball. Preferably, a computer modeling program is used to place the dimples on the golf balls. Either two-dimensional modeling or three-dimensional modeling programs are usable. Preferably, careful consideration is given to the placement of the dimples, including a minimum distance criteria so that no two dimples will intersect. This criterion ensures that the dimples will be packed as closely as possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2001
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Inventors: Douglas C. Winfield, Kevin M. Harris
  • Patent number: 6338684
    Abstract: Golf balls are disclosed having novel dimple patterns determined by the science of phyllotaxis. A method of packing dimples using phyllotaxis is disclosed. Phyllotactic patterns are used to determine placement of dimples on a golf ball. Preferably, a computer modeling program is used to place the dimples on the golf balls. Either two-dimensional modeling or three-dimensional modeling programs are usable. Preferably, careful consideration is given to the placement of the dimples, including a minimum distance criteria so that no two dimples will intersect. This criterion ensures that the dimples will be packed as closely as possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2002
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Douglas C. Winfield, Kevin M. Harris
  • Patent number: 6241622
    Abstract: A launch monitor system including a support structure, a first light-reflecting element disposed on this support structure, a lighting unit and a camera unit. A computer receives signals generated by light patterns received by the camera unit and computes a variety of flight characteristics for the object. The system may be moved back and forth to vary the field-of-view of the camera unit. The system also computes and displays object trajectories from the computed flight characteristics which account for the characteristics of the object and the atmospheric conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: William Gobush, Diane Pelletier, Douglas C. Winfield, Charles Days, Steven Aoyama, Edmund A. Hebert, James Alan Silveira
  • Patent number: 5607364
    Abstract: A golf club shaft including a damping layer which serves to reduce the amplitude of vibrational waves subject upon a golf club shaft is provided. The damping layer which includes, at least in part, an elastomeric material is coated to the inner diameter of the golf club shaft along a desired length. A method is also provided which relates to reducing the effects of induced modes of vibration upon a golf club shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Michael W. Hedrick, Douglas C. Winfield