Patents by Inventor Hirotada Iwade

Hirotada Iwade 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: 9990858
    Abstract: Provided is a golf swing classification method that is capable of optimizing selection of a golf club. A golf swing classification method when a golf club hits a golf ball according to the present invention includes the steps of: acquiring acceleration in at least a single point on the golf club or in at least one point that follows the single point during the golf swing; and mapping a behavior of the golf club based on a time period from a time point when an absolute value of the acceleration is at a maximum to a time point when the golf club hits the golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignees: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION, Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Senno, Koji Takao, Daisuke Kondo, Hideo Matsunaga, Hirotada Iwade
  • Patent number: 9689654
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a selection assisting method including a first selection step of selecting a recommended grip from a plurality of types of grips based on information on a hand size of a testing golfer; a measurement step of measuring by using a measurement device a swing characteristic of the testing golfer in a shot by using a golf club to which the recommended grip selected in the first selection step is attached; and a second selection step of selecting a recommended grip from the plurality of types of grips based on a measurement result in the measurement step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotada Iwade, Tatsuya Ishikawa, Shintaro Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20160339313
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a selection assisting method including a first selection step of selecting a recommended grip from a plurality of types of grips based on information on a hand size of a testing golfer; a measurement step of measuring by using a measurement device a swing characteristic of the testing golfer in a shot by using a golf club to which the recommended grip selected in the first selection step is attached; and a second selection step of selecting a recommended grip from the plurality of types of grips based on a measurement result in the measurement step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Applicant: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotada IWADE, Tatsuya ISHIKAWA, Shintaro YOSHIDA
  • Patent number: 9418288
    Abstract: A selection support apparatus acquires a plurality of types of characteristic data representing a swing characteristic of a testing golfer based on a test shot result of a golf club. The apparatus determines a swing type of the testing golfer out of swing types classified in advance based on at least one of the plurality of types of characteristic data. The apparatus calculates a recommended value for the testing golfer in association with a characteristic value that characterizes a component of a golf club based on at least one of the plurality of types of characteristic data. The apparatus selects, based on the swing type of the testing golfer, the recommended value, and component information representing a correspondence between components, the swing types, and the characteristic value, a recommended component from the components listed in the component information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Ishikawa, Hirotada Iwade
  • Patent number: 9398138
    Abstract: A selection support apparatus acquires a plurality of types of characteristic data representing a swing characteristic of a testing golfer based on a test shot result of a golf club. The apparatus calculates each of recommended values for the testing golfer in association with a plurality of types of characteristic values that characterize a component of a golf club based on the plurality of types of characteristic data. The apparatus selects, based on the recommended values and component information representing a correspondence between components and the plurality of types of characteristic values, a recommended component from components listed in the component information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: BRIDGESTONE SPORTS CO., LTD
    Inventors: Tatsuya Ishikawa, Hirotada Iwade
  • Patent number: 9348953
    Abstract: Provided is a swing simulation system capable of simulating a swing without amplifying errors contained in measured values on three-dimensional coordinates of a grip during the swing. The simulation system according to the present invention includes: at least two imaging devices for imaging identification features capable of identifying a closed virtual plane that follows a grip of a golf club during a swing; and a simulation apparatus for simulating a behavior of the golf club during the swing, based on position information on the virtual plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignees: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION, Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Senno, Koji Takao, Takashi Saito, Hideo Matsunaga, Hirotada Iwade
  • Publication number: 20150038249
    Abstract: Provided is a system for measuring golf club deformation that can easily measure golf club deformation during a golfer's golf swing as usual. A measurement system (1) according to the present invention is provided with an image pickup apparatus (4), attached to a golf club (3) and facing a direction that includes at least one identifier attached to the golf club (3) for specification of a position on the golf club (3), and with a measurement apparatus (2) that measures the golf club deformation based on position information of the at least one identifier, the position information being acquired from an image of the golf club captured by the image pickup apparatus (4) during a swing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicants: BRIDGESTONE SPORTS CO., LTD., BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Takao, Hideo Matsunaga, Hirotada Iwade
  • Publication number: 20140357393
    Abstract: Provided is a golf swing classification method that is capable of optimizing selection of a golf club. A golf swing classification method when a golf club hits a golf ball according to the present invention includes the steps of: acquiring acceleration in at least a single point on the golf club or in at least one point that follows the single point during the golf swing; and mapping a behavior of the golf club based on a time period from a time point when an absolute value of the acceleration is at a maximum to a time point when the golf club hits the golf ball.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicants: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION, BRIDGESTONE SPORTS CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yoshikazu SENNO, Koji TAKAO, Daisuke KONDO, Hideo MATSUNAGA, Hirotada IWADE
  • Publication number: 20140357427
    Abstract: A selection support apparatus acquires a plurality of types of characteristic data representing a swing characteristic of a testing golfer based on a test shot result of a golf club. The apparatus calculates each of recommended values for the testing golfer in association with a plurality of types of characteristic values that characterize a component of a golf club based on the plurality of types of characteristic data. The apparatus selects, based on the recommended values and component information representing a correspondence between components and the plurality of types of characteristic values, a recommended component from components listed in the component information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE SPORTS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya ISHIKAWA, Hirotada IWADE
  • Publication number: 20140357426
    Abstract: A selection support apparatus acquires a plurality of types of characteristic data representing a swing characteristic of a testing golfer based on a test shot result of a golf club. The apparatus determines a swing type of the testing golfer out of swing types classified in advance based on at least one of the plurality of types of characteristic data. The apparatus calculates a recommended value for the testing golfer in association with a characteristic value that characterizes a component of a golf club based on at least one of the plurality of types of characteristic data. The apparatus selects, based on the swing type of the testing golfer, the recommended value, and component information representing a correspondence between components, the swing types, and the characteristic value, a recommended component from the components listed in the component information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE SPORTS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya ISHIKAWA, Hirotada IWADE
  • Patent number: 8734264
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for measurement and analysis of a behavior of a golf club head. Specifically, the system comprises a measurement and analysis device having a marker recognition and positional information acquisition unit for recognizing the at least one marker and acquiring positional information of the recognized at least one marker, a vector calculation unit for calculating a first vector representing a direction of the head and a second vector representing a tangent vector of a trajectory of the head during the golf swing, and a vector angle change acquisition unit for calculating a vector angle between the first vector and the second vector and acquiring a time series change of the calculated vector angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignees: Bridgestone Corporation, Bridgstone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Saito, Koji Takao, Hideo Matsunaga, Hirotada Iwade
  • Patent number: 8690698
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a golf club classification method capable of classifying a golf swing precisely. Specifically, the present invention provides a classification method comprising steps of: partitioning the golf swing of the golfer into golf swing trajectories of a back swing, a down swing, and a follow through so as to determine a stable point in the golf swing trajectories as an origin for any two of the trajectories and to assign a two dimensional coordinate to the two golf swing trajectories; determining straight lines connecting each of one point selected within each of the two golf swing trajectories and the origin; calculating angles between each of the determined straight lines and the horizontal line respectively for the two golf swing trajectories; and classifying the golf swing based on a difference between the calculated angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignees: Bridgestone Corporation, Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Takashi Saito, Koji Takao, Hideo Matsunaga, Hirotada Iwade
  • Publication number: 20130305806
    Abstract: The system (1) for measuring a golf swing according to the present invention is provided with at least two image pickup apparatuses that each capture an image of a golf club (5) that includes at least one head identifier attached to the head and with a measurement apparatus that measures the force acting on the head of the golf club (5) based on position information of the at least one head identifier, the position information being acquired from the images of the golf club (5) captured during a swing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Inventors: Takashi SAITO, Koji TAKAO, Hideo MATSUNAGA, Hirotada IWADE
  • Publication number: 20130274027
    Abstract: The method according to the present invention includes a step of dividing a golfer's golf swing into three golf swing trajectories, namely a backswing, downswing, and follow through, and allocating each golf swing trajectory to a 2D coordinate system formed by a horizontal axis and a vertical axis with a given point among the golf swing trajectories as the origin; a step of establishing, for each of the three golf swing trajectories, a line connecting the origin and a point selected in the golf swing trajectory and calculating an angle enclosed between each established line and the horizontal axis; and a step of calculating an angular difference between any two angles among the calculated angles, plotting the angular difference on a 2D map, and classifying the golf swing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Inventors: Takashi SAITO, Koji TAKAO, Hideo MATSUNAGA, Hirotada IWADE
  • Publication number: 20130268254
    Abstract: Provided is a swing simulation system capable of simulating a swing without amplifying errors contained in measured values on three-dimensional coordinates of a grip during the swing. The simulation system according to the present invention includes: at least two imaging devices for imaging identification features capable of identifying a closed virtual plane that follows a grip of a golf club during a swing; and a simulation apparatus for simulating a behavior of the golf club during the swing, based on position information on the virtual plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicants: BRIDGESTONE SPORTS CO., LTD., BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshikazu SENNO, Koji TAKAO, Takashi SAITO, Hideo MATSUNAGA, Hirotada IWADE
  • Patent number: 8465378
    Abstract: A shaft selection assist apparatus according to this invention includes a storage means for storing recommended shaft information indicating a correspondence between measurement parameters obtained upon a test strike with a golf club to which a predetermined reference shaft is attached, and recommended shafts among shafts of a plurality of types, an acquisition means for acquiring the measurement results of the measurement parameters associated with a test strike actually made by a user with the golf club, a selection means for selecting a recommended shaft by referring to the recommended shaft information based on the measurement results acquired by the acquisition means, and an output means for outputting information indicating the recommended shaft selected by the selection means. The recommended shaft information stored in the storage means is information which specifies recommended shafts based on the relationship between the shaft rigidity distribution and the measurement parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotada Iwade, Fumiaki Sato
  • Patent number: 8398504
    Abstract: A shaft selection assist apparatus according to this invention includes a storage means for storing recommended shaft information indicating a correspondence between measurement parameters obtained upon a test strike with a golf club to which a predetermined reference shaft is attached, and recommended shafts among shafts of a plurality of types, an acquisition means for acquiring the measurement results of the measurement parameters associated with a test strike actually made by a user with the golf club, a selection means for selecting a recommended shaft by referring to the recommended shaft information based on the measurement results acquired by the acquisition means, and an output means for outputting information indicating the recommended shaft selected by the selection means. The measurement parameters include the vertical launch angle of a struck ball and the back spin amount on the struck ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotada Iwade, Fumiaki Sato
  • Publication number: 20130005495
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for measurement and analysis of a behavior of a golf club head. Specifically, the system comprises a measurement and analysis device having a marker recognition and positional information acquisition unit for recognizing the at least one marker and acquiring positional information of the recognized at least one marker, a vector calculation unit for calculating a first vector representing a direction of the head and a second vector representing a tangent vector of a trajectory of the head during the golf swing, and a vector angle change acquisition unit for calculating a vector angle between the first vector and the second vector and acquiring a time series change of the calculated vector angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicants: BRIDGESTONE SPORTS CO., LTD., BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi SAITO, Koji TAKAO, Hideo MATSUNAGA, Hirotada IWADE
  • Publication number: 20120157220
    Abstract: A golf club shaft selection device includes: a plurality of synthetic resin or metallic tube members which are adapted to be wound individually around a plurality of areas of a golf club shaft which result when the golf club shaft is so divided along the length thereof, wherein one or two tube members in the plurality of tube members are fixed around the shaft so as to change a stiffness value and kick point of the shaft at the areas around which the tube members are wound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: BRIDGESTONE SPORTS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hirotada Iwade
  • Publication number: 20120136464
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a golf club classification method capable of classifying a golf swing precisely. Specifically, the present invention provides a classification method comprising steps of: partitioning the golf swing of the golfer into golf swing trajectories of a back swing, a down swing, and a follow through so as to determine a stable point in the golf swing trajectories as an origin for any two of the trajectories and to assign a two dimensional coordinate to the two golf swing trajectories; determining straight lines connecting each of one point selected within each of the two golf swing trajectories and the origin; calculating angles between each of the determined straight lines and the horizontal line respectively for the two golf swing trajectories; and classifying the golf swing based on a difference between the calculated angles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicants: BRIDGESTONE SPORTS CO., LTD., BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi SAITO, Koji TAKAO, Hideo MATSUNAGA, Hirotada IWADE