DISTANCE DETERMINATION METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR A GOLF COURSE
First Claim
1. A system for use in determining distances between a mobile distance determination unit and points-of-interest on a golf course, comprising:
- storage means containing a plurality of operating mode modules downloadable when selected by a user into the mobile distance determination unit for operation therein, each of said modules containing instructions, information, and data including predefined points of interest, for operating the mobile distance determination unit in given mode of operation;
a base station comprising means for receiving and processing GPS signals, means for receiving and transmitting RF signals, means for communicating data, instructions and messages to an operator, means for receiving inputs from said operator for processing by said base station; and
means for downloading at least one of said operating mode modules to the mobile distance determination unit in response to a user request;
a mobile distance determination unit comprising means for receiving and processing an operating mode module downloaded therein, means for receiving and processing GPS signals, means for receiving and transmitting RF signals, means for communicating data, instructions and messages to a user, and means for receiving inputs from said user for processing by said mobile distance determination unit, said mobile distance determination unit being operable in at least one of a plurality of modes in accordance with the information and data contained in the downloaded operating mode module;
said mobile distance determining unit when downloaded with a first one of said operating mode modules being operative in a first mode of operation to determine a first location of the mobile distance determination unit, to calculate the distances between the first location and predefined points-of-interest locations stored in the mobile distance determination unit, and to display the distances calculated between the first location and the predefined points-of-interest;
said mobile distance determining unit when downloaded with a second one of said operating mode modules being operative in a second mode of operation to determine a second location of the mobile distance determination unit and to associate the second location with a point-of-interest on a golf course, thereby defining a point-of-interest/second location association, said mobile distance determination unit being operative to transmit said point-of-interest/second location association to the base station for communication to mobile distance determination units when operating in said second mode;
said mobile distance determining unit when downloaded with a third one of said operating mode modules being operative in a third mode of operation to determine GPS signal coverage and RF signal coverage of the golf course; and
said mobile distance determining unit when downloaded with a fourth one of said operating mode modules being operative in a fourth mode of operation to determine the location of a movable asset when placed on such asset and communicating the changing location of such asset to the base station as said asset moves.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a system for updating mobile distance determination units on a golf course that includes a first mobile unit that determines a new location for a point-of-interest defined for a golf course. The first mobile unit wirelessly transmits update data to identify the new location to a base station computer. The base station computer processes the updated data for broadcasting to activated second mobile distance determination units. The base station computer then wirelessly broadcasts the updated data from the base station computer to the second mobile distance determination units. The second mobile distance determination units update their point-of-interest location data and use this updated data to determine distances between the second mobile distance determination units and the new locations. The mobile distance determination units may operate in a golfer mode to provide distance measurements to golfers, may operate in the greenskeeper mode to update the pin positions, or may operate in a surveyor mode to define new points of interests and their locations on the golf course.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A system for use in determining distances between a mobile distance determination unit and points-of-interest on a golf course, comprising:
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storage means containing a plurality of operating mode modules downloadable when selected by a user into the mobile distance determination unit for operation therein, each of said modules containing instructions, information, and data including predefined points of interest, for operating the mobile distance determination unit in given mode of operation;
a base station comprising means for receiving and processing GPS signals, means for receiving and transmitting RF signals, means for communicating data, instructions and messages to an operator, means for receiving inputs from said operator for processing by said base station; and
means for downloading at least one of said operating mode modules to the mobile distance determination unit in response to a user request;
a mobile distance determination unit comprising means for receiving and processing an operating mode module downloaded therein, means for receiving and processing GPS signals, means for receiving and transmitting RF signals, means for communicating data, instructions and messages to a user, and means for receiving inputs from said user for processing by said mobile distance determination unit, said mobile distance determination unit being operable in at least one of a plurality of modes in accordance with the information and data contained in the downloaded operating mode module;
said mobile distance determining unit when downloaded with a first one of said operating mode modules being operative in a first mode of operation to determine a first location of the mobile distance determination unit, to calculate the distances between the first location and predefined points-of-interest locations stored in the mobile distance determination unit, and to display the distances calculated between the first location and the predefined points-of-interest;
said mobile distance determining unit when downloaded with a second one of said operating mode modules being operative in a second mode of operation to determine a second location of the mobile distance determination unit and to associate the second location with a point-of-interest on a golf course, thereby defining a point-of-interest/second location association, said mobile distance determination unit being operative to transmit said point-of-interest/second location association to the base station for communication to mobile distance determination units when operating in said second mode;
said mobile distance determining unit when downloaded with a third one of said operating mode modules being operative in a third mode of operation to determine GPS signal coverage and RF signal coverage of the golf course; and
said mobile distance determining unit when downloaded with a fourth one of said operating mode modules being operative in a fourth mode of operation to determine the location of a movable asset when placed on such asset and communicating the changing location of such asset to the base station as said asset moves. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19)
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17. In a system having one or more mobile distance determination units in operation on a golf course and communicable with a base station, a method for updating mobile distance determination units on a golf course, comprising the steps of:
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operating a first mobile distance determination unit to determine a new location for a point-of-interest defined for a golf course;
wirelessly transmitting update data to identify said new location from said first mobile distance determination unit to a base station;
processing at said base station said updated data for broadcasting to said operating mobile distance determination units;
wirelessly broadcasting said updated data from said base station to said operating mobile distance determination units; and
updating at said operating mobile distance determination units point-of-interest location data contained therein with said updated data, said update data being used to determine distances between said operating mobile distance determination units and said new locations.
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20. A method of alerting a user that a distance measurement request contains inaccurate data in mobile distance determination system, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving an indication from a mobile distance determination unit that a distance measurement is to be made for a user identified point-of-interest;
(b) determining the location of the mobile distance determination unit based on GPS signals;
(c) determining whether the location determined in step (b) is within a predetermined range of known location coordinates for said point-of-interest identified by said user;
(d) indicating that the point-of-interest identified by the user is not correct if said location determined in step (b) is not within said range.
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21. A method of alerting a user that a mobile distance determination unit is improperly located, comprising the steps of:
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(a) determining the current location of the mobile distance determination unit based on GPS signals;
(b) determining whether the location determined in step (b) is within a pre-determined range of known unacceptable location coordinates; and
(c) indicating that the mobile distance determination unit is not properly located if said location determined in step (b) is within said range.
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22. A method of ensuring that distance measurements determined in a mobile distance determination unit for a golf course are accurate, comprising the steps of:
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calculating a sample location measurement for a mobile distance determination unit for determining distances on a golf course in response to a user request;
determining whether said sample location measurement is within a predetermined range of a first selected number of previously determined location measurements for said mobile distance determination unit;
computing a current location measurement using said sample location measurement and said previously determined location measurements if said sample location measurement is within said predetermined range;
successively computing a second number of location measurements; and
using said second number of location measurements to compute a current location for said mobile unit if said sample location measurement is not within a predetermined range of said previously determined location measurements. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29)
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26. A method of presenting point-of-interest data of a course to a user of a mobile distance determination unit, comprising the steps of:
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determining the location of a mobile distance determination unit on a golf course using GPS signals;
calculating the distances from the mobile distance determination unit to points-of-interest downloaded in the mobile distance determination unit for the golf course; and
displaying for a particular shot to be made by the golfer only those points-of-interest defined for the golf hole that the golfer is playing that are within golfer specific parameters defined specifically for said golfer.
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30. A mobile distance determination unit for use in determining distances on golf courses, comprising:
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means for communicating information to and from a user, said means comprising visual displays, audible displays and vibratory displays;
means for receiving inputs from the user;
a processor being operative to determine a first location of a mobile distance determination unit, to calculate the distances between the first location and predefined points-of-interest locations stored in the mobile distance determination unit, and to communicate the distances calculated between the first location and the predefined points-of-interest to the user; and
a paging unit located in said mobile distance determining unit for receiving a pager message signal to a golfer for which said mobile distance determination unit is activated. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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Specification