Personal golfing assistant and method and system for graphically displaying golf related information and for collection, processing and distribution of golf related data
First Claim
1. A method of storing and communicating sets of topographic information to and from information processing and viewing devices by means of an accessible electronic network, each of the sets being specific to an individual golf course, comprising the steps of:
- (a) inputting a first set of information to a first information processing and viewing device, said first set of information being data representative of a golf course topography, said first set of information including data elements relating to attributes of the golf course, said data elements including at least one location for each of said attributes in the set and said first information processing and viewing device executing course-mapper software;
(b) transmitting said first set of information from the first information processing and viewing device to the network; and
(c) accessing said first set of information through said network with a second information processing and viewing device with autonomy from any positional equipment at the golf course, said second information processing and viewing device executing course-player software.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A personal golfing assistant system is comprised of software running on a PDA attached directly or remotely to a GPS receiver that enables the user to survey and/or electronically capture geophysical golf data. A handheld device connected to or integrated with a GPS receiver can instead be used. Software allows a golfer to use a handheld PDA/GPS unit during the course of play to mark a ball location automatically and/or determine the distance to golf course targets and/or objects, and to analyze golf related data and generate statistics. The system can send a set of parameters tailored for a specific course to a real time tunable GPS to adjust for optimal performance and can adjust measurements to compensate for environmental condition changes. The system provides an improved graphical method for measuring and displaying distances between a golfer and a golf course object, for displaying multiple measured distances along a line of sight between a golfer and a golf object or target, and for orienting a target or object on a display to coincide with a user'"'"'s line of sight. There is also provided a method for collecting and uploading golf course geographic information services (GIS) data to an internet accessible server, processing the uploaded data, distributing data upon an authorized user request, and downloading the requested data to an electronic device.
235 Citations
137 Claims
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1. A method of storing and communicating sets of topographic information to and from information processing and viewing devices by means of an accessible electronic network, each of the sets being specific to an individual golf course, comprising the steps of:
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(a) inputting a first set of information to a first information processing and viewing device, said first set of information being data representative of a golf course topography, said first set of information including data elements relating to attributes of the golf course, said data elements including at least one location for each of said attributes in the set and said first information processing and viewing device executing course-mapper software;
(b) transmitting said first set of information from the first information processing and viewing device to the network; and
(c) accessing said first set of information through said network with a second information processing and viewing device with autonomy from any positional equipment at the golf course, said second information processing and viewing device executing course-player software. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system of storing and communicating sets of topographic information to and from information processing and viewing devices by means of an accessible network, each of the sets being specific to an individual golf course, comprising:
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(a) a first information processing and viewing device executing course-mapper software and receiving input of a first set of information, said first set of information being data representative of a golf course topography, said first set of information including data elements relating to attributes of the golf course, said data elements including at least one location for each attribute in the set;
(b) a central information processing site and database receiving said set of information from said first information processing and viewing device and providing access to said set over the network; and
(c) a second information processing and viewing device receiving transmission of said first set of information from the first information processing device over the network and with autonomy from any positional equipment at the golf course. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A portable information processing and viewing device for storing and communicating topographic information comprising:
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a portable information processing and viewing device, said device having an information processor for the storage, retrieval and processing of a map data file including position information, said device also having a viewer for the display of said position information, said device further having data inputs, said data inputs including at least one of a user interface and direct electrical connections;
said position information including location data and a corresponding data label relating to at least one topographic characteristic of at least one selected geographic region, said map data file also including relative accuracy data corresponding with said location data, said characteristic being represented on said viewer by visual signifiers, said visual signifiers including at least a representation of an attribute and an indication of a position of said topographic characteristic, wherein said indication of said position by said visual signifiers further includes an indication by said visual signifiers of said relative accuracy data corresponding with said location data; and
said direct electrical connections adapted for connection with at least one cooperative device for enabling said information processing and viewing device to perform an operation of at least one of generating, accessing, storing and communicating of said map data file, wherein said cooperative device further enables said information processing and viewing device to autonomously process and display said position information. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A portable information processing and viewing device for storing and communicating topographic information comprising:
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a portable information processing and viewing device, said device having an information processor for the storage, retrieval and processing of data which encodes information, said device also having a viewer for the display of information encoded in the data, said device further having data inputs, said data inputs including at least one of a user interface and direct electrical connections;
said information, encoded in the data, includes information relating to at least one topographic characteristic of at least one selected geographic region, said topographic characteristic being represented on said viewer by visual signifiers, said visual signifiers including at least a representation of an attribute and an indication of a position of said topographic characteristic;
said direct electrical connections adapted for connection with at least one cooperative device for enabling said information processing and viewing device to perform an operation of at least one of generating, accessing, storing and communicating of said data, wherein said cooperative device further enables said information processing and viewing device to autonomously process and display said information relating to topographic characteristics;
wherein said geographic region includes a golf course, said golf course represented on said viewer by at least a partial display of a selected hole of said golf course; and
wherein additional information relating to playing said golf course is displayed as a moving representation with respect to said partial display of said golf course, said moving representation being displayable in alterable manners, said alterable manners including the rate of progression of said representation. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A portable information processing and viewing device for storing and communicating topographic information comprising:
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a portable information processing and viewing device, said device having an information processor for the storage, retrieval and processing of a data set, said device also having a viewer for the display of said data set, said device further having a user interface and direct electrical connections;
said data set comprising at least one corresponding set of location information, a data label and relative accuracy data, said location information and said data label relating to at least one topographic characteristic of at least one selected geographic region and said relative accuracy data relating to a quality value for said corresponding location information, said geographic regions including at least one golf course, said characteristic being represented on said viewer by visual signifiers, said visual signifiers including at least a representation of an attribute and an indication of a position of said topographic characteristic, wherein said indication of said position by said visual signifiers includes an indication of said relative accuracy of said location information, and wherein said location information is comprised of latitude and longitude for said position of said topographic characteristic and said data label is comprised of a label for said attribute of said topographic characteristic, said label being selected from a set of labels corresponding with a set of attributes for said geographic region;
said direct electrical connections adapted for connection with at least one cooperative device for enabling said information processing and viewing device to perform an operation of at least one of generating, accessing, storing and communicating of said data set, said cooperative device further enabling said information processing and viewing device to autonomously process and display said information relating to topographic characteristics;
wherein said cooperative device is a detachable position module generating said location information, said user interface receives said selected label, and said processor assigns said relative accuracy data to said location data, and said information processor calculates said quality value and assigns said relative accuracy data to said corresponding location information, wherein said detachable position module has an antenna for receiving position related information and wherein said information processing and viewing device is operable to at least store, retrieve and process said data set with said antenna in a reception only mode; and
wherein said detachable position module and said data set are transferable to a second information processing and viewing device, and wherein said second information processing and viewing device receives, processes and displays additional location information relating to playing said golf course, said additional location information for playing said golf course being displayed as a moving representation with respect to a display of said data set for said golf course, wherein said second information processing and viewing device replays said moving representation in at least one alterable manner, including an adjustable replay speed for said moving representation.
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55. A portable information processing and viewing device for storing and communicating topographic information comprising:
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a portable information processing and viewing device, said device having an information processor for the storage, retrieval and processing of data which encodes information, said device also having a viewer for the display of information encoded in the data, said device further having data inputs, said data inputs including at least one of a user interface and direct electrical connections;
said information, encoded in the data, relating to at least one topographic characteristic of at least one selected geographic region, said geographic regions including at least one golf course, said characteristic being represented on said viewer by visual signifiers, said visual signifiers including at least a representation of an attribute and an indication of a position of said topographic characteristic;
said direct electrical connections adapted for connection with at least one cooperative device for enabling said information processing and viewing device to perform an operation of at least one of accessing, storing and communicating of said data, said cooperative device further enabling said information processing and viewing device to autonomously process and display said information relating to topographic characteristics;
wherein at least one of said cooperative devices is a position module having an antenna for receiving position related information and wherein said information processing and viewing device is fully operable with said antenna in a reception only mode. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
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71. A method of storing and displaying sets of topographic information, comprising the steps of:
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(a) inputting a first set of information to a portable information processing and viewing device, said first set of information being data representative of a topography, said first set of information including data elements relating to attributes of said topography, said data elements including at least one location for each of said attributes;
(b) inputting a second set of information to said portable information processing and viewing device, said second set of information relating to location data for traversing said topography;
(c) displaying said first and second sets of information on said portable information processing and viewing device, wherein said location data for traversing said topography is displayed as a moving representation with respect to said topography; and
(d) replaying said displaying step for said first and second sets of information in at least one alterable manner including an adjustable replay speed for said moving representation. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73)
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74. A method of storing and displaying sets of topographic information, each of the sets being specific to an individual golf course, comprising the steps of:
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(a) inputting a first set of information to a portable information processing and viewing device, said first set of information being data representative of a golf course topography, said first set of information including data elements relating to attributes of the golf course, said data elements including at least one location for each of said golf course attributes;
(b) inputting a second set of information to said portable information processing and viewing device, said second set of information relating to at least one ball location as a result of playing the golf course by at least one individual;
(c) displaying said first and second sets of information on said portable information processing and viewing device, wherein said ball location is displayed as a moving representation with respect to said golf course topography; and
(d) replaying said displaying step for said first and second sets of information in at least one alterable manner including an adjustable replay speed for said moving representation. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76, 77, 78)
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79. A system of storing and communicating sets of topographic information to and from information processing and viewing devices by means of an accessible network, comprising:
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(a) a first information processing and viewing device receiving input of a first set of information, said first set of information being data representative of a topography, said first set of information including data elements relating to attributes of said topography, said data elements including at least one location for each attribute in the set;
(b) a second set of information relating to location data for traversing said topography;
(c) a central information processing site and database receiving said first and second sets of information from said first information processing and viewing device and providing access to said sets over the network; and
(d) a second information processing and viewing device receiving transmission of said first and second sets of information, displaying said location data for traversing said topography as a moving representation with respect to said topography, and replaying said moving representation in at least one alterable manner including an adjustable replay speed for said moving representation. - View Dependent Claims (80, 81)
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82. A system of storing and communicating sets of topographic information to and from information processing and viewing devices by means of an accessible network, each of the sets being specific to an individual golf course, comprising:
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(a) a first information processing and viewing device receiving input of a first set of information, said first set of information being data representative of a golf course topography, said first set of information including data elements relating to attributes of the golf course, said data elements including at least one location for each attribute in the set;
(b) a second set of information relating to at least one ball location as a result of playing the golf course by at least one individual;
(c) a central information processing site and database receiving said first and second sets of information from said first information processing and viewing device and providing access to said sets over the network; and
(d) a second information processing and viewing device receiving transmission of said first and second sets of information, displaying the playing of the golf course as a moving representation with respect to said golf course topography, and replaying said moving representation in at least one alterable manner including an adjustable replay speed for said moving representation. - View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85, 86)
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87. A handheld apparatus for measuring and displaying distances between a golfer and an object on a golf course comprising:
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a handheld computing device;
a GPS device connected to said handheld computing device;
said GPS device producing measured location information corresponding to the location of said GPS device;
means, within said handheld apparatus, for modifying said measured location information to obtain corrected location information;
means, within said handheld apparatus, for determining a distance between the GPS device and said object by using said corrected location information and stored information concerning the location of said object; and
wherein said handheld computing device displays said distance. - View Dependent Claims (88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 135, 136, 137)
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94. A handheld apparatus for measuring and displaying distances between a golfer and an object on a golf course comprising:
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a handheld computing device;
a GPS device connected to said handheld computing device;
said GPS device producing latitude, longitude and altitude values corresponding to the location of said GPS device;
means, within said handheld apparatus, for modifying said latitude, longitude and altitude values to obtain corrected latitude, longitude and altitude values; and
means, within said handheld apparatus, for determining the distance between said GPS device and said object by using said corrected latitude, longitude and altitude values and stored information concerning the location of said object. - View Dependent Claims (95, 96, 97, 98)
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99. A method of obtaining and processing location values for a desired point on a golf course using a handheld apparatus comprising the steps of:
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obtaining reference point GPS information using a handheld GPS device reflecting a measured location of a reference point;
comparing said GPS information with true location information for said reference point using a handheld computing device and generating one or more correction values in said handheld computing device based on said comparing step; and
obtaining desired point GPS information using said handheld GPS device reflecting a measured location of said desired point; and
applying said one or more correction values to said desired point GPS information using said handheld computing device to generate corrected location information for said desired point. - View Dependent Claims (100, 101, 102)
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103. A method for measuring the distance between points on a golf course comprising the steps of:
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storing location values for multiple targets on a golf course based on GPS measurements taken on a first date;
generating corrected location values based on a difference in environmental conditions on said first date and a second date;
on said second date, obtaining location information concerning a desired point using a GPS device; and
computing the distance between said desired point and one of said multiple targets using said corrected location values and said location information concerning said desired point using a handheld apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (104, 105, 106)
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107. A handheld apparatus for measuring and displaying distances between a golfer and an object on a golf course comprising:
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a first handheld computing device;
a GPS device connected to said first handheld computing device;
said GPS device producing measured location values corresponding to the location of said GPS device;
means, within said handheld apparatus, for generating error correction values to be applied to said measured location values; and
means for transmitting said error correction values to a second handheld computing device. - View Dependent Claims (108, 109, 110)
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111. A handheld personal golfing assistant comprising:
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a handheld computing device having a display;
a GPS device connected to said handheld computing device;
means, within said handheld personal golfing assistant, for computing multiple approximate distances traveled by a golf ball after being hit by a golfer using one or more golf clubs;
means, within said handheld personal golfing assistant, for selectively storing said approximate differences;
means, within said handheld personal golfing assistant, for selectively storing information representing the identity of each golf club used by said golfer;
means, within said handheld personal golfing assistant, for determining the average distances traveled by a golf ball when hit by said golfer on a club by club basis;
means for determining a recommended club to be used by said golfer based at least in part on said average distances; and
means for displaying information on said display representing said recommended club. - View Dependent Claims (112, 113)
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114. A handheld personal golfing assistant comprising:
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a handheld computing device having a display;
a GPS device connected to said handheld computing device;
means, within said handheld personal golfing assistant, for calculating the average distances traveled by a golf ball hit by a golfer on a club by club basis; and
means for displaying on said display a suggested club to be used by said golfer based on a distance input to said handheld computing device. - View Dependent Claims (115, 116)
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117. A method of identifying a handheld device using a unique identification number comprising the steps of:
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storing said unique identification number in a memory of said handheld device;
retrieving said unique identification number from said memory of said handheld device, when logging into a web site; and
permitting user access, via said handheld device, to an area of said web site in response to said unique identification number retrieved from said memory of said handheld device. - View Dependent Claims (118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134)
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Specification