System and method for representing an activity involving a route along a plurality of locations

• US 20050037872A1
• Filed: 07/29/2003
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Fredlund, John R., Manico, Joseph A., Mackson, Richard G., Squilla, John R., Podsedly, David A.
• Application Number:
  US10/629,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20050037872A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/407
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0691 Maps, e.g. yardage maps or electronic maps
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/14 Geo-tagging, e.g. for correlating route or track location data with specific information related to that specific location
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/62 Time or time measurement used for time reference, time stamp, master time or clock signal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/15 with identification means that can be read by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/00 Golfing accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0028 for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user

Abstract

A system that creates a record of an activity that involves a route including visits to a plurality of locations. The record is of an aesthetic appeal and useful for recording the specifics of the activity. The participant of the activity carries a recording device that records the coordinates of locations visited. This information is downloaded to a processing computer, and a keepsake is created.

Claims

1. A method for creating a keepsake of an activity involving a route along a plurality of locations, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a participant in the activity with a recording device for recording a location coordinate of the participant'"'"'s location at various times during the activity;

b) participating in the activity accompanied by the recording device;

c) receiving personally-identifiable information of the participant;

d) employing the location coordinates recorded by the recording device and the personally-identifiable information of the participant to produce a digital image comprising the personally-identifiable information of the participant and the participant'"'"'s location at various times during the activity;

e) capturing an image during the activity using a digital image capture device; and

f) generating a keepsake of the activity comprising the digital image and the captured image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording device includes a global positioning system (GPS) for determining the location coordinates of the participant'"'"'s locations.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

recording a respective time of the participant'"'"'s locations during the activity using a clock; and

including at least one of the recorded times associated with the participant'"'"'s locations in the digital image.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

recording a respective elevation of the participant'"'"'s locations during the activity using an altitude sensor; and

including at least one of the recorded elevations associated with the participant'"'"'s locations in the digital image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of collecting personally-identifiable information comprises the steps of:

capturing an image of the participant; and

including the captured image of the participant in the digital image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of collecting personally-identifiable information comprises the step of collecting the participant'"'"'s name.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of including, in the digital image, alphanumeric information or icon information relating to the activity.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of including alphanumeric information is accomplished by manual input to a processing computer.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of including alphanumeric information is accomplished by electronically uploading the alphanumeric information to a processing center.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is at least one hole of golf, and the participant'"'"'s locations represents a path of a golf ball hit by the participant.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital image includes a realistic image of a terrain traversed by the participant.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital image includes a topographical map of a terrain traversed by the participant.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital image includes an aerial view of a terrain traversed by the participant.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of generating text describing the activity;

and compositing the text with the image of the route and the personally-identifiable information of the participant.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating, in the digital image, a representation of the route taken by the participant during the activity by graphically connecting the participant'"'"'s locations at various times during the activity.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating, in the digital image, at or adjacent to a particular participant location, an icon representative of an event.

17. A method for representing an activity involving a route along a plurality of locations, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a participant in the activity with a recording device for recording the coordinates of the participant'"'"'s location at various times during the activity;

b) participating in the activity accompanied by the recording device;

c) employing the coordinates recorded by the recording device and the name of the participant to produce a digital image showing the identity of the participant, the location of the participant at various time and the route taken by the participant during the activity;

d) capturing an image during the activity using a digital image capture device; and

e) generating a keepsake of the activity comprising the digital image and the captured image.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of generating a keepsake of the activity is accomplished by making a print of the digital image.

19. A system for creating a keepsake representing an activity involving a route having a plurality of locations, comprising:

a) a recording device for recording a coordinate of the locations;

b) an image processing computer programmed for generating a digital image showing the locations;

c) a link for downloading the coordinates of the locations to the image processing computer;

d) a digital image capture device for capturing at least one image during the activity, and the digital image includes the at least one captured image; and

e) an output device for generating the digital image, thereby providing the keepsake of the activity.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a global positioning system for determining the coordinates of the locations.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising a clock for recording a respective time of the participant'"'"'s locations during the activity, and wherein the digital image includes at least one of the recorded times associated with the participant'"'"'s locations.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising an altitude sensor for recording a respective elevation of the participant'"'"'s locations during the activity, and wherein the digital image includes at least one of the recorded elevations associated with the participant'"'"'s locations.

23. The system of claim 19, including a camera for capturing an image of the participant and wherein the image processing computer is programmed to include the image of the participant in the digital image.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the digital image includes alphanumeric or iconic information relating the activity.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the alphanumeric or iconic information relates to an identification, location, or purpose of the activity.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the alphanumeric or iconic information is disposed at or adjacent to a particular location.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the activity is at least one hole of golf, and the route represents a path of a golf ball hit by the participant.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the digital image includes a realistic image of a terrain traversed by the route.

29. The system of claim 19, wherein the digital image includes a topographical map of a terrain traversed by the route.

30. The system of claim 19, wherein the digital image includes an aerial view of a terrain traversed by the route.

31. The system of claim 19, wherein the digital image includes text, an image of the route, and an image of the participant.

32. The system of claim 19 wherein the recording device includes a wireless data link to the image processing computer for uploading the coordinates of the locations.

33. The system of claim 19, wherein the digital image further comprises a representation of the route taken by the participant during the activity defined by a graphical connection of the participant'"'"'s locations at various times.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the graphical connection of the participant'"'"'s locations is accomplished by lines, dots, or a combination thereof.

35. The system of claim 19, wherein the digital image comprises an icon representative of an event of the activity.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the icon is disposed at or adjacent to a particular participant location.

37. The system of claim 19, wherein the digital image comprises personally-identifiable information.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the personally-identifiable information comprises an image of the participant.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the personally-identifiable information comprises a name of the participant.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein the personally-identifiable information comprises a golf club selection made by the participant.

41. The system of claim 37, wherein the personally-identifiable information comprises a name of the participant and names of other individuals participating in the activity with participant.

42. The system of claim 19, wherein the digital image comprises coordinates of the locations of a plurality of participants, and the digital images further comprises a representation of the route taken by each of the plurality of participants, the representation defined by a graphical connection of the coordinates of the locations.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the graphical connection of the participant'"'"'s locations is accomplished by lines, dots, or a combination thereof, and the graphical connection for one participant differs from the graphical connection for the other participants.

44. A maintenance system for a golf course, comprising:

a) a recording device for recording a coordinate of the locations at various times for each of a plurality of golfers;

b) an image processing computer programmed for generating a digital image showing the locations recorded by the recording device;

c) a link for downloading the coordinates of the locations to the image processing computer; and

d) an output device for generating the digital image showing the coordinates of the locations recorded by the recording device.

45. A golf assessment tool for a plurality of participants involved in a round of golf having a plurality of locations, comprising:

a) a recording device for recording a coordinate of the locations for each of the participants at various times;

b) an image processing computer programmed for generating a digital image showing the locations for each of the participants;

c) a link for downloading the coordinates of the locations to the image processing computer; and

d) an output device for generating the digital image so as to assess the round of golf of each of the participants, wherein the digital image further comprises a representation of a route taken by the participants defined by a graphical connection of the participant'"'"'s locations at various times.

46. The golf assessment tool of claim 45, wherein the graphical connection of the participant'"'"'s locations is accomplished by lines, dots, or a combination thereof.

47. A maintenance system for determining candidate maintenance locations of a terrain traversed by a plurality of participants, comprising:

a recording device for recording a coordinate of the locations of the terrain at various times for each of the plurality of participants;

an image processing computer programmed for generating a digital image showing the locations recorded by the recording device;

a link for downloading the coordinates of the locations to the image processing computer; and

an output device for generating the digital image showing the coordinates of the locations recorded by the recording device to indicate candidate locations of the terrain requiring maintenance.

48. A method of determining candidate locations of a terrain traversed by a plurality of participants along a route having a plurality of locations which may require maintaining, comprising the steps of:

providing each of the plurality of participants with a recording device for recording, at various times, a coordinate of the locations of the terrain traversed by each of the plurality of participants;

downloading the coordinates of the locations to an image processing computer; and

generating a digital image showing the locations recorded by the recording device to indicate candidate locations of the terrain requiring maintenance.