GOLF GPS DEVICE

• US 20090305820A1
• Filed: 06/04/2008
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Denton, Scott, Balardeta, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 8,070,628 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/407
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0638 Displaying moving images of recorded environment, e.g. virtual environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/068 Input by voice recognition
• 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 57/00 Golfing accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/36 for golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3605 Golf club selection aids informing player of his average or expected shot distance for each club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/00 Measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, persons, animals or other moving solid bodies, e.g. using odometers, using pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications

Abstract

A portable golf GPS device comprising a microprocessor operably coupled to a GPS unit, an input device such as a keypad (or touch screen) operably coupled to the microprocessor, a voice recognition unit operably coupled to the microprocessor, and a display such as a liquid crystal display (“LCD”) operably coupled to the microprocessor. A program memory system which contains at least some of the software and data to operate the device is also operably coupled to the microprocessor. The portable golf GPS device is preferably contained in a housing such that the entire device has a very compact and lightweight form factor, and is preferably handheld and/or pocket size. The golf GPS device is configured to display distances to course features, and to receive and process voice input in order to select functions or input data into the golf GPS device.

Claims

1. A golf GPS device, comprising:

a microprocessor operably coupled to a GPS unit, a user input device, a storage device, and a display,

said microprocessor, GPS unit, user input device, storage device, voice recognition unit and display contained in a handheld housing; and

wherein said golf GPS device is configured to;

store golf course data in said storage device, said golf course data including positional data for a plurality of golf course features and photographic images of a golf course;

determine the position of the golf GPS device using the GPS unit;

calculate the distance between said golf GPS device and at least one of said golf course features;

display said distance on said display;

have power management comprising;

detecting a standby condition;

upon detecting the standby condition, entering a standby mode in which the power is turned off one or more of the following;

said microprocessor, said display, said storage device.

2. The golf GPS device of claim 1, wherein said standby condition is one of:

a pre-determined period of inactivity of inputs from a user;

or less than a predetermined minimum amount of movement of the golf GPS device as determined by the GPS unit.

3. The golf GPS device of claim, wherein said golf GPS device is further configured to:

receive a first input of a first location on said photographic image; and

determine and display the distance between the location of the golf GPS device and said first location.

4. The golf GPS device of claim 3, wherein said first input of a first location is received by moving a cursor displayed on the display to the first location on said photographic image.

5. The golf GPS device of claim 4, wherein during the moving of a cursor displayed on the display, the image pans when the cursor is at or near the edge of said photographic image.

6. The golf GPS device of claim 5 wherein the speed of the movement of said cursor is adjusted based upon an input factor.

7. The golf GPS device of claim 6, wherein said input factor is one of:

the amount of time the cursor is continuously moved in a particular direction;

or the distance the cursor is continuously moved in a particular direction.

8. A golf GPS device, comprising:

a microprocessor operably coupled to a GPS unit, a user input device, a storage device, and a display,

said microprocessor, GPS unit, user input device, storage device, voice recognition unit and display contained in a handheld housing; and

wherein said golf GPS device is configured to;

store golf course data in said storage device, said golf course data including positional data for a plurality of golf course features;

determine the position of the golf GPS device using the GPS unit;

display on said display a geo-referenced photographic image of a portion of a golf course;

calculate the distance between said golf GPS device and one of said golf course features;

display said distance on said display, wherein said distance is overlaid onto a photographic image of a portion of a golf course which includes said one of said golf course features and said distance is displayed in close vicinity to said one of said golf course features;

perform a dynamic color enhancement of the photographic image of a portion of a golf course.

9. The golf GPS device of claim 8, wherein said dynamic color enhancement comprises:

determining a color contrast between said distance displayed on said display and he photographic image onto which said distance is overlaid; and

adjusting the color contrast between said distance displayed on said display and the photographic image onto which said distance is overlaid.

10. The golf GPS device of claim 9, wherein said adjusting the color contrast comprises changing the color of one of said distance or the photographic image onto which said distance is overlaid.

11. The golf GPS device of claim 8, wherein said golf GPS device is further configure to:

receive a first input of a first location on said photographic image; and

determine and display the distance between the location of the golf GPS device and said first location.

12. The golf GPS device of claim 11, wherein said first input of a first location is received by moving a cursor displayed on the display to the first location on said photographic image.

13. The golf GPS device of claim 12, wherein during the moving of a cursor displayed on the display, the image pans when the cursor is at or near the edge of said photographic image.

14. The golf GPS device of claim 12 wherein the speed of the movement of said cursor is adjusted based upon an input factor.

15. The golf GPS device of claim 14, wherein said input factor is one of:

the amount of time the cursor is continuously moved in a particular direction;

or the distance the cursor is continuously moved in a particular direction.