Golf information system

• US 5,326,095 A
• Filed: 09/09/1992
• Issued: 07/05/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GPS Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Yardmark Incorporated
• Inventors: Dudley, Douglas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US07/942,343
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 273/32 R, 273/32 H, 273/213, 273/176 R, 273/176 FA, 273/176 L, 273/176 A, 364/410, 364/411, 364/424.01, 364/444, 364/460, 340/323 R, 340/933, 340/988, 340/989, 340/991, 280/DIG. 5, 280/DIG. 6, 180/167
• US Class Current: 473/169
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/13 Relative positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 55/61 motorised
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/00 Golfing accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/04 Permanent marks; Boundary markers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/825 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/876 Combination of several spaced transponders or reflectors of known location for determining the position of a receiver G01S13/874 takes precedence

Abstract

A golf information system which automatically provides golfers with reference position and distance information from a number of points on a particular golf course hole. In one embodiment, radio frequency identification tags would be positioned along a golf cart path, for example, buried underneath the path, and a reading system carried by the golf cart would output an interrogation signal which would activate the tags causing the tags to output a coded signal which would be received by the reading unit, which would retrieve information about that location from memory and output it to the golfer. The system can further be used to display advertising messages and to provide golf course management features such as monitoring cart usage and speed of play.

Claims

1. A golf information system providing a golfer with information regarding the distance to designated points relative to various positions on a golf course hole comprising:

a movable receiver including antenna means for receiving at least one signal from which the position of said receiver on the golf course is determined, said receiver interpreting said signal via a memory, said signal defining a location on said golf course corresponding directly to a location within said memory and correlating the position of said receiver to corresponding data defining said information, said data being predetermined and based solely on said position, said receiver relaying said information derived from said memory to display means for displaying said information to the golfer regarding the distance to designated points on a golf course hole relative to said receiver, said receiver passively providing said information without golfer input as said receiver is moved on said golf course.

2. The golf information system according to claim 1 wherein said receiver comprises:

radio frequency receiver for receiving said signal;

key demodulator means, coupled to said radio frequency receiver, for demodulating said signal and producing an output therefrom; and

microprocessor means coupled to said output of said key demodulator means for interpreting said signal and for displaying to the golfer said information from said system memory corresponding to said signal regarding the position and distance of designated points on a golf course hole relative to said receiver.

3. The golf information system according to claim 1 wherein said memory may be modified and wherein said information system further comprises means for modifying said memory to reflect changes in said distance information relative to said designated points.

4. The golf information system according to claim 3 further comprising an input applied to said receiver at the beginning of each round of golf indicating said changes for each of said holes to comprise said modification.

5. The golf information system according to claim 4 further comprising an encoded signal transmitted by a programmable transmitter means, said receiver receiving said input from said programmable transmitter means when passing thereby.

6. The golf information system according to claim 1 further comprises a real-time clock integral to said receiver providing a time-of-day reading.

7. The golf information system according to claim 1 wherein said receiver computes the time duration of play over portions of the golf course.

8. A golf information system providing a golfer with information regarding the distance to designated points relative to various positions on a golf course hole comprising:

a golf cart; and

receiver means mounted on said golf cart including antenna means for receiving an encoded signal correlated to the position of said golf cart on the golf course, said receiver means interpreting said encoded signal via a memory, said signal defining a location on said golf course corresponding directly to a location within said memory, said memory correlating each of said encoded signals to corresponding data defining said information, said data being predetermined, said receiver means relaying said information derived from said memory to display means for displaying said information to the golfer regarding the position and distance of designated points on a golf hole course relative to said golf cart, said receiver means passively providing said information without golfer input, and said receiver means further includes a real time clock providing a time-of-day reading.

9. A golf information system providing a golfer with information regarding the distance to designated points relative to various positions on a golf course hole comprising:

a golf cart; and

receiver means mounted on said golf cart including antenna means for receiving an encoded signal correlated to the position of said golf cart on the golf course, said receiver means interpreting said encoded signal via a memory, said signal defining a location on said golf course corresponding directly to a location within said memory, said memory correlating each of said encoded signals to corresponding data defining said information, said data being predetermined, said receiver means relaying said information derived from said memory to display means for displaying said information to the golfer regarding the position and distance of designated points on a golf hole course relative to said golf cart, said receiver means passively providing said information without golfer input, and wherein said receiver means also computes the time duration of play over portions of the golf course.

10. A golf information system providing a golfer with information regarding the distance to designated points relative to various positions on a golf course hole comprising:

a moveable receiver including antenna means for receiving at least one encoded signal correlated to the position of said receiver on the golf course, said receiver interpreting said encoded signal via a memory, said memory correlating said encoded signal to corresponding data defining said information, said data being predetermined, said receiver relaying said information derived from said memory to display means for displaying said information to the golfer regarding distance to designated points on a golf course relative to said receiver, said receiver automatically providing said information as said receiver is moved on said golf course,

means for modifying said memory to reflect changes in said distance information relative to said designated points, said modification occurring when said receiver receives an input at the beginning of each round of golf as to said changes for each of said holes and, said input being an encoded signal transmitted by a programmable transmitter means wherein said receiver receives said input from said programmable transmitter means when passing thereby.

11. A golf information system providing a golfer with information regarding the distance to designated points relative to various positions on a golf course hole comprising:

a golf cart; and

receiver means mounted on said golf cart including antenna means for receiving a signal from which the position of said golf cart on the golf course is determined, said receiver means interpreting said signal via a memory, said signal defining a location on said golf course corresponding directly to a location within said memory, said memory correlating said position to corresponding data defining said information, said data being predetermined, said receiver means relaying said information derived from said memory to display means for displaying said information to the golfer regarding the position and distance of designated points on a golf hole course relative to said golf cart, said receiver means passively providing said information without golfer input, said receiver means further includes a real-time clock providing a time-of-day reading.

12. A golf information system providing a golfer with information regarding the distance to designated points relative to various positions on a golf course hole comprising:

a golf cart; and

receiver means mounted on said golf cart including antenna means for receiving a signal from which the position of said golf cart on the golf course is determined, said receiver means interpreting said signal via a memory, said signal defining a location on said golf course corresponding directly to a location within said memory, said memory correlating said position to corresponding data defining said information, said data being predetermined, said receiver means relaying said information derived from said memory to display means for displaying said information to the golfer regarding the position and distance of designated points on a golf hole course relative to said golf cart, said receiver means passively providing said information without golfer input, and wherein said receiver means computes the time duration of play over portions of the golf course.

13. A golf information system providing a golfer with information regarding the distance to designated points relative to various positions on a golf course hole comprising:

a movable receiver including antenna means for receiving at least one signal from which the position of said receiver on the golf course is determined, said receiver interpreting said signal via a modifiable memory, said memory correlating said position to corresponding data defining said information, said data being predetermined and based solely on said position, without additional inputs from said golfer, said receiver relaying said information derived from said memory to display means for displaying said information to the golfer regarding the distance to designated points on a golf course hole relative to said receiver, said receiver automatically providing said information as said receiver is moved on said golf course;

means for modifying said memory to reflect changes in said distance information relative to said designated points;

an input applied to said receiver at the beginning of each round of golf indicating said changes for each of said holes to comprise said modification; and

an encoded signal transmitted by a programmable transmitter means, said receiver receiving said input from said programmable transmitter means when passing thereby.