Golf course guidance method, guidance device, and management system

• US 5,797,809 A
• Filed: 06/16/1995
• Issued: 08/25/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Makoto Hyuga
• Original Assignee: Makoto Hyuga
• Inventors: Hyuga, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/454,286
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 473/407, 473/409, 473/156, 364/410, 364/444, 364/449, 364/458, 364/460, 364/556-557, 434/1, 434/252, 434/307 R, 342/357, 342/450, 342/451, 342/457, 342/458, 342/118, 342/126, 340/323 R, 340/500, 340/501, 340/825, 340/32
• US Class Current: 473/407
• 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 2220/20 Distances or displacements
• 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 71/0669 Score-keepers or score display devices

Abstract

The invention relates to a golf course guidance device and the like to be used for giving guidance information about the holes and greens on a golf course. The holes and the greens on a golf course are respectively divided into small cells. For each hole, the location of a golf course guidance device is detected by a sub unit location detection means. By comparing the data from the cell corresponding to the location of the golf course guidance device the data from with each cell, which is read from a hole cell data table of a hole cell data storage means, the location and other data is displayed on a liquid crystal display, together with the distance and the direction to the center of the green. Further, the aforementioned distance is adjusted with the direction and speed of wind being taken into consideration. On each hole, the location of the golf course guidance device is detected by the sub unit location detection means by comparing the location of golf course guidance device with each cell in the same manner as above, and data for the corresponding cell, which is read from a green cell data table of a green cell data storage means, is displayed on liquid crystal display, together with the distance to the pin, the slope and grain of the green and so forth. A golf course management device detects the locations of a plurality of respective golf course guidance devices and displays them on a CRT display, thereby providing data for managing distances between players and conditions of game play.

Claims

1. A guidance method for a golf course comprising the steps of:

providing a plan view of said golf course;

dividing said plan view into a plurality of cells, each having definable characteristics;

at least one of said plurality of cells including;

a cup, a pin having a vertical axis, said cup having means for holding said pin whereby said pin is removable from said cup, and means, connected to said pin, for measuring weather and generating a weather data responsively thereto;

storing a data corresponding to said definable characteristics of each of said plurality of cells;

selecting at least two of said plurality of cells;

generating an advice from at least one of said data and said weather data corresponding to said at least two of said plurality of cells; and

transmitting said advice to a user of said golf course.

2. A golf course aid method as defined in claim 1 wherein said step of selecting at least two includes:

detecting a location of said user;

selecting a location cell of said plurality of cells which corresponds to said location of said user; and

said location cell being one of said at least two of said plurality of cells.

3. A golf course aid method as defined in claim 1 wherein said step of generating an advice further includes calculating a distance between said at least two of said plurality of cells.

4. A golf course aid system, comprising:

computing means having means for storing permanent data, each datum representing a feature of a discrete cell portion of a geographic area of said golf course;

at least one said discrete cell portion having a means for generating a weather data, said means for generating weather data including;

a cup, a pin having a vertical axis, said cup having means for holding said pin whereby said pin is removable from said cup, and means, connected to said pin, for measuring weather and generating said weather data responsively thereto;

said computing means including means for generating first transient data responsively to at least one of said weather data and said permanent data;

a first guidance device, carried by a first user, for outputting a first signal, perceptible to said first user, responsively to at least one of said first transient data and said permanent data;

said first guidance device including means for indicating a position of said first player; and

a second guidance device, carried by a second user, including means for generating a second signal, responsive to said position of said first player, and outputting said second signal.

5. A golf course aid system as in claim 4, wherein:

said guidance device includes means for transmitting second transient data entered by said user to said computing means; and

said computing means includes means for generating third transient data responsively to at least one of said first transient data, said second transient data, and said permanent data;

said guidance device including means for outputting a further signal responsively to said second transient data.

6. A golf course aid system as in claim 5, further comprising means for detecting a location of said guidance device on said golf course.

7. A golf course aid system as in claim 6, wherein said means for detecting includes means for indicating a one of said cell portions in which said guidance device is located.

8. A golf course aid system as in claim 4, further comprising:

means for detecting a location of said guidance device on said golf course;

said means for detecting including means for indicating a one of said cell portions in which said guidance device is located; and

said guidance device including means for outputting a signal, perceptible to said user, responsively to said means for indicating.

9. A golf course aid system as in claim 4, further comprising:

means for measuring a property of said cell portion and transmitting data relating to said property to said computing means;

means for calculating second transient data responsively to said data relating to said property; and

said guidance device including means for outputting a further signal responsively to said second transient data.

10. A golf course aid system as in claim 9, further comprising means for detecting a location of said guidance device on said golf course.

11. A golf course aid system as in claim 10, wherein said means for detecting includes means for indicating a one of said cell portions in which said guidance device is located.

12. A golf course aid system as in claim 11, further comprising:

means for calculating third transient data responsively to said means for indicating; and

said guidance device including means for outputting a further signal responsively to said third signal.

13. A golf course aid system, comprising:

first and second guidance devices carried by first and second users of said golf course, respectively;

said first guidance device having means for indicating a position on said golf course of said first user and transmitting a position indication responsive to said position on said golf course of said first user;

a base computer having means for receiving said position indication;

said base computer having means for generating secondary data responsively to said position indication and transmitting said secondary data;

said second guidance device having means for receiving said secondary data and outputting a signal perceptible to said second user;

said base computer including means for storing permanent data, each datum representing a feature of a discrete cell portion of a geographic area of said golf course;

at least one said discrete cell portion having a means for generating a weather data and transmitting said weather data to said base computer, said means for generating weather data including;

a cup, a pin having a vertical axis, said cup having means for holding said pin whereby said pin is removable from said cup, and means, connected to said pin, for measuring weather and generating said weather data responsively thereto; and

said base computer including means for generating first transient data responsively to at least one of said permanent data and said weather data.

14. A golf course aid system as in claim 13, wherein:

said first and second guidance device include means for transmitting second transient data entered by said first and second users, respectively to said base computer;

said base computer includes means for generating third transient data responsively to at least one of said first transient data, said second transient data, and said permanent data; and

said first and second guidance device further including means for outputting a further signal responsively to said third transient data.

15. A golf course aid system as in claim 14, wherein said means for means receiving includes locator means for detecting a location of said first guidance device.

16. A golf course aid system as in claim 15, wherein said locator means for includes means for detecting a one of said cell portions in which said first guidance device is located.

17. A golf course aid system, comprising:

base computer having means for storing permanent cell data concerning cells;

each cell representing a discrete portion of a geographic plan of said golf course;

each permanent cell datum representing a piece of descriptive information concerning a corresponding one of said cells;

means for generating other data, said means for storing including means for storing said other data;

said means for generating other data including;

a cup, a pin having a vertical axis, said cup having means for holding said pin whereby said pin is removable from said cup, means, connected to said pin, for measuring weather and generating weather data responsively thereto, and said base computer means having means for receiving said weather data;

means for generating transient cell data from at least one of said cell data and said other data; and

a guidance device, carried by said user, for displaying said permanent cell data and said transient cell data.

18. A golf course guidance device as described in claim 17 further comprising:

means for detecting a first location on said golf course; and

said means for displaying including means for displaying said first location.

19. A golf course guidance device as described in claim 18 further comprising:

means for determining a second location;

means for calculating a desired path of a ball between said first and second locations;

means for determining at least one property of said path; and

said means for displaying including means for displaying said property.

20. A golf course guidance device as described in claim 19 wherein said permanent data includes at least one of:

a size of said cell;

an elevation of said cell;

a slope of a ground of said cell;

a location of at least one of a tee, a green, a pin, and a hazard;

a position of another of said cells;

a condition of soil in said cell;

a type of vegetation in said cell;

a condition of said vegetation.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein:

said means for measuring weather includes at least one of means for measuring wind direction, means for measuring wind velocity, means for measuring temperature, means for measuring barometric pressure, and means for measuring precipitation.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein:

said means for measuring weather includes said means for measuring wind velocity;

said means for measuring wind velocity including;

a flag attached to said pin;

said flag oscillating at a flutter frequency responsively to said wind velocity; and

means for measuring said flutter frequency.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein:

said cup includes registration means for fixing an angular position of said pin about said vertical axis;

said means for measuring weather includes said means for measuring wind direction; and

said means for measuring wind direction includes means for detecting an angular position of said flag relative to said registration means.