Golf course yardage and information system

• US 6,236,360 B1
• Filed: 09/08/1995
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GPS Industries LLC (Ingersoll Rand, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Prolink Inc.
• Inventors: Pham, Tuan, Rudow, Richard W., Lecker, Douglas L., Bingeman, Kirk, Garn, Brad, Coffee, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US08/525,905
• Time in Patent Office: 2,083 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357, 342/457, 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.08, 342/357.13, 342/357.17, 340/905, 340/995, 364/449.7, 364/449.8, 364/449.9
• US Class Current: 342/357.25
• 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 2024/0056 for statistical or strategic analysis
• 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 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 55/60 Wheeled carriers specially adapted for golf bags
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 55/61 motorised
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/004 for golf carts
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/072 Ionosphere corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/009 Transmission of differential positioning data to mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/143 : inside the vehicles

Abstract

A player position determining and course management system for a golf course having a plurality of roving units for use by players in playing the course is disclosed. Each roving unit includes a central processing unit (CPU) including a data processor for executing various tasks ranging from fastest execution of a task to slowest execution of a task on a schedule of priorities of task completion, a real-time means -For controlling the processor to give the tasks priority ranging from fastest execution of a task with highest priority to slowest execution of a task with lowest priority, and a means for precisely timing functions of the system including modulating means utilizing a common digital modulation technique for digitally modulating data transmitted to and from all of the roving units. Each of the roving units include a monitor for displaying the golf course including each of the holes with its tee box, fairway, green, cup and hazards, as well as the position of the roving unit on the course in real time. Additionally, the system includes a course management base station for transmitting and receiving information to the roving units and a monitor for displaying the location of each roving unit on the golf course in real time.

Claims

1. A method of timing the presentation of a preselected one of a plurality of images for display on a monitor of a golf cart adapted for play of a golf course equipped with a golf course yardage and information system that includes an administrative base station and a multiplicity of golf carts each adapted to display on respective monitors thereof a map of the entire course or selected holes or portions of holes of play thereof and of the location of individual carts on the course, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting survey data including a plurality of survey zones of predetermined geometrical shape on each hole of the course wherein each of said survey zones has a boundary that completely encompasses at least a respective one of a plurality of features of each hole, the collecting step including mapping each hole of play of said course and selected physical features thereof for visual display on each said cart monitor using GPS to collect survey data for each selected feature by traversing the respective perimeter thereof relative to a preselected reference point, whereby the respective perimeter of each selected feature of each hole is uniquely identified with respect to said reference point, creating said survey zones to encompass an area of interest of the respective hole including said respective one of the features thereof and processing the collected survey data for display;

detecting entry of the cart into a survey zone from a location outside thereof; and

thereupon automatically displaying a preselected one of the images on said cart monitor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one of said zones of each hole encompasses the tee boxes thereof.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein another of said zones of each hole encompasses the green thereof.

4. The method of claim 2, including:

storing at least some of the collected survey data, and

automatically retrieving a portion thereof representing a map of a particular hole of play when the cart enters said one zone thereof, to display a map of said particular hole on the cart monitor.

5. The method of claim 1, including:

storing a plurality of promotional messages as images to be displayed when a cart enters respective ones of said plurality of zones of a particular hole of play, and

automatically retrieving a preselected one of said promotional messages stored for display on said cart monitor upon the cart'"'"'s entry into one of said zones of the hole.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein

said automatically displaying a preselected one of the images comprises displaying the total elapsed time spent for play of a hole upon entry of the cart into said one zone of the next hole.

7. A method of timing the presentation of a selected image for display on a monitor of a golf cart used for play of a golf course equipped with a golf course yardage and information system that includes an administrative base station and a multiplicity of golf carts each adapted to display on respective monitors thereof a map of the entire course or selected holes or portions of holes of play thereof and of the location of individual carts on the course, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting survey data including a plurality of survey zones of predetermined geometrical shape on each hole of the course wherein each of said survey zones has a boundary that completely encompasses a respective one of a plurality of features of each hole including at least a first survey zone encompassing the tee boxes and a second survey zone encompassing the green of each hole, said step of collecting survey data including

mapping and selecting physical features of each hole of play of said course for visual display on each said cart monitor and base station monitor, using a Global Positioning System (GPS) to collect survey data as data points for each of the selected features by traversing the respective boundary thereof relative to a preselected reference point so that all of the survey data points for each of the selected features and each said respective boundary thereof are uniquely identified with respect to said reference point,

forming each said zone as a two-dimensional geometric shape selected from a group consisting of rectangles, circles, and ellipses, to overlay the map and encompass a respective region thereof that includes at least one of said selected features, and

processing the survey data for display on the map of each hole on each said cart monitor and base station monitor;

detecting when the golf cart has exited one survey zone and entered another survey zone by sensing that the cart is crossing a boundary therebetween irrespective of whether said crossing is between survey zones of the same hole or different holes of the course; and

in response to such detection, automatically displaying an image on said cart monitor related to the cart'"'"'s passage from said one zone to said another zone.