Golf cart location display device

• US 6,348,007 B2
• Filed: 05/13/1999
• Issued: 02/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Futaba Denshi Kogyo KK
• Original Assignee: Futaba Denshi Kogyo KK
• Inventors: Yoshino, Hiroshi, Akiba, Nobuo, Kawasaki, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kim T.
• Application Number:
  US09/311,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20010053719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 700/92, 340/988, 340/571-2, 340/539, 340/990, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/932.2, 473/131, 473/140, 473/198, 473/407, 473/406, 364/400, 364/410.1, 455/5.1, 455/9, 455/6.1, 455/6.3, 455/404, 455/412, 455/95, 455/230
• US Class Current: 473/131
• 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 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 2220/836 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 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/00 Golfing accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals

Abstract

A golf cart control and monitoring system on a golf course including a plurality of sensors arranged along a golf cart path at locations corresponding to at least a teeing ground, a fairway, and a putting green of each hole of the golf course in which each of the sensors includes a sensor ID transmitting apparatus. Each of a plurality of golf carts traveling on the golf cart path includes a golf cart ID transmitting apparatus configured to maintain communication between the sensors and the golf carts. Also included is a golf cart control station having a golf cart location device configured to determine locations of the golf carts traveling on the golf cart path. The golf cart location device includes a radio transmitter/receiver configured to receive information on the golf cart IDs and a current location of the golf carts in the golf course from the sensors and the golf carts. The location device also includes a signal processing unit configured to process information on the golf cart IDs and the current location of the golf carts and to provide a table including location information corresponding to the current location of each golf cart on the teeing ground, the fairway and the putting green of each hole of the entire gold course. The location information is displayed in a sequentially straight line or a bar graph. A display indicates a progress of the golf carts on the table as the golf carts travel around the golf course.

Claims

1. A golf cart control and monitoring system on a golf course, comprising:

a plurality of sensors arranged along a golf cart path at locations corresponding to at least a teeing ground, a fairway, and a putting green of each hole of the golf course, each of said sensors including a sensor ID transmitting apparatus;

each of a plurality of golf carts travelling on said golf cart path include a golf cart ID transmitting apparatus configured to maintain communication between said sensors and said golf carts; and

a golf cart control station having a golf cart location device configured to determine locations of the golf carts travelling on the golf cart path,

wherein said golf cart location device includes;

(a) a radio transmitter/receiver configured to receive information on the golf cart IDs and a current location of said golf carts in the golf course from said sensors and said golf carts;

(b) a signal processing unit configured to process information on the golf cart IDs and the current location of said golf carts and to provide a table including location information corresponding to the current location of each golf cart on the teeing ground, the fairway and the putting green of each hole of the entire golf course, said location information being displayed in a sequentially straight line and being variable information which progressively changes as the golf carts pass the sensors arranged at the teeing ground. the fairway and the putting green; and

(c) a display configured to indicate a progress of the golf carts on the table as the golf carts travel around the golf course.

2. A golf cart control and monitoring system on a golf course, comprising:

a plurality of sensors arranged along a golf cart path at locations corresponding to at least a teeing ground, a fairway, and a putting green of each hole of the golf course, each of said sensors including a sensor ID transmitting apparatus;

each of a plurality of golf carts travelling on said golf cart path include a golf cart ID transmitting apparatus configured to maintain communication between said sensors and said golf carts; and

a golf cart control station having a golf cart location device configured to determine locations of the golf carts travelling on the golf cart path,

wherein said golf cart location display device includes;

(a) a radio transmitter/receiver configured to receive information on said golf cart IDs and a current location of said golf carts in the golf course from said sensors and said golf carts;

(b) a signal processing unit configured to process information on the golf cart IDs and the current location of said golf carts and to provide a table including location information corresponding to the current location of each golf cart represented by a respective golf cart ID on the teeing ground, the fairway and the putting green of each hole of the entire golf course, said location information being displayed by a bar graph and being variable information which progressively changes as the golf carts pass the sensors arranged at the teeing ground, the fairway and the putting green; and

(c) a display configured to indicate the successive progress of the golf carts from a starting hole to the current location on said table by the bar graph as the golf carts travel around said golf course.

3. The golf cart control and monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein said display indicates the successive progress of each golf cart from the starting hole to the current location of the golf course by the bar graph together with a lapse of time.

4. A golf cart control and monitoring system on a golf course, comprising:

a plurality of sensor arranged along a golf cart path at locations corresponding to at least a teeing ground, a fairway, and a putting green of each hole of the golf course, each of said sensors including a sensor ID transmitting apparatus;

each of a plurality of golf carts traveling on said golf cart path include a golf cart ID transmitting apparatus configured to maintain communication between said sensors and said golf carts; and

a golf cart control station having a golf cart location device configured to determine locations of the golf carts travelling on the golf cart path,

wherein said golf cart location display device includes;

(a) a radio transmitter/receiver configured to receive information on the golf cart IDs and a current location of the golf carts in the golf course from said sensors and said golf carts;

(b) a signal processing unit configured to process information on said golf cart IDs and the current location of said golf cart, to provide a table including location formation corresponding to the current location of each golf cart on the teeing ground, the fairway and the putting green of each hole of the entire golf course, said location information being displayed in a sequentially straight line, and to alter a display characteristic of a succeeding entry of the table corresponding to where said carts are going to proceed next, when the radio transmitter/receiver does not receive information on the golf cart IDs and the current location of the golf carts for a predetermined period of time; and

(c) a display configured to indicate a progress of the golf carts on the table as the golf carts travel around the golf course.

6. The golf cart control and monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the signal processing unit alters the display characteristic by one of flashing and changing a color of the succeeding entry of the table.

5. A golf cart control and monitoring system on a golf course, comprising:

a plurality of sensors arranged along a golf cart path at locations corresponding to at least a teeing ground, a fairway, and a putting green of each hole of the golf course, each of said sensors including a sensor ID transmitting apparatus;

each of a plurality of golf carts travelling on said golf cart path include a golf cart ID transmitting apparatus configured to maintain communication between said sensors and said golf carts; and

a golf cart control station having a golf cart location device configured to determine locations of the golf carts travelling on the golf cart path,

wherein said golf cart location display device includes;

(a) a radio transmitter/receiver configured to receive information on said golf cart IDs and a current location of said golf carts in the golf course from said sensors and said golf carts;

(b) a signal processing unit configured to process information on the golf cart IDs and the current location of the golf carts, to provide a table including location information corresponding to the current location of each golf cart represented by a respective golf cart ID on the teeing ground, the fairway and the putting green of each hole of the entire golf course, said location information being displayed by a bar graph, and to alter a display characteristic in display areas corresponding to where said carts are going to proceed next, when the radio transmitter/receiver does not receive information on the golf cart IDs and the current location of the golf carts for a predetermined period of time; and

(c) a display configured to indicate the progress of the golf carts on the table as the golf carts travel around the golf course.

7. The golf cart control and monitoring system according to claim 5, wherein the signal processing unit alters the display characteristic by one of flashing and changing a color of the succeeding entry of the table.