Golf GPS device

• US 8,070,628 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2008
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Denton, Scott, Balardeta, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US12/133,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20090305820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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, 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 aerial images of a golf course;

determine the position of the golf GPS device using the GPS unit, the GPS unit receiving signals from a plurality of GPS satellites in order to determine the position of the golf GPS device;

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 wherein the standby condition is less than three yards of movement of the golf GPS device as determined by the GPS unit; and

upon detecting the standby condition, entering a standby mode in which the power is deactivated for said microprocessor, said display, and said storage device.