Golf GPS device

• US 8,355,869 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Balardeta, Joseph, Denton, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US12/645,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20110046880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 701/439, 701/469, 701/526, 701/412, 701/454, 701/487, 701/532, 473/407, 463/2, 715/764
• US Class Current: 701/532
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0691 Maps, e.g. yardage maps or electronic maps
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• 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 71/0619 Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0669 Score-keepers or score display devices

Abstract

A golf GPS device is disclosed herein. The device includes a GPS unit, a memory for storing data for a plurality of golf courses, a display for displaying animations of portions of golf courses, a user input for inputting a plurality of location points on the display, and a processor comprising means for rendering the animations of portions of golf courses from a plurality of latitude and longitude coordinate points.

Claims

1. A golf GPS device comprising:

a GPS component, the GPS component configured to obtain a latitude and longitude location point of the golf GPS device;

a memory comprising stored data for a plurality of portions of a plurality of golf courses, wherein the data for a plurality of portions for each of the plurality of golf courses is a plurality of longitude and latitude points, wherein the memory comprises data for 10,000 to 30,000 golf courses;

a display member for displaying a plurality of images;

a user input; and

a processor configured to render animations of a portion of a golf course on the display from the stored data for the plurality of portions of the plurality of golf course in the memory based on the latitude and longitude location point of the golf GPS device, wherein the animation of the portion of the golf course is a plurality of type regions, wherein each of the plurality of type regions represents one of green'"'"'s grass, sand, water, rough grass, fairway grass and a flagstick.

2. The golf GPS device according to claim 1 wherein the GPS component comprises a GPS circuit and GPS antenna.

3. The golf GPS device according to claim 1 wherein the data for the plurality of golf courses is grouped according to a plurality of geographical regions.

4. The golf GPS device according to claim 3 wherein the plurality of geographical regions comprises the States of the United States.

5. A method for displaying a portion of a golf course and a golfer'"'"'s location on a handheld device, the method comprising:

retrieving latitude and longitude coordinates for a golfer'"'"'s location using a GPS component of a handheld device;

selecting a geographical region from a plurality of geographical regions on the handheld device;

determining a golf course from a plurality of stored golf courses on the device based on the selected geographical region and the latitude and longitude coordinates for the golfer'"'"'s location wherein the plurality of stored golf courses comprises data for 10,000 to 30,000 golf courses stored in a memory of the handheld device;

selecting a portion of the golf course for display on a screen of the handheld device;

rendering an animation of the portion of the golf course based on a plurality of type regions of the portion of the golf course, each of the plurality of type regions comprising from 10 to 100 longitude and latitude points, wherein each of the plurality of type regions represents one of green'"'"'s grass, sand, water, rough grass, fairway grass and a flagstick; and

displaying the animation of the portion of the golf course on the screen of the handheld device.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the plurality of geographical regions comprises the States of the United States.

7. The method according to claim 5 wherein the plurality of geographical regions comprises the Provinces of Canada.

8. The method according to claim 5 wherein the plurality of geographical regions comprises the Nations of Europe.

9. The method according to claim 5 wherein the plurality of geographical regions comprises States of Australia.

10. The method according to claim 5 wherein the plurality of geographical regions comprises Prefectures of Japan.

11. The method according to claim 5 wherein the plurality of geographical regions comprises the Provinces of China.

12. The method according to claim 5 wherein the portion of the golf course is selected from one of a fairway portion, a green portion or a tee portion.