Towrope winch rider profile

• US 9,592,890 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2010
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Innovative Sports Incoporated
• Original Assignee: Global Innovative Sports Incoporated
• Inventors: Christensen, Ladd E., Welch, John M., Triplett, Tyson, Hales, Devin
• Primary Examiner(s): Gami, Tejal
• Application Number:
  US12/689,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20100121493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,612 Days
• Field of Search: 700/275, 254/271, 114/275, 114/254, 440/84, 340/984
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 21/16 using winches winches per se B66D
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 34/67 Connection means on the towing watercraft, e.g. pylons, side poles or winches

Abstract

A system for controlling a towrope winch may comprise a computing device configured to send and receive data to and from the towrope winch, and a towrope winch application configured to operate on the computing device, in which the computing device is configured to operate the towrope winch based on data inputted by the user to the towrope winch application. A towrope winch user interface may comprise a processor configured to send and receive data to and from a towrope winch, and a towrope winch application configured to operate with the processor, in which the processor is configured to operate the towrope winch based on data inputted by the user to the towrope winch application.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a towrope winch comprising:

a computing device configured to send data to and receive data from the towrope winch, the data sent to the towrope winch operative to control operation of the towrope winch;

the computing device storing rider profile data for each of a plurality of riders, the rider profile data for each of the plurality of riders including at least an identification of the rider, a height of the rider, a weight of the rider, a starting and ending towrope length for the rider, and a ride preference for the each rider;

the computing device configured to execute a towrope winch application and calculate towrope winch operational data for controlling the towrope winch for a particular rider of the plurality of riders,

the computing device calculating the towrope winch operational data specific for the particular rider by executing an algorithm on the computing device for calculating the towrope winch operational data, the algorithm using an identification of the particular rider to access the previously stored rider profile data for the particular rider and the algorithm calculating towrope winch operational parameters for controlling the towrope winch for the particular rider using at least the identification of the particular rider, the previously stored rider profile data, the height of the particular rider, the weight of the particular rider, the starting and ending towrope length for the particular rider, the ride preference for the particular rider, and a skill level for the particular rider; and

the computing device configured to control operation of the towrope winch by sending from the computing device to the towrope winch the towrope winch operational data which has been calculated by the computing device for the particular rider, wherein functions of the towrope winch are controlled by the calculated operational data without simultaneous user input at the computing device.

2. The system of claim 1, in which the rider profile data comprises one or more of a rider'"'"'s name, a rider'"'"'s username, a rider'"'"'s age, a rider'"'"'s sex, minimum towrope length, maximum towrope length, reel-in speed of the towrope, reel-out speed of the towrope, reel-in acceleration of the towrope, reel-out acceleration of the towrope, a ramp-up, a ramp-down, an acceleration profile, a rider'"'"'s skill level, and rider preference information.

3. The system of claim 1, in which the rider profile data is used to determine the skill level of the rider.

4. The system of claim 1, in which the rider profile data comprises a plurality of distinct preferences for a plurality of distinct water sports.

5. The system of claim 4, in which the preferences vary for each water sport.

6. The system of claim 2, in which when the skill level data is entered, the towrope winch application is further configured to define a number of other data.

7. A towrope winch user interface comprising:

a processor configured to send operational data to and receive data from a towrope winch; and

a towrope winch application configured to operate with the processor,

wherein the processor is configured to operate the towrope winch based on towrope winch operational parameters calculated for a particular rider at least in part from rider profile data input by a user to the towrope winch application and previously stored in computer readable memory, the rider profile data comprising rider information for the particular rider and including at least an identification of the particular rider, a height of the particular rider, a weight of the particular rider, a starting and ending towrope length for the particular rider, and a ride preference for the particular rider,

the rider profile data having been input and stored prior to calculation of the operational parameters and operation of the towrope winch, and

calculation of the operational parameters based on the stored rider profile data, the height of the particular rider, the weight of the particular rider, the starting and ending towrope length for the particular rider, the ride preference for the particular rider, and a skill level for the particular rider.

8. The towrope winch user interface of claim 7, further comprising a number of input devices for inputting data to the towrope winch user interface.

9. The towrope winch user interface of claim 7, further comprising a number of output devices for outputting information to a user.

10. The towrope winch user interface of claim 7, further comprising a touch screen for inputting data to the towrope winch user interface and outputting information to a user.

11. The towrope winch user interface of claim 7, in which the processor is further configured to operate a watercraft to which the towrope winch is coupled based on data input by the user to the towrope winch application.

12. The towrope winch user interface of claim 7, in which the rider profile data comprises one of a rider'"'"'s name, a rider'"'"'s username, a rider'"'"'s age, minimum towrope length, maximum towrope length, reel-in speed of the towrope, reel-out speed of the towrope, reel-in acceleration of the towrope, reel-out acceleration of the towrope, a ramp-up, a ramp-down, an acceleration profile, a rider'"'"'s skill level, and combinations thereof.

13. A method for calculating operating parameters for controlling a towrope winch, comprising:

storing rider profile data for each of a plurality of riders, the rider profile data for each of the plurality of riders including at least an identification of the rider, a height of the rider, a weight of the rider, a starting and ending towrope length for the rider, and a ride preference for the each rider;

receiving an identification of a particular rider;

calculating operational parameters for the identified particular rider for the towrope winch by accessing the stored profile data for the particular rider and calculating the operation parameters based on the stored rider profile data, the height of the particular rider, the weight of the particular rider, the starting and ending towrope length for the particular rider, the ride preference for the particular rider, and a skill level for the particular rider;

sending the calculated operational parameters for the particular rider to the towrope winch; and

operating the towrope winch based at least in part on the calculated operational parameters.

14. The method of claim 13, in which the rider profile data comprises one of a rider'"'"'s name, a rider'"'"'s username, a rider'"'"'s age, minimum towrope length, maximum towrope length, reel-in speed of the towrope, reel-out speed of the towrope, reel-in acceleration of the towrope, reel-out acceleration of the towrope, a ramp-up, a ramp-down, an acceleration profile, a rider'"'"'s skill level, and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising prompting a user for data regarding a watercraft to which the towrope winch is coupled.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising operating the watercraft based on data input by the user.

17. The method of claim 15, in which the data regarding a watercraft comprises one of an owner of the watercraft, the make of the watercraft, the model of the watercraft, a registration number of the watercraft, the dimensions of the watercraft, the name of the watercraft, the existence of a tower on the watercraft, the make of the tower, the model of the tower, the distance from a point on the tower to the back of the watercraft, and combinations thereof.

18. A computer program product for calculating operating parameters of a towrope winch, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable data storage device having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code, which when executed upon one or more processors, is configured to;

prompt a user to enter rider profile data, the rider profile data including at least an identification of a rider, a height of the rider, a weight of the rider, a starting and ending towrope length for the rider, and a ride preference for the rider;

receive and store the rider profile data input by the user;

receive an identification for a particular rider;

retrieve stored rider profile data for the particular rider;

calculate operating parameters for the towrope winch specifically for the identified particular rider, wherein calculating the operating parameters is based at least in part upon the retrieved stored rider profile data for the particular rider, the height of the particular rider, the weight of the particular rider, the starting and ending towrope length for the particular rider, the ride preference for the particular rider, and a skill level for the particular rider;

send the calculated operating parameters for the particular rider to the towrope winch; and

operate the towrope winch based at least in part upon the calculated operating parameters.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, in which the rider profile data comprises one of a rider'"'"'s name, a rider'"'"'s username, a rider'"'"'s age, minimum towrope length, maximum towrope length, reel-in speed of the towrope, reel-out speed of the towrope, reel-in acceleration of the towrope, reel-out acceleration of the towrope, a rider'"'"'s skill level, a ramp-up, a ramp-down, an acceleration profile, and combinations thereof.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising computer usable program code configured to prompt a user for data regarding a watercraft to which the towrope winch is coupled.