Rock climbing navigational watch

• US 9,835,457 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2015
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Morris, Mark D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frejd, Russell
• Application Number:
  US14/812,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20160299230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3826 Terrain data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/00 Measuring inclination, e.g. by clinometers, by levels
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images

Abstract

Embodiments are disclosed to calculate and store rock climbing navigational data using a rock climbing watch including a sensor array configured to measure an orientation of the rock climbing watch and a processor configured to calculate an angle between two rock face locations along a rock climbing route based upon an orientation of the rock climbing watch when it is pointed from a current rock face location towards another rock face location. A processor may determine route segments for traversing the rock climbing route. A processor may convert route climbing navigational data into a three-dimensional wireframe rock climbing navigational map including rock face locations, calculated distances and angles between rock face locations, and a rock climbing route. The rock climbing watch may present information to guide the user along a rock climbing route by displaying a graphical directional indicator and a distance to the next rock face location.

Claims

1. A rock climbing watch, comprising:

a location determining component configured to determine a current geographic location of the rock climbing watch;

a sensor array configured to measure an orientation of the rock climbing watch;

a memory configured to store rock climbing navigational data; and

a processor configured to;

calculate a first angle between a starting location and a first rock face location based upon the orientation of the rock climbing watch when the rock climbing watch is pointed from the starting location towards the first rock face location, and

store the first angle as rock climbing navigational data.

2. The rock climbing watch of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a second angle between the first rock face location and a second rock face location based upon the orientation of the rock climbing watch when the rock climbing watch is pointed from the first rock face location towards the second rock face location and store the second angle as rock climbing navigational data.

3. The rock climbing watch of claim 2, wherein the sensor array is further configured to measure an elevation of the rock climbing watch, and

wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculate a first distance between the starting location and the first rock face location based upon the first angle and a change in elevation of the rock climbing watch between the starting location and the first rock face location,

calculate a second distance between the first rock face location and the second rock face location based upon the second angle and a change in elevation of the rock climbing watch between the first rock face location and the second rock face location, and

store the first and the second distances as rock climbing navigational data.

4. The rock climbing watch of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to

calculate a first angle between the first rock face location and the starting location based upon the orientation of the rock climbing watch when the rock climbing watch is pointed from the first rock face location towards the starting location, and

determine a difference between the calculated first angle when the rock climbing watch is pointed from the first rock face location towards the starting location and the calculated first angle when the rock climbing watch is pointed from the starting location towards the first rock face location,

store an indication in the memory that the first angle calculated between the starting location and the first rock face location made from the first rock face location is accurate if the determined difference is below an error threshold.

5. The rock climbing watch of claim 1, wherein the sensor array is further configured to measure a motion of the rock climbing watch, and

wherein the processor is further configured, upon the rock climbing watch reaching the first rock face location, to associate a current geographic location of the rock climbing watch with the first rock face location when the motion of the rock climbing watch matches a predetermined motion profile.

6. The rock climbing watch of claim 1, wherein the sensor array is further configured to detect metallic objects within a threshold distance of the rock climbing watch, and

wherein the processor is further configured, upon the rock climbing watch reaching the first rock face location, to associate a current geographic location of the rock climbing watch with the first rock face location when the sensor array detects that the rock climbing watch is within the threshold distance of a metallic bolt located at the first rock face location.

7. The rock climbing watch of claim 1, wherein the starting location is at least one of a base location at the bottom of a rock climb, an intermediate location of a rock climb, or a rock face location at the top of a rock climb.

8. The rock climbing watch of claim 1, wherein the memory includes a known geographic location for the starting location, and

wherein the processor is further configured to determine, based on the known geographic location of the starting location and the calculated first angle, an estimated geographic location for the first rock face location.

9. The rock climbing watch of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculate a second angle between the first rock face location and a second rock face location based upon the orientation of the rock climbing watch when the rock climbing watch is pointed from the first rock face location towards the second rock face location, and

determine, based on the estimated geographic location for the first rock face location and the calculated second angle, an estimated geographic location for the second rock face location.

10. The rock climbing watch of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface configured to identify a user input indicating that the rock climbing watch is being pointed from the starting location towards the first rock face location.

11. A rock climbing watch, comprising:

a communication unit configured to receive rock climbing navigational data;

a memory configured to store the rock climbing navigational data, the rock climbing navigational data including a plurality of rock face locations and a plurality of rock climbing route segments for traversing a rock face, the plurality of rock face locations including a first and a second rock face location, and the plurality of rock climbing route segments indicating an angle and distance between each of the plurality of rock face locations;

a processor configured to receive an input indicating that the rock climbing watch is currently located at the first rock face location; and

a watch face display configured to display a direction and a distance from the first rock face location to the second rock face location upon receipt of the input, the direction and distance being based upon an angle and a distance indicated by a rock climbing route segment from among the plurality of rock climbing route segments that spans the first and second rock face locations.

12. The rock climbing watch of claim 11, further comprising:

a sensor array configured to measure a motion of the rock climbing watch, and

wherein the input indicating that the rock climbing watch is currently located at the first rock face location includes identification of the motion of the rock climbing watch matching a predetermined motion profile.

13. The rock climbing watch of claim 12, wherein the predetermined motion profile includes a dangling arm shakeout motion.

14. The rock climbing watch of claim 11, wherein the watch face display is further configured to graphically present the direction from the first rock face location to the second rock face location as an arrow in three-dimensional space.

15. The rock climbing watch of claim 11, wherein the watch face display is further configured to present the rock climbing route segment with the direction and the distance from the first rock face location to the second rock face location.

16. The rock climbing watch of claim 11, wherein the watch face display is further configured to present a grade associated with the rock climbing route segment, the grade being indicative of an accuracy of the angle between the first and the second rock face location received in the rock climbing navigational data.

17. The rock climbing watch of claim 11, further comprising:

a sensor array configured to measure an orientation of the rock climbing watch, and

wherein the processor is further configured to;

calculate, and store in the memory, a first angle between a starting location and the first rock face location based upon the orientation of the rock climbing watch when the rock climbing watch is pointed from the starting location towards the first rock face location,

determine a difference between the calculated first angle and the stored angle between the starting location and the first rock face location, and

store an indication in the memory that the stored angle is inaccurate if the determined difference exceeds an error threshold.

18. The rock climbing watch of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a second angle between the first rock face location and the second rock face location based upon the orientation of the rock climbing watch when the rock climbing watch is pointed from the first rock face location towards the second rock face location.

19. The rock climbing watch of claim 18, wherein the sensor array is further configured to measure an elevation of the rock climbing watch, and

wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculate a first distance between the starting location and the first rock face location based upon the first angle and a change in elevation of the rock climbing watch between the starting location and the first rock face location, and

calculate a second distance between the first rock face location and the second rock face location based upon the second angle and a change in elevation of the rock climbing watch between the first rock face location and the second rock face location.

20. The rock climbing watch of claim 17, wherein the starting location is at least one of a base location at the bottom of a rock climb, an intermediate location of a rock climb, or a rock face location at the top of a rock climb.