Display monitor for golf cart yardage and information system

• US 20020010544A1
• Filed: 03/28/2001
• Published: 01/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GPS Industries LLC (Ingersoll Rand, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Prolink Inc.
• Inventors: Coffee, John, Bingeman, Kirk H., Rudow, Richard W., Lecker, Douglas L., Camiano, Robert D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,470,242 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• 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 2024/0056 for statistical or strategic analysis
• 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 2208/02 posture
• 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 2220/30 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/62 Time or time measurement used for time reference, time stamp, master time or clock signal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/305 Remote servicing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 55/60 Wheeled carriers specially adapted for golf bags
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 55/61 motorised
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/00 Golfing accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/071 : DGPS corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 : of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/009 : Transmission of differential positioning data to mobile

Abstract

A player position determining and course management system for a golf course having a plurality of roving units for use by players in playing the course is disclosed. Each roving unit includes a central processing unit (CPU) including a data processor for executing various tasks ranging from fastest-execution of a task to slowest execution of a task on a schedule of priorities of task completion, a real-time means for controlling the processor to give the tasks priority ranging from fastest execution of a task with highest priority to slowest execution of a task with lowest priority, and a means for precisely timing functions of the system including modulating means utilizing a common digital modulation technique for digitally modulating data transmitted to and from all of the roving units. Each of the roving units include a monitor for displaying the golf course including each of the holes with its tee box, fairway, green, cup and hazards, as well as the position of the roving unit on the course in real time. Additionally, the system includes a course management base station for transmitting and receiving information to the roving units and a monitor for displaying the location of each roving unit on the golf course in real time.

Claims

1. A golf cart adapted to support an occupant, said cart having a roof with an underside, a video display monitor mounted on the underside of the roof in a position for ease of viewing by the occupant in sunlight and without substantially interfering with the occupant'"'"'s view forward of the cart.

2. The golf cart of claim 1, wherein the underside of the roof has a flat black coating applied thereto for ease of viewing by the occupant in sunlight.

3. The golf cart of claim 1, wherein the video display monitor has a screen and a black bezel surrounding the screen.

4. The golf cart of claim 1, wherein the video display monitor is a color monitor that displays video images in color.

5. The golf cart of claim 1, wherein the video display monitor has a screen, the cart comprising a component of a system for use in determining the relative position of and distance between objects on a golf course, said video display monitor displaying the objects on the screen.

6. The golf cart of claim 1, wherein the cart has a seat for the occupant and the roof has a forward portion and a rearward portion, the video display monitor being mounted to the underside of the roof at the forward portion thereof and forwardly of the seat for ease of viewing by the occupant.

7. A golf cart having a seat and a roof with an underside, a video display monitor having a screen and being mounted at the underside of the roof forward of the seat in a position for ease of viewing by an occupant in the seat and without substantially interfering with the occupant'"'"'s view forward of the cart, the underside of the roof having a flat black coating for ease of viewing the screen of the monitor in sunlight.

8. The golf cart of claim 7, wherein the video display monitor is a color monitor that displays video images in color.

9. A golf cart adapted to support an occupant, said cart having a roof with an underside, a video means for displaying objects on a golf course, the video means being mounted on the underside of the roof in a position for ease of viewing by the occupant in sunlight and without substantially interfering with the occupant'"'"'s view forward of the cart.

10. The golf cart of claim 9, wherein the objects comprise tee boxes, fairways, greens, cups and hazards of the golf course.

11. The golf cart of claim 10, wherein the cart comprises a component of a system for use in determining the relative position of and distance between objects on a golf course.