Snow board system

• US 6,533,296 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2001
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eric A. Farraday
• Original Assignee: Eric A. Farraday
• Inventors: Farraday, Eric A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Hau
• Application Number:
  US09/860,334
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 280/14.22, 280/601, 280/610, 280/809, 280/602, 280/607, 702/178, 702/139, 702/176, 702/142, 702/44, 364/569, 340/870.3
• US Class Current: 280/14.22
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 11/00 Accessories for skiing or snowboarding fittings on vehicles for carrying skis B60R9/12
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 2203/18 Measuring a physical parameter, e.g. speed, distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 5/06 with special devices thereon, e.g. steering devices
• 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: G01P 3/50 for measuring linear speed G01P3/56 takes precedence

Abstract

A snow board system for measuring and displaying parametric data such as speed and distance during and after snow boarding. The snow board system includes a board member having a cavity and designed for gliding over a snow covered surface, a pair of binding assemblies designed for securing the board member to the feet of the user, a sensor device designed for determining instantaneous velocity of the board member and positioned in the cavity of the board member, and a display assembly for displaying information determined by and derived from the sensor device.

Claims

1. A snow board system comprising:

a board member adapted for gliding over a snow covered surface, said board member having a cavity;

a pair of binding assemblies adapted for securing said board member to the feet of the user;

sensor means adapted for determining instantaneous velocity of said board member, said sensor means comprising a pair of optical sensors positioned at longitudinally spaced locations on the lower surface of said board member, said sensor means determining the velocity of said board member through a process of calculating a time between subsequent pulses generated by each of said optical sensors caused by each of said sensors passing over the variations;

a display assembly for displaying information determined by and derived from said sensor means;

a display housing adapted for being worn by a user, said display housing being used to encase said display assembly;

said display assembly further comprises;

a display screen adapted for providing a visual representation of parametric data including distance traveled, cumulative distance traveled, instantaneous velocity, average velocity, maximum speed, instantaneous velocity compared to average velocity, and time;

a first actuator button positioned on a face of said display housing, said first actuator button being used for selecting the parametric data to be displayed by said display screen;

a second actuator button positioned on a face of said display housing, said second actuator button being used to clear selected parametric data;

a strap member coupled to said display housing, said strap member being adapted for coupling said display housing to a wrist of the user;

a transmitter assembly operationally coupled to said sensor means, said transmitter assembly being for transmitting the information from said sensor means;

a receiver assembly operationally coupled to said display assembly, said receiver assembly being for receiving the transmitted information from said transmitter assembly; and

said transmitter and receiver assemblies providing a wireless connectivity between said sensor means and said display assembly;

wherein said sensor means further comprises;

a first sensor means positioned adjacent to a first end of said board member, said first sensor means being positioned substantially underneath a first one of said pair of binding assemblies;

a second sensor means positioned adjacent to a second end of said board member, said second sensor means positioned substantially underneath a second one of said pair of binding assemblies;

said first and second sensor means being used in conjunction to determine velocity and distance traveled by board member.