Method for comparing performances on remotely located courses

• US 7,901,292 B1
• Filed: 04/15/2004
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navteq North America LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Dougherty, Christopher, Shuman, Michael V., Uhlir, Kurt Brooks
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai; Xuan M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hu; Kang
• Application Number:
  US10/825,574
• Time in Patent Office: 2,518 Days
• Field of Search: 463/6, 463/39, 463 41- 43, 701/25, 701/200, 701/213, 702/127, 482/8
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/655 by importing photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/807 Gliding or sliding on surfaces, e.g. using skis, skates or boards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/816 Athletics, e.g. track-and-field sports
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for comparing the performance of a participant in an event that includes movement along a course to another performance. The performance by the participant is monitored. Using a geographic database that represents the area in which the course is located, the participant'"'"'s performance is compared to another performance. Then, the participant is provided with information comparing the performances.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating a first performance by a first participant in an event that includes movement along a first course located in a first geographic area, the method comprising:

using, by a computer processor, a geographic database that contains data that represents geographic features to compare geographic features of the first course to geographic features in a second geographic area different from the first geographic area, the geographic database stored on data storage hardware;

identifying, by the computer processor and based on the comparison, data in the geographic database representing geographic features in the second geographic area that substantially match the geographic features of the first course;

determining, by the computer processor, a second course located in the second geographic area based on the identified data, the second course having a substantially equivalent surface, a substantially equivalent length, and substantially equivalent turns as the first course;

comparing the first performance to a second performance, wherein the second performance is performed by a second participant along the second course; and

providing an indication of the comparing of the first and second performances to the first participant while the first participant is engaged in the first performance and to the second participant while the second participant is engaged in the second performance.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the event is one selected from a group consisting of:

running, bicycling, a road rally, a triathlon, a soap box derby, a dog sled race, cross-country skiing, sledding, a roller blade race, race walking, rowing, a steeplechase street lugs, adventure racing, snow boarding, rock climbing, and extreme runs.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining positions of the first participant during the first performance.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the positions of the first participant are determined using a first positioning device.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the first positioning device is selected from a group consisting of:

a Global Positioning System unit, a Differential Global Positioning System unit, cell phone positioning technology that uses triangulation, cell phone positioning technology that uses time-of-arrival, cell phone positioning technology that uses direction-of arrival, and beacons.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the positions of the first participant are transmitted as data wirelessly from a first communications device located with the first participant.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining positions of the second participant during the second performance.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the positions of the second participant are determined using a second positioning device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the second positioning device is selected from a group consisting of:

a Global Positioning System unit, a Differential Global Positioning System unit, cell phone positioning technology that uses triangulation, cell phone positioning technology that uses time-of-arrival, cell phone positioning technology that uses direction-of arrival, and beacons.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the positions of the second participant are transmitted as data wirelessly from a second communications device located with the second participant.

11. A system for facilitating performances in events comprising:

a computer system;

a geographic database that contains data that represents geographic features in a first geographic area and a second geographic area different from the first geographic area, the data representing the geographic features include data representing connectivity of roads, address ranges along the roads, street names of the roads, and geographic coordinates of positions of the roads;

and a competition comparison and equivalency program executed on the computer system that;

uses the geographic database to compare the geographic features of a first course located in the first geographic area to the geographic features in the second geographic area,

identifies, based on the comparison, data in the geographic database representing geographic features in the second geographic area that substantially match the geographic features of the first course,

determines a second course located in the second geographic area based on the identified data, the second course having a substantially equivalent surface, a substantially equivalent length, and substantially equivalent turns as the first course,

and indicates to a first participant and a second participant results of a comparison of a first performance by the first participant in an event that includes movement along the first course to a second performance by a second participant along the second course, the indication being presented to the first participant while the first participant is engaged in the first performance and to the second participant while the second participant is engaged in the second performance.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the participant'"'"'s performance is monitored by a positioning unit that determines positions of the participant in the first geographic area while the participant is moving along the first course in the first geographic area.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon for performing a method for facilitating a first performance along a first course by a first participant, the method comprising:

using a geographic database that contains data that represents geographic features to compare geographic features of the first course located in a first geographic area with geographic features in a second geographic area different from the first geographic area;

identifying, based on the comparison, data in the geographic database representing geographic features in the second geographic area that substantially match the geographic features of the first course;

determining a second course located in the second geographic area based on the identified data, the second course having a substantially equivalent surface, a substantially equivalent length, and substantially equivalent turns as the first course;

providing information of the determined second course to a second participant;

comparing the first performance to a second performance, wherein the second performance is performed by the second participant along the second course;

providing a first indication of the comparing of the first and the second performances to the first participant during the first performance; and

providing a second indication of the comparing of the first and the second performances to the second participant during the second performance.