Golf GPS device with approximate hole cup location selection

• US 9,535,162 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2014
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GolfzonDeca Inc.
• Original Assignee: DECA System Incorporated (DECA International Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Jun Ha
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, KYUNG J
• Application Number:
  US14/475,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20150066358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0663 worn on the wrist, e.g. wrist bands
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0691 Maps, e.g. yardage maps or electronic maps
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications

Abstract

The disclosure herein provides a golf GPS device with a hole cup location selection mechanism which displays a plurality of selectable hole cup locations for selection by a user. When the user selects one of the plurality of selectable hole cup locations, the golf GPS device provides the user with a number representative of the distance between the user and the selected one of the plurality of selectable hole cup locations.

Claims

1. A golf GPS device comprising:

a memory;

golf course data comprising data representing images and information relating to a plurality of golf courses comprising a first golf course comprising a hole, the golf course data being stored in the memory and comprising a plurality of selectable features, each of which is associated with a corresponding point within a boundary of a green of the hole;

a display configured to display an image of the green of the hole and the plurality of selectable features along with the image of the green such that each of the plurality of selectable features visually indicates a location or area on the image of the green;

a user interface configured to receive a user'"'"'s selection of a first selectable feature visually indicating a first location or a first area on the image of the green among the plurality of selectable features that visually indicate their corresponding locations or areas on the image of the green displayed on the display;

a GPS module configured to receive GPS signals; and

at least one processor configured to run software for determining a position of the device based on the GPS signals and determining a distance between the position of the device and at least one feature on the first golf course,

wherein subsequent to receiving the user'"'"'s selection of the first selectable feature indicating the first location or the first area on the image of the green displayed on the display, the at least one processor is configured to compute a first distance between the position of the device and a first corresponding point within the boundary of the green that is associated with the first selectable feature,

wherein subsequent to computing the first distance, the at least one processor is configured to cause the first distance to be displayed on the display.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of selectable features comprises an iconic representation placed over the indicated location or area on the image of the green.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of selectable features comprises an iconic representation that is linked to the indicated location or area on the image of the green.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of selectable features comprises a segment of the image of the green.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured to receive a user'"'"'s selection of a second selectable feature associated with a second corresponding point on the boundary of the green and visually indicating a second location or area on the image, wherein the at least one processor is configured to, subsequent to receiving the user'"'"'s selection of the second selectable feature, compute a second distance between the position of the device and the second corresponding point on the boundary of the green.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured to receive a user'"'"'s selection of a third selectable feature associated with a third corresponding point outside the boundary of the green and visually indicating a third location or area on the image, wherein the at least one processor is configured to, subsequent to receiving the user'"'"'s selection of the third selectable feature, compute a third distance between the position of the device and the third corresponding point outside the boundary of the green.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein at least part of the corresponding points within the boundary of the green are predetermined and stored in the memory along with the golf course data.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein at least part of the corresponding points within the boundary of the green are predetermined and stored in the memory along with the golf course data, and wherein either or both of a shape and a size of at least part of the plurality of selectable features are predetermined and stored in the memory along with the golf course data.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein either or both of a shape and a size of at least part of the plurality of selectable features are predetermined and stored in the memory along with the golf course data.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein at least part of the corresponding points within the boundary of the green are not predetermined and not stored in the memory or any other storage media of the device such that the at least part of the corresponding points are determined for displaying when the device is physically located in the first golf course.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein at least part of the corresponding points within the boundary of the green are not predetermined and not stored in the memory or any other storage media of the device, wherein the at least part of the corresponding points are determined when the device is physically located in the first golf course,

wherein either or both of a shape and a size of at least part of the plurality of selectable features are not predetermined and not stored in the memory along with the golf course data such that the either or both of the shape and size of the at least part of the plurality of selectable features are determined for displaying when the device is physically located in the first golf course.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein either or both of a shape and a size of at least part of the plurality of selectable features are not predetermined and not stored in the memory along with the golf course data such that the either or both of the shape and size of the at least part of the plurality of selectable features are determined for displaying when the device is physically located in the first golf course.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause only a subset of the plurality of selectable features that are on or near a line from the device towards an estimated location of a hole cup on the green to be displayed on the display, the estimated location of the hole cup being determined based on a physical orientation of the device.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein in response to receiving the user'"'"'s selection of the first selectable feature visually indicating the first location or the first area on the image of the green, the display is configured to visually indicate on the image of the green that the first selectable feature has been selected.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the corresponding points associated with the plurality of selectable features are different from each other.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the first corresponding point associated with the first selectable feature is represented with coordinate values.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of selectable features visually indicates its corresponding location on the image of the green such that each corresponding location is marked on the image of the green.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of selectable features visually indicates its corresponding area on the image of the green such that each corresponding area is defined by at least one boundary line on the green and such that each corresponding area defined by the at least one boundary line represents one selectable feature.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the corresponding areas indicated by the plurality of selectable features do not overlap each other on the image of the green.

30. A method of operating a golf GPS device, the method comprising:

providing the device of claim 1;

displaying an image of a green with a plurality of selectable features, each selectable feature associated with a corresponding point on the green;

receiving a user'"'"'s selection of one of the plurality of selectable features; and

displaying a distance between the device and the corresponding point associated with said one of the plurality of selectable features.

20. A method of providing distance information on a golf GPS device, the method comprising:

providing a golf GPS device carried by a user, the device comprising a display, a user interface, a GPS module, at least one processor, and a memory storing golf course data representing images and information relating to a plurality of golf courses comprising a first golf course comprising a hole, the golf course data comprising a plurality of selectable features, each of which is associated with a corresponding point within a boundary of a green of the hole;

displaying, on the display, an image representing the green of the hole of the first golf course and the plurality of selectable features along with the image of the green such that each of the plurality of selectable features visually indicates a location or area on the image of the green;

receiving, via the user interface, the user'"'"'s selection of a first selectable feature visually indicating a first location or a first area on the image of the green among the plurality of selectable features that visually indicate their corresponding locations or areas on the image of the green displayed on the display;

receiving GPS signals via the GPS module;

determining, using the at least one processor, a position of the device based on the GPS signals;

subsequent to receiving the user'"'"'s selection of the first selectable feature indicating the first location or the first area on the image of the green displayed on the display, computing, using the at least one processor, a first distance between the position of device and a first corresponding point within the boundary of the green that is associated with the first selectable feature; and

subsequent to computing the first distance, further displaying, on the display, the first distance between the position of the device and the first corresponding point associated with the first selectable feature selected by the user.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first selectable feature selected by the user represents an approximate location of a hole cup on the green observed by the user such that the first distance represents an approximate distance between the user and an actual location of the hole cup on the green.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising

receiving, via the user interface, the user'"'"'s selection of a second selectable feature associated with a second corresponding point on the boundary of the green and visually indicating a second location or area on the image;

and

subsequent to receiving the user'"'"'s selection of the second selectable feature, computing a second distance between the position of the device and the second corresponding point on the boundary of the green.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving, via the user interface, the user'"'"'s selection of a third selectable feature associated with a third corresponding point outside the boundary of the green and visually indicating a third location or area on the image; and

subsequent to receiving the user'"'"'s selection of the third selectable feature, computing a third distance between the position of the device and the third corresponding point outside the boundary of the green.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein at least part of the corresponding points within the boundary of the green are not predetermined and not stored in the memory or any other storage media of the device, wherein displaying the plurality of selectable features comprises:

determining the at least part of the corresponding points within the boundary of the green immediately before displaying the same while the device is physically present in the golf course;

formulating the plurality of selectable features; and

associating the plurality of selectable features with the corresponding points within the boundary of the green for displaying.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein at least part of the corresponding points within the boundary of the green are predetermined and stored in the memory along with the golf course data, and wherein either or both of a shape and a size of at least part of the plurality of selectable features are predetermined and stored in the memory along with the golf course data.

26. A golf GPS device comprising:

a display for displaying a golf course map; and

a memory storing golf course data representing images and information relating to a plurality of golf courses comprising a first golf course comprising a hole, the golf course data comprising a plurality of selectable features, each of which is associated with a corresponding point within a boundary of a green of the hole,

wherein the display is configured to display an image of the green with the plurality of selectable features such that each of the plurality of selectable features visually indicates a location or area on the image of the green, wherein the device is configured to receive a user'"'"'s selection of a first selectable feature that visually indicates a first location or a first area on the image of the green among the plurality of selectable features, wherein when the user'"'"'s selection of the first selectable feature is received, the device is configured to display a distance between the device and a first corresponding point associated with the first selected feature.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the displayed image of the green is partitioned into a plurality of segments, each selectable feature of the plurality of selectable features comprising corresponding one of the plurality of segments of the displayed image of the green, wherein the corresponding point associated with each selectable feature is within the corresponding segment.

28. The device of claim 26, wherein each selectable feature comprises an icon placed on the displayed image of the green, wherein the corresponding point associated with the icon corresponds to a location of the icon on the displayed image of the green or a location indicated by the icon on the displayed image of the green.

29. The device of claim 26, wherein the device is configured to highlight one of the selectable features for immediate selection by the user, wherein upon the user'"'"'s command, the device is configured to de-highlight the immediately previously highlighted selectable feature and to highlight another of the selectable features in a predetermined sequence, wherein the display is a non-touch screen.