Prolink, Inc.

Leading Edge Technologies, Inc.

Other

Prolink Solutions, LLC

Kirk H Bingeman

Douglas L Lecker

Richard W Rudow

John R Coffee

Tuan Duc Pham

Robert D Camiano

Brad Garn

William A Tekniepe

Richard Velasquez

A method is disclosed for administering use of a golf course information system implemented in golf carts or other roving units with a monitor adapted to provide display of any or all of course and hole layout, course features and distance information to assist a golfer in play of the golf course, or of specific information of interest to the individual golfer from external networks including tournament and individual scoring, stock quotations and electronic mail to enhance the golfing experience. In the method, a gratis trial period less than an entire round of play of the course is invoked, during which the cart display of such information is activated for a golfer commencing use of the cart. The cart display of such information is automatically rendered inactive at the end of the gratis trial period unless, by that point of play, a payment authorization for completion of the round with activated cart display has been made.

Method and apparatus for continuing play with cart-based navigation/information system display

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.

Golf course yardage and information system with zone detection

Display monitor for golf cart yardage and information system

A system is disclosed for determining precise locations of the golf carts on a golf course in real time as the carts are in use during play of the course. Each cart is outfitted with a dead reckoning navigation (DRN) system for determining speed and direction, and a compass for determining heading of the cart during play. With these parameters and a known origin of the cart to which the DRN system has been calibrated, such as location of a tee box, the location of the cart relative to a known feature of the course such as a cup or hazard may be calculated. The DRN system uses a magnetic wheel sensor assembly having a magnetic strip with spaced alternating opposite magnetic poles affixed to the rim of an inside wheel well or mounting fixture therefor of the cart, mounted to confront a Hall effect sensor. During rotation of the wheel and the strip when the cart is moving, the sensor detects passage of the alternating poles, to measure speed and forward or backward direction of the cart. A compass determines heading of the cart. The DRN system allows operation on courses where GPS-based systems cannot maintain LOS, and is periodically calibrated by a known signal, such as a DGPS signal.

Magnetic wheel sensor for vehicle navigation system

A ball position determining and course management system for a golf course includes a base station for course management and a plurality of golf carts for use during play of the course. The base station and the golf carts are adapted to operate in conjunction with a system for use in determining the relative position of and distance between objects on the course. Each golf cart has a roof and a monitor for displaying a map of each hole of the golf course with its tee boxes, fairways, greens and cups, and hazards. The monitor is mounted on the underside of the roof for shading and ease of viewing in sunlight, and has a screen which is canted back by a predetermined angle to reduce the amount of light reflected from the screen into the eyes of a viewer seated in the golf cart. The underside of the roof has a diffuse, black coating to reduce the reflectivity of its surface and to enhance the contrast of the display on the monitor. The monitor displays images in color, and the map of each hole of the course displayed on the monitor has selected features in distinctive colors relatively closely matching those of the respective actual features of each hole, for enhanced realistic display. The position determining system enables the position of the respective golf cart itself to be displayed in real time on the monitor as a unique symbol whose movement tracks that of the golf cart on the displayed map.

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.

Golf course yardage and information system

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 the location of each roving unit on the golf course in real time.

Growing community of inventors

Chandler, AZ, United States of America

Kirk H Bingeman