Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE: DISTANCE INDICATOR SYSTEM FOR GOLF
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to devices used primarily
in the game of golf. More particularly, the invention
relates to a system for measuring distances from the player
to a selected target on a golf course. Generally, the
selected target is the pin flag for the green of the hole
currently being played. An alternate target could be an
nearby bunker or water hazard. While the invention is
specifically directed towards golf, it can be appreciated
that the system can by used in other fields where a user
wishes to know the distance to a specified target.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Devices which enable a golfer to determine
distances to targets are known.
One device for measuring distances utilizes
sonar techniques to direct a ultrasonic or infrared signal
to the pin. The device measures the time elapsed to
receive the return signal reflected from the pin. This
device requires the golfer to aim the device accurately to
the pin, which may be difficult.
Other devices calculate distances by receiving
signals from global positioning satellites (GPS). These
devices, while accurate, are complex and relatively
expensive.
US Patent No. 3,868,692 entitled "Golf Yardage
Finder/' is disclosed by Woodward et al. The device
comprises a portable unit which selectively receives
different RF (Radio Frequency) signals sent by different
transmitters located on different pins. The strength of
the received signal is proportional to the distance to the
pin. Here, the transmitters for each pin are always
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emitting their signals, which causes more power consumption
for the transmitters.
US Patent No. 4,136,394 entitled "Golf Yardage
Indicator System" is disclosed by Jones et al. This device
utilizes bi-directional communications between a remote
unit and a target unit located on a pin. The remote unit
transmits an activation message to the target unit. The
target unit responds by emitting a responding message to
the portable unit. The remote unit measures the elapsed
time between sending the activation message and receiving
the responding message to calculate the distance to the
pin. Amongst other features, the remote unit also allows
the user to provide wind speed information which can be
used by the remote unit to indicate how far and where a
shot should be aimed to compensate for the wind. However,
this invention does not discriminate between response
messages sent from different target units which may be near
each other. As such, the user will not know what distance
is being measured.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly the present invention provides a
distance indicator system for providing the distance
between a golfer and an intended target on a golf course.
The intended target can be a pin flag. The distance
indicator system comprises a target unit associated with
the pin flag and a portable unit used by the golfer.
The portable unit comprises a microprocessor,
selection means to select said target unit, an activator,
an encoding means for encoding a signature signal of the
target unit into an initiation signal, a transmitter for
transmitting the initiation signal to said target unit, a
receiver for receiving a responding signal from the target
unit, a decoder for decoding and extracting a responding
signature signal from said responding signal, a processing
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unit for comparing the responding signature signal to an
identity signal for the target unit, a distance calculation
unit which calculates a distance based on transmission
characteristics of the initiating signal and the responding
signal and a display device.
The target unit comprises a microprocessor, a
receiver for receiving initiation signals broadcasted from
a portable device, an unit to extract the signature signal
from the received signals and a processing unit for
determining intended target unit from said initiation
signal. The target unit also includes an encoder to encode
a responding signature into a responding signal and a
transmitter for broadcasting the responding signal to the
portable device.
It is an aspect of this invention that the
target unit and the portable unit actively receive and
transmit signals to each other.
It is an aspect of this invention to have
signature signals embedded into the transmissions between
the target and portable units.
Many other features and advantages of this
invention will be more fully understood from the following
detailed description when taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in
the drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective diagram illustrating a
golfer using the invention on a golf course;
Figure 2 is a illustrates one embodiment of the
portable unit;
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Figure 3 illustrates one embodiment of the
target unit on a golf pin;
Figure 4 is a block diagram of the major
functional elements of the portable unit;
Figure 5 is a block diagram of the major
functional elements of the target unit; and
Figure 6 is a timing diagram of two
representative digital signature signals for two different
target units.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Figure 1 shows a typical situation where the
invention may be used. Golfer 1, standing by his ball 2,
carries portable unit 5. He is playing the hole ending at
pin 3a, which has target unit 4a mounted to its top.
Nearby holes are indicated by pins 3b and 3c, which have
target units 4b and 4c respectively mounted to their tops.
It can be appreciated that other target units can be
located near other significant objects, such as bunkers or
water hazards. Transmitted signals broadcasting from
portable unit 5 are indicated by arrows 6. A responding
signal broadcasting from target unit 4a is indicated by
arrow 7a. A responding signal broadcasting from target
unit 4c is indicated by arrow 7c.
The measuring system operates by first having
the portable unit broadcast an encoded initiation signal to
its intended target unit. When the intended target unit
receives the initiation signal, it analyzes the signal and,
if appropriate, sends an encoded responding message. When
the portable unit receives the responding signal, it
analyzes that signal and, if appropriate, calculates and
displays the distance to the target unit.
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In Figure 1, target unit 4a is the intended
target for portable unit 5. While many target units may
receive initiation signal 6, the initiation signal contains
a signature signal unique to target unit 4a. As such, if
target units 4b or 4c receive initiation signal 6, they
analyze the signal and will determine that the signature
signal is not theirs. Accordingly, they will not respond
to initiation signal 6. However, when target unit 4a
receives initiation signal 6, analyzes it and recognizes
its signature signal, it will initiate responding signal
7a.
Portable unit 5 can receive responding signals
transmitted from any target unit. However, the portable
unit will only make a distance calculation when it receives
responding signal 7a, as it is only expecting responding
signal 7a. As shown in figure 1, responding signal 7c is
sent by target unit 4c and is intended to respond to a
different portable unit. While portable unit 5 receives
responding signal 7c, it does not execute a distance
calculation for the hole associated with target unit 4c.
The invention described herein uses digital
signatures which are encoded and transmitted as analog
signals. However, it can be appreciated that strictly
analog signals may be used as the signatures.
Figure 2 shows one possible form of portable
unit 5. While the exact appearance of the unit may differ,
it has the following elements. Selector buttons 9 allow
the user to scroll up and scroll down through the holes in
the golf course, which is displayed in reading 12 in the
display window 8. It can be appreciated that various
selector mechanisms can be used, including dials or
keypads. Once the intended hole is selected (here, the
user has selected the seventh hole), the user activates the
measuring system of the invention by pressing activation
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button 10, labeled "DISTANCE/'. After portable unit 5
completes communications with the target unit of the
intended hole, it calculates the distance thereto and
displays the result as distance reading 13 in display
5 window 8. Here the calculated distance is "123" yards.
All communications sent and received by portable unit 5 are
transmitted and received through antenna 11.
Figure 3 shows a details of the target unit 4a.
10 Pin 3a functions as a conventional pin for hole 31, but
also has target unit 4a mounted on its top. All
communications sent and received by target unit 4a are
processed through antenna 16.
Figure 4 shows the major functional blocks of
portable unit 5. The main controlling element of portable
unit 5 is microprocessor 12. It controls all the
functional elements, performs the distance calculations and
controls the display of the results.
To use the portable unit, selector buttons 9 are
used to select the intended hole. Microprocessor 12
updates display 8 by causing it to show the current hole
selected as the user cycles through his hole selections.
25 Once the intended hole has been selected, the user presses
activation button 10 to initiate the measuring system.
Referring to Figure 4, portable unit 5 has a
list 32 which contains information on digital signatures
30 associated with each target unit. Figure 6 shows
representations of two digital signatures for two different
target units. Each signature is a digital pulse of a
different length. In the present embodiment, pulse 23 has
a leading edge 25, a length of duration 1, indicated at 24,
35 and a trailing edge 26. Pulse 27 has leading edge 28, a
length of duration 2, indicated at 29, and a trailing edge
30. The target unit for each hole has a unique digital
signature associated with it. It can be appreciated that
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other digital signatures may be used, which may be
represented by a series of unique digital "0" and "1 n
values.
When the portable unit is activated,
Encoder/Transmitter 13 selects the digital signature
associated with intended target unit from list 32 and
converts the signature to an analog signal. The analog
signature signal is modulated onto a radio frequency
carrier producing initiation signal 6. Thereafter,
initiation signal 6 is transmitted through antenna 11. It
can be appreciated that other wireless transmission
techniques may be used, including SONAR or infrared
signals.
Around that instant, microprocessor 12 starts an
internal timer 33. The timer is used in the distance
calculation. The timer 33 is turned off when portable unit
5 receives a responding signal from a target unit.
Figure 5 illustrates details of target unit 4a,
which receives and processes initiation signal 6. Using
the signature signal encoded in the initation signal, a
target unit can determine if a received initiation signal
is intended for it. To accomplish this, the analog
signature is extracted from the received initiation signal,
then it is converted it to a digital signature. The
digital signature is used to determine if the initiation
signal was intended for the target unit.
Initiation signal 6 is received by target unit
4a through antenna 16. RF receiver 18 processes the signal
and sends it to decoder 19. Decoder 19 removes the carrier
frequency from initiation signal 6, thereby leaving only
the analog signature signal. This signal is converted to
its digital equivalent for processing by the decoder.
Then, microprocessor 17 compares the resulting digital
signature to the signature signal of target unit 4a. If
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the received signature matches the signature pulse of
target 4a, then target unit 4a knows that a portable unit
is requesting a response from it. If they do not match,
target unit will not respond to the signal.
To generate a response, encoder 21 produces the
digital signature signal for target unit 4a. This signal
is then converted to its analog signal. The preferred
method of converting the signal uses pulse width modulation
techniques; however, other digital signals can be generated
by other commercially available devices or by using other
encoding techniques. Encoder 21 then combines the analog
signal with the transmission radio frequency generated by
oscillator 20, producing responding signal 7. RF
transmitter 22 and antenna 16 are used to transmit
responding signal 7. It is preferred that the same RF used
to broadcast the initiation signal is used to broadcast the
responding signal. However, it is possible that different
radio frequencies may be used.
Figure 4 shows details of portable unit 5, which
processes received responding signals. Responding signal 7
is received by portable unit 5 through antenna 11. RF
receiver 14 sends the received response to decoder 15.
Decoder 15 isolates the signature signal from the
responding signal, then the signature to its digital
format. In this preferred embodiment, the digital
signature is a pulse. However, it can be appreciated that
other digital and analog signatures may be used to identify
the target unit associated with the responding signal.
Referring to Figures 4 and 6, when the leading
edge 25 of the pulse 23 is recognized, microprocessor 12
stops its internal timer 33. The pulse is sent to decoder
15 for signature verification. In the present embodiment
decoder 15 comprises a monostable multivibrator. It is the
length of the pulse which provides the signature. If
duration 24 matches the duration of the pulse associated
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with intended target unit 4a, then encoder 15 and
microprocessor 5 will cooperate to determine that a
responding signal from the intended target unit was
received. As such, microprocessor 5 then calculates a
distance based on the elapsed time in its internal timer 33
and the frequency of the carrier frequency. This value is
displayed on display 8.
If duration 24 does not match the digital
signature of the intended target unit 4a, then the received
responding signal 7 is from another target unit. As such,
portable unit 5 sends another initiation signal 6 through
antenna 11 and waits for a response. If after several
retries, either no response or responses are received from
another target unit, the portable unit cannot calculate a
distance to intended target unit 4a. In this condition,
microprocessor 12 causes an error message to be displayed
on display 8.
It can be appreciated that in another
embodiment, the target unit may generate its responding
signal 7 whenever it receives any initiation signal
intended for any target unit. In this embodiment, when the
responding signal is received by each portable unit, each
portable unit must evaluate the signal to determine if the
replying target unit was the intended target unit.
It can be appreciated that in another
embodiment, the distance calculation may be based on non-
temporal means, such as the strength of the respondingsignal received by the portable unit.
While specific embodiments of the present
invention have been illustrated herein, it will be
understood that variations and modifications may be
effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention.
