Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-07
2001-05-08
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
C705S032000, C705S052000, C235S375000, C235S378000, C235S380000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230081
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to an information system for displaying data on a vehicle used to transport at least one golfer.
It is known to use small vehicles for golfer transportation on golf courses, these vehicles being designed to accommodate at least one golfer and his golfing kit. These nimble compact vehicles are provided with wide tyres to avoid damage to the turf, they usually being powered by an internal combustion engine or an electric motor.
It is also known to equip such vehicles with a display, e.g. a speedometer for travel data display.
It is furthermore known from DE 42 02 130 A1 to provide a display of significant golfing data. In this German application the golf cart mounts a distance sensor and a control unit provided with a display in which golf course data is stored so that via the distance measurement by means of the distance sensor the approximate distance away of a hole can be indicated. Such data may also be used for producing further data such as e.g. proposals as to which type of golf iron is to be selected.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a system permitting display of further information on a display of the vehicle relating to operation of the vehicle or an input.
This object is achieved by an information system having the features of claim
1
. The information system in accordance with the invention is based on a base station located within the area of a club or course. This base station contains a control and a memory for the acquisition of travel data and other information such as e.g. advertising commercials. Configured on the vehicle is a control unit comprising at least one first control logic for processing and displaying the vehicle travel data and a second control logic for processing and displaying further information on a graphic display arranged on the vehicle.
To make data swapping possible between base station and vehicle both the control of the base station and the control unit of the vehicle are provided with an interface for transferring at least travel data and further information between the base station control and the control unit on the vehicle. This transfer may be done via cable, wireless or by means of a storage medium which is first inserted in the base station where it is written, before then being inserted in the interface of the control unit on the vehicle. This control unit then compares the travel data received on transfer and/or resulting from vehicle operation to predetermined reference values to then memorize either the result of comparison as the updated travel data and/or indicate in the display a message derived from the result of comparison and/or affect further vehicle operation.
Possible travel data would be e.g. personal access authorization for vehicle usage, a vehicle usage account, ID data of vehicle user, vehicle mileage, speed, battery charge or fuel level, condition of vehicle system components such as e.g. brake linings, engine oil and time data such as e.g. start, duration, breaks and end of trip, totalized vehicle travel time, duration for displaying further information.
The second control logic of the control unit on the vehicle displays further information such as e.g. advertising commercials, on the graphic display as a function of the travel data and/or the operating status of the vehicle. Accordingly, a commercial may appear on the display when the vehicle is started by the golfer. Just as well, a commercial could be included in the display when the vehicle is not used for a lengthy period and/or no data has been input for a lengthy period via an entry keypad for game data. The commercial may then be displayed in a similar way as in a screen saver mode of a computer. The second control logic for analyzing and displaying the further data monitors the travel data or operating status of the vehicle at defined points in time, such as e.g. on commencement and end of usage, or continually or in defined time intervals. In this way the second control logic is able to assure that the display of the further information does not occur at points in time which are relevant to vehicle safety, e.g. when the vehicle is on the move, or at points in time in which the display is busy with the entry and display of game data.
This is why preferably the control unit on the vehicle is provided with a third control logic for processing and displaying game data. In this case a device for entering game data into the control unit is also arranged on the vehicle.
Preferably the data transferred from the base station to the control unit on the vehicle directly, or indirectly via a storage medium is made use of to regulate personal access to the vehicle. In this sense, for example, data could be transferred which indicates whether the person about to make use of the vehicle has the right to do so, or to charge the account of this person for using the vehicle in on-going operation. In this way, vehicle allocation to club members can be monitored and regulated. Thus, e.g. the data transfer between the base station and the vehicle can be handled in principle via storage media, each club member having in this case such a storage medium e.g. a chip card on which a user account and ID member data are memorized. Prior to vehicle use the storage medium would need to be updated in the base station and subsequently inserted into the corresponding interface on the vehicle. The vehicle could then immediately undertake identifying the club member or a guest and release or prohibit the vehicle for use. During usage an amount could be charged to the user account as a function of the usage duration of the vehicle or its distance-gone. In addition vehicle travel data such as e.g. fuel/oil level, battery charge and other data relative to the vehicle such as e.g. distance-gone, hours of use, servicing intervals etc. could be memorized on the storage medium, this data possibly being made use of when read into the base station to assist automating vehicle maintenance.
Use of the vehicle could also be supported by suitable sponsors, such as e.g. firms contributing towards vehicle upkeep by their advertising commercials being displayed on the vehicle in kind. For this purpose a graphic display is needed which presents the commercials by attractive means. By means of the information system in accordance with the invention it is possible to display this commercial on the graphic display of the vehicle targetted to specific points in time.
Preferably the base station of a club or course is connected to a data transfer network via a modem or wireless. Such a network may be a conventional cable network or a wireless network. Via the data transfer network the base stations of several clubs or courses are preferably connected to a server which regulates allocation of further information. This server is able to update or modify the data status of further information at regular or irregular intervals. In this way using the graphic displays on the golf carts as commercial displays can be automated. The revenue from displaying this further information may be used to cover the vehicle fleet costs, thus greatly relieving clubs and ultimately their members from having to bear the hitherto high vehicle costs.
It is furthermore possible that travel data such as e.g. vehicle wear/tear or maintenance data is transmitted from the various base stations to the server thus making it possible to target application of a central maintenance service by it being evident from this travel data when the various vehicles in specific clubs are in need of being serviced.
As an alternative to the information system as discussed above in which the travel data and further information are transferred in common from the base station to the vehicle it is also possible to transfer this data seperately. Since the data for the further information in their form as graphic data take up a lot of memory space it is also possible to transfer this data to the vehicle by cable e.g. together with charging the batteries on electric-powered vehicles. Transferring the travel
Beaulieu Yonel
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Smith-Hill and Bedell
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