Communications: directive radio wave systems and devices (e.g. – Directive – Including a satellite
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-16
2002-10-15
Blum, Theodore M. (Department: 3662)
Communications: directive radio wave systems and devices (e.g.,
Directive
Including a satellite
C342S357490, C342S357490, C701S215000, C701S300000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06466162
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved system and method for accurately measuring the distance between two objects using location defining data from global position indicating satellites. The invention is especially useful for accurately measuring, electronically, the distance and the direction between two spaced objects, such as the distance and direction between the hole or pin on a green of a fairway on a golf course and a golf cart located along the fairway of the golf course, or the distance and direction between the hole or pin on a green of a fairway on a golf course and a golf ball on the fairway, or an object or hazard on the golf course and a golf ball on the fairway of the golf course, or the distance and direction between the club house of a golf course and a golf cart on the golf course.
2. Prior Art
For the sake of clarity, the term “hole” when used hereinafter shall refer to a combination of a teeing ground or tee, a fairway and a putting green associated with the fairway, on a golf course. It is well known in the field of golf, that a normal golf course consists of eighteen (18) holes; that each hole has a tee, a fairway and a green; and, that each green has a Hole or pin (hereinafter referred to as “pin”) into which the golf ball is holed by a golf player (hereinafter referred to as “player”). These terms and their meaning, when used in reference to the game of golf, are well known to those persons knowledgeable in golf and it is in such context that these terms are used herein.
It is usual to inform a player the distance, in yardage, between the tee and the green for each hole on the golf course. However, in most cases, the pin on the green is moved from time to time and, for convenience of the golf club, the distance between the tee and the green is measured and given from approximately the geographical center of the teeing ground to approximately the geographical center of the green. This approximation is used despite the fact that the pin on the green is very seldom located at the geographical center of the green Often, the distance between the tee and the green on the same hole, exceeds the distance a player drives the golf ball from the tee of that hole. When a player drives the golf ball short of the green, the player is left on his own to determine the distance or yardage between the golf ball on the fairway and the pin on the green of the hole being played.
The size, in area, of the green depends on the design of the golf course and, in many instances, the green may be a relatively large area. The pin, which is a hole in the green, not exceeding 108 mm in diameter and at least 100 mm in depth, (according to the 1996 Rules of Golf, published and copyrighted, 1995, by the United States Golf Association and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland) may be positioned anywhere on the green. The player, when addressing the green with his golf ball from the fairway, is most interested in knowing the distance, in yardage, as accurately as possible, between the golf ball on the fairway and the pin on the green associated with that airway.
One reason for knowing the accurate distance between the golf ball and the pin on the green or some other object on the hole being played is selection, by the player, of the club used to hit the golf ball.
It is well known that the United States government has placed a global position system, in the form of a plurality of satellites, in orbit above the earth. The global position satellites (hereinafter referred as “GPS”) transmit PF carriers on which frequency, time and timing signal data are modulated. The GPS transmissions (hereinafter referred to as “GPS Data”) may be received by a global position signal receiver (hereinafter referred as “GPS receiver”). The GPS Data, received by a GPS receiver, may be translated or converted into location defining data, such as latitude and longitude coordinates, for example, that define an exact location, on earth, for the antenna of the GPS receiver receiving the GPS Data It is also known that the United States government has caused a contamination of the signals transmitted by the satellites in the global position indicating system. The contamination affects the GPS Data, causing a randomly occurring and changing inaccuracy in the location defined for the GPS receiver receiving GPS Data from satellites in the GPS system. The inaccuracy occurs and changes randomly, with time, in direction and in magnitude. Since the inaccuracy in the lotion defined for a GPS receiver receiving GPS Data is random in both occurrence and change, the location defined for a GPS receiver may be accurate or inaccurate, with respect to its actual location. Thus, although the GPS Data is correctly translated or converted, the location defined for the receiving GPS receiver may be accurate or inaccurate, the inaccuracy of the location defined being off-set from the actual, true location, in any direction, plus or minus, by as much as forty yards.
It is also known that the inaccuracy between the actual location of a GPS receiver and the location deed by the GPS Data for the GPS receiver receiving such GPS Data, can be corrected. Information relating to the global satellite position system and the inaccuracy of the location data transmitted by the satellites and how to correct such inaccuracy, is reported in a paper, “The Application of NAVSTAR Differential GPS in the Civilian Community” by Jaques Beser and Bradford W. Parkinson, published in NAVIGATION, Vol.II, 1984.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,093 to Huston et al, issued Nov. 15, 1994 teaches that the distance between the pin on a green and a mobile cart may be determined using GPS Data transmitted from GPS when the exact location of the pin on the green and the exact location of the mobile golf cart are each known. The Huston et al teaching provides for previously determining the exact location of the pin on the green, by independent means. The mobile cart is provided with a GPS receiver and a computer. The GPS receiver receives GPS Data which, when translated, defines an inaccurate location for the mobile cart. A differential or error signal is used to change the inaccurate location of the golf cart to an accurate location. The distance between the accurate location of the mobile golf cart and the previously determined location of the pin on the green is then calculated from two defined accurate locations.
The differential or error correction signal is generated by comparing position locating data derived from GPS Data received by a fixedly located GPS receiver with previously determined, corresponding position locating data defining the exact, correct location of the fixedly located GPS receiver. The differential or error signal is transmitted to the mobile GPS receiver on the golf cart. The exact location of the mobile cart is determined by correcting the GPS Data defining the inaccurate location of the mobile GPS receiver on the golf cart with the differential or error signal.
Huston et al, in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,093 , teach measuring distance between a golf cart and the pin on the green. This leaves the player to measure the distance between the golf ball on the fairway and the pin on the green because golf carts are normally not permitted to trespass on the fairway of the golf course.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,789 to Fraker et al, issued Jul. 18, 1995 teaches a golf diagnostic system which uses GPS Data to provide location coordinates for plotting locations for measuring the distance of the flight of a golf ball and for measuring distance between the GPS receiver and other previously known locations on the golf course. The teaching includes using differential or error correction data signals generated by and transmitted from a fixed GPS receiver, located in a previously known and defined location, to adjust location coordinates, for accuracy. However, the teachings of both Huston et al, '093 and Fraker et al, '789 require the generation of differential or error signals. It is
Blum Theodore M.
Merklen Kenneth E.
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