Buoys – rafts – and aquatic devices – Water skimming or walking device – Water ski
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-15
2001-11-06
Avila, Stephen (Department: 3617)
Buoys, rafts, and aquatic devices
Water skimming or walking device
Water ski
C114S253000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06312301
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to water ski slalom courses and, more particularly, to an apparatus for simulating a slalom course for a water skier so the water skier can train and improve the skier's slalom expertise without having to set up an actual slalom course.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In order to become a competitive water skier, many hours of practice is required on an official slalom course. A slalom course requires a significant area of a body of water and much time is needed to install and remove (if necessary) the course. Most avid water skiers at some point in their life want to try their skill on an official slalom course. However, very few bodies of water have slalom courses available for public use. A private slalom course needs to be installed and removed after each use (22 plastic buoys anchored to the bottom). This requires the expense of the course, the area of a body of water and the time to install and remove the course. The course is 850 feet (259 m) long, plus a minimum of 600 feet (180 m) of approach space on either end: at the very least, 2,000 feet (600 m) in length. Also, a regulation course is about 75 feet (23 m) wide, but additional space, perhaps 100 feet (30 m) more to either side, will be needed for safety, for a total minimum width of about 275 feet (85 m). Most skiers do not have these resources available and may never get the chance to try maneuvering through a slalom course. Or if the rare opportunity arises to experience a slalom course, the inexperienced water skier would not have the skills or the timing mastered to successfully transverse the course.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is intended to provide a virtual slalom course which provides a display to a water skier behind a boat to communicate to the skier their position relative to a calculated position of a plurality of buoys of a slalom course relative to the boat. The display provides multiple indicators which indicate the skier's position with respect to the virtual course. The indicators are preferably easily visible to a skier as the skier skis behind the boat. The position of the skier and the position of the virtual buoys are determined in response to known parameters and a boat speed input and a rope length and angle from the boat.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5110310 (1992-05-01), Hobbs
patent: 5272435 (1993-12-01), McBroom
patent: 5771836 (1998-06-01), Crouse
patent: 6138397 (2000-10-01), Hammersland et al.
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