Golf data recorder with integrated missing club reminder and theft prevention system

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods and systems relating to at least one or more of golf club reminding and golf data collecting and recording. In one embodiment an apparatus on a golf club includes an integrated reminder and a stroke cancellation system and is semi-automatic in that the recording of the stroke is directly in response to changing the state (e.g. activating) of a switch which indicates that the golfer has pressed a button on the golf club. The pressing of the button indicates that the golfer will or has taken a stroke with the golf club and that the stroke is to be recorded, with the location of the stroke and an identifier of the club (e.g. 9 iron). The system may also be equipped with a missing club reminder and theft prevention function that notifies the golfer is a golf club has been left behind or if a club or golf bag has been removed without authorization.

1 .- 3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . An apparatus comprising:
 a satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver configured to determine a position of the apparatus on a golf course and to determine a time of day;   a radio receiver configured to receive light data representing one or more measurements of light intensity provided by a light sensor on a golf club;   a display configured to display a message to a golfer that the golf club is not in a golf bag; and   a processing system coupled to the SPS receiver and to the radio receiver and to the display, the processing system configured to process the light data representing one or more measurements of light intensity and data representing time of day and the position in order to determine whether to display the message.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus as in  claim 4  wherein the processing system comprises a timer which determines when to alert a golfer that a golf club appears to be missing and wherein the apparatus is a mobile golf rangefinder. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus as in  claim 5  wherein the processing system is configured to display an identifier of the golf club to allow the golfer to record the use of the golf club to take a stroke, and wherein the processing system comprises a plurality of timers, each for a corresponding golf club which has been determined to have been removed from the golf bag. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus as in  claim 4  wherein the processing system is configured to determine whether to alert the golfer that a golf club appears to be missing based on a comparison of the received one or more measurements of light intensity with a store of recently received measurements of light intensity. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus as in  claim 4  further comprising a user interface for the golfer comprising one or more of buttons, a keyboard, or a touch panel and wherein the processing system is configured to display a message to remind a golfer about the golf club in response to determining that the apparatus is moving from one hole to the next hole on a golf course having a known layout. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus as in  claim 4  wherein, when only one golf club has been detected as being removed from the golf bag, the apparatus is configured to automatically record a stroke taken with that golf club. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus as in  claim 4  wherein the apparatus further comprises a light meter and the processing system is configured to compare the received light data representing one or more measurements of light intensity with a light level measurement from the light meter and alert the golfer that the golf club appears to be missing. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus as in  claim 9  wherein a position marked by the SPS receiver is recorded when the stroke taken is recorded. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus comprising:
 a radio receiver configured to receive a first RF signal, from a golf club, indicating the golf club was removed from a golf bag and a second RF signal, from the golf club, indicating that the golf club was returned to the golf bag;   a satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver configured to determine a first position of the apparatus on a golf course when the apparatus receives the first RF signal, and to determine a second position of the apparatus on the golf course at a current time;   a display configured to display a message to a golfer that the golf club appears to be missing; and   a processing system coupled to the SPS receiver and to the display and to the radio receiver, the processing system configured to record the first position of the apparatus, to check the second position of the apparatus, to compare the first position and the second position and to display the message to the golfer that the golf club appears to be missing when the second RF signal has not been received and the difference between the first position and the second position exceeds a predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus as in  claim 12  wherein the apparatus is configured to determine, from the current position of the apparatus, that the apparatus is moving from one hole to the next hole on a golf course having a known layout and alert the golfer that the golf club that has been removed from the golf bag appears to be missing if the second RF signal has not been received. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus as in  claim 12  wherein the processing system comprises a timer which determines when to alert a golfer that a golf club appears to be missing. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus as in  claim 14  wherein the processing system is configured to display an identifier of the golf club to allow the golfer to record the use of the golf club to take a stroke, and wherein the processing system comprises a plurality of timers, each for a corresponding golf club which has been determined to have been removed from the golf bag. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus as in  claim 12  further comprising a user interface for the golfer comprising one or more of buttons, a keyboard, or a touch panel and wherein the processing system is configured to display a message to remind a golfer about the golf club in response to determining that the apparatus is moving from one hole to the next hole on a golf course having a known layout. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus as in  claim 12  wherein, when only one golf club has been detected as being removed from the golf bag, the apparatus is configured to automatically record a stroke taken with that golf club. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus as in  claim 17  wherein a position marked by the SPS receiver is recorded when the stroke taken is recorded. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus as in  claim 15 , wherein the radio receiver is configured to receive light data representing one or more measurement of light intensity provided by a light sensor on the golf club, and the processing system is configured to process the light data to determine whether to display the message. 
     
     
         20 . A method comprising:
 receiving a first data representing one or more measurements of light intensity provided by a light sensor on a golf club, a second data representing the golf club was removed from a golf bag and a third data representing the golf club was returned to the golf bag;   determining a first position of the apparatus relative to a golf course and a time of day when the apparatus receives the second data and determining a second position of the apparatus relative to the golf course and a time of day at a current time;   recording the first position of the apparatus;   checking the second position of the apparatus;   comparing the first position and the second position; and   displaying a message to the golfer that the golf club appears to be missing when the third data has not been received and the difference between the first position and the second position exceeds a predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         21 . An apparatus comprising:
 a radio receiver configured to receive a first RF signal, from a golf club, indicating the golf club was removed from a golf bag and a second RF signal, from the golf club, indicating that the golf club was returned to the golf bag;   a timer configured to record a first time when the apparatus receives the first RF signal and indicate when a predetermined time threshold has been exceeded;   a display configured to display a message to a golfer that the golf club appears to be missing; and   a processing system coupled to the display and to the timer and to the radio receiver, the processing system configured to record the first time when the apparatus receives the first RF signal and to display the message to the golfer that the golf club appears to be missing when the second RF signal has not been received and the predetermined time threshold has been exceeded.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus as in  claim 21  wherein the processing system comprises a plurality of timers, each of a corresponding golf club which has been determined to have been removed from the golf bag. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus as in  claim 21  wherein the timer is implemented entirely in software through program code which configures the processor. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus as in  claim 21  wherein the timer is configured to record the first time and to begin counting from a predetermined period of time to zero. 
     
     
         25 . An apparatus comprising:
 a radio receiver configured to receive a first RF signal, from a golf club, indicating the golf club was removed from a golf bag and a second RF signal, from the golf club, indicating that the golf club was returned to the golf bag;   a satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver configured to determine a first position of the apparatus relative to a current hole on a golf course and to determine a second position of the apparatus on the golf course at a current time;   a display configured to display a message to a golfer that the golf club appears to be missing; and   a processing system coupled to the SPS receiver and to the display and to the radio receiver, the processing system configured to record the first position of the apparatus indicating the current hole on the golf course, to monitor the second position of the apparatus, to determine from the first position and the second position whether the golfer is leaving the current hole and to display the message to the golfer that the golf club appears to be missing when the second RF signal has not been received and it has been determined that the golfer is leaving the current hole.   
     
     
         26 . The apparatus as in  claim 25  wherein the processing system is configured to maintain a list of golf clubs that have been removed from the golf bag and have not yet been returned to the golf bag, and to alert the golfer to look for those clubs which have not yet been returned to the golf bag when it has been determined that the golfer is leaving the current hole. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus as in  claim 25  wherein the display is configured to display a visual depiction of the layout of the golf course. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus as in  claim 25  further comprising a user interface for the golfer comprising one or more of buttons, a keyboard, or a touch panel and wherein the processing system is configured to allow the user to confirm or edit a recorded number of strokes for the current hole.