Portable golf data system

Abstract

A portable golf data system includes a golf data system unit. The system unit includes a processor which is communicatively coupled to a non-volatile memory configured to store a firmware. A display is communicatively coupled to the processor. A near field communication component is communicatively coupled to the processor. A navigation receiver is also communicatively coupled to the processor. At least one user entry device is communicatively coupled to the processor. The at least one user entry device is configured to allow a user to control the portable golf data system. At least one NFC tag is configured to be mechanically coupled to a golf club and to be read by the near field communication component. A method for automatically logging a use of each golf club of a plurality of golf clubs is also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A portable golf data system for providing golf game data on a golf course, the golf course having a number of holes, each hole having a hole number and a par value, the system comprising:
 a portable data collection unit adapted to be carried by a user, said portable data collection unit including a receiver configured to receive at least one external locating signal from which a current location on said golf course can be determined;   a course data storage disposed within the data collection unit configured to store data related to the location of a plurality of golf course features;   a processor disposed within the data collection unit operatively connected to said receiver and to said data storage, said processor configured to determine said current location on said golf course and to calculate one or more distances between said current location and at least one of said plurality of golf course features retained in said data storage;   a display disposed on or in said data collection unit so as to be viewable, said display electrically coupled to said processor and configured to display said distance between said current location and said at least one of said plurality of golf course features;   a plurality of golf club identifiers, each golf club identifier configured to contain information, each of said golf club identifiers configured to have an association with a golf club to which said golf club identifier is mechanically affixed;   a golf club identifier reader configured to read said information from said golf club identifiers when one of said golf club identifier is positioned in a close proximity to said golf club identifier reader;   a stroke register within or coupled to said processor, said stroke register configured to register each stroke taken by a user, said stroke register configured to be actuated by detection of one of said golf club identifiers being in close proximity to said golf club identifier reader so as to record each stroke;   the processor configured to be responsive to the stroke register to maintain a count of the strokes taken during a round, wherein the count is incremented each time a stroke is registered;   the processor configured to be responsive to the golf club identifier reader to calculate, based on the external locating signal, a distance a golf ball has traveled between strokes; and   a stroke data storage of said data collection unit configured to store a distance a golf ball has traveled between each stroke and to associate the distance the ball has traveled between each stroke with a particular club used during said each stroke.   
     
     
         2 . The golf data system of  claim 1 , wherein said display is configured to indicate a number of strokes taken by the user during the game. 
     
     
         3 . The golf data system of  claim 1 , wherein said processor is configured to calculate and said display is configured to indicate a difference between a number of strokes a user has taken and a par value total for the holes played. 
     
     
         4 . The golf data system of  claim 1 , wherein said display is configured to indicate a number of strokes the user has taken for each hole. 
     
     
         5 . The golf data system of  claim 1 , wherein said display is configured to indicate a hole number played and a par value for said hole played. 
     
     
         6 . The golf data system of  claim 1 , wherein said portable data collection unit is configured to accept a user input of a custom location of a golf course feature. 
     
     
         7 . The golf data system of  claim 1 , wherein said processor is configured to calculate for each club an average distance a golf ball has traveled after being stroked by a user. 
     
     
         8 . The golf data system of  claim 7 , wherein said processor compares an average distance the ball has traveled after being stroked by each club to a distance to a golf course feature and determines which club has an average distance closet to said distance to said golf course feature and said display is configured to indicate such club. 
     
     
         9 . The golf data system of  claim 1 , wherein said processor is configured to calculate a number of holes in which a user has reached a feature of the hole in a par value minus two. 
     
     
         10 . The golf data system of  claim 1 , wherein said processor is configured to determine a number of strokes taken by a particular RFID tagged club. 
     
     
         11 . The golf data system of  claim 1 , wherein said processor is configured to calculate an average distance hit for a first stroke per hole. 
     
     
         12 . The golf data system of  claim 1 , wherein said processor is configured to keep track of an event selected from group consisting of pars, birdies, eagles, and bogeys. 
     
     
         13 . The golf data system of  claim 1 , wherein said golf club identifier reader comprises a near field communication reader. 
     
     
         14 . The golf data system of  claim 1  wherein said receiver comprises a GPS receiver. 
     
     
         15 . The golf data system of  claim 1  wherein said processor is configured to calculate a recommend club to use for a given shot based on a displayed yardage and said display is configured to display said recommended club. 
     
     
         16 . The golf data system of  claim 1  wherein said processor is configured to calculate a recommend club to use for a given shot based on a displayed yardage and previous shot data and said display is configured to display said recommended club. 
     
     
         17 . The golf data system of  claim 1  wherein said processor is configured to calculate a recommend club to use for a given shot based on a number of yards to a center of a green and an average yards hit per club and said display is configured to display said recommended club. 
     
     
         18 . A portable golf data system comprising:
 a golf data system unit comprises:
 a processor communicatively coupled to a non-volatile memory configured to store a firmware; 
 a display communicatively coupled to said processor; 
 a near field communication component communicatively coupled to said processor, said near field communication component electrically coupled to a NFC antenna; 
 a navigation receiver communicatively coupled to said processor, said navigation receiver electrically coupled to a navigation receiver antenna; 
 at least one user entry device communicatively coupled to said processor, said at least one user entry device configured to allow a user to control said portable golf data system; 
 a means to accept power to operate said portable golf data system; and 
   at least one NFC tag configured to be mechanically coupled to a golf club and to be read by said near field communication component.   
     
     
         19 . The portable golf data system of  claim 18 , wherein said receiver comprises a GPS receiver. 
     
     
         20 . The portable golf data system of  claim 18 , wherein said portable golf data system further comprises an audible signaling component configured to signal an event or a successful accomplishment of a set up or configuration feature. 
     
     
         21 . The portable golf data system of  claim 18 , wherein said means to accept power to operate said portable golf data system is configured to accept power from a rechargeable battery disposed within said golf data system unit. 
     
     
         22 . A method for automatically logging a use of each golf club of a plurality of golf clubs at one or more locations on a golf course as determined by a navigation receiver comprising the steps of:
 providing a processor based golf data system unit including a navigation receiver and a near field communication component and a plurality of golf clubs, each of said golf clubs having affixed thereto a tag configured to be readable by said near field communication component of said golf data system unit;   carrying said golf data system unit and at least one of said golf clubs having affixed thereto a tag to a location on a golf course;   positioning said at least one of said golf clubs having affixed thereto a tag near a NFC antenna of said near field communication component and registering by said processor the use of said at least one of said golf clubs having affixed thereto a tag;   recording said use of said at least one of said golf clubs having affixed thereto a tag at a holed defined by a correlation of a present position of said golf data system unit as determined by said navigation receiver at about a time when said step of positioning said at least one of said golf clubs having affixed thereto a tag near a NFC antenna of said near field communication component was performed;   hitting a golf ball from said location on a golf course to another location on said golf course;   carrying said golf data system unit and at least one of said golf clubs having affixed thereto a tag to said another location on said golf course about where said golf ball landed;   calculating one or more golf game parameters or statistics based at least on which of said plurality of golf clubs was used and a distance between said location and said another location as determined by said navigation receiver;   saving said one or more golf game parameters or statistics to a non-volatile memory; and   repeating said steps from said step of positioning said at least one of said golf clubs having affixed thereto a tag near a NFC antenna to said step of saving said one or more golf game parameters or statistics to a non-volatile memory during the course of a golf game.   
     
     
         23 . The method for automatically logging a use of each club of  claim 19 , wherein said step of providing a processor based golf data system unit including a navigation receiver and near field communication component comprises providing a processor based golf data system unit including a GPS navigation receiver and a RFID near field communication component and a plurality of golf clubs, each of said golf clubs having affixed thereto a RFID tag configured to be readable by said near field communication component of said golf data system unit. 
     
     
         24 . The method for automatically logging a use of each club of  claim 19 , further comprising following the step of carrying said golf data system unit and before said step of positioning said at least one of said golf clubs, recommending a club to use for a given shot based on at least a selected one of: a displayed yardage and a previous shot data. 
     
     
         25 . The method for automatically logging a use of each club of  claim 19 , further comprising following the step of carrying said golf data system unit and before said step of positioning said at least one of said golf clubs, recommending a club to use for a given shot based on a number of yards to a center of a green, and an average yards hit per club.