Patent ID: 6446005
Filing Date: 2002-09-03
Classification: A63B,G01C,G01P,G01S,G05D

Abstract:
A system for determining the precise locations of a plurality of golf carts on a golf course in real time as the golf carts are in use during play of the golf course, comprising:a base station including apparatus for wireless communication with each of said carts; each of said carts having a DC electric motor propulsion system, and each of said carts being outfitted with a dead reckoning navigation (DRN) system and a heading detector to fix the location of the respective cart relative to at least one known feature of the golf course to which the respective DRN system has been calibrated; each said DRN system including a magnetic wheel sensor assembly constructed and adapted for detecting speed and forward-backward direction of the cart and for inhibiting electrical and magnetic fields arising from said motor propulsion system and from other sources external to said magnetic wheel sensor assembly from interference with operation of said magnetic wheel sensor assembly; each of said carts further including apparatus for wireless communication with said base station including communication of data derived from said DPN system and said heading detector indicative of location of the respective cart relative to said at least one known feature; and each of said carts having a receiver for receiving differential global positioning system DGPS) signals from earth satellites for re-calibration of the DRN system thereof to said at least one known feature from time to time during each round of play of the golf course, whereby to restore the accuracy of the DRN system upon each re-calibration for relatively accurate determination of real-time location of the respective cart on said golf course.