Personal dGPS golf course cartographer, navigator and internet web site with map exchange and tutor

A system of storing and communicating sets of topographic information to and from information processing and viewing devices by means of an accessible network, each of the sets being specific to an individual golf course, comprising:

• (a) a first information processing and viewing device executing course-mapper software and receiving input of a first set of information, said first set of information being data representative of a golf course topography, said first set of information including data elements relating to attributes of the golf course, said data elements including at least one location for each attribute in the set;
• (b) a central information processing site and database receiving said set of information from said first information processing and viewing device and providing access to said set over the network;
• and
• (c) a second information processing and viewing device receiving transmission of said first set of information from the first information processing device over the network and with autonomy from any positional equipment at the golf course.

A portable information processing and viewing device for storing and communicating topographic information comprising:

• a portable information processing and viewing device, said device having an information processor for the storage, retrieval and processing of a map data file including position information, said device also having a viewer for the display of said position information, said device further having data inputs, said data inputs including at least one of a user interface and direct electrical connections;
• said position information including location data and a corresponding data label relating to at least one topographic characteristic of at least one selected geographic region, said map data file also including relative accuracy data corresponding with said location data, said characteristic being represented on said viewer by visual signifiers, said visual signifiers including at least a representation of an attribute and an indication of a position of said topographic characteristic, wherein said indication of said position by said visual signifiers further includes an indication by said visual signifiers of said relative accuracy data corresponding with said location data;
• and
• said direct electrical connections adapted for connection with at least one cooperative device for enabling said information processing and viewing device to perform an operation of at least one of generating, accessing, storing and communicating of said map data file, wherein said cooperative device further enables said information processing and viewing device to autonomously process and display said position information.

A portable information processing and viewing device for storing and communicating topographic information comprising:

• a portable information processing and viewing device, said device having an information processor for the storage, retrieval and processing of data which encodes information, said device also having a viewer for the display of information encoded in the data, said device further having data inputs, said data inputs including at least one of a user interface and direct electrical connections;
• said information, encoded in the data, includes information relating to at least one topographic characteristic of at least one selected geographic region, said topographic characteristic being represented on said viewer by visual signifiers, said visual signifiers including at least a representation of an attribute and an indication of a position of said topographic characteristic;
• said direct electrical connections adapted for connection with at least one cooperative device for enabling said information processing and viewing device to perform an operation of at least one of generating, accessing, storing and communicating of said data, wherein said cooperative device further enables said information processing and viewing device to autonomously process and display said information relating to topographic characteristics;
• wherein said geographic region includes a golf course, said golf course represented on said viewer by at least a partial display of a selected hole of said golf course;
• and
• wherein additional information relating to playing said golf course is displayed as a moving representation with respect to said partial display of said golf course, said moving representation being displayable in alterable manners, said alterable manners including the rate of progression of said representation.

A portable information processing and viewing device for storing and communicating topographic information comprising:

• a portable information processing and viewing device, said device having an information processor for the storage, retrieval and processing of a data set, said device also having a viewer for the display of said data set, said device further having a user interface and direct electrical connections;
• said data set comprising at least one corresponding set of location information, a data label and relative accuracy data, said location information and said data label relating to at least one topographic characteristic of at least one selected geographic region and said relative accuracy data relating to a quality value for said corresponding location information, said geographic regions including at least one golf course, said characteristic being represented on said viewer by visual signifiers, said visual signifiers including at least a representation of an attribute and an indication of a position of said topographic characteristic, wherein said indication of said position by said visual signifiers includes an indication of said relative accuracy of said location information, and wherein said location information is comprised of latitude and longitude for said position of said topographic characteristic and said data label is comprised of a label for said attribute of said topographic characteristic, said label being selected from a set of labels corresponding with a set of attributes for said geographic region;
• said direct electrical connections adapted for connection with at least one cooperative device for enabling said information processing and viewing device to perform an operation of at least one of generating, accessing, storing and communicating of said data set, said cooperative device further enabling said information processing and viewing device to autonomously process and display said information relating to topographic characteristics;
• wherein said cooperative device is a detachable position module generating said location information, said user interface receives said selected label, and said processor assigns said relative accuracy data to said location data, and said information processor calculates said quality value and assigns said relative accuracy data to said corresponding location information, wherein said detachable position module has an antenna for receiving position related information and wherein said information processing and viewing device is operable to at least store, retrieve and process said data set with said antenna in a reception only mode;
• and
• wherein said detachable position module and said data set are transferable to a second information processing and viewing device, and wherein said second information processing and viewing device receives, processes and displays additional location information relating to playing said golf course, said additional location information for playing said golf course being displayed as a moving representation with respect to a display of said data set for said golf course, wherein said second information processing and viewing device replays said moving representation in at least one alterable manner, including an adjustable replay speed for said moving representation.

A portable information processing and viewing device for storing and communicating topographic information comprising:

• a portable information processing and viewing device, said device having an information processor for the storage, retrieval and processing of data which encodes information, said device also having a viewer for the display of information encoded in the data, said device further having data inputs, said data inputs including at least one of a user interface and direct electrical connections;
• said information, encoded in the data, relating to at least one topographic characteristic of at least one selected geographic region, said geographic regions including at least one golf course, said characteristic being represented on said viewer by visual signifiers, said visual signifiers including at least a representation of an attribute and an indication of a position of said topographic characteristic;
• said direct electrical connections adapted for connection with at least one cooperative device for enabling said information processing and viewing device to perform an operation of at least one of accessing, storing and communicating of said data, said cooperative device further enabling said information processing and viewing device to autonomously process and display said information relating to topographic characteristics;
• wherein at least one of said cooperative devices is a position module having an antenna for receiving position related information and wherein said information processing and viewing device is fully operable with said antenna in a reception only mode.

A method of storing and displaying sets of topographic information, comprising the steps of:

• (a) inputting a first set of information to a portable information processing and viewing device, said first set of information being data representative of a topography, said first set of information including data elements relating to attributes of said topography, said data elements including at least one location for each of said attributes;
• (b) inputting a second set of information to said portable information processing and viewing device, said second set of information relating to location data for traversing said topography;
• (c) displaying said first and second sets of information on said portable information processing and viewing device, wherein said location data for traversing said topography is displayed as a moving representation with respect to said topography;
• and
• (d) replaying said displaying step for said first and second sets of information in at least one alterable manner including an adjustable replay speed for said moving representation.

A method of storing and displaying sets of topographic information, each of the sets being specific to an individual golf course, comprising the steps of:

• (a) inputting a first set of information to a portable information processing and viewing device, said first set of information being data representative of a golf course topography, said first set of information including data elements relating to attributes of the golf course, said data elements including at least one location for each of said golf course attributes;
• (b) inputting a second set of information to said portable information processing and viewing device, said second set of information relating to at least one ball location as a result of playing the golf course by at least one individual;
• (c) displaying said first and second sets of information on said portable information processing and viewing device, wherein said ball location is displayed as a moving representation with respect to said golf course topography;
• and
• (d) replaying said displaying step for said first and second sets of information in at least one alterable manner including an adjustable replay speed for said moving representation.

A system of storing and communicating sets of topographic information to and from information processing and viewing devices by means of an accessible network, comprising:

• (a) a first information processing and viewing device receiving input of a first set of information, said first set of information being data representative of a topography, said first set of information including data elements relating to attributes of said topography, said data elements including at least one location for each attribute in the set;
• (b) a second set of information relating to location data for traversing said topography;
• (c) a central information processing site and database receiving said first and second sets of information from said first information processing and viewing device and providing access to said sets over the network;
• and
• (d) a second information processing and viewing device receiving transmission of said first and second sets of information, displaying said location data for traversing said topography as a moving representation with respect to said topography, and replaying said moving representation in at least one alterable manner including an adjustable replay speed for said moving representation.

A system of storing and communicating sets of topographic information to and from information processing and viewing devices by means of an accessible network, each of the sets being specific to an individual golf course, comprising:

• (a) a first information processing and viewing device receiving input of a first set of information, said first set of information being data representative of a golf course topography, said first set of information including data elements relating to attributes of the golf course, said data elements including at least one location for each attribute in the set;
• (b) a second set of information relating to at least one ball location as a result of playing the golf course by at least one individual;
• (c) a central information processing site and database receiving said first and second sets of information from said first information processing and viewing device and providing access to said sets over the network;
• and
• (d) a second information processing and viewing device receiving transmission of said first and second sets of information, displaying the playing of the golf course as a moving representation with respect to said golf course topography, and replaying said moving representation in at least one alterable manner including an adjustable replay speed for said moving representation.