| Audio digital recording and playback device configured to conveniently store and play audible messages pertaining to specific golfing techniques and situations -> Monitor Keywords |
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Audio digital recording and playback device configured to conveniently store and play audible messages pertaining to specific golfing techniques and situationsAudio digital recording and playback device configured to conveniently store and play audible messages pertaining to specific golfing techniques and situations description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070191127, Audio digital recording and playback device configured to conveniently store and play audible messages pertaining to specific golfing techniques and situations. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
RELATED APPLICATION [0001]This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application 60/760, 296, filed Jan. 20, 2006, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002]This invention generally relates to golf training, and more particularly, to an audio digital recording and playback device configured to conveniently store and play audible messages pertaining to specific golfing techniques and situations. BACKGROUND [0003]As golf has become an increasingly popular pastime over the years, many players wishing to improve their own personal techniques have pursued professional assistance. Often, players, whether they are professionals or amateurs, may wish to recall the advice of their trainers while playing golf. Unfortunately, however, players have limited options available to facilitate recollection of coaching tips during play. Such options may include memorization or referring to written notes. In each case, the onus is on the golfer to quickly and accurately recall a coaching tip for a particular golfing situation. Even for a seasoned and disciplined golfer, quickly and accurately recalling coaching advice for each golfing situation can be extremely difficult, especially with passage of time. [0004]The use of generally available prerecorded instructional audio guides are of marginal utility during golf. Such presentations direct information towards a mass audience as a whole, without any allowance for a person's particular technique and deficiencies. Additionally, such prerecorded presentations require a compatible playback device, such as a tape or CD player. Even if a portable audio recorder/player is available, navigating to a particular tip that corresponds to a particular golf situation can be a daunting time-consuming task. [0005]What is needed is an aesthetically pleasing, inconspicuous, easy to use, audio digital recording and playback device configured to conveniently store and play audible messages pertaining to specific golfing techniques and situations. The invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems and solving one or more of the needs as set forth above. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006]To solve one or more of the problems set forth above, in an exemplary implementation of the invention, an aesthetically pleasing, inconspicuous, easy to use, audio digital recording and playback device configured to conveniently store and play audible messages pertaining to specific golfing techniques and situations is provided. The exemplary device is a portable handheld audio recording and playback device for use by golfers in recording and playing back tips with respect to strategies for play of holes on a golf course. In an exemplary embodiment, the device has a rectangular handle which is 1'' (depth).times.0.5'' (width).times.2.5'' (approx. height), with a speaker housing of 1.2'' (diameter).times.1.1'' (depth) mounted atop the handle. The front of the device reveals a variety of category (i.e., golf swing category) buttons, an opening for a built in microphone, and openings for a built in speaker. Controls for record, playback, volume and on/off are side-mounted. Internally, the exemplary device contains a digital recording and playback device controlled by the externally mounted control buttons. The device is battery powered. [0007]Recorded tips are segregated into "tee", "fairway", "chip" and "putt", with an individual front-mounted buttons to record or access each category of tip. Buttons and side-mounted controls are sized and spaced to allow a person wearing a golf glove to manipulate. LED lighting at bottom front indicates record mode and recording stop/start. [0008]Thus, in one aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a portable audio digital recording and playback apparatus configured to store and play audible messages pertaining to specific golfing categories is provided. The apparatus includes a housing, a power supply contained within the housing, a control assembly operably coupled to the housing and adapted for enabling operator selection of one of a plurality of categories pertaining to golf. A play-record mode selector control is provided for enabling operator selection of play and record modes of operation. The exemplary housing includes a handle and a speaker housing. The handle contains the circuit and the speaker housing contains the speaker. A speaker is provided for producing audible output. A microphone is provided for receiving acoustic message input and producing analog audio signals from the acoustic message input corresponding to a selected one of the plurality of categories pertaining to golf. The microphone may be an electret, condenser, piezo, carbon, ribbon or plunger coil microphones. A suspender may be attached to the housing and adapted to facilitate hanging the apparatus. [0009]A circuit is contained within the housing and configured to operate in a mode of operation indicated by the play-record mode selector control. In record mode, the circuit produces and stores message data from the analog audio signals corresponding to a selected one of the plurality of categories pertaining to golf. In playback mode, the circuit produces analog output message signals from stored message data corresponding to a selected one of the plurality of categories pertaining to golf, and transmits the analog output message signals to the speaker. A volume adjustment switch operably coupled to the circuit controls volume of the speaker. An indicator such as an LED indicator operably coupled to the circuit is adapted to signal a status of the device. [0010]In another aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the control assembly operably coupled to the housing and adapted for enabling operator selection of one of a plurality of categories pertaining to golf comprises a plurality of switches. Each of the plurality of switches is assigned to a category pertaining to golf. The switches are sized and spaced to allow an operator to easily manipulate each of them. Illustratively, the center of each switch is spaced about at least 0.5 inches from center of each adjacent switch and the space between adjacent edges of adjacent switches is about at least 0.25 inches. [0011]In another aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a golf tip recording and playback process is provided. The process uses a portable audio digital recording and playback apparatus configured to store and play audible messages pertaining to specific golfing categories according to principles of the invention. The recording portion of the process entails selecting a record mode, selecting a category, receiving audible sounds through a microphone and generating analog audio signals corresponding to the audible sounds for a determined period of time, converting the analog audio signals to digital audio data according to a determined sampling frequency, encoding the digital audio data, and storing the encoded digital audio data in a memory location allocated for the category. The playback portion of the process entails selecting a play mode, selecting the category, setting a desired playback volume level, accessing from the memory and decoding the stored encoded data corresponding to the selected category, converting the decoded data to analog output signals, amplifying the analog output signals, and transmitting the amplified analog output signals to the speaker. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0012]The foregoing and other aspects, objects, features and advantages of the invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, where: [0013]FIG. 1 provides a front plan view of an exemplary audio digital recording and playback device configured to conveniently store and play audible messages pertaining to specific golfing techniques and situations according to principles of the invention; and [0014]FIG. 2 provides a back plan view of an exemplary audio digital recording and playback device configured to conveniently store and play audible messages pertaining to specific golfing techniques and situations according to principles of the invention; and [0015]FIG. 3 provides a side perspective view of an exemplary audio digital recording and playback device configured to conveniently store and play audible messages pertaining to specific golfing techniques and situations according to principles of the invention; and [0016]FIG. 4 provides a high level block diagram of an exemplary electrical subsystem of an audio digital recording and playback device configured to conveniently store and play audible messages pertaining to specific golfing techniques and situations according to principles of the invention; and [0017]FIG. 5 shows a flow chart of a recording and playback process for an exemplary audio digital recording and playback device configured to conveniently store and play audible messages pertaining to specific golfing techniques and situations according to principles of the invention. [0018]Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the figures are not intended to be drawn to any particular scale; nor are the figures intended to illustrate every embodiment of the invention. The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments depicted in the figures or the types of footwear, shapes, relative sizes, ornamental aspects or proportions shown in the figures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Continue reading about Audio digital recording and playback device configured to conveniently store and play audible messages pertaining to specific golfing techniques and situations... 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