Hole-in-one golf video registration system

Abstract

Charitable donations may be made by purchasing hole-in-one insurance and verified by recorded video images derived from appropriately situated cameras. Often, especially with respect to charitable functions in association with golf tournaments, hole-in-one insurance is purchased that pays the person insured if a hole-in-one is made on the hole for which the insurance is purchased. The purchase of such insurance generates proceeds for a selected charity, the purchase price exceeding that needed to purchase the insurance policy. The present invention provides geographically local and convenient purchase of such insurance on a hole-by-hole basis. A central unit acts as a control where ATM, credit card, or specially purchased magnetic cards or the like may be used to purchase or indicate the purchase of such insurance. The transaction is validated with appropriate displays presented to the user. The keypad may also be used for data input, such as ATM personal identification numbers (PIN). Video cassette recorders and video editing equipment may provide means by which the resulting golf shot may be recorded. A certain adequate but limited amount of time may be given to the golfer in order to complete the shot. Financial transaction verification processes may be engaged so that the transactions are validated and the appropriate charity is credited with the donation for the purchase of the insurance.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A golf video hole-in-one registration and verification system, comprising: 
 user-accessible database means for registering a hole-in-one shot attempt code in association with a specific golfer, said database means further including means for electronically receiving a financial contribution and for validating said shot attempt code upon receipt of said financial contribution;    an activation unit positioned generally adjacent the tee of a selected golf course hole, said activation unit including means for inputting a registered and validated shot attempt code and for responding thereto to activate at least one tee camera and at least one green camera positioned respectively at the tee and green of the selected golf course hole, said at least one tee camera producing a video record of activity on the tee and said at least one green camera producing a video record of activity on the green to record a hole-in-one shot attempt;    at least one processor unit coupled to said tee and green cameras for digitally storing the video records produced by said tee and green cameras; and    verification means coupled to said at least one processor unit for accessing the video record of each hole-in-one shot attempt to permit review and verification of a successful hole-in-one shot attempt.    
     
     
         2 . The system of    claim 1    wherein said database means is user-accessible via an Internet web site.  
     
     
         3 . The system of    claim 1    wherein said database means is user-accessible via a remote access terminal.  
     
     
         4 . The system of    claim 1    wherein said database means includes means for receiving and registering a shot attempt number, and for prompting a user to enter a unique and user-selected personal identification number (PIN) in association with said shot attempt number, said shot attempt number and PIN collectively comprising said shot attempt code.  
     
     
         5 . The system of    claim 1    wherein said means for electronically receiving a financial contribution comprises means for receiving said contribution by credit/debit card payment.  
     
     
         6 . The system of    claim 1    wherein said user-accessible database means further includes means for user-selection of at least one entity from a list of multiple entities to receive a portion of said financial contribution.  
     
     
         7 . The system of    claim 6    wherein said database means includes means for spreading said financial contribution among a plurality of different financial accounts.  
     
     
         8 . The system of    claim 1    wherein activation unit includes keypad means for inputting a registered and validated shot attempt code.  
     
     
         9 . The system of    claim 8    wherein said activation unit further includes a user-viewable video display screen.  
     
     
         10 . The system of    claim 1    wherein said activation unit includes a card reader for automatically reading information on a game card.  
     
     
         11 . The system of    claim 1    wherein said activation unit is coupled to said database means.  
     
     
         12 . The system of    claim 1    wherein said activation unit includes a substantially weatherproof housing having said at least one processor unit container therein.  
     
     
         13 . The system of    claim 1    wherein said at least one tee camera comprises a pair of tee cameras for providing redundant video records of activity on the tee.  
     
     
         14 . The system of    claim 1    wherein said at least one green camera comprises a pair of green cameras for providing redundant video records of activity on the green.  
     
     
         15 . The system of    claim 14    wherein said pair of green cameras provide said redundant video records at different recording speeds.  
     
     
         16 . The system of    claim 1    wherein said at least one processor unit comprises a computer having a disk drive for storing the video record provided by said tee and green cameras.  
     
     
         17 . The system of    claim 16    wherein said at least one processor unit is programmed for deleting the video record provided by said tee and green cameras at the end of a predetermined time interval.  
     
     
         18 . The system of    claim 1    wherein said activation unit is responsive to input of a registered and validated shot attempt code to activating said tee and green cameras for a predetermined limited time interval.  
     
     
         19 . The system of    claim 18    wherein said activation unit further including means for communicating the conclusion of said predetermined limited time interval to a user.  
     
     
         20 . The system of    claim 1    further including shot reporting means coupled to said verification means for user-reporting of a successful hole-in-one shot attempt.  
     
     
         21 . The system of    claim 20    wherein said shot reporting means comprises a reporting terminal coupled to said verification means and including means for inputting a registered and validated shot attempt code.  
     
     
         22 . The system of    claim 1    wherein said verification means is located remote from said at least one processor unit.  
     
     
         23 . The system of    claim 1    wherein said activation unit comprises a plurality of activation units each respectively positioned generally adjacent a different selected tee of a corresponding plurality of selected golf course holes.  
     
     
         24 . The system of    claim 23    wherein said user-accessible database means includes means for registering and validating a shot attempt code to permit a plurality of hole-in-one shot attempts.  
     
     
         25 . A golf video hole-in-one registration and verification method, comprising the steps of: 
 user-accessing a database for registering a hole-in-one shot attempt code in association with a specific golfer, and for electronically making a financial contribution;    database-validating the shot attempt code upon receipt of the financial contribution;    inputting a registered and validated shot attempt code to an activation unit positioned generally adjacent the tee of a selected golf course hole;    responding to the inputted registered and validated shot attempt code to produce separate video records of activity on the tee and activity on the green associated with a hole-in-one shot attempt;    digitally storing the separate video records; and    subsequently accessing the separate video records to permit review and verification of a successful hole-in-one shot attempt.    
     
     
         26 . The method of    claim 25    wherein said database user-accessing step comprises accessing an Internet web site.  
     
     
         27 . The method of    claim 25    wherein said database user-accessing step comprises accessing a remote database access terminal.  
     
     
         28 . The method of    claim 25    wherein said database user-accessing step comprises user-input of a shot attempt number, and database-prompting the user to enter a unique and user-selected personal identification number (PIN) in association with said shot attempt number, said shot attempt number and PIN collectively comprising said shot attempt code.  
     
     
         29 . The method of    claim 25    wherein electronic contribution step comprises a credit/debit card payment step.  
     
     
         30 . The method of    claim 25    wherein said database user-accessing step further comprises user-selection of at least one entity from a list of multiple entities to receive a portion of said financial contribution.  
     
     
         31 . The method of    claim 25    wherein said activation unit is coupled to said database.  
     
     
         32 . The method of    claim 25    wherein said step of producing separate video records comprises providing redundant video records of activity on the tee and on the green.  
     
     
         33 . The method of    claim 32    wherein said step of providing redundant video records of activity on the green comprises producing said redundant video records with a least a pair of green cameras operated at different recording speeds.  
     
     
         34 . The method of    claim 25    wherein said of digitally storing said video records comprises storing the video records on a computer disk drive.  
     
     
         35 . The method of    claim 34    further including the step of deleting the stored video records at the end of a predetermined time interval.  
     
     
         36 . The method of    claim 25    wherein said step of responding to an inputted registered and validated shot attempt code to produce said video records comprises the step of activating tee and green cameras for a predetermined limited time interval.  
     
     
         37 . The method of    claim 25    further including step of reporting a successful hole-in-one shot attempt to verification staff.  
     
     
         38 . The method of    claim 37    wherein said shot reporting step comprises user-accessing a reporting terminal.  
     
     
         39 . The method of    claim 37    further including the step of remotely accessing the stored video records for verifying a successful hole-in-one shot attempt.  
     
     
         40 . The method of    claim 25    wherein said activation unit comprises a plurality of activation units each respectively positioned generally adjacent a different selected tee of a corresponding plurality of selected golf course holes.  
     
     
         41 . The method of    claim 40    wherein said database user-accessing step comprises registering and validating a shot attempt code to permit a plurality of hole-in-one shot attempts.