This invention relates generally to control systems used in sports to control a sporting event, and more particularly to an umpire game control device that allows an umpire to control the operations of a baseball game.
Hills, U.S. 20070030128, teaches a digital baseball and softball game umpire status indicator comprising a battery powered electronic unit for possessing inputs and associated indicators for balls, strikes, outs, innings, home team and road team scores, and trips to the pitching mound. The housing is ergonomically designed to avoid user fatigue and inadvertent actuation of the inputs. The apparatus also has a time feature, an input lock feature, reset feature, an audible output when the indicators are advanced, and a redundant securing means to prevent inadvertent dropping of the device by the user. The displays are illuminated as required to provide for easy reading at night and during daylight. The device may also be equipped with wireless capabilities for actuation of remote displays such as scoreboards.
Gordon, U.S. Ser. No. 10/596,445, teaches a sports game scorekeeping system comprising electronic instrumentation allowing game officials to electronically input and record game statistics and wirelessly communicate them to both reconfigurable electronic scoreboards and remote computational systems. The instrumentation used by officials may be affixed to the official's arm or wrist and allow for touch or voice inputs so as to minimally distract the official from other game duties.
Nielsen, U.S. 20040166966, teaches an electronic controller inside a weatherproof case, and two alternative remote control units, one a full function remote control, and the other a partial function, or “umpire,” remote control. The electronic controller includes a microprocessor, an RF receiver section, a power control section, and a display control section. It may also include an address selection section and a battery voltage measurement section. The RF receiver section receives pulsed or coded radio frequency signals from the remote controls, and converts them to binary DC signals for the microprocessor. The microprocessor decodes the input and controls the display control section. The display control section controls the switching of power to individual electromagnets in the electromechanical display devices. The power control section provides a controllable regulated voltage to the microprocessor, and a separately controlled regulated voltage to the display control section. The available address selection allows “unit address” selection and rejects incoming signals from remote controls that lack the identical unit address. The available battery voltage measurement section allows the condition of the power source to be displayed.
Dakers, U.S. 20090096593, teaches a control apparatus for controlling and officiating an athletic contest such as a hockey game. The official utilizes a control unit removably mounted on his or her arm. A spring mounted button allows the official to signal time starting and time stoppage events. A keyboard allows the entry of further data relating to the time starting and time stoppage events such as a score or penalty. A bar code scanner allows the official to scan a bar code associated with each player to obtain information of that player. All data and time starting and time stopping events are transmitted wirelessly by the control unit to a receiver-processor located remotely from the control unit.
The prior art does not teach a control device that includes the elements claimed in the present application. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further advantages as described in the following summary.
The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
The present invention provides a game control system for tracking game statistics such as balls, strikes, and outs, and for operably controlling a scoreboard for displaying this information, and a pitch clock. The game control system includes a device housing that is sized and shaped to be readily hand-held, the device housing having an input device for entering game statistics. The device housing contains a transceiver device operably connected with a power source, the transceiver device enabling communication with the scoreboard and the pitch clock. The device housing further includes a pitch clock display that displays the time remaining on the pitch clock, and a pitch clock reset button which enables a reset of the pitch clock display, and also the pitch clock, during the course of the game.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a game control system having advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to provide a game control system that enables an umpire to not only track important statistics on a handheld device, but so that this handheld device also functions to operably control the displays of both the scoreboard and the pitch clock.
A further objective is to provide a game control system that is easy to use, and which prevents operator errors being generated between the umpire and a second operator of the scoreboard and/or pitch clock.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention.
The above-described drawing figures illustrate the invention, a game control system for enabling an umpire (or referee, or other game official) to operably control a scoreboard and to direct scoring of a game, particularly in the area of team sports.
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The device housing 22 further comprises an input device 26 for entering various forms of data, as described in greater detail below. While analogue buttons and scroll wheels are illustrated, in other embodiments the input device 26 could alternatively be in other forms of mechanical elements (e.g., buttons, dials, switches), and/or also including non-mechanical features such as voice controls, touch screens, etc., and any other forms of control mechanisms known in the art.
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In this embodiment, the input device 26 further includes a plurality of scroll wheels 30, including a strike wheel 31, a ball wheel 33, and an out wheel 35 for scrolling between digits 38 that represent the number of strikes, balls, and outs, respectively, which may then be viewed on the counter device 20, and displayed on the scoreboard 50. The input device 26 may also include an out reset button 34, which resets the wheels 31, 33, 35, and in turn updates the scoreboard display of these counts, resetting them to zero for a new batter.
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The counter device 20 provides display of and/or control of various metrics to an umpire/referee/etc., and it may be used in conjunction with other parties or systems, such as scorekeeper input station (not shown). For example, in some embodiments the counter device 20 communicates with a scorekeeper, press box, or other system for approval prior to inputs being displayed on the scoreboard 50. Alternatively, the press box may have equal control over the scoreboard 50 as the counter device 20. Many variations such as these are possible, as deemed desirable by those skilled in the art.
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Similarly, the internal electronics components of the scoreboard 50 may include the wireless transceiver 55 or equivalent device for receiving (and potentially sending) wireless data, as discussed above. It may further include a power source 56, and a computer processor 57 and a computer memory 58 for storing and operating computer code.
In use, the umpire or similar official holds the counter device 20 and operates the input device(s) 26 during the course of the game. In the case of baseball, he or she can reset the pitch clock as needed during the course of the game, and the clock time is displayed on the scoreboard and other locations. He or she can also keep track of balls, strikes, and outs, using the wheels described above (or other mechanism), and this information is provided to the scoreboard.
In alternative implementations, the inputs transmitted may be in the form of text, wherein the input device 26 may instead include letters or other insignia, or relate to other scoring measurements in various sports, e.g., fouls, shots, time-outs, etc. Furthermore, the counter device 20 may be used in any environment where a referee or similar actor observes activities and keeps various scoring measurements for display on any form of scoreboard 50 (e.g., a theater performance, fighting match, any athletic team sports, etc.). Additional options may be included, such as a feature that allows the user to transmit or receive an audio signal, or any other features known to those skilled in the art.
The title of the present application, and the description given, do not limit what may be claimed in the future, based upon and supported by the present application. Furthermore, any features shown in any of the drawings may be combined with any features from any other drawings to form an invention which may be claimed.
As used in this application, the words “a,” “an,” and “one” are defined to include one or more of the referenced item unless specifically stated otherwise. The terms “approximately” and “about” are defined to mean+/−10%, unless otherwise stated. Also, the terms “have,” “include,” “contain,” and similar terms are defined to mean “comprising” unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, the terminology used in the specification provided above is hereby defined to include similar and/or equivalent terms, and/or alternative embodiments that would be considered obvious to one skilled in the art given the teachings of the present patent application. While the invention has been described with reference to at least one particular embodiment, it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments, but rather the scope of the invention is defined by claims made to the invention.
This application for a utility patent claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/346,652, filed 27 May 2022.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63346652 | May 2022 | US |