Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02695959 2010-04-08
Field of the Application
The present invention relates to an electronic scoreboard system, in
particular, to a method and system
used in sports for keeping track of scores in real time.
Background Of The Invention
To sustain a healthy and balanced lifestyle, sports and fitness have always
been an integral part of
people's lives. This includes people of all ages from youths to seniors,
participating from community
level recreational sports to competitive matches and tournaments. With this
growing demand and
popularity for sports and games amongst both amateur and professional sport
athletes, these exists a
need for an affordable and portable scorekeeping system that allows players to
easily keep track of the
score, and automatically officiates the game based on rules of the sport under
play.
Various mechanically built and/or electrically controlled scoreboards have
been developed over the
years, ranging from simple flip-cards or peg-boards to large scale electronic
scoreboards that are
permanently installed inside arenas or venues. However, these are mostly
cumbersome to use and often
restrictive in functionality and difficult to adapt to different sports. Large
scale scoreboards are
typically very expensive and can not be easily transported to other locations.
The quest is to develop a scoreboard system that's versatile, customizable,
easy to use, and most
importantly, has the built in intelligence for scorekeeping based on the
specific chosen sport. A
portable scoreboard would allow players to setup and used in different
locations, and provide a more
personalized score keeping system. It would also allow for ease of storage
when not in use. This would
enhance the players' overall experience in playing sports and make it much
more enjoyable and
engagement in the activity. Overall, this would motivate people to achieve a
more active and healthy
body and fitness level.
It would be advantageous to provide an improved method and system for keeping
score and the present
invention addresses these needs.
CA 02695959 2010-04-08
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Summary Of The Invention
Without a scoreboard, players themselves would try to keep track of the score
while they play the
game. However, often time, during long rallies or matches, the one keeping
score might loose track of
the score and might cause some degree of confusion in the players, resulting
with some instances
arguments or disagreements between the two opposing teams. This disrupts the
flow of the game and
reduces the overall enjoyment in playing the sport.
A basic scoreboard would alleviate this problem and allow the players' to
concentrate and enjoy playing
the game. A more sophisticated scoreboard, such as the proposed invention,
would further enhance the
experience by providing additional capabilities and features that would solve
many of the deficiencies
found in existing arts.
Existing prior arts ranged from those where scores are changed manually by
hand, such as "flip-cards"
or "peg-boards", to highly sophisticated large-scale computer controlled
scoreboard fixtures installed
permanently inside arenas and stadiums.
Flip-card and peg-boards are very restrictive in terms of the amount of
scoring information that can be
tracked and displayed and are cumbersome to use. It often requires someone,
example a spectator or a
referee on the side line to update the score as the game progresses.
The above mentioned prior arts lack the time keeping capability for sports
that require a game clock,
example of time sensitive sports may include basketball, hockey or soccer.
Similarly, mechanical "scoring drums" or "rotary numbered discs or wheel" type
of scoreboards
consumes an excessive amount of space and overall weight, as it needs to
accommodate a sufficiently
large diameter display for all the digits. Thus limiting their ability to be
portable, and often time these
mechanical fixtures consume a lot of power to operate and maintain. Similarly,
these mechanical
scoreboards require a dedicated person, example a spectator or referee on the
side line, to update the
score as the game progresses. The score changes are typically done through a
keyboard or button panel
that is connected to the wall or ceiling mounted scoreboard.
CA 02695959 2010-04-08
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Some prior arts use electromechanical displays that contain a lot of moving
parts with motors and
relays. These types of displays are also very costly, consumes high amount o
of power to operate and
prone to damage upon impact. Other prior arts might use lamps or light bulbs
for the display, which
are power inefficient, high maintenance and generates excessive heat.
As for electronic based prior arts, most are very large in size and are not
suitable for transporting and
portable use on a routine bases. These scoreboards are usually installed
permanently inside an arena or
playing field, and typically only one would be installed per facility. Also,
these scoreboards are limited
to keeping score of only a few types of sports, and can not be adapted to real
multi-sport use.
There are some existing scoreboards that claim to be portable. However, they
are still very large in size
relative to the proposed invention as none of them exhibit a "foldable"
enclosure design, thus
unpractical for daily use on a recreational basis, unless it's an organized
event or tournament where
space is not an issue for it to be installed.
Most importantly, the one fundamental difference between existing scoreboard
systems and the
proposed invention is the intelligence built into the scorekeeping
functionality. All prior arts utilizes a
straightforward and "dummy" approach to scorekeeping, meaning these products
are simply a
collection of individual counters to be used for keep track of different
events or conditions for the game
played. However it greatly lacks the capability of incorporating the official
game rules into the score
keeping sequence. This is one key disadvantage of existing prior arts and this
is one area where the
proposed invention addresses. Basically, the proposed invention allows players
themselves to officiate
the game with out worrying about the rules of the game as this functionality
is built-in to the system
upon selecting the type of sport. This feature, together with the remote
devices worn by the players,
achieves the personalized experience in scorekeeping, thus allowing the
players to fully engulf in the
sport they are playing.
Existing prior arts are often time very difficult to configure and control
since the user interfaces often
consist of many rows of buttons, each dedicated to control a specific
numerical counter or function on
the scoreboard. The user panels are usually located at the back side of the
scoreboard, which makes it
very difficult for the player themselves to control while looking at the,
front-side of the display,
CA 02695959 2010-04-08
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especially for the case when the scoreboard is mounted on the wall. Others are
done through a dedicate
user panel with series of keys and buttons.
The proposed scoreboard uses a very simple user interface consisting of an
alphanumeric menu-driven
LCD screen, controlled by a few multi-functional keys, and can be conveniently
accessed from the
front panel of the scoreboard. The interface is very intuitive, with a menu
showing settings and
options, allowing the user to easily make the required change or update.
Some of the prior arts mentioned above have capabilities to remote control the
scoreboard, either via a
cable wire or through a wireless mean. However, all of these prior arts do not
provide a remote control
unit that is small, compact or lightweight for wearing by the players
themselves. This limitation
usually results with the one or more players needing to stop the game
temporarily in order to walk up to
the scoreboard to update the score. Creating a very inconvenient and
disruptive experience.
Similarly, updating the score for some prior arts can be very cumbersome. Some
require the score
change to be initiated directly on the scoreboard via its back-panel interface
or others would use an
auxiliary control box that is connected to the scoreboard either by wires or
radio link. The proposed
scoreboard uses miniature wireless remote modules that can be easily
integrated to the players' apparel,
either as a wristband, wristwatch, necklace, or a clip-on-pin attached to the
shirt or cap.
Most prior arts, regardless if it's manual flip-card or electronic based,
requires a third person or party to
operate and update the score. Third person is someone that is not involved in
the current game and is
situated outside of the playing area (i.e. court or playing field) during the
duration of play. For
competitive games, the officiating referee might be responsible for the
scorekeeping, but for semi-
competitive or recreational matches, such a person might not always be
present. Therefore, the propose
scoreboard is a system that allows the players themselves to operate thru a
simple push of a few keys
on the wireless remote, with nearly no interruption to the game. Also, audible
tones will be generated
by the scoreboard each time the score is updated to indicate a change is made,
and these tones can be a
pre-recorded voice message announcing the current score or game information or
as simple as a beep of
a horn.
CA 02695959 2010-04-08
Brief Description of the Drawings and Figures:
Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which shows an
embodiment of the
present invention, and in which:
FIG. 1 shows a front and open view of an embodiment of the scoreboard
FIG. 2 shows a closed view of an embodiment of the scoreboard
FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of the right side view of the scoreboard
system, with panel opened
and supporting leg extended. I/O ports illustrated.
FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of the left side view of the scoreboard
system, with panel opened
and supporting leg extended. Visor panel installed.
FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the wearable remote control devices
FIG. 6 shows in block diagram form, an embodiment of a controller and its
auxiliary components for
use in the scoreboard system
FIG. 7 and 8 show, in flowchart form, an embodiment of the method of the
software algorithm
Similar reference numerals are used in different figures to denote similar
components. Item Number 1-
21, 200-260
Drawings and Artwork:
The proposed invention is a scoreboard that utilizes a compact, lightweight,
robust design that allows
for easy transport in any sport bag or backpack, and can be easily setup on
site, and simple to operate
during the game. In a tournament type of sporting venue, or a semi-competitive
club found at a local
recreational community centre, this would allow different groups of players to
have access to their own
scoring system, and each system is independently. For example, in a gymnasium
or arena, with
multiple badminton courts setup, each court could independently keep their own
scores.
CA 02695959 2010-04-08
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Detailed Description with Reference to Item Numbers on Figures:
With reference to FIG I is an embodiment of a foldable enclosure of the
scoreboard display (1 & 2).
The foldable configuration allows for a high degree of portability during
transport to the location and
storage. Also, by having the actual displays folded inward protects of the
actual display surface from
scratches and damage when not in use. The folding hinge (4) uses a multi ball
joint design that allows
for three degree of movement between the two halves of the enclosure and the
supporting leg apparatus.
FIG 2 shows an embodiment of the scoreboard in a closed form (1 & 2), when not
in use, exposing the
folding hinge (4) in a terminal position and the supporting leg stored away in
the compartment (2).
Also shown is the battery compartment (2) hidden in the spine of the hinge.
Reference is now made to FIG 3 that shows an embodiment of the supporting leg
(3) with the extension
mechanism. This apparatus is built into the back side of the scoreboard
enclosure (1&2) to provide
support when the display is opened in an upright position. Together with the
folding hinge (4) provides
a flexible configuration of the scoreboard display. This design allows for
different configurations and
installation of the scoreboard, on various surfaces including, but not limited
to; table top, glass panel
mounted, wall mounted or fence installed.
One of the key design objectives was to maximize the visibility of the display
while still minimizing
the overall size of the scoreboard. This was achieved with a large aspect
ratio on the digit size in
comparison to the dimensions of the overall enclosure (1 & 2). Plus the
folding hinge design (4) allows
for greater display surface area when in use, but half the size during
carriage and storage.
The digit display (1&2) is maximized by using the full dimensions of the
enclosure, and to improve
visibility, super bright and high efficiency solid state LEDs are used for
extremely robust and reliable
operation. LEDS are also low power consumption, allowing the system to be
battery powered.
With reference to FIG 4, to achieve a high visibility display in both indoor
and outdoor environments,
i.e. under the bright sun or in night time conditions, a visor panel (5) is
integrated into the enclosure (1).
This visor panel can also provide to a certain degree protection from rain or
snow, assuming the
conditions are still suitable for play.
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When not in use, the visor panel (4) could also be used in an upright vertical
position to be used as a
personalizing team or player nameplate. This enhances the usability of the
scoreboard compared to the
traditional "HOME" and "GUEST" names used.
With reference to FIG 5, wireless remote modules (6 & 7) can be wom by the
players during play to
allow for the updating of the score. These remotes are very simple devices
that are button cell battery
powered that can be integrated into the players' apparel. For example, it can
be worn as a wrist band or
wrist watch or as part of the cap wom by the players. These remote modules are
paired and
synchronized with the scoreboard prior to use. This is done through the GUI
interface of the LCD
panel.
With Reference to FIG 6, the core of the scoreboard system (8) is a high
performance microcontroller
(15) that controls all internal and external functionalities of the system.
The system is powered by a dual power source including battery or AC input
(9), with a built in battery
charging circuit (10) if rechargeable batteries are used. The system also has
indications showing low
battery and full battery states. With the batteries, it enhances the
portability of the product without
compromising the overall weight too much as the overall system consumes very
little power.
The battery compartment is integrated as part of the folding hinge or "spine",
achieving a few compact
and assessable design.
To save battery power, a built in light sensor circuitry (17) is used to sense
the ambient lighting of the
environment (indoor and outdoor) and automatically adjust the intensity of the
displays (18) for optimal
viewing. The display will also automatically reduce its intensity during non-
active or idle periods of
the game to save battery.
An audio amplifier and piezo buzzer (19) is used for audio output of real-time
score and game status
changes or events. These could be audible tones or musical sequences stored in
the system memory
(13). Alternatively, the audio amplifier could drive a conventional loud
speaker (19).
There is built in memory (13) on the system for non-volatile storage of game
scores and statistics, as
well as the customized user settings and parameters. The data stored could
also be transferred to a
computer terminal via USB connectivity (11 & 12) for further analysis or
processing (ex. by team
coaches to evaluate the players' progress).
CA 02695959 2010-04-08
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Reference is now made to FIG. 7 and 8, which show, in flowchart form, an
embodiment of the software
algorithm (200) and the methodology used for scorekeeping control. The method
(200) relates to a
control sequence involving a scoreboard display described above, and two
remote controls worn by the
players themselves. The control sequence is performed in parallel with the
display and the remote
controls.
The method (200) begins in step 202 with system initialization. This involves
input/output (I/O) port
configurations and resetting of software parameters. The system then enters
into step 204 where Menu
Selection is displayed to the user via the LCD GUI (Graphical User Interface).
In Menu Selection,
various options and features can be made, including Sports Selection (206),
Save Score (208), and
Miscellaneous Settings (210). User can choose different sports in the Sports
Selection menu, such as
basketball, football, badminton, volleyball and hockey. Miscellaneous Setup
allow user to update
settings for system calendar and clock, game clock/timer, audio buzzer on/off,
and settings for transmit
of data to external source via USB.
If Save Score (208) is enabled by the user, this feature will allow the system
to continuously log and
store to memory all the events that occur during the game. This includes score
changes (i.e. increment
or decrement), time stamps and other game related information. If Save Score
is disabled by the user,
this function will not be active.
Depending on the type of Sport Selected (214), different game settings are
available for the user to
configure. If user chooses to keep with default settings, then they could
proceed to step 228 to Start
Game. Users could also load/retrieve a previously stored setting (via memory)
and proceed to step 228
to Start Game. Else, the user can choose to view or reconfigure any of the
game settings (220)
pertaining to the selected sport. For example; the user can choose either a
"singles" match or "doubles"
match (ex. the game of badminton uses a different scoring system depending on
whether players are
competing one-on-one or two-on-two), or the number of points per game, or the
number of games per
match, or the type of deuce/time break play to select. On the game clock side,
the timer can be changed
accordingly, and allows for countdown or count-up options.
Once all of these customized settings are completed, the user can choose to
Save the New Settings
(224) or proceed immediately to Start Game (228). FIG 7 is continuation of FIG
6 flow chart, and it
shows the Start Game (228) sequence, and this is where all settings are loaded
and game is in progress.
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As game proceeds, Step 230 waits for game update input from the players via
the wireless remote
modules and updates the score display in real-time (238). This event would
also trigger an audible tone
to be sounded, indicating to all players that the score has been updated. The
method 200 has built-in
intelligence to ensure sports rule compliance is met, and displays other game
related information in
step 236. This might include "fouls", "time expiry", and "point change
violation". Point change
violation is a built in error checking algorithm to ensure player score inputs
are valid.
In step 240 monitors the game point progress, compares with the point setting
of the selected sport, and
reports intermediate or final game results. The system also outputs various
information during the
game, such as display game points, foul counts, and period count; turning on
buzzer for point
increment; and playing musical sequence at the end of the game.
The method 200 also keeps track of the game timer for the relevant sport
selected, and displays time
information, and links the game progress with the timer accordingly. When the
time expires, an
audible tone or buzzer will be sounded notifying players. Note, some sports do
not require timer or
clock tracking.
If Save Score feature was enabled (208) during game settings, all of these
events that occur during the
game will be logged into memory on the system in real time. Various
information can be collected
during the game, such as points per quarter, time stamps per score change
event, game advancement
speed, final scores etc. In step 248, when the game is finished, the system
has the capability to reconcile
all the data collected and prepare the overall statistical game summary. The
collected information can
then be transmitted to an external source via USB bus for analysis or
interpretation by players,
coaching staff or other interested parties.
The system and method described also monitor the game progress and ensure it
complies with the rules
and standards for the sport selected. It will be appreciated that the
embodiments of the method and
system described above determine the winning team by comparing the final game
score and with the
setting of the selected game. Once a game is finished and the winner is
determined, the players can
restart a new brand game or abort the system.
CA 02695959 2010-04-08
The method 200 is only a generic flowchart of the overall algorithm and
structure, but it must be
appreciated that every sport defined in the system has different score keeping
rules and regulations, and
the system applies variations of the algorithm accordingly. This embodiment
illustrates the capability
for the user to customize the settings and how the system keeps score and game
information according
to official game rules.
CA 02695959 2010-04-08
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Example List of Prior Arts References:
7,404,373, Portable game scoreboard
http : //p a tft . u s l)to ..qov/netacgi / n p h-
Parser?Sectl =PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1 &u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-
bool.html&r=35&f=G&1=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&sl
=scoreboards&OS=scoreboards&RS=scoreboards
5,615,636, Portable scoreboard
http://patft.usi)to.gov/netacgi/nph-
Parser?Sectl =PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1 &u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-
bool. htm I&r=8&f=G&1=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s
1=%22portable+scoreboard%22&OS="portable+scoreboard"&R
S ="portable+s co r e b oa rd"
4,045,788, Allpurpose portable scoreboard
http://patft. u s pto. g ov/netacgi/n p h-
Parser?Sectl =PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1 &u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-
bool.html&r=14&f=G&1=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&sl
=%22portable+scoreboard%22&OS="portable+scoreboard"&
RS="portable+scoreboard"
5,294,913, Indoor/outdoor portable basketball scoreboard
hftp://i)atft.usi)to.gov/netaccii/nph-
Parser?Sectl =PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1 &u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-
bool.html&r=9&f=G&1=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=%22portable+scoreboard%22&OS="portable
+scoreboard"&R
S="portable+scoreboa rd"
4,280,291, Two-sided portable scoreboard
http: //patft. u s pto. gov/netacgi/n p h-
Parser?Sectl =PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1 &u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-
boo1.html&r=11
&f=G&1=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=%22portable+scoreboard%22&OS="portable+scoreboard"&
RS="portable+scoreboard"
7,520,827, Electronic table tennis
http://patft.usi)to.pov/netac. i/q nph-
Parser?Sectl =PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1 &u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-
boo1.html&r=5&f=G&1=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&sl
=scorekeeping&OS=scorekeeping&RS=scorekeeping
CA 02695959 2010-04-08
12
6,725,107, Electronic scorekeeping device and system therefore (statistics)
hftp://Patft.uspto.gov/netacoi/nL)h-
Parser?Sectl =PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1 &u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-
bool.html&r=26&f=G&1=50&co 1=AN D&d=PTXT&s l
=scorekeepinq&OS=scorekeeping&RS=scorekeepinq
6,210,296, Portable tennis scorekeeper device
http://Datft.usoto.gov/netacgi/nph-
Parser?Sectl =PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1 &u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-
bool.html&r=40&f=G&I=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&sl
=scorekeepino&OS=scorekeeping&RS=scorekeepina
6,041,266, Baseball scorekeeper
http: //p atft. u s pto. goy/netacgi/n p h-
Parser?Sectl =PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&o=1 &u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-
bool.html&r=42&f=G&1=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&sl
=scorekeeping&OS=scorekeeping&RS=scorekeeping
5,879,249, Scorekeeping apparatus for a tennis racquet
hftp://patft.ust)to.gov/netac-ai/nph-
Parser?Sectl =PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1 &u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-
bool.html&r=50&f=G&1=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&sl
=scorekeepina&OS=scorekeeping&RS=scorekeepino
7,091,875, Wearable remote control
http://Datft. usrto.gov/netacgi/nrh-
Parser?Sectl =PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1 &u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-
booI.html&r=2&f=G&1=50&co 1=AND&dPTXT&s 1=7091875&OS=7091875&RS=7091875
