System and method for a multi-stations sport game

• US 20170296894A1
• Filed: 04/15/2016
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aung Min
• Original Assignee: Aung Min
• Inventors: Min, Aung
• Granted Patent: US 9,884,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2067/063 tossing, e.g. rings or horseshoes around or on, e.g. posts, hooks
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0658 Position or arrangement of display
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/08 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/62 Time or time measurement used for time reference, time stamp, master time or clock signal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/74 with powered illuminating means, e.g. lights
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/00 Specific ball sports not provided for in A63B2102/00 - A63B2102/38
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/20 Swimming
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/00 Devices for handling or treating balls , e.g. for holding or carrying balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/00 Sporting games or accessories therefor, not provided for in groups A63B1/00 - A63B65/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/02 Special golf games, e.g. miniature golf or golf putting games played on putting tracks; putting practice apparatus having an elongated platform as a putting track
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/06 Ring or disc tossing games , e.g. quoits; Throwing or tossing games, e.g. using balls; Games for manually rolling balls, e.g. marbles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/00 Amusement arrangements hoop exercising apparatus driven by the user A63B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/02 with moving substructures

Abstract

A system, method and device for a sport game are provided. The game utilizes a plurality of play articles, at least three stations cum goals or targets, a playground, a game controller device and a display device. The game is played by individual participant or participants wherein the rules of the game maintain a familiarity with an ancient puzzle game and is based on a mathematical formula of logarithmic scale where the play articles are moved around the stations by play participants to accrue points or goals and where the devices are incorporated with identification, tracking, data transmission, data processing, determination and data display capabilities to monitor and manage the game. The game provides physical, skill and cerebral challenges and is applicable to a plurality of normal sports wherein goal or target shooting is primal; the game can be played indoors or outdoors, for fun, exercise, training of sport skills, light or serious competition.

Claims

1. A method and system for providing a physical game, wherein the rules of the game require a plurality of articles to be individually moved between different physical locations in a particular sequence by at least one game participant, the method and system including the steps of:

providing at least three stations, each station being physically located apart from one another, wherein one of said stations is designated an original station and another the final station;

providing a plurality of movable articles, wherein each article is equipped with at least one identification device so as to provide each movable article with a detectable identity in relation to its unique position in the complete complement of the said plurality of movable articles, wherein at the commencement of the game all of the movable articles are located at a said designated original station in a predetermined sequence of size or other characteristic, and wherein each station includes at least one detector that is automatically capable of detecting the article at, moved to or from said station and identifying said article, and transmitting at least one signal to a controller, wherein said at least one signal includes information relating to the detection and identification of said article and identifying the station; and

wherein at the completion of the game all of the movable articles are located at the said designated final station in the same sequence as found at the first station at the beginning of the game;

providing a controller capable of receiving the at least one signal from each station, said at least one signal identifying the station and the detection and identification of said article once it has been moved to or from the station, and whereby said controller processes the at least one received signal to determine whether the correct article has been moved to or from the correct location in accordance with the rules of the game;

providing a visual display unit equipped to display information to the game participants, the game officials and the spectators; and

providing a playground on which to stage the game.

2. The method and system of claim 1, wherein the rules of the game comprise the steps of moving one article at a time, which article is located at a station, to one of the other receiving stations in a particular sequence, wherein each move being between any two of said stations.

3. The method and system of claim 2, wherein the particular sequence includes moving the articles such that an article moved to a receiving station must be smaller in size or other characteristic, such as serial number, in comparison to the smallest article or articles that have already been moved to said same receiving station.

4. The method and system of claim 3, further comprising the algorithm wherein steps are provided for the moving of the articles in a particular sequence to sustain a minimum number of moves possible, m, for a defined number of articles, n.

5. The method and system of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein upon determining whether the correct article has been moved to the correct location, the controller sends a signal of the determination to a respective station, whereby the determination is indicated by an indication device at the station.

6. The method and system of claim 5, wherein the indication device comprises at least one indication device selected from the group consisting of visual indication devices and audio indication devices.

7. The method and system of claim 1, wherein the said articles for moving between stations are selected from the group consisting of:

(i) rings, discs, balls, rods of regular or irregular shape, pucks, darts and arrows, all of which are in accordance with their normal use in their respective sport and wherein the articles are equipped with at least one said identification device; and

(ii) rings, discs, balls, rods of regular or irregular shape, pucks, darts and arrows which are specifically designed for use in the game and wherein the articles are equipped with at least one said identification device.

8. The method and system of claim 7, wherein the articles for moving between the stations are in ascending order of size or are equal in size and shape but include an ascending order of another characteristic such as a serial number.

9. The method and system of claim 8, wherein the at least one said identification device of the article is selected from the group consisting of electronic chips, radio frequency tags, magnetic strips, bar codes, colour codes and audio tonal devices.

10. The method and system of claim 1, wherein the said stations for receiving the articles are designed to receive and accommodate the articles to be moved in a particular arrangement.

11. The method and system of claim 10, wherein the articles on or to be moved to a station in accordance with the rules of the game are accommodated at the station via rods, slots, holes, slits or depressions, in complete or in partial complement of the plurality of articles.

12. The method and system of claim 10, wherein the stations are selected from the group consisting of poles, such as goal posts, goal lines, targets such as archery and darts targets, ball receiving targets such as basketball or netball hoops and golf cups.

13. The method and system of claim 10, wherein the station'"'"'s detection/identification devices are selected from the group consisting of electronic sensors and readers, proximity sensors, colour code readers to detect, read and identify electronic chips, radio frequency tags, magnetic strips, bar codes, color codes and audio tonal signals that are provided with the said articles for moving.

14. The method and system of claim 1, wherein the said visual display unit receives instructions from said controller to display at least one of the information and data pertaining to the game selected from the group such as starting set up, restarting set up and live progress.

15. The method and system of claim 1, wherein the game is played, indoors or outdoors, on a standard playground of the respective game being played or on a specifically designed playground for the game being played.

16. The method and system of claim 1, wherein the game can be participated by an individual, a group of individuals each playing solo, a group of individuals playing in a team or teams with defined numbers of players, preferably wherein the game is played by two teams in competition, and wherein the player(s) or the team(s) is

(i) located at fixed stations and do not move to other stations;

(ii) Mobile and are able to move between stations with or without the play articles during the game;

or

(iii) Mobile and able to move between stations during the game but only after the play article has been moved.