Event monitor for court games

• US 4,139,764 A
• Filed: 03/21/1977
• Issued: 02/13/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Julian L. Petrini, Madeline A. Petrini, Richard A. Giacomotti, Sally A. Giacomotti, Ted L. Slater
• Original Assignee: Julian L. Petrini, Madeline A. Petrini, Richard A. Giacomotti, Sally A. Giacomotti, Ted L. Slater
• Inventors: Giacomotti, Richard A., Petrini, Julian L., Petrini, Madeline A., Giacomotti, Sally A., Slater, Ted L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thesz, Joseph M.
• Application Number:
  US05/779,610
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 235/92 GA, 235/92 AC, 235/92 T, 235/92 PD, 235/92 CT, 235/61.7 B, 235/61.12 N, 58/145 D, 58/152 B, 58/38 R, 58/57.5 B, 340/149 A, 340/149 R, 340/323 R, 194/DIG. 23, 194/DIG. 22, 194/DIG. 11, 194/18, 194/4 R, 194/9 T, 272/3
• US Class Current: 377/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/28 Indicating playing time
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00

Abstract

A method and system for monitoring court games is described in which a counter is actuated by a card bearing a pre-determined code. Upon being actuated, the counter is pre-set to a pre-determined period of play for a game in a court with which the monitor is associated. The counter then counts the elapsed period of play and displays to other players waiting to use the court the period of play still remaining, confirming to them in a positive fashion the period they must wait to use the court. Upon expiration of the pre-determined period of play, the event monitor signals this condition permitting the other players to actuate the system and commence their use of the court.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring and controlling a predetermined period of play for a game employing a court area and a card actuated counter, the method including the steps of:

requiring players entering the court area to actuate the counter to a predetermined period of play by employing a card, the counter then counting the elapsed period of play following its actuation by a card, the counter being positioned in an area external to the count and accessible to players waiting to play;

mutilating the card immediately upon its use to actuate the counter to prevent its repeated use;

displaying both to players using the count area and to other players waiting to use the court area the period of play still remaining in the predetermined period; and

signaling the expiration of the predetermined period of play to other players whereupon they may actuate the counter and commence use of the court area.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 in which there are a multiplicity of courts, each court having an associated counter, and signalling the period of play remaining at a location central to all courts.

3. A system for monitoring a predetermined period of play for a game employing a count area including:

a counter for displaying a predetermined period of play, the counter being mounted external to the court area and in an area accessible to the players waiting to play;

means including a card for actuating the counter;

means upon actuation of the counter for causing the counter to count the elapsed period of play and to display the period of play still remaining in the predetermined period of play both to players using the count area and to players waiting to play;

the counter including means for destroying the usefulness of the card upon its use to actuate the counter, thereby preventing its repeated use; and

means signaling the expiration of the predetermined period of play to other players whereupon they may actuate the counter and commence their use of the court area.

4. A monitoring system as set forth in claim 3 in which there are a multiplicity of courts, each court having an associated monitor system, each counter of the system also signalling the period of play at a location central to all courts.

5. A monitor system as set forth in claim 3 in which the actuating card bears a pre-determined code, the actuating means including means for reading the code on the card, means comparing the read code to a pre-determined code, and means actuating the counter only when the read and pre-determined codes coincide.

6. A monitor system as set forth in claim 5 in which the predetermined code is arranged on the card symmetrically about the center point of the card, the actuating means actuating the counter regardless of the orientation of the card upon its use to actuate the counter.

7. A system for monitoring a predetermined period of play for a game employing a court area including:

a counter;

means actuating the counter only in response to a card bearing a predetermined code, the system thereby being operable by players desiring to use the court for a predetermined period of play and having a card with the requisite code for that period of play;

the actuating means including sensor means for reducing the code of the supplied card and for generating a multiplicity of simultaneous series of electric pulses as the card is employed to actuate the counter, code counter means to advance the count upon each occurrence of a predetermined coincidence between corresponding pulses of the series, a plurality of bi-stable circuits, means to load the bi-stable circuits with a count of the code counter upon a predetermined coincidence of corresponding pulses of the series, and means to read the condition of the loaded bi-stable circuits and to actuate the counter only wnen the bi-stable circuits have been loaded with a predetermined count;

means upon actuation of the counter for counting the elapsed period of play and displaying to other players waiting to use the court the period of play still remaining on the predetermined period; and

means signaling the expiration of the predetermined period of play to other players whereupon they may actuate the counter with a card bearing a predetermined code and commence the use of the court.

8. A monitor system as set forth in claim 7 including means to produce strobe pulses upon occurrence of a pre-determined coincidence of corresponding pulses of the series, and means to detect the count of the code counter upon occurrence of a strobe pulse and to disable the reading means if the count of the code counter exceeds a pre-determined count.

9. A monitor system as se forth in claim 8 in which two simultaneous series of electric pulses are generated by the card.

10. A monitor system as set forth in claim 8 including means to destroy the usefulness of the card upon its passage through the monitor system regardless of whether or not the counter has been actuated.

11. A monitor system as set forth in claim 8 in which there are a multiplicity of pre-determined codes, one code actuating just the counter, at least one other code actuating both the counter and an external circuit.

12. A monitor system as set forth in claim 8 in which the card bears printed and non-printed areas, these are being sensed by the sensor means, the sensor means including photo-electric sensor elements for viewing the printed and non-printed areas of the card.