Electronic clipboard module with remote unit

• US 8,608,478 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jarvis L. Luster
• Original Assignee: Jarvis L. Luster
• Inventors: Luster, Jarvis L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Utama, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US11/607,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,574 Days
• Field of Search: 434247-249
• US Class Current: 434/247
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0056 for statistical or strategic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/063 Spoken or verbal instructions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/14 Lacrosse
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/24 Ice hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0037 Basketball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0095 Volleyball
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports

Abstract

An electronic clipboard with an optional associated remote personal unit worn by a player. The clipboard can include a flat electronic unit with an optionally writeable flat display. The associated unit can be a wrist or other unit with a small display worn by a player. A protective cover can be pulled over the display to protect it during play. Plays from a library of plays, or plays written on the electronic clipboard, can be transmitted by radio to the remote personal unit and displayed. The electronic coach'"'"'s clipboard that could store and recall images of plays that the coach could carry or have immediately available. Optionally real-time game photographs can be displayed on the coach'"'"'s electronic clipboard.

Claims

1. A method in multi-player team sport being played on a field that allows a coach located off of the field to send a graphical play instruction to a group of players on the field by wireless communication comprising:

adapting a handheld coach electronic clipboard to with a writeable display screen to display a plurality of different screens depictions, each screen depiction presenting a top-down view of a playing field for a particular team sport;

providing capability for said coach to enter onto a depicted playing field on said screen a graphical team play instruction, said graphical team play instruction showing player movements for a plurality of players, wherein said graphical team play instruction can be stored in a play memory contained in said handheld coach electronic clipboard;

providing capability to retrieve said graphical team play instruction on said depicted playing field from said play memory and display it on said writeable screen;

providing capability to modify said graphical team play instruction on said writeable screen and to re-store it in said play memory;

providing capability to wirelessly transmit said graphical team play instruction from said coach electronic clipboard off the field to a wrist-worn player electronic display unit worn by a player on the field;

providing capability to display said graphical team play instruction on said depicted playing field on said wrist-worn player electronic display unit.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a second memory in said wrist-worn player electronic display unit which can store said graphical team play instruction on said depicted playing field.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising adapting said handheld coach electronic clipboard to store a photograph taken from a remote camera.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said handheld coach electronic clipboard can transmit said photograph to said wrist-worn player electronic display unit.

5. A method in multi-player team sport being played on a field that allows a coach located off of the field to send a graphical play instruction relating to a particular play to a group of players on the field by wireless communication comprising:

providing capability for the coach to display a plurality of different playing field depictions each for a different team sport on a handheld electronic clipboard having a writeable display screen;

providing capability for the coach to draw a graphical team play instruction on said writeable display screen on one of said playing field depictions, said graphical team play instruction showing movements for a plurality of players to be performed when the play is executed;

providing capability in said handheld electronic clipboard to wirelessly transmit said playing field depiction and said graphical team play instruction to a wrist-worn unit worn by a player on a physical playing field during a game, said wrist-worn unit having a display that displays the transmitted playing field depiction and said graphical team play instruction.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said electronic clipboard can store said graphical team play instruction.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said wrist-worn unit can store said graphical team play instruction.