Sporting event statistics tracking and computation system and method

• US 20050187644A1
• Filed: 02/23/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wellspring Software
• Original Assignee: Wellspring Software
• Inventors: Gilman, Ben, Neale, Gregory, Neale, Stuart
• Granted Patent: US 7,620,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/91
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed

Abstract

A computerized tracking system including hardware, software and data collection devices used to deduce events and accumulate statistics about a sporting event. Events and statistics are accumulated based on tracking possession of the ball, or primary object of play. In addition to gathering statistics based on the possession of the ball, the system will also include a method of accumulating additional game statistics by logging specific game events.

Claims

1. A system for real-time tracking and recording of events as they occur in a sports contest, comprising:

at least one computer including a processor portion, and a user interface portion, said computer interactively operable with a user under control of a computer program associated with said processor portion thereof,

a computerized database accessible through said computer program, said database including information therein indicative of recorded events of the sports contest,

said computer program including a game module for controlling the entry by the user of information during the sports contest, said game module operable to interpret information regarding sports contest activities selectably entered by a system user,

said computer programmed to perform the steps of

a. recognizing a selectable entry corresponding to a particular event in the sports contest made by a user at said user interface portion upon the occurrence of the particular event during the sports contest,

b. responding to said recognized entry to establish an occurrence of a particular event during the sports contest,

c. storing data representative of the established event in said database, wherein the stored data at a given point in time determining a particular game status.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said user interface includes a keyboard.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said user interface includes a mouse.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said user interface includes a touch sensitive screen.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said user interface includes a stylus.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said user interface includes an audio input.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said user interface includes a display.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said computer program interactively prompts the user for an input and provides said choices available on said display.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said computer program is operable to allow a user to correct an incorrect input.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said database includes pre-selected information indicative of recognizable events for the sports contest.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said database includes pre-selected information indicative of recognizable players.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes remotely accessible information regarding the sports contest and wherein said computer is programmed to obtain said remotely accessible information prior to commencement of the sports event and to store said information in said database.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer is programmed to send information regarding the sports contest to remote computers.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein selectable entries available at step (a) are dependent upon the status of the sports contest.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein step (a) includes the step of determining the entries available for selection based upon data stored in said database.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein step (a) includes the step of selecting at least one player to leave the sports contest.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein step (a) further includes the step of selecting at least one player to enter the sports contest.

18. The system of claim 1 further comprising a reporting module operable to interact with a user through said user interface to interactively access information from said database to produce reports related to said sports contest.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising a recording portion that stores a recording of the sports contest, said recording being time synchronized with the data stored in said database.

20. The system of claim 1 further comprising a location sensing portion and said computer program further comprising a motion module, said location sensing portion operable to relay spatial position information related to the sports contest to said motion module, said motion module operable to translate said spatial position information into data related to the sports contest storable in said database.

21. A system for real-time tracking and recording events of a sports contest with a primary object of play comprising:

at least one computer including a processor portion, and a user interface portion, said computer interactively operable with a user under control of a computer program associated with said processor portion thereof,

a computerized database accessible through said computer program, said database including information therein indicative of recorded events of the sports contest,

said computer program including a game module for controlling the entry by the user of information during the sports contest, said game module operable to interpret information regarding sports contest activities selectably entered by a system user,

said computer programmed to perform the steps of

a. receiving from said user interface, one or more types of possession input related to a plurality of events of the sports contest, whereby said possession input indicates a particular player in possession of the primary object of play,

b. interpreting said possession input from said user interface and determining an event based on said possession input,

c. receiving from said user interface, one or more types of event input related to a plurality of events of the sports contest,

d. interpreting said event input from said user interface, and

e. storing data representative of said events based on possession input and said events based on event inputs in said database.

22. A system for real-time tracking and recording events of a sports contest with a primary object of play comprising:

at least one computer including a processor portion, and a user interface portion, said computer interactively operable with a user under control of a computer program associated with said processor portion thereof,

a computerized database accessible through said computer program, said database including information therein indicative of recorded events of the sports contest,

said computer program including a game module for controlling the entry by the user of information during the sports contest, said game module operable to interpret information regarding sports contest activities selectably entered by a system user,

said computer programmed to perform the steps of

a. receiving from said user interface, one or more types of user input related to a plurality of events of the sports contest,

b. interpreting said user input from said user interface by

1. determining an event based on said user input, or

2. acknowledging an event based on said user input, and

c. storing data representative of said events in said database.

23. A system for tracking and recording events of a sports contest in real-time comprising:

at least one computer user interface including a processor portion, a display portion, and an information entry portion, said computer user interface interactively operable with a user under control of a computer program,

a computerized database accessible through said computer program and said computer user interface,

said computer program including a game module for translating a series of user inputs into a series of sports contest events,

said computer user interface operable in accordance with said game module to perform the steps of

a. accepting from a user a selection a plurality of events of the sports contest,

b. interactively responding to information entered by the user and communicating therewith to establish a particular event by;

1. deducing the particular event based on a series of selected possibilities, or

2. interactively eliciting and responding to additional information from the user by displaying for selection by the user additional choices based on a selected possibility until the particular event is determined, or

3. recognizing a selected possibility as the particular event,

c. displaying the particular event for verification by the user,

d. storing the particular event in said database.

24. A method for real-time tracking and recording of events as they occur in a sports contest, including the steps of:

providing at least one computer including a processor portion,

providing a user interface portion, said computer interactively operable with a user under control of a computer program associated with said processor portion thereof,

providing a computerized database accessible through said computer program, said database including information therein indicative of recorded events of the sports contest,

said computer program including a game module for controlling the entry by the user of information during the sports contest, said game module operable to interpret information regarding sports contest activities selectably entered by a system user,

said computer programmed to perform the steps of

a. recognizing a selectable entry corresponding to a particular event in the sports contest made by a user at said user interface portion upon the occurrence of the particular event during the sports contest,

b. responding to said recognized entry to establish an occurrence of a particular event during the sports contest,

c. storing data representative of the established event in said database, wherein the stored data at a given point in time determining a particular game status.

25. A method for tracking and recording events of a sports contest in real-time including the steps of:

providing at least one computer user interface including a processor portion,

providing a display portion, and

providing an information entry portion, said computer user interface interactively operable with a user under control of a computer program,

providing a computerized database accessible through said computer program and said computer user interface,

said computer program including a game module for translating a series of user inputs into a series of sports contest events,

said computer user interface operable in accordance with said game module to perform the steps of

a. accepting from a user a selection a plurality of events of the sports contest,

b. interactively responding to information entered by the user and communicating therewith to establish a particular event by;

1. deducing the particular event based on a series of selected possibilities, or

2. interactively eliciting and responding to additional information from the user by displaying for selection by the user additional choices based on a selected possibility until the particular event is determined, or

3. recognizing a selected possibility as the particular event,

c. displaying the particular event for verification by the user,

d. storing the particular event in said database.