Automatic scoring and performance measurement method and apparatus

• US 20080254866A1
• Filed: 04/08/2008
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Randall Keith Young, Rita Ann Young
• Original Assignee: Randall Keith Young, Rita Ann Young
• Inventors: Young, Randall Keith, Young, Rita Ann
• Application Number:
  US12/080,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20080254866A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0037 on a target surface or at impact on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/063 Spoken or verbal instructions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0658 Position or arrangement of display
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/18 Baseball, rounders or similar games
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/20 Cricket
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/22 Field hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/32 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/0025 Football American football A63B2243/007
• 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 63/00 Targets or goals for ball games golf cups A63B57/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0669 Score-keepers or score display devices

Abstract

Method and corresponding apparatus for automated scoring, performance measurement/reporting and interactive entertainment and more particularly automated scoring for games, such as multiple basketball games and baseball, soccer, football, as well as other games with projectiles or other objects-of-interest. Generally players are automatically scored, their performance is measured and presented to them, entertainment devices are controlled and they are interactively entertained. One too many players can be entertained individually and/or as teams. Additionally, multiple games, of the same sport or different sports, can be played with this single method and apparatus. The method or apparatus may be utilized in conjunction with communication devices.

Claims

1. A method of automatically measuring and indicating scoring or performance to a player or set of players, the method comprising:

sensing a success, attempt or failure;

computing the score or performance;

generating indication(s) of score or performance for the player(s) or remote observer(s); and

indicating the score or performance to the player(s) or other observers.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically measuring and indicating scoring or performance further comprises players corresponding to sport or game participation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the player interactively controls remote entertainment devices producing any form of media entertainment for the player, including audio, video, displays, and other media that the player may find entertaining.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the sensing a success, attempt or failure corresponding to sport or game participation further comprises sensing the path or impact of a ball, puck, projectile, hand or other object-of-play.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the sensing the path or impact of the object-of-play further comprises determining whether ball, puck or other object-of-play succeeded, or that an attempt was made to succeed, in its scoring or performance action corresponding to a sport or game.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the sport or game participation further comprises the sport or game participation in basketball, football, baseball, golf, hockey, cricket, volleyball, running or other moving-object-focused activity.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the sport or game participation further comprises multiple basketball game types, such as shooting percentage, 1-on-1, 2-on-2, team-on-team, and/or HORSE-shooting games.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing the score or performance further comprises processing the sensing a success, attempt or failure measures to produce a score or performance for presentation to the player(s).

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the score or performance for presentation to the player(s) that is produced further comprises a processor, memory and information transfer components.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the score or performance for presentation to the player(s) that is produced indicates a single player'"'"'s success quantification or indicates scores or performances of multiple players for competition.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating indication(s) of score or performance for the player(s) or remote observers further comprises transforming the computed score or performance into sounds, speech, visual displays, infrared or radio frequency remote control signals, radio signals, or sound waves for direct or indirect indication(s) of score or performance to the player(s).

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the transformed representation of the score or performance generate the indication(s) of score or performance further comprises generation of remote control signals or other transmissions to operate external generating methods for presentation to the player(s) or remote observer(s).

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicating the game/mode, score and/or performance to the remote observer(s) further comprises transforming generated indicator(s) into a signal or representation suitable for remote observers to collect, compile, process and/or report.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the transforming of generated indicator(s) further comprises one or more of the following signals or representations suitable for remote observer utilization:

storing the game/mode, score and/or performance to a memory for remote observer utilization; and

/or

communicating the game/mode, score and/or performance with wired or wireless communications methods.

15. An apparatus arranged and constructed for automatically measuring and indicating scoring or performance to a player or set of players, the apparatus comprising:

a sensing section configured to provide sensor signals corresponding scoring, performance or apparatus configuration and option selection;

a computing section configured to transform the sensor signals into score, performance, and/or apparatus configuration representations;

a generating section configured to transform the score, performance, and/or configuration representations into a player or remote observable representation that corresponds to the computed score, performance or apparatus configuration; and

a player indicating section configured to transduce the player observable representation into an energy form that can propagate to the player(s) and/or the remote observer(s).

16. The apparatus of claim 0 further comprising a computing section comprising a signal processor configured to process the sensed signals to facilitate:

configuring the apparatus state and mode of operation by enabling the player to select a game or performance measuring mode of operation;

calculating score or performance measures; and

mapping the updated apparatus state/mode, score, performance, and/or apparatus configuration into the proper representations for the generating section.

17. The apparatus of claim 0 further comprising a generating section comprising a processor configured to process the updated apparatus state/mode of operation, score, performance, and/or apparatus configuration representation to facilitate:

generating the appropriate player observable representation depending upon the state of the apparatus and the player selected game or performance mode;

mapping score or performance measures to appropriate game or performance measure dependent responses;

mapping the player observable representation of the updated state/mode of operation, score, performance, and/or apparatus configuration into the proper representation for the indicating section; and

generating the player or remote observable representation signals that will be transduced into propagating energy by the indicating section of the apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 0 further comprising an indicating section further comprising a set of transducers configured to facilitate transducing the player observable representation signals into energy that will eventually lead to energy propagating to the player(s) or remote observer that conveys the updated apparatus state/mode of operation, score, performance, and/or apparatus configuration to the player.

19. An apparatus arranged and constructed for automatically measuring and indicating scoring or performance of basketball game(s) and/or performance measurement mode(s) to the player(s) and/or remote observer(s), the apparatus comprising:

a sensing section configured to provide sensor signals corresponding to attempted basketball shots, successful/made basketball shots, and/or failed/missed basketball shots apparatus configuration and option selection;

a computing section configured to transform the attempt/made/missed sensor signals into basketball score, performance, and/or apparatus configuration representations into appropriate update calculations for each basketball game/mode selection update, game update or performance measure update;

a generating section transforms the updated game/mode selection, basketball score, performance, and/or apparatus configuration representations into a player or remote observable representation that corresponds to the game/mode selection, computed score, performance or apparatus configuration suitable for indication to the player(s) and/or the remote observer(s); and

a player or remote observer indicating section configured to transduce the player observable representation into an energy form that can propagate directly and/or indirectly to the player(s) and/or the remote observer(s).

20. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising basketball game(s) and/or performance measurement mode(s) comprising the alternative basketball game and/or performance measuring mode selections corresponding to:

shooting percentage game and/or the numbers of attempted, made and missed shots;

HORSE game, where multiple players score by making shots that the other player(s) cannot repeat;

timed one-on-one (or one-on-multiple;

or multiple-on-multiple) where each player attempts to score while being defended by the other player(s), and the scoring player receives more points for a faster score;

timed shooting percentages from constrained locations on the court; and

jumping training, where the player must trigger the make and/or miss indicators by jumping up and hitting/slapping them while being timed.