Whistle play stopper

• US 9,502,018 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2015
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Prosports Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Prosports Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Cronin, John E., Reasner, Nick
• Primary Examiner(s): Barakat, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US14/798,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20160012810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/22 in connection with sports or games
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/28 Indicating playing time
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/00 Signalling systems according to more than one of groups G08B3/00 - G08B6/00; Personal calling systems according to more than one of groups G08B3/00 - G08B6/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 5/00 Whistles

Abstract

Systems and methods for notifying game-based clocks and players associated with a sporting event using one or more digital whistles are described. More specifically, the one or more digital whistles, for example used by referees, transmit one or more digital signals upon being used. The transmitted digital signals are received by a whistle processor that processes the transmitted digital signals and transmits instructions to the game-based clocks and players in the sporting event for controlling timekeeping and facilitating a flow of the sporting event.

Claims

1. A method for notifying a game-based clock and each player associated with the sporting event via one or more digital whistles, the method comprising:

detecting the activation of one or more digital whistles, wherein the one or more digital whistles are activated by one or more individuals presiding over the sporting event, and wherein each activated digital whistle provides one or more digital signals, wherein a location of the digital whistle alongside a variation of the one or more digital signals transmitted from the digital whistle to a whistle processor indicates at least one reason why the digital signal is being transmitted from the digital whistle to the whistle processor;

transmitting the one or more digital signals from the activated one or more digital whistles to the whistle processor and a plurality of player processors, wherein each player processor is embedded in a uniform of a different player of the sporting event;

processing, by the whistle processor and the player processors, the one or more digital signals received from the activated one or more digital whistles; and

transmitting instructions from the whistle processor and the plurality of player processors, wherein the transmitted instructions from the whistle processor and the plurality of player processors correspond with the received digital signals from the activated one or more digital whistles, and wherein the transmitted instructions from each of the player processors outputs a corresponding indicator to the respective different player uniform.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein activation of the one or more digital whistles includes blowing into the digital whistle or pressing a button associated with the digital whistle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein activation of the one or more digital whistles includes triggering an actuator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more digital whistles associated with the one or more individuals presiding over the sporting event each has unique identification information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the received digital signals includes evaluating the received digital signal against digital signals stored in a database of the whistle processor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the database includes information about received digital signals, identification information related to variations of the one or more digital whistles that sends digital signals and one or more reasons why the digital signal variation was provided, the reasons corresponding to instructions transmitted to the one or more receivers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more receivers includes a clock, the clock being instructed to stop or resume based on the received instructions from the whistle processor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more receivers includes processors associated with each of the players playing in the sporting event, the processors for triggering one or more indicators used to indicate to the player that the digital whistle has been blown.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the indicators include lights, vibrators and speakers.

10. A system for notifying a game-based clock and each player associated with the sporting event via one or more digital whistles, the system comprising:

one or more digital whistles;

a whistle processor comprising a processor and memory that includes instructions to;

receive one or more digital signals transmitted from the digital whistles, wherein the digital whistles have been activated by one or more individuals presiding over the sporting event, and wherein each activated digital whistle provides one or more digital signals, wherein a location of the digital whistle alongside a variation of the one or more digital signals transmitted from the digital whistle to the whistle processor indicates at least one reason why the digital signal is being transmitted from the digital whistle to the whistle processor,

process the one or more digital signals transmitted from the activated one or more digital whistles, and

transmit instructions, wherein the transmitted instructions corresponds with the received digital signals from the digital whistle; and

a plurality of player processors, wherein each player processor is embedded in a uniform of a different player of the sporting event, and wherein each player processor processes the one or more digital signals transmitted from the digital whistles to output an indicator to the respective different player uniform.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein activation of the one or more digital whistles includes blowing into the digital whistle or pressing a button associated with the digital whistle.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein activation of the one or more digital whistles includes triggering an actuator.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more digital whistles associated with the one or more individuals presiding over the sporting event each has unique identification information.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing of the received digital signals includes evaluating the received digital signal against digital signals stored in a database of the whistle processor.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the database includes information about received digital signals, identification information related to variations of the one or more digital whistles that sends digital signals, and one or more reasons why the digital signal variation was provided, the reasons corresponding to instructions transmitted to the one or more receivers.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more receivers includes a clock, the clock being instructed to stop or resume based on the received instructions from the whistle processor.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more receivers includes processors associated with each of the players playing in the sporting event, the processors for triggering one or more indicators used to indicate to the player that the digital whistle has been blown.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the indicators include lights, vibrators and speakers.