GB2257914A - Golf scoring device - Google Patents

Abstract

A sports scoring device includes a number of individual short term memories for recording the scores of players during a game and a long term memory to which the final score of a selected one of the players is transferred and recorded for subsequent retrieval, for example the calculation of a handicap or a searching by a particular attribute, for example course, date or score range. The device is particularly adapted for scoring golf matches.

Description

SPORTS SCORING DEVICE This invention relates to a sports scoring device and in particular, although not exclusively, a device for recording and memorising personal golf scores.

There is a need for a simple device which can both record individual scores for all players of a game during the progress of the game and to memorise the scores for numerous past games for at least one player. This need is particularly true for golf where a player's previous playing results are required from time to time to calculate a personal handicap.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide such a device.

According to the invention in one aspect there is provided a sports scoring device having a number of individual short term memories for recording separately the progressive scores of two or more players during a game, a single long term memory to which the final score of a selected one of the players is transferred and recorded, whereby a range or ranges of scores can be later retrieved from that long term memory and for example, calculation of averages for selected ranges is possible.

In the case of a sports scoring device for use by golfers, the device will be called hereinafter for convenience "Golfscore".

Golfscore can help maintain accurate scores as well as providing a life time history of golfing endeavours. Where Golfscore has a 64kb memory capacity it can, for example, store up to 5,000 individual cards ranging over more than 600 golf courses. Golfscore can be powered by lithium batteries which have a working live span of over 85 hours. A message will appear on the screen "BATTERIES NEED CHANGING" when the battery power declines below operation needs. An auto power off function conserves battery power by switching Golfscore off if not in use for a period of say two minutes. When power is switched on the display that was previously on the LCD screen will appear with the next entry area being highlighted.

Golfscore can automatically record four modes of scoring, Stroke play, Match play, Stapleford and Bogey, for up to say four players but at the end of the game only one score, eg the Golfscores' owner has his card written to the long term memory.

There may be a powerful search facility to allow recall of golfing history by date, course, or score In addition, Golfscore has a built in clock to record elapsed time. One player's handicap can be calculated according to the USGA specifications for any range of dates or cards, as well as, by a specific course. The gross and net average score is also shown for all cards stored in Golfscore.

Golf score has a data communication function to transfer data to a personal or a club computer; in addition, it may be connected directly to a printer and card information can be printed directly from the unit.

The operation of Golfscore as an example of a device according to the invention will now be described.

The Golfscore has a display, eg a liquid crystal display, and various input keys as will become apparent from the following description. Examples of these keys and their functions are shown in Figure 1.

Referring first to Figure 2, after turning Golfscore on the first request is to check the date and time. The date and time are stored by an internal clock and once set should only need to be changed when crossing time zones. If the Date/Time are correct press ENTER at the YES prompt; if you wish to change the date or time from that which is displayed move the Highlighter to NO by using the arrow keys and press ENTER. Key in the correct Date/Time and press ENTER. Use two digits for Day, Month, Hours and Minutes.

The next prompt asks for the course you wish to play. There are three options to choose the course.

(i) Every course entered into Golfscore is allocated a number automatically by Golfscore, so by keying in the number at the flashing curser the card for that course will be loaded from the memory. If you cannot recall the number use the ARROW keys to move the Highlighter to COURSE NAME and press ENTER.

(ii) a. The COURSE NAME option is used when you cannot recall the number. When the course name is activated a list of course in alpha order is displayed. The course at the top of the screen will be Highlighted. You can move the highlighter up and down the list by using the ARROW keys. If the course is not displayed then scroll through the list by using the Down ARROW key. Press ENTER when the required course is Highlighted.

(ii) b. By moving the Highlighter to COURSE NAME and pressing SEARCH the alphabet will appear at the top of the display with the curser flashing on the "A". To select a character use the ARROW keys to move the curser to the required letter and press El4TER. The first two or three letters of the course name should be sufficient to start the search. When the letters are keyed in press the SEARCH key and the course you have selected will then appear at the top of the screen and be highlighted. Press ENTER to select that course or use the ARROW keys to scroll.

(iii) The NEW COURSE option allows you to key in the details of a new course. You must key in all details of the course from the score card provided by the course. The alpha display will appear at the top of the screen with the request to key in the course name. Once the course name is keyed in press the END key, and Golfscore will automatically allocate a number to the course. The next display will ask for details of each Hole starting at Hole 1. The details requested are DISTANCE, PAR, and S.I.

(store index) once the date is keyed in for each of the eighteen holes press the END key to store the data. If you are playing a nine hole course then press the END key after the 9th hole. You only have to key in the details once as the data is then stored in memory. Should you make a mistake you can return to the correction by using the ARROW keys.

When you reach the 18th hole two additional questions are asked, The Course index, and the USGA Slope Rating. If there is no Course Rating for the course use the course par. If there is no USGA Slope Rating then use the number 113. When all data is keyed press END and the card will be stored.

Golfscore will score up to four players "A", "B", "C" and "D". Player A is always the Golfscore's owner and his data is stored in the unit. Before commencing play the name and handicap for the other players must be keyed in.

To commence press the "A" key. Player A's name and handicap will be displayed as shown, for example, in Figure 3.

Now press the "B" key. The alphabet will appear under Player A and the curser will be positioned next to Player B. Use the ARROW keys to select the letters to identify Player B, when you have keyed in the name or initials press the "B" key again and the curser will advance to the handicap line. Key in the handicap and press ENTER. If you just want to use the title Player B, then press the "B" key at the request for PLAYER B. Repeat this process for Players "C" and "D" and Figure 4 shows the screen when entering information for Player C.

When all players are keyed in press the "A" key again and each players name and handicap will be displayed.

If the data displayed on each player is correct press ENTER and four files will be opened. This data may be corrected by using the EDIT mode.

The next prompt as shown in Figure 5 asks if you wish to record your putts. The default is NO, so if you do want to record putts then move the Highlighter to YES and press ENTER. Putts will only be recorded for Player A.

All the date is now stored. The next display shown in Figure 6 asks how you want to display the card.

There are five choices STROKE, MATCH, STAPLEFORD, BOGEY, and ALL. Select the required display by moving the Highlighter with the ARROW keys and then press ENTER.

Examples of the resulting display cards are shown in Figures 7 to 12. In Figures 7 to 10 two players are displayed on the screen. Player A is always in the first column; Players B, C, and D will be displayed alternatively in the second column.

The default is that Player B is in second column, to change the second column display to C or D simply press the "C" or "D" key, the default display will also be reinstalled if Golfscore is switched off and then back on.

When in the ALL mode only one player is displayed and again to switch between players press the appropriate Player key, the display mode may be changed at anytime by pressing the DISP Key and moving the Highlighter to the required display. If you use the Full Handicap all strokes are taken into account, the alternative uses a differential handicap which is seven/eights for Stapleford and three quarters for Match play and Bogey (this is explained later in the Handicap section).

Before starting your round you must press the START key. This starts the elapsed time and moves the curser to Hole 1 for Player A.

At the end of the first hole, key in the scores starting with Player A. The curser automatically moves to the next player once the ENTER key is pressed, in the order A- > B- > C- > D. After the final players score is keyed in the curser moves to the next hole for player A and the default display of Player A and B will be displayed. To change Player B to C or D just press the "C" or "D" key.

Golfscore holds a progressive summary of your round. To switch the card between pages holes (1-9) and (10-18) use the ARROW keys.

At the end of the game press the END key. This action stops the elapse timer and also causes the score to be calculated, and the card is frozen on screen.

Saving the Card: By pressing the END key a second time the prompt appears asking if you wish to save this card (you can switch back to the card by pressing the START key). The default answer is YES, so by pressing ENTER, Player A's card is written to memory, but the scores of the other players are erased. To clear all the records move the curser to NO and press ENTER and all scores, including Player A's will be erased. It is suggested that you do not record or erase the records until you are back in the clubhouse and have fully reviewed the game.

To save the batteries it is recommended that you switch Golfscore off between holes. When Golfscore is switched back on the curser will be positioned at the correct hole for the next entry, an automatic switch off occurs after two minutes of no input.

Search Facility The search mode is activated by pressing the SEARCH key. The beauty of Golfscore is that you are able to look back over your golfing history and see a complete record of your accomplishments. You can search for details by a specific course, date range, or score. If you mis-type a number use the ARROW keys to backspace and key in the correct number, the DISP key also acts as a delete key while in the Search mode.

(a) Course Search: By keying in the allocated course number each card from that course will be displayed, showing the date score and handicap. The courses are displayed in ascending order of date with the cursor positioned at the top of the screen. You can scroll through the list of cards by using the ARROW keys. When the Highlighter is over the card you wish to recall press the ENTER key and the complete card will be displayed.

(b) Date Search: Allows you to list the cards by a specific range of dates. Key in the date range you wish to review and press ENTER. The display is the same as the Course search display. To see the complete card move the Highlighter to the course you wish to view and press ENTER.

(c) Score Search: Here you key in a range of scores to select the cards to be listed. The qualifiers "MORE THAN" or "LESS THAN' are used to limit the range. The cards are listed in ascending order of score. To see the complete card move the Highlighter to the line you wish to view and press ENTER.

Any card can be retrieved by moving the highlighter to the entry you wish to view and pressing the enter key but only the "ALL" display is shown. To leave the search mode press the "A" key.

The Edit Facility The Edit mode is entered by pressing the EDIT key while displaying the page you wish to correct. Move the curser around the page by using the ARROW keys until you reach the location that you wish to change. Key in the correction by over-typing, or use the DISP key to delete the characters one at a time. Once you have made the correction press ENTER to save. The complete card cannot be displayed in the Edit mode, so you need to use the ARROW keys to scroll through the card. A sample card as displayed in the Edit mode is shown in Figure 13; note only the unshaded area can be edited.

Deleting a Card To delete an entire card bring up the card you wish to delete through the Search Facility and press the EDIT key. When the card is displayed in the edit mode press ENTER and the adjacent display will appear on the screen. To delete the card select YES, by moving the curser with the ARROW keys, and press ENTER. The default answer NO will cause Golfscore to leave the Edit mode.

To erase a golf course from Golfscore's memory you must first delete all the cards associated with that course. When all cards are deleted the master card can be deleted by following the previously explained procedure.

If all cards are not deleted a message will appear on the screen, "CARDS ATTACHED TO THIS COURSE", you must delete these cards before you can delete the master card. To leave the Edit mode press the "A" key.

To erase the entire memory of Golfscore remove all three batteries. The batteries are secured so that this cannot be done accidentally.

The Handicap Facility Golfscore is programmed for the USGA Slope System. Your USGA Handicap Index is keyed in when installing Golfscore and this is stored and used to calculate all golf rounds.

The Handicap mode is activated by pressing the HCP key. The display shows three options.

Change Handicap The display shown in Figure 14 appears on the screen. Also displayed is the gross and net average scores based on all cards recorded. To change select YES, the curser will move to the HCP INDEX, key in the new number and press ENTER.

Under the USGA Slope system the full handicap is used for all games, Stroke, Match, Bogey, and Stapleford.

Golfscore accommodates an optional fractional system, which allows for the following variables; for Match play three quarters of the difference between the lowest handicap player and the other players handicaps; in Bogey three quarters of each players handicap; and in Stapleford seven eighths of each players handicap. Use the ARROW keys to toggle between the two displays.

Under the USGA Slope System the Handicap Index is calculated on the best ten cards out of the last twenty cards submitted over a twenty-four month period. If less than twenty cards have been submitted a factor is automatically introduced which will provide the handicap index. But at least five cards must be in the system for a handicap to be calculated.

Variable Handicaps This enables you to calculate your handicap according to the USGA standard based on two variable factors: (a) a specific course, or (b) by any range of dates. Use the ARROW keys to make your selection.

(a) By Course: Key in the allocated course number and press ENTER. If you cannot remember the number use the Search facility to find the number.

(b) Date Range: Works similarly except the date range is displayed at the top of the screen instead of the course name. This allows you to monitor your handicap through any given period, provided there are at least five cards within the period.

This data is for information purposes only and does not change the handicap that is stored or any card calculations.

Calc. Course Hcp This mode is also for information purposes only, and is used to calculate the handicaps of the other players in the flight, because Player A's handicap will be automatically calculated when the course details are keyed in.

Key in the answers to the three questions shown on the screen which is shown in Figure 15, and the handicap will be automatically calculated and displayed at the bottom of the screen. If a player does not know his Handicap Index, use his home course handicap. If, the course you are playing has no Slope rating use 113.

Golfscore Setup Switch on press START. The display will ask what is today's date? The date requests Month, then Day and finally Year, you must use two digits for month and day, eg if it is the first day of January key in 01 then 01. When the date is correctly keyed in press ENTER. The next prompt asks for the time. Key in the correct time also using two digits for hours and minutes, and press ENTER.

Golfscore will accept either the AM/PM mode or the international (INT) clock mode. When the time is correctly keyed in press ENTER. The next screen prompt asks for information about Player A, who is the owner of Golfscore.

The screen displays the alphabet at the top of the screen with the curser positioned over the "A", and asks you to key in your name. Move the curser through the alphabet with the ARROW keys when the curser is over the character you wish to print press ENTER. You can use up to fifteen characters in the name field, if you mis-type a name use the DISP key to delete. When the name is correctly keyed in press the "A" key and the name will be installed, and the screen prompt will ask for handicap. Key in your official handicap and press ENTER.

Golfscore uses the USGA Handicap Formula-Slope System, although it may be adapted to other systems. To use the USGA pre-slope Slope system just key in 113 in response to the request for the course Slope rating.

Normally when using the USGA slope system no allowance is given for Match play, Stapleford, or Bogey, but within the Golfscore programme you can arrange to play to, three quarters handicaps for Match play and Bogey, and seven eights for Stapleford.

Once you are satisfied that the correct information has been keyed in then you can press the END key to store the data. Once the end key has been pressed the only way to erase this data is through the Edit facility, or by removing all the batteries which will erase the complete memory.

Claims (8)

1. A sports scoring device having a number of individual short term memories for recording separately the progressive scores of two or more players during a game and a single long term memory to which the final score of a selected one of the players is transferred and recorded.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for searching the long term memory by at least one attribute.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the at least one attribute includes searching the long term memory in respect of games played at a particular venue, in a particular date range or by score.

4. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 further comprising means for performing an operation on data stored in the long term memory for calculating a performance-related value.

5. A sports scoring device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims adapted for recordal of golf scores.

6. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the device is adapted for recordal of golf scores and the calculating means calculates a golfing handicap.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the handicap is calculated in accordance with the USGA slope system.

8. A sports scoring device substantially hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.