AU2020204347A1

AU2020204347A1 - sporting player paging system/devices

Info

Publication number: AU2020204347A1
Application number: AU2020204347A
Authority: AU
Inventors: robert morsman
Original assignee: Trackone Sporting Solutions
Current assignee: Trackone Sporting Solutions
Priority date: 2019-07-19
Filing date: 2020-06-29
Publication date: 2021-02-04

Abstract

Sports field player messaging devices 1 including a player device 20a-e mountable to a player, player clothing and/or player footwear and a control device 10 adapted to be located near, on or adjacent to a field of play, the control device 10 adapted to 5 wirelessly communicate with the player device and the player device adapted to alert the player.

Description

SPORTS FIELD PLAYER MESSAGING DEVICES FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a sports field player messaging device. More particularly, this invention relates to a sports field player messaging device including a player device mountable to a player, players clothing and/or footwear.

BACKGROUND ART

The following references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the following prior art discussion should not be assumed to relate to what is commonly or well known by the person skilled in the art, but to assist in the inventive process undertaken by the inventor(s) and in the understanding of the invention.

Sports player rotation systems have been described in which a coach or other person vocally calls or signals a player to come off a field in a sports game. It can often be hard to hear the person calling when the field is large and can negatively affect the voice of the person calling.

An object of the present invention is to ameliorate one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative thereto.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

The invention according to one or more aspects may be as defined in the independent claims. Some optional and/or preferred features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims. Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention there is provided:

A player messaging arrangement for use in a sport, the arrangement including a player device mountable to a player and a remote control device adapted to wirelessly communicate with the player device by an alert device to alert the player.

In another aspect, the invention provides:

A method for using the player messaging arrangement described in the first aspect, including:

the control device receiving an input from a coach or other person to alert the player; the control device wirelessly communicating the alert to the player device; and

the alert device alerting the player.

Sports field player messaging arrangement

The sports field player messaging arrangement may be adapted to be used for sports including Australian Rules ("AFL") football, world football ("soccer"), rugby league, rugby union, baseball, basketball, lacrosse, hockey, ice hockey, European handball, cricket, tennis and other sports.

Preferably, the sports field player messaging arrangement includes multiple player devices. Preferably, the sports field player messaging arrangement is adapted such that a player device is mounted on one or more players in a field of play. The player devices may be mounted on every player playing on the field of play or every player on a team playing on the field of play. The sports field player messaging arrangement may be adapted such that player devices are also mounted on players off the field of play, such as substitute players.

Player device

The player device may be mountable on or in the player's body or on or in their clothing, footwear, headwear or headgear. The player device may be mountable on or in a player's ear. The player device may be mountable on a helmet or hat. The player device may be mountable on a piece of clothing such as a shirt, shorts, underwear or socks. The clothing may be adapted to provide an attachment device to house, attach or mount the player device. The attachment device may be a pocket or recess formed in or on the clothing, footwear, headwear or headgear. The player device may be mountable to a limb such as an arm or a leg. The player device may be mountable in or on a shoe. The player device may be mountable to a foot or ankle. The player device may be mountable to a wrist. The player device may be mountable to a chest. The player device may be mountable to a mouthguard or may be formed into a mouthguard. The player device may be formed into a piece of clothing, footwear and/or helmet. The player device may include redundant or failsafe duplicate or multiple player devices mountable to the same player.

The player device may include a strap, clip and/or clamp. The strap may be elastic. The strap may include a buckle, Velcro, a clip and/or magnets. The player device may include magnets. The player device may include at least two magnets adapted to be positioned on either side of a piece of clothing and clamp onto the piece of clothing through magnetic attraction. The player device may include multiple straps. The player device may include at least one strap adapted to be looped around the players torso. Advantageously, the player device is lightweight. For example, the player device may weigh no more than a standard watch, such as aniPhoneTM. The player device may weigh no more than 100g, preferably no more than 60g, still more preferably no more than 20g, Preferably, the player device is unobtrusive when mounted. Preferably, the player device maintains regular contact with a player, such that if the player device vibrates, the player will feel the vibrations.

The player device may include a power source. The power source may be replaceable or rechargeable. The power source may include a battery. The player device may generate electricity from movement of the player, which may charge the battery. The battery may be replaceable. The battery may be rechargeable. The battery may include multiple batteries. The player device may include a port or terminals on the player device adapted to be connected to a charger. The player device may be adapted to use wireless charging such as inductive charging. The player device may include a solar panel. The player device may include a device which harvests energy from the heat differential between the player's skin and ambient air surrounding the player. The player device may include a thermoelectric generator (TEG).

The player device may include a communication device. The communication device may include a radio transmitter and/or receiver. The player device may be adapted to communicate with the control device and/or other player devices through radio waves. The player device may be adapted to communicate with the control device and other player devices with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, the cellular network or with other wireless communication methods. Preferably, the control device sends data one-way to the player devices. The player device may preclude visual or auditory communication to abide by a particular sporting code's rules.

The player device may include a smooth outer surface with no protruding sharp corners or edges. The player device may include a slippery, non-stick surface such as Teflon. The player device may include an elastic outer surface such as silicone or rubber. The player device may include minimal gaps or no gaps which may catch a hair. The player device may be waterproof. The player device may substantially follow the contours of the body of where it is adapted to be mounted on the body. For example, the player device may wrap around the wrist. The player device may include flexible portions. The player device may be substantially flexible. A body of the player device may substantially be made of silicone, elastic plastic and/or rubber. The player device may be substantially made of rigid materials such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).

The player device may include multiple parts connected with wires. For example, the player device may be adapted such that the communication device is located on the players chest and the battery/s are located on the players back. The player device may include an ear piece wirelessly connected or connected through wires to the rest of the player device. The player device may include a microphone. The player device may include a camera. The camera may be adapted to record or livestream video or photos from the player device to the control device. The control device may be adapted to send the livestream video to be broadcast on television or on the internet.

An alert device may be adapted to alert the player. The alert device may include a vibrator. The alert device may include multiple vibrators, wherein, at least one may be a redundant vibrator. The vibrator may include an eccentric rotating mass (ERM) vibration motor and/or a linear vibration motor. The vibrator may be powered by an electric motor and/or wire coils. The vibrator may include other vibration devices. The sports field player messaging devices may be adapted to send messages using the vibrator with patterns of vibration.

The alert may include the messages. The player may be taught/instructed as to what the patterns of vibration mean. Alerting the player may include alerting the player of a specific message of a range of messages. Alerting the player may be sending a message to the player. The alert device may include indicator lights. The indicator lights may include a single indicator light. The indicator lights may include multiple indicator lights. The multiple indicator lights may include different coloured lights. The indicator lights may indicate the level of charge in the battery/s and/or may alert the player. The indicator lights may include any type of light. The indicator lights may include at least one light emitting diode (LED). The indicator lights may include at least one organic light emitting diode (OLED).

The player device/alert device may include a display and/or touch screen. The display and/or touch screen may include any type of display or touch screen. The display and/or touch screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD), OLED and/or LED display. The alert device may include a speaker. The alert device may be adapted to include different alerts (the alerts) to send the player different messages. The player may be trained to understand the alerts. For example, a first alert may be adapted to be recognised by the player as the player should come off the field of play and may include one continuous vibration of the alert device. A second alert may be adapted to be recognised by the player as the player needs to move to one end of the field of play and may include two sequential vibrations of the alert device. The alert device may be adapted to alert the player that they need to come off the field, go on the field, perform manoeuvres and/or other alerts.

The player device may include a central processing unit (CPU). The player device may include a global positioning system (GPS) device including a GPS and adapted to calculate, receive and/or detect the position of the player device. The player device may include an accelerometer and/or electronic gyroscope. The player device alternatively or additionally may use triangulation of signals such as radio signals from/to triangulation devices located at different positions around the field to calculate

J4 the position of the player device. The player device may include a heart beat monitor and/or blood pressure monitor. The player device may display at least one of the players heartbeat and blood pressure on the player device. The player device may send information including the player devices location, player heart beat and players blood pressure to the control device. The control device and/or player device may log the players location, heart beat and/or blood pressure. The players location, heart beat and/or blood pressure of a discrete set of times during a game may be stored on the player device and/or control device. The player device and/or control device may be adapted to send the players location, heart beat and/or blood pressure through the internet to a server or cloud platform. The players location during the game, heart beat and/or blood pressure may be analysed by the control device, by using a method or by a device external to the control device.

The alert device may be an auditory or visual signal. However, preferably the alert device involves the communication to the player using the sense of touch. The player device may include a vibrating device. The player devices may be adapted to alert the control device and/or the player if the player device is not functioning correctly. For example, the player device may include sensors which measure the input power/current/voltage to the alert device, and if the input power is not measured in a normal operating range when the alert device is alerting the player, the player device communicates with the control device to alert the user that the player device is not functioning correctly.

The player devices may be programmed to be used with a specific player. Each of the player devices may be programmed with an identification corresponding to a specific player. The player devices may include markings or a display on the outer surfaces of z5 the player devices corresponding to the specific players. The control device may be programmed or be set to show the players on a display. The control device may be adapted to show a picture of the player, number for the player, name of the player and/or other form of identification of each player. The control panel may be configurable to show different forms of identification of each player and other display/input preferences. The control device may be adapted to be programmed or include settings/inputs to change the players programmed into the control device and/or player devices. The control device may be adapted such that the user can select a player and/or a specific message to send to the player using the display and the control device may then send the message to the player device mounted to the player selected.

Control device

The control device may include a tablet, mobile phone, computer, laptop or other personal device. The control device may include any electronic device with an application or program adapted to perform some or all of the functions of the control device. The control device may include a display, touch screen and/or projector. The control device may include a CPU, relays and/or a communication module. The control device may include buttons, switches and/or indicator lights. The communication module may be adapted to send and/or receive data through Bluetooth, radio waves, Wi-Fi, satellite internet and/or through the cellular/mobile network.

Preferably, the control device receives inputs from a user (coach or other person). The control device may be adapted such that the user can select the alert/s from the different types of alerts and selectively send the alert/s to the individual player device/s. The control device may be adapted to selectively send an alert to at least one player device instructing the player to come off the field of play. The sports field player messaging devices may be adapted to act as a phone/walky talky between players and coaches and/or other people.

The control device may be adapted to alert the user operating the control device when the player device detects that the player's heart rate or heart rhythm, and/or blood pressure is within expected parameters, given the exertion and stress that the player is under at any particular time. The control device may be adapted to alert the user when the player device is located in an area of the field of play. The control device may be adapted to alert an umpire or other people when a game rule is broken based on the location of the player/player device. For example, the game rule broken may include the player being offside or outside a required zone. The umpire may use recorded data of player device positions in combination with video footage or viewing the game live z5 to determine when a player is breaking a rule. The player devices may grouped to categorise a particular wearer as belonging to a particular subgroup within a team that imposes positioning restrictions on each subgroup or player. For example, the subgroups may include forwards, midfield, onball division, rucks, taps, defence and interchange, reserves, or substitutes. The player device may provide positional feedback to game officials or coaching staff regarding player placement.

The control device may include multiple control devices. The control device may be adapted to be located next to but off the field of play. The control device may be adapted to be located near, on or adjacent to a field of play. The control device may be adapted to be located in a stand, a viewing box and/or other locations. All data recorded by or sent to the player devices such as alerts, position, heartbeat and blood pressure may be logged on the control device, the player device and/or sent through the internet to a server and/or cloud platform. All alerts sent to player devices

A may be logged on the control device, the player device and/or on a server and/or cloud platform.

The control device and player devices may be one-way devices such that the control device is adapted to send data to the player devices but the player devices are adapted not to send data to the control device.

The control device may include additional non-input displays which are adapted to view which players are on and off the field. In a particularly preferred embodiment applicable to sporting codes where coaches cannot communicate with their players at particular times during play, or without using prohibited means of communication, such as verbal or visual communication, the control device may be adapted to not send instructions to the player device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of sports field player messaging devices. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention. In describing the various embodiments of the invention, like features will be referred to using like references, with references for features of each embodiment generally preceded by 1, 2, 3, or followed by a Roman numeric sequence, such as i, ii, iii, etc. or an alphabetical sequence such as a, b, c, relative to the corresponding feature of the first embodiment. For example, a feature 10 of the first embodiment may represented as 110, 210, 310, (or n10), or 10a, 1Ob, 1Oc, (or lOx) or 10i, lOii, 10iii, (or 1Or) etc. in second, third and fourth embodiments, respectively. Sports field player messaging devices 1 including a player device 20a-e mountable to a player, player clothing and/or player footwear and a control device 10 adapted to be located near, on or adjacent to a field of play, the control device 10 adapted to wirelessly communicate with the player device and the player device adapted to alert the player. The sports field player messaging devices 1 include multiple player devices 20a-e. Fig. 1 shows 5 player devices 20a-e but there may be any number of player devices 20a-e. The number of player devices 20a-e depends on the number of players, with one player device 20a-e per player. Preferably, there are also spare player devices 20a e adapted to be switched out with player devices 20a-e mounted to the players in case a player device 20a-e is faulty. Preferably, the player device 20a-e includes sensors which detect when a player device 20a-e is faulty and communicate with the control device 10 to alert a user that the player device 20a-e is faulty.

The player devices 1 each include an alert device. The alert devices include vibration motors which are adapted to vibrate the player device 20a-e to alert the player. Preferably the player devices 20a-e are adapted to be mounted to a player, player clothing and/or footwear such that the player can easily feel the player device 20a-e vibrating. The player device 20a-e may be mountable to the player, player clothing and/or player footwear such that the player device 20a-e contacts the players skin. The player device 20a-e may be mountable to the player, player clothing and/or player footwear such that a part of the player device 20a-e sufficiently transmits vibration from the vibration motor to the players skin. Sufficiently being that the player can easily feel vibrations from the player device 20a-e.

The control device 10 may include a touch screen with a display. The control device 10 may include a computer, tablet and/or phone. The control device 10 may include an application or program or other software adapted to allow a user to select a player device 20a-e to send an alert to that player device 20a-e. The control device 10 may be adapted such that the user can select multiple player devices 20a-e to send those player devices 20a-e alerts.

The control device 10 and player devices 20a-e may include a radio transmitter. The control device 10 may communicate with the player devices 1Oa-e through radio waves. The control device 10 may be powered by a battery or other power supply. The player devices 20a-e may be powered by a battery or other power supply. The control device 10 communicates with the player devices 20a-e through a one-way transmission 12a-e, from the control device 10 to the player devices 20a-e.

The player device 20a-e may include multiple different types of alerts. Alerting the player includes alerting the player of a message delivered by the alert. The message is one of a range of messages. The players may be trained to know the intended instruction sent by the user to the player through the player device 20a-e alert.

Throughout the specification and claims the word "comprise" and its derivatives are intended to have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. That is, the word "comprise" and its derivatives will be taken to indicate the inclusion of not only the listed components, steps or features that it directly references, but also other components, steps or features not specifically listed, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. In the present specification, terms such as "apparatus", "means", "device" and "'member" may refer to singular or plural items and are terms intended to refer to a set of properties, functions or characteristics performed by one or more items or components having one or more parts. It is envisaged that where an "apparatus", ''means", "device" or "member" or similar term is described as being a unitary object, then a functionally equivalent object having multiple components is considered to fall within the scope of the term, and similarly, where an "apparatus", "assembly", ''means", "device" or "member" is described as having multiple components, a functionally equivalent but unitary object is also considered to fall within the scope of the term, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. In the present specification, the phrase "and/or" refers to severally or any combination of the features. For example, the phrase "feature 1, feature 2 and/or feature 3" includes within its scope any one of the following combinations: Feature 1 or feature 2 or feature 3; feature 1 and feature 2 or feature 3; feature 1 or feature 2 and feature 3; feature 1 and feature 2 and feature 3.

Orientational terms used in the specification and claims such as vertical, horizontal, top, bottom, upper and lower are to be interpreted as relational and are based on the premise that the component, item, article, apparatus, device or instrument will usually be considered in a particular orientation, or which will usually be apparent from the context.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made to the methods of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention can be described in terms of provisional claims that can assist the skilled reader in understanding the various aspects and preferments of the invention. However, these provisional claims are not to be construed as defining statements of the invention. It will be appreciated that other forms, aspects and preferred features of the invention and its embodiments described herein may ultimately be included in the claims defining the invention in the specifications of complete, international or national applications (or their subsequent corresponding patent grants) that may claim priority from the provisional application accompanying this specification. In this context, the following non-limiting claims assist to better describe the invention:

O

Claims

1. Sports field player messaging devices including a player device mountable to a

player, player clothing and/or player footwear and a control device adapted to be

located near, on or adjacent to a field of play, the control device adapted to wirelessly

communicate with the player device and the player device adapted to alert the player.

2. The sports field player messaging devices as claimed in Claim 1, wherein, a method

for using the sports field player messaging devices includes the control device

receiving an input from a coach or other person to alert the player, the control device

wirelessly communicating to the player device and the player device alerting the

player.

3. The sports field player messaging devices as claimed in either Claim 1 or 2,

wherein, the player device includes a vibration device adapted to vibrate to alert the

player.

4. The sports field player messaging devices as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3,

wherein, the sports field player messaging devices are adapted to alert the player that

the player should come off the field of play.

5. The sports field player messaging devices as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4,

wherein, the control device includes a touch screen.

6. The sports field player messaging devices as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5,

wherein, alerting the player is alerting the player of a message delivered by the alert.

7. The sports field player messaging devices as claimed in Claim 6, wherein, the

message may be one of a range of messages which are delivered by alerting the

player.

8. The sports field player messaging devices as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 7,

wherein, alerting the player includes the vibration device vibrating in one of a number

of vibration patterns adapted to deliver different messages to the player.

9. The sports field player messaging devices as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8,

wherein, each player device is programmed with an identification corresponding to a

specific player.

10. The sports field player messaging devices as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9, wherein, the control device is adapted to display each of the players and receive inputs from a user to send an alert and/or message to at least one player.

11. The sports field player messaging devices as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10,

wherein, the control device includes a tablet.

12. The sports field player messaging devices as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 11,

wherein, the player device is mountable to the player's shirt.

13. The sports field player messaging devices as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 12,

wherein, the sports field player messaging devices includes multiple player devices.

14. The sports field player messaging devices as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 13,

wherein, the control device and player device are one-way devices in that the control

device is adapted to send data to the player devices but the player devices are adapted

not to send data to the control device.