GB2166056A - Scoring device for games - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable scoring device for use in indoor social premises, such as residences and clubs, to score games such as billiards, snooker and darts comprises display devices (5, 6) for indicating players' score, keyboards (11, 12) for entering the scores and a mode selector switch (7) which controls operation of circuitry selectively to add to, or subtract from, a number displayed by a device (5, 6). Names entered at 16 are routed by buttons 21, 22 to display 3, 4 respectively. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Scoring device This invention relates to a portable scoring device for use in indoor social premises, such as residences and clubs, to score games such as billiards, snooker and darts.

The traditional way of scoring such games is by each player using mental arithmetic to update his score and then displaying it on a scoreboard. Such scoreboards are designed to be read by the players as the game progresses, and are not designed to be viewed by an audience. However, the skills exhibited by the players today attract large audiences and they are keen to see the progress of the game on the scoreboard. The mental calculations carried out by the players to update their scores interrupt the players' concentration and can disturb their play.

Illuminated scoreboards continuously updated by non-playing professional scorers are commonly used in basket ball gymnasiums.

However they are permanent installations and the board is sited well above head height so that it can be seen by the audience. Such a scoreboard is not suited to social premises such as clubs, as it requires score keepers is an expensive and permanent installation, and is obtrusive.

An object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive and portable scoreboard which is acceptable to social premises such as clubs and relieves the players of having to perform mental arithmetic as the game progresses while allowing the scores of the players to be viewed easily by an audience who may be watching the game.

A portable scoring device in accordance with the present invention comprises a box for wall or table top mounting having a display face on which the players' scores are illuminated as the game progresses, a set of numerical keys, electronic circuitry controlling the scores shown on the display face from the information entered on the keys by each player, in turn, as the game progresses, and a mode switch controlling the circuitry selectively to add to or subtract from the number displayed on the display face the newly entered scores.

The scoring device of the invention can be made quite small and yet relieves the players of having to perform mental calculations to update their scores as the game progresses.

All the player has to do is to enter on the keys the number of points he obtains each time he plays, and the device does the appropriate calculations necessary to update and display the score.

The box may be provided with a set of alphabet keys conveniently positioned at the lower front of the box to enable the players to enter their names in illuminated form on panels.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a scoring device; and, Figure 2 is a simplified block circuit diagram of electrical circuitry used in the device.

The scoring device shown in Fig. 1 comprises a parallelepiped box 1 having a display face 2 provided with player-identification panels provided by windows 3 and 4, and score display windows 5 and 6. Between the windows 3 and 4 are a mode selector switch 7 and a reset button 8. The display windows 5 and 6 contain elements each of which allows any number from zero to 9,999 to be displayed. The windows 3 and 4 likewise contain elements which enable any letter of the alphabet to be displayed.

On the right hand-side of the display face 2 are two zones 11 and 12 each containing keys provided by 12 press-buttons. One panel is associated with each player respectively.

The zones each contain a rectangular array of 10 numbered buttons and two separate buttons 14 and 15 which are respectively marked and and "C".

A set of alphabet buttons 16 are provided on the lower face of the box 1 to enable the players to have their names displayed in illuminated form in the viewing windows 3 and 4.

Two buttons 21 and 22 determine in which of the windows 3, 4 the name spelt out on the alphabet buttons 16 is to be displayed.

Fig. 2 shows the electronic circuitry of the device. The miropressor 1 and memory 8 performs the task of scanning the key array contacts 4A and 4B used by each player and mode the selector switch 6, then transferring the score to be displayed in memory 8, via interface circuitry 2, to the display window used by each player 3A and 3B. The position of the mode selector switch 6 determines whether the device adds to or subtracts from the score.

One thousand times each second the micropressor 1 receives a signal causing it to place a number from memory 8 into the interface circuity 2 which is then sent to a score display window 3A or 3B. The actual window to which the number is sent corresponds to the key array 5A or 5B, allocated to each player.

Every one-hundred-and twenty-fifth of a second the micropressor 1 sends a series of strobes to the key array contacts 4A and 4B to detect if a switch closure has taken place.

If so the micropressor determines whether player A or player B key array, 5 or 5B, was responsible for the closure and performs a calculation in the memory 8 to determine the new score to be displayed. Also in each key array is a key, the function of which is to restore the previous score to the display if a wrong score was keyed in.

On completion of a game, the reset button 7 is operated which removes all of the displayed information from the windows and displays a zero in each window ready for a new game.

At the commencement of a game each player enters his name in the appropriate playeridentification window 3, 4. If the game is to progress by scoring down from a total, that total, as is the case with the game of darts, is inserted in the score windows 5, 6 by the array of push buttons 11, 12 and the mode selector switch 7 is put in the "subtract" position.

As the game progresses each player in turn records his score by pressing the "+" button and entering his point score on the array of push buttons 11. Pressing the "+" button removes the score stored in the memory 33 from the score window 5, but restores it the next time it is presses. The score he inserts on the button array 11 appears temporarily in the score window 5 so he can check it. If he enters it wrongly, he presses the "C" button which cancels the score displayed and he can then key it in again on the push buttons.

When he next presses the "+" button the latest score is added to the score stored in the memory unit 33 (assuming the mode switch is in the summation position) and this new number then appears in the score window 5.

The player identification windows 5, 6 and the associated electronic circuitry and alphabet buttons 16 may be dispensed with to produce a cheap version of the scoring device

Claims (4)

1. A portable scoring device comprising a box for wall or table mounting and having a display face on which the players' scores are illuminated as the game progresses, a set of numerical keys, electronic circuitry controlling the scores shown on the display face from the information entered on the keys by each player, in turn, as the game progresses, and a mode switch controlling the circuitry selectively to add to, or subtract from the number displayed on the display face the newly entered scores.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said circuitry includes a micro-processor providing a first output signal at a first frequency to strobe the keys, and a second output signal at a frequency lower than the first output signal frequency, a memory in which are stored numerical values found by the strobing to signify the keys which have been operated, and means for applying to the memory the second output signal to transfer the stored numerical value in the memory to elements to illuminate them to display the numerical value in the window.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, including further windows in the display face to identify each player, elements in said further windows for displaying letters of the alphabet in illuminated form, and electrical circuitry connecting the alphabet-displaying elements to a set of alphabet keys on the box which are operable by each player to spell out his name in the second window beside his score.

4. A scoring device as claimed in claim 1, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.