GB2462624A

GB2462624A - Goal detection apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2462624A
Application number: GB0814792A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Arthur Stewart Dunlop
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-08-14
Filing date: 2008-08-14
Publication date: 2010-02-17
Also published as: GB0814792D0

Abstract

Goal detection apparatus 10 comprises a goal structure 12, a ball element 14, detection means 16 for detecting the passing of the ball element 14 through a plane of a goal mouth 20 of the goal structure 12, and indication means 18 on or adjacent to the goal structure 12. The indication means indicates that a goal has been scored based on an output of the detection means 16. The detection means 16 may be an acousto-magnetic system with transmitters 36 and receivers 38 and a magnetostrictive tag in the ball wherein when the ball and tag pass through the plane of the goal mouth the tag resonates by magnetostriction which induces a voltage in the receivers. A magnetic, RF or microwave tag system could alternatively be used.

Description

Goal Detection Apparatus This invention relates to goal detection apparatus which detects a goal and provides an indication of such to an observer.

Goal based games are enormously popular, and the most popular is football, also known as soccer and used hereinafter. However, it can often be difficult to tell when a football or soccer ball has fully crossed a goal line, thus resulting in the scoring of a goal. When a goal is scored, there is no automatic way to convey this fact to the observing crowd.

The increase of revenue through promotion of one or more sponsors to the observing crowd is also an important financial consideration to any soccer club.

The present invention seeks to provide a solution to these problems.

According to the invention, there is provided goal detection apparatus comprising a goal structure, a ball element, detection means for detecting the passing of the ball element through a plane of a goal mouth of the goal structure, and indication means on or adjacent to the goal structure for indicating that a goal has been scored based on an output of the detection means.

The term goal' used herein and throughout is intended to mean the scoring of a point or points, and should be construed accordingly and in association with the game referred to.

Preferable andlor optional features of the invention are set forth in claims 2 to 13, inclusive.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of goal detection apparatus, in accordance with the invention; and Figures 2a to 2d show the goal detection apparatus in use.

Referring to the drawings, one embodiment of goal detection apparatus 10 comprises a soccer goal 12, a soccer ball 14, an acousto-magnetic detection system 16, and an indication system 18.

The soccer goal 12 includes a planar goal mouth 20 which is defined by two spaced upright post elements 22 and an upper crossbar element 24 which interconnects uppermost ends of the two upright elements 22. Elongate post support elements 26 extend rearwardly of the goal mouth 20 from lowermost ends of the upright post elements 22, and net support elements 28 extend rearwardly of the goal mouth 20 from the uppermost ends of the upright post elements 22. A lower crossbar element 30 extends between rearmost ends of the post support elements 26, and a goal net 32 is taughtly connected between the upright post elements 22, the post support elements 26, the net support elements 28 and the upper and lower crossbar elements 24, 30, so as to define a cavity behind the goal mouth 20.

The soccer goal 12 can be of any size, depending on necessity and the type of soccer game it will be used in. As long as a goal mouth 20 is defined, then other elements of the goal can be dispensed with.

The soccer ball 14 is a typically standard generally spherical ball. The ball can be of any size, and may be formed of leather, plastics or a combination thereof.

The acousto-magnetic detection system 16 comprises a control unit 34 which may beneficially be provided in or at the lower crossbar element 30, two spaced transmitter modules 36 which are electrically connected to the control unit 34 and which are provided at uppermost and lowermost ends of one of the upright post elements 22, and two spaced receiver modules 38 which are also electrically connected to the control unit 34 and which are provided at uppermost and lowermost ends of the other one of the upright post elements 22. The transmitter modules 36 and the receiver modules 38 are preferably powered via the control unit 34, which itself is connected to a suitable power supply 40. The control unit 34 controls the transmitter modules 36 to emit continuous or periodic tonal bursts at frequencies of or substantially of 58 kHz.

The acousto-magnetic detection system 16 further comprises a tag element 42 which is provided on or, preferably, in the soccer ball 14. Conveniently, the tag element 42 is included as part of the soccer ball 14 during manufacture, and may be beneficially embedded in the skin of the ball. More than one tag may be utilised, or the skin of the ball may include a complete or partial layer which acts as the tag element 42.

By way of example, the tag element 42 may include two layers of unbound material, one being a magnetostrictive ferromagnetic amorphous metal material and the other being a magnetically semi-hard metallic material utilised as a biasing magnet to increase signal strength. The amorphous metal has good magnetoelastic coupling, thus enabling efficient conversion of magnetic energy to mechanical vibrational movement.

A resonant frequency of the amorphous layer matches or substantially matches the tonal frequency emitted by the transmitter modules 36, in this case being around 58 kHz.

The indication system 18 includes at least one light emitting device 44 which is provided within each upright post element 22 and the upper crossbar element 24. In this embodiment, the light emitting devices 44 are strip-like fluorescent devices, such as mercury discharge lamps. The light emitting devices 44 are powered via the control unit 34, and are controlled by control circuitry provided in the control unit 34 based on an output of the receiver modules 38. The upright post elements 22 and the upper crossbar element 24 are thus formed entirely or partially from a light transmissible material, such as plastics.

As an alternative, the upright post elements and the upper crossbar element may include a plurality of apertures to enable light to be emitted therefrom. Furthermore, instead of the fluorescent lamps, light emitting diodes can be utilised.

The indication system 18 may also include one or more sound emitting devices, either on the soccer goal or remotely. For example, the control circuit of the control unit may be connected to a public announcement (PA) system to automatically output a sound associated with the scoring of a goal.

Furthermore, the indication system may also include one or more indicator devices positioned adjacent to the soccer goal. For example, electronic advertising hoardings or boards which typically surround a soccer pitch may be connected to the control circuit of the control unit to display or highlight a sponsor's name, an advertisement, or simply to proclaim a message indicating that a goal has been scored.

During use and with reference to Figures 2a to 2d, the control unit 34 controls the transmitter modules 36 to emit the required tonal bursts at or around the 58 kHz frequency in and across the plane of the goal mouth 20, or just set back by the diameter of the ball therefrom. When the soccer ball 14 with the tag element 42 passes through the plane of the goal mouth 20, the amorphous material of the tag element 42 resonates by magnetostriction. This oscillation alters the magnetization of the amorphous material, thereby inducing an AC voltage in one or both receiver modules 38. The output generated by the or each receiver module is compared by the control circuit of the control unit 34 against certain parameters in order to reduce false readings, and providing the criteria are met, the indication system 18 is activated to indicate that a goal has been scored, resulting in the upright post elements 22, the upper crossbar element 24, and the remote indicator devices automatically lighting up, and the sound emitting device if included automatically emitting a sound.

Preferably, the control unit includes a timer circuit which deactivates the indication system after a predetermined period of activation, ready for the next goal.

The sound emitting device may be used solely instead of the light emitting device, or vice versa.

The light emitting device or devices may only be provided in the upright post elements or the upper crossbar element.

Although the transmitter modules and the receiver modules are provided in the soccer goal, it is feasible that one or both modules may be provided in the ground adjacent to the goal, for example in or on the goal line.

An acousto-magnetic detection system has been described above. However, it is envisaged that other detection means can be utilised, such as a magnetic system using a magnetic tag element, a radio-frequency system using a radio-frequency tag element, or a microwave system using a microwave tag element.

Other indication means can also be envisaged, in addition or alternatively to the light emitting devices and the sound emitting device. For example, telecommunication technology can be utilised for relaying a message to a receiver, such as a mobile handheld telephone. Furthermore, a pyrotechnic display can be initiated.

The above described apparatus can be provided as a kit of parts, or as a retro-fit for existing goals.

Although one tag element is referred to, more than one tag element can be provided. For example, four discrete tag elements, preferably angularly spaced apart by 90 degrees in a single plane, or six discrete tag elements, preferably angularly spaced apart by 90 degrees in two perpendicular planes, can be provided on or in the ball or point-scoring element.

Although a soccer goal and soccer ball are described above, the present apparatus can be applied to any game goal structure and any ball element which is drivable into or through the game goal structure to score one or more points, referred to herein as a goal'. The term ball' is intended to include any playing element of any shape, such as a spherical ball, being for example a football, a non-spherical ball being for example a rugby ball, and a disk being for example an ice hockey puck.

Two transmitter modules and two receiver modules are described above. However, it may be feasible to utilise only one transmitter and/or one receiver, or more than two transmitters and/or receivers.

It is therefore possible to provide apparatus which automatically detects a goal being scored with a high degree of certainty, and which automatically provides an indication thereof thus imparting interest to an observer.

The embodiments described above are provided by way of examples only, and various other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Claims 1. Goal detection apparatus comprising a goal structure, a ball element, detection means for detecting the passing of the ball element through a plane of a goal mouth of the goal structure, and indication means on or adjacent to the goal structure for indicating that a goal has been scored based on an output of the detection means.
2. Goal detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indication means includes at least one light emitting device.
3. Goal detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the indication means includes a sound emitting device.
4. Goal detection apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the goal structure comprises two upright elements and a crossbar element interconnecting the two upright elements, the indication means being provided on at least one of the upright elements and/or the crossbar element.
5. Goal detection apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the indication means further includes at least one of a light emitting device and sound emitting device which is spaced from the goal structure.
6. Goal detection apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the indication means includes an advertising area portion which is highlightable by the indication of a goal.
7. Goal detection apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the detection means includes an acousto-magnetic system.
8. Goal detection apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the detection means includes a receiver provided on the goal structure, at least one tag element provided on the ball element, and a controller which receives an output of the receiver, the controller controlling the indication means accordingly.
9. Goal detection apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the detection means further includes a transmitter also provided on the goal structure.
10. Goal detection apparatus as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the tag element is an acousto-magnetic element.
11. Goal detection apparatus as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9, when claim 8 is dependent on any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the tag element is one of a magnetic element, a radio-frequency element, or a microwave element.
12. Goal detection apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in the form of a kit of parts.
13. Goal detection apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the goal structure is a soccer goal and the ball element is a soccer ball.
14. Goal detection apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.