NL1037328C2

NL1037328C2 - Time display device in sports.

Info

Publication number: NL1037328C2
Application number: NL1037328A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Silvester Karel Marinus Johannes Voorthuisen
Original assignee: Ind Solutions B V
Priority date: 2009-09-28
Filing date: 2009-09-28
Publication date: 2011-11-23
Also published as: NL1037328A

Description

*

Title: Time display device in sports

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to time display in sports, particularly korfball.

5 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Korfball is an example of a sport where two teams play each other, and where each team can score a point by shooting the other team's goal, in this case a basket mounted on top of a pole. In many sports, there are no time constraints for 10 shooting, but korfball is an example where time constraints are set to the shooting tries. The game is played on a playground, and each team's goal is located in a distinct section of this playground. A team is only allowed to try to make a point, i.e. to shoot the ball into the goal, when the 15 ball is located in this specific section of the playground. In fact, the attacking team has to make a try (to shoot at the goal) within a certain time limit as from the moment the ball enters this playground section. Each playground goal section is equipped with a time display. Whenever the ball enters such 20 playground section, a clock is started and the time limit is shown on this display, counting back to zero. Part of the strategy of the game, and part of the suspense for the supporters watching the game, is to keep an eye on this time display.

25 Basketball is another example of such sport. In that case, the time display is usually mounted in the bounce board behind the basket. However, in the case of korfball, the pole with the basket is positioned at.a certain predetermined location within the playfield while the time display is 30 positioned outside the playfield. Consequently, it is difficult to watch the game and keep an eye on the ball near the basket and at the same time keep an eye on the time display.

1 0 3 73 28 2

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to overcome or at least reduce this problem by providing the players as well as the supporters with a time display that can easily be monitored 5 while keeping an eye on the ball close to the basket.

To this end, the present invention proposes to equip the basket pole with a varying light. The light variation may involve a change of colour, may involve a change in location of the light along the length of the basket pole and may 10 involve a change of the length of the light spot. The light spot can easily be seen from within a range of 360° around the basket pole, i.e. for all spectators watching the game, and gives an intuitive sense of the amount of time left for trying to shoot the ball into the basket, without the necessity of 15 actually reading the ciphers of the conventional clock display.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

20 These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained by the following description of one or more preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings, in which same reference numerals indicate same or similar parts, and in which: 25 figure 1 schematically shows a perspective side view of a korfball basket mounted on a basket pole; figures 2A and 2B show examples of possible cross sections of the basket pole; figure 3 schematically shows a block diagram of a control 30 device controlling light segments; figure 4 schematically shows the time display bar.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following, an example of an' embodiment will be 35 discussed in greater detail with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 schematically shows a korfball basket . 1 mounted on an upright basket pole 2, standing on a playfield 3. The pole 2 typically has a length of 3.5 m, although the length of the pole is not relevant for the present invention. According to 3 the invention, the basket pole 2 comprises a time display section 10 that is well visible from outside the playfield, for instance, the section immediately below the basket 1 and above for instance 2 metre. It should be clear that the exact 5 position and length of the time display section 10 are not critical.

In the time display section 10, the basket pole 2 is provided with at least one series of light sources 100, wherein LEDs are the preferred type of light source used; 10 figure 1 schematically indicates one LED 100 only.

Figure 2A is a schematical cross section of a possible embodiment of the pole 2, or at least the time display section 10 thereof. In this embodiment, the pole 2 is hollow and comprises a central chamber 21 in which the light sources 100 15 are mounted. The pole 2, or at least the time display section 10 thereof, is made from an at least partially transparent material, for instance plastic, so that these central light sources 100 can emit their light in all horizontal directions, i.e. 360° around the pole, such as to be visible from all 20 directions.

Figure 2B is a schematical cross section of another possible embodiment of the pole 2, or at least the time display section 10 thereof. In this embodiment, the pole 2 comprises a plurality of light compartments 22 positioned 25 adjacent to each other in circumferential direction, separated by substantially radial separation walls 23 and having an outer wall 24. Here, only the outer wall 24 needs to be at least partly transparent. The walls 23 may be non-transparent, and preferably are provided with a reflective coating. The 30 pole 2 further may comprise a central chamber 25 with a circular wall 26, for containing electrical wiring for the light sources 100 located in the light compartments 22. In figure 2B, the pole 2 is shown as comprising four light compartments 22, but a different number, for instance three, 35 five, six, eight, is also possible. Each light compartment 22 accommodates light sources 100, of which only one is shown in figure 2B for sake of convenience. The light emitted by the light sources of a certain compartment is only visible within a certain angular range, for instance 90° in the example of 4 figure 4B, unless of course the material of the entire cross section of the pole 2 is transparent.

Along its length, the time display section 10 is subdivided into a predetermined number of segments 11 above 5 each other, as shown schematically in figure 1. Depending on the type of light source, each light compartment 21, 22 of any time display segment 11 accommodates one or more light sources 100. All light sources accommodated in the same segment 11 are always switched on or off simultaneously. In the following, 10 for sake of convenience, this will be indicated as switching the time display segments 11 rather than switching the light sources 100.

Figure 3 schematically shows a block diagram of a control 15 device 300 controlling the time display segments 11 to be switched on or off. The control device 300, which is mounted in the pole 2 but which in figure 1 is shown outside the pole 2 for sake of clarity, has an input 301 for receiving timing information, which may involve a simple start/stop signal, in 20 which case the control device 300 would be provided with its own clock device, but which also may involve information defining the time to be displayed. This input is coupled to a control master device 310, which in turn is controlled by a time referee R. The time referee R starts the control master 25 device 310 when a ball enters the offence zone of a playground. Communication between the control master device 310 and the control device 300 may be wired, but is preferably wireless, specifically via an RF channel. Since suitable wireless communication systems are known per se, including RF, 30 a further explanation is omitted here.

The control device 300, which typically may be implemented as a suitably programmed microprocessor, computer, or the like, controls the time display segments 11 to visualize the lapsing time, and specifically to visualize the 35 countdown to zero. This can be done in several ways.

Figure 4 schematically shows the time display section 10 of the basket pole 2, illustrating that it may for instance contain 25 time display segments 11 for displaying a countdown from 25 to zero. In figure 4A, a portion of adjacent time '5 display segments 11 are indicated as being ON, together defining a light bar 12. In one embodiment, it is possible that the length of the light bar 12 changes. For instance, it is possible that time display starts with the full length of 5 the light bar 12, i.e. all time display segments 11 being switched on, while subsequently the length of the light bar 12 is reduced by successively switching off time display segments so that the decreasing length of the light bar 12 visualizes the decreasing length of time left. Oppositely, it is also 10 possible to start from zero and to increase the length of the light bar 12.

In another embodiment, it is possible to visualize the countdown by displacing a light spot. In this embodiment, the number of time display segments 11 being switched on would 15 always remain the same, but the light segments selected for being switched on would change. The number of light segments being switched on in this way might be equal to one. In a specific embodiment, the light spot might start at the bottom and might be displayed as moving towards the top, wherein the 20 distance from the top would visualize the time left.

Oppositely, the light spot might also be displaced downwards.

In another embodiment, the time display segments 11 may be switched on and off to show a flashing light wherein, with the lapse of time, the flashing frequency is increased.

25 To enhance the suspense, it is possible that a specific light effect is shown when the end of the time limit is approaching. For instance, the colour of the light emitted may be changed: for instance, this colour may initially be green while the last few seconds the colour may be red. To this end, 30 figure 4 shows that some of the time display segments 11 may be designed for emitting green light, indicated as 11G, while other time display segments 11 may be designed for emitting red light, indicated as HR. It should be clear to a person skilled in the art that the colour of the light can be 35 determined by a selection of type of LED, or by the use of a colour layer in the outer wall of the pole 2, or even by using RGB LEDs.

6.

The above described embodiments may be combined, and other types of embodiments are easily conceivable by persons skilled in the art.

In a possible embodiment, the floor 3 of the playground, y .5 be-it indoors or outdoors, may comprise a receptacle 4 equipped with mains for the basket pole 2, so that the light sources 100 within the basket pole can be powered from mains.

In fact, korfball fields may be arranged for applying the present invention, in which case a wired communication line 10 from master control 310 to the control device 300 of the light pole 2 may be incorporated in the floor of the playground and may have a socket in such receptacle 4. However, existing playgrounds will typically not be equipped with a pole receptacle equipped with mains. Therefore, the basket pole may 15 be provided with a battery compartment 5 for accommodating one or more batteries B for powering the light sources 100 and for powering the control device 300. Such compartment 5 is typically located in the lower half of the basket pole 2, as shown in figure 1.

20 When being powered from a battery, energy consumption is an issue. Therefore, in an embodiment, the time display segments 11 are not on continuously but instead are switched on and off. Suitably, a switching frequency of once per second is used. For instance, the lights may be switched on for 0.3 25 second and may be switched off for 0.7 second. Apart from reducing energy consumption, this would enhance the feeling of the time ticking away. Moving the light spot or changing the length of the light bar 12 may be synchronised with the switching of the time display segments 11.

30

Summarizing, a korfball pole 2 according to the present invention is provided with integrated light-emitting time display segments 11, and with a control device 300 for controlling the time display segments 11 to be switched on or 35 off. The control device 300 is designed to visualize lapsing time by changing the number of time display segments being switched ON such as to decrease or increase the length of a light bar 12, and/or by changing the selection of time display segments being switched ON such as to displace a light spot.

7

The control device may drive segments to blink ON and OFF. Preferably, lights initially are green and later are red. Such time display is easily visible for players as well as for spectators, without needing to take their eyes off of the ball 5 or the goal, and therefore contributes to the suspense of the game.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, it should be 10 clear to a person skilled in the art that such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments; rather, several variations and modifications are possible within the protective scope of the 15 invention as defined in the appending claims. Elements of one disclosed embodiment may be combined with elements of another enclosed embodiment to obtain yet another embodiment. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed 20 invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

1 0 3 7 3 2 »

Claims

Korfball post (2) with integrated light-emitting time-display segments (11).

2. Korfball pole according to claim 1, comprising a time-display section (10) which comprises a plurality of superimposed integrated light-emitting time-display segments (11).

The korfball pole according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each time-display segment (11) comprises a central chamber (21) that receives at least one controllable light source (100), and wherein at least the time-display section (10) of the pole (2) ) is made of an at least partially transparent material to allow the light emitted by the light source (100) to be visible in a 360 ° range around the pole (2).

4. Korfball pole according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each time-displaying segment (11) comprises a plurality of light compartments (22) positioned side by side in a circumferential direction, separated by substantially radial scheduling walls (23), each compartment (22) comprising at least one controllable light source (100), and wherein at least the outer wall (24) of the time display section (10) of the pole (2) is made of an at least partially transparent material to allow it to pass through the light source (100) ) emitted light is visible.

The korfball post of claim 4, further comprising a central chamber (25) for receiving electrical wiring 30 for the light sources (100) located in the light compartments (22).

Korfball pole according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a control device (300) for controlling the switching on and off of the time display segments (11). 1 0 3 7 3 2 8 9 -

The korfball post of claim 6, wherein the control device (300) has an input (301) for receiving timing information from a master control device (310). 5

The korfball post of claim 7, with wireless communication from master controller (310) to controller (300).

The korfball post according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control device (300) is arranged to visualize the passage of time by changing the number of ON-switched time display segments such that the. length of a light rod (12) along the length of the time display section (10) of the pole (2) is reduced or increased.

10. Korfball pole according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control device (300) is arranged to visualize the passage of time by changing the choice of the switched-on time display segments so that a light spot is displaced along the length of the time display section. (10) of the pole (2).

The korfball post according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control device (300) is adapted to drive a selection of the time display segments to blink ON and OFF.

A korfball pole according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a first portion (11G) of the time display segments (11) emits light with a color different from the color of the time display segments (11) through a second portion (11R) emitted light; 35 and wherein the control device (300) is arranged to initially only time display segments of the first portion (11G) and to later drive time display segments of the second portion (11R) together with or to replace the time display segments of the first portion portion (11G).

A korfball post according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one battery compartment (5) for receiving at least one battery 5 (B).

A korfball post according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the light sources (100) comprise LEDs.

Playground for playing korfball, comprising a floor (3) with at least one receiving space (4) for receiving a korfball post according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the receiving space (4) is equipped with a mains socket and / or a communication plug-in contact which is connected to a wired communication line with which a master control (310) can be connected. 1037328