WO2009070026A2

WO2009070026A2 - Digital scoreboard

Info

Publication number: WO2009070026A2
Application number: PCT/NL2008/050761
Authority: WO
Inventors: Barend Zuurmond; Lambertus Johannes Erades; Simon Hessel De Boer
Original assignee: Barend Zuurmond; Lambertus Johannes Erades; Simon Hessel De Boer
Priority date: 2007-11-28
Filing date: 2008-11-28
Publication date: 2009-06-04
Also published as: WO2009070026A3; NL2002264C2; NL2001038C2

Abstract

A Scoreboard for hand-operated recording, updating and display of the result obtained by one or more participants in a game comprises: a screen; a computer coupled thereto, with memory and a program which includes information about a game; manual input means coupled to the computer for successively entering into the computer in each case the result obtained by each participant such that the computer supplies this result to the screen for visual display; coupling means for coupling the computer to the internet; and advertising means for permanently presenting at least one advertisement of a subscriber on the screen, which advertisement is at least a part of a website of this subscriber.

Description

DIGITAL SCOREBOARD

The invention relates to a Scoreboard for hand- operated recording, updating and display of the result obtained by one or more participants in a game, for instance billiards, snooker, pool, darts, card games such as poker, or dice games, which Scoreboard comprises: a screen; a computer coupled thereto, with memory and a program which includes information about a game, for instance the game rules; manual input means coupled to the computer for successively entering into the computer in each case the result obtained by each participant in a round or during a turn, such that the computer supplies this result to the screen for visual display, optionally after processing thereof on the basis of the program; and coupling means for coupling the computer to the internet .

Such a Scoreboard is known from WO-A-2005/016 469. The invention is based on the insight that it is desirable to operate a relatively expensive system such as an electronic Scoreboard in economically attractive manner on the basis of income generated by interested parties. It is also an object of the invention to enable users of the Scoreboard, and others present, to access information which is relevant to them.

With a view to the stated objectives, the invention provides a Scoreboard of the type stated in the preamble, which is characterized according to the invention by advertising means for permanently presenting at least one advertisement of a subscriber on the screen, i.e. also during periods when the Scoreboard is not in use, which advertisement is at least a part of a website of this subscriber.

According to the invention an advertisement or similar advertising message is presented on the screen at all times. It will generally be recommended that the advertising message has a somewhat more subdued form, for instance a button, during the game than in periods during which no game is being played.

The system according to the invention uses a database. This database plays a very important part in the Scoreboard according to the invention. Using the database data can be ordered and displayed directly and/or by making use of statistical processing, and insight can be provided on the one hand into the game results, progress and development of players and on the other into data which are significant to the advertiser and which for instance relate to the duration of their advertising, the reactions thereto and the costs. The individual recognition of the player is important, whereby personal game results become directly available to the player him/herself, and other personal details directly available to the advertiser. Individual recognition then takes place through log-in. This log-in can for instance take place manually, remotely via a wireless network, recognition through RFID (Radio

Frequency Identification) , a fingerprint and/or an iris scan.

It is noted that the word ^Λgame' is used in this specification. This term also includes any appropriate sport .

Attention is drawn to EP-A-I 025 887. This publication relates to a video display system based on a game. Only when no game is being played is an advertisement displayed on the screen. The Scoreboard can be designed such that it can be used exclusively and specifically for only one game, for instance darts or billiards. The Scoreboard can also be embodied such that the controller of the Scoreboard is able to choose between different games. This may be practical for instance in the case of mobile applications or for instance in a space in which different games can be played, for instance pool and darts.

The Scoreboard can be embodied such that, particularly when one or more advertisements are being displayed, spoken advertising texts are delivered via a loudspeaker system and/or music is played. During games requiring concentration it is desirable here that the reproduction of spoken word or music will remain limited to intervals or situations where no game is being played.

The manual input means can be of a known type and can comprise for instance a keyboard and/or a mouse.

According to the invention an embodiment is however recommended in which the screen is a touchscreen and also comprises the input means.

The use of individual components is hereby avoided and the Scoreboard is better suited to use in public spaces.

Of great practical importance is an embodiment in which the Scoreboard is adapted to co-act via internet with at least one further Scoreboard such that participants can together play a game remotely from each other. For this purpose the Scoreboard can be equipped with a webcam, optionally with a microphone, such that the image recorded by the webcam and the sound recorded by the microphone can be fed via internet to said at least one further Scoreboard. It is noted here that not every game lends itself to this option. A darts tournament can for instance be played in the form of a competition with remote participants because the performances of the participants are wholly individual and there are no varying initial conditions which depend on the previous performance of another participant . This is for instance the case in billiards. In the case where a participant misses a cannon, the balls are in a final position which forms the starting position for the subsequent participant. Billiards is therefore a game which can only be played by two participants at one location. Particularly in the case of a competition or other official event the Scoreboard can preferably comprise: code means with which at least only one authorized person can log on to the computer by entering via the input means a code pre-stored in the memory. An authorized person can for instance be a referee present at the location. In another embodiment a user, for instance someone who has played a game, can also connect via internet to the computer using a log-in code assigned to him/her and thus gain access to the memory, whereby he/she can for instance receive his/her own score, and optionally also the scores of other people. This memory can be seen as a database in which game data are stored and, by making use of statistical processing, data are generated relating to averages, progress of players and results obtained over a determined period and/or to the competition. In a practical exemplary embodiment access to the database can take place by means of an assigned code. Log-in can take place in different ways: manual operation of the computer, via a wireless network such as a mobile telephone, or by means of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) , wherein the user is remotely recognized by the computer and automatically signed in.

For worthwhile business operation of the Scoreboard according to the invention it is of great economic importance that the Scoreboard can have the special feature that the at least one advertisement relates to products and/or services which are related to the "community", i.e. the participants, spectators and other interested parties, which generally is or at least may be present during playing of a game. The term "community" must be particularly interpreted as that group of people who can retrieve data via the internet at the game location and/or a location other than where the game is being played. For this purpose the participants log in via a website and can retrieve all the data from the database and/or follow a game since a webcam has optionally been connected. In this way the relevant target group is reached in extremely effective manner by means of narrow casting. As soon as a player has signed in, the advertiser will be informed of this. This makes it possible to approach the signed-in person directly, either via the computer or a mobile network such as via a mobile telephone, by means of his/her address or telephone number. Certainly in the case where determined advertising messages are repeated regularly, the message will have a relatively great effect. By logging on to the database the advertiser can obtain all the details relating to the player, as well as the data relevant to the advertiser concerning the reactions to their advertising message, the duration of display of their advertising message, and the thereby incurred costs.

This latter described embodiment can particularly have the feature that advertisements relate to products which are related to cafes, bars and such catering establishments, for instance soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, coffee, tea and related products, and sweet and savoury snacks. This latter embodiment relates to a Scoreboard which is placed in a catering establishment of a specific type, i.e. where appropriate games are played. As noted above, it may be important to repeat an advertising message at intervals. This has been found in practice to greatly increase the effectiveness of the advertising messages. In this respect the Scoreboard can have the special feature that the advertising means also present at least one advertisement intermittently on the screen during use of the Scoreboard. It will be apparent that it is undesirable for distracting advertising messages to be displayed via the screen and/or a loudspeaker system during periods when the player or players are concentrating on, and the audience is engrossed in, the game. In order to adequately ensure this, the Scoreboard according to the invention can be embodied such that, after the referee or other person operating the Scoreboard has entered a score via the input means, the Scoreboard is hereby informed of the fact that there is a game interval of a duration which is to be predetermined or a duration to be entered by an operating person. During this game interval advertising messages can be presented via the screen and/or the loudspeaker system.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the Scoreboard has the special feature that an advertisement comprises a link to other parts of the relevant website or other websites. In this way the Scoreboard can be utilized very effectively for the purpose of providing those present with further information about the products and/or services on offer. This information can be of a factual and/or a commercial nature and will be attractively presented in per se known manner. This can take place using stationary images, moving images, combinations thereof, optionally accompanied by sound, in accordance with the wishes of those present and in particular the controller of the system, for instance the owner of the catering establishment .

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the Scoreboard has the special feature that data are stored in the memory relating to the possible course of a game, such that the computer can also fulfil the function of game computer. In this way the computer can fulfil the function of opponent. In per se known manner, i.e. in the manner of for instance chess computers and computer games, the opposition provided by the computer can have a number of different skill levels. In known game computers these levels are designated as level 1, level 2, ... and so on. In games such as patience or dice the opposition by the computer can be controlled by a random-generator.

In another embodiment the Scoreboard can be embodied such that the data have been collected by the computer during previous games. In this case the computer is of the learning type, whereby it is less easy to distinguish skill levels.

The Scoreboard can also be provided with printer means for printing a score. In addition to the immediate score of a participant, competition results for instance can hereby also be printed, and diplomas and certificates, for instance in calligraphic form, can be printed directly by the computer. In the case of for instance an important subscriber, such as a beer supplier, such an official-looking document can comprise an advertising imprint from this important subscriber. The Scoreboard can also provide the players with the option of placing orders, for instance not only for products being sold at the location itself but also for products offered by advertisers via the internet.

It will be apparent that, in the case of the above described option where it is possible to also log on remotely to the system and print competition results and scores at a different location, there can be the option of printing diplomas and certificates. This right could for instance be reserved for the controller of the system, a referee or an association committee member. The Scoreboard according to the invention can be provided with means for coupling to a webcam. In a space with a plurality of scoreboards use can for instance be made of a central server, for instance a mini-server, or a distributed server function, in which a plurality of PCs co-act.

Connection to the internet can also take place in any conceivable way, i.e. with a fixed connection, WiFi or Bluetooth.

According to yet another aspect, a user or potential user, for instance a regular cafe visitor or player of an appropriate game, can become a member of the community and take out a subscription to this end. In this way the owner of the Scoreboard or a number of scoreboards can generate further flows of money which facilitate exploitation of the scoreboards.

Multiple advertisements can also be displayed simultaneously on the screen.

Players can use the Scoreboard on location to reproduce music and/or images. The Scoreboard can thus also serve as for instance a jukebox.

Claims

1. Scoreboard for hand-operated recording, updating and display of the result obtained by one or more participants in a game, for instance billiards, snooker, pool, darts, card games such as poker, or dice games, which Scoreboard comprises: a screen; a computer coupled thereto, with memory and a program which includes information about a game, for instance the game rules; manual input means coupled to the computer for successively entering into the computer in each case the result obtained by each participant in a round or during a turn, such that the computer supplies this result to the screen for visual display, optionally after processing thereof on the basis of the program; and coupling means for coupling the computer to the internet; characterized by advertising means for permanently presenting at least one advertisement of a subscriber on the screen, i.e. also during periods when the Scoreboard is not in use, which advertisement is at least a part of a website of this subscriber.

2. Scoreboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the screen is a touchscreen and also comprises the input means .

3. Scoreboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Scoreboard is adapted to co-act via internet with at least one further Scoreboard such that participants can together play a game remotely from each other.

4. Scoreboard as claimed in claim 3, comprising a webcam, optionally with a microphone, such that the image recorded by the webcam, and the sound recorded by the microphone can be fed via internet to said at least one further Scoreboard.

5. Scoreboard as claimed in claim 1, comprising code means with which at least only one authorized person can log on to the computer by entering via the input means a code pre-stored in the memory.

6. Scoreboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one advertisement relates to products and/or services which are related to the "community", i.e. the participants, spectators and other interested parties, which generally is or at least may be present during playing of a game.

7. Scoreboard as claimed in claim 6, wherein the advertisements relate to products which are related to cafes, bars and such catering establishments, for instance soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, coffee, tea and related products, and sweet and savoury snacks.

8. Scoreboard as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the advertising means also present at least one advertisement intermittently on the screen during use of the Scoreboard.

9. Scoreboard as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein an advertisement comprises a link to other parts of the relevant website or other websites.

10. Scoreboard as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein data are stored in the memory relating to the possible course of a game, such that the computer can also fulfil the function of game computer.

11. Scoreboard as claimed in claim 10, wherein the data have been collected by the computer during previous games.

12. Scoreboard as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, comprising printer means for printing a score.