Covert sports communication system
A baseball pitch selection communication system has a transmitter and a body-worn visual receiver. The transmitter includes a transmitter unit configured to transmit wireless signals, a first microcontroller and a plurality of user actuatable input elements. The first microcontroller is configured to provide the transmitter unit with a selection signal to wirelessly transmit in accordance with actuation of the user actuatable input elements, the selection signal corresponding to a pitch selection. The visual receiver includes a receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive the selection signal, a memory configured to contain a plurality of stored visual instructions, a display configured to display visual instructions, and a second microcontroller. The second microcontroller is configured to control the memory and the display to display a selected visual instruction in accordance with the received selection signal, where the selected visual instruction corresponds to the pitch selection.
1 . A method of sending baseball signals wirelessly to body-worn receivers on a baseball field, the method comprising:
receiving an input selecting, on a touch screen of a tablet during a baseball game, a group of baseball instructions of a particular type of baseball instruction from a plurality of groups of baseball instructions of different types of baseball instructions as a selected group;
receiving an input selecting one of the baseball instructions within the selected group as a selected baseball instruction to be performed by a player during the baseball game after receiving the selected baseball instruction;
encrypting a selection signal corresponding to the selected baseball instruction to generate an encrypted selection signal using a shared key for encrypting and decrypting communications among a plurality of devices associated with a baseball team;
wirelessly transmitting, from a transmitter, the encrypted selection signal corresponding to the selected baseball instruction;
receiving at a body-worn receiver the encrypted selection signal;
decrypting the encrypted selection signal at the body-worn receiver to obtain the selection signal at the body-worn receiver;
selecting a visual instruction corresponding to the selection signal from a memory of the body-worn receiver, the visual instruction providing a visual representation of the selected baseball instruction comprising a textual representation of the baseball instruction; and
reproducing the visual instruction providing the visual representation of the baseball instruction on the body-worn receiver on a display visible to the player wearing the body-worn receiver to prompt the player to perform the selected baseball instruction.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of groups of different baseball instruction types include at least one of pitch types, pitch locations, and running game instructions, and the selected baseball instruction includes at least one of a pitch type, pitch location, and running game instruction.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein selecting on the touch screen includes touching an icon representing one of the plurality of groups of baseball instructions of a particular type of baseball instruction from the plurality of groups of baseball instructions of different types of baseball instructions.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein selecting on the touch screen includes touching an icon representing one of the baseball instructions within one of the plurality of groups of baseball instructions.
5 . The method of claim 4 , the method further comprising:
encoding the selection signal to indicate the selected baseball instruction using a first microcontroller of the transmitter, and
decoding the selection signal to determine the selected baseball instruction using a second microcontroller of the body-worn receiver.
6 . A method of sending baseball signals wirelessly to body-worn receivers on a baseball field, the method comprising:
receiving an input selecting, on a transmitter during a baseball game, a group of baseball instructions of a particular type of baseball instruction from a plurality of groups of baseball instructions of different types of baseball instructions as a selected group;
receiving an input selecting one of the baseball instructions within the selected group as a selected baseball instruction to be performed by a player during the baseball game after receiving the selected baseball instruction;
encrypting a selection signal corresponding to the selected baseball instruction to generate an encrypted selection signal using a shared key for encrypting and decrypting communications among a plurality of devices associated with a baseball team;
wirelessly transmitting, from a transmitter, the encrypted selection signal corresponding to the selected baseball instruction;
receiving at a body-worn receiver the encrypted selection signal;
decrypting the encrypted selection signal at the body-worn receiver to obtain the selection signal at the body-worn receiver;
selecting a visual instruction corresponding to the selection signal from a memory of the body-worn receiver, the visual instruction providing a visual representation of the selected baseball instruction comprising a textual representation of the baseball instruction; and
reproducing the visual instruction providing the visual representation of the baseball instruction on the body-worn receiver on a display visible to the player wearing the body-worn receiver to prompt the player to perform the selected baseball instruction.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of groups of baseball instructions of different types of baseball instructions include at least one of pitch types, pitch locations, and running game instructions, and the selected baseball instruction includes at least one of a pitch type, pitch location, and running game instruction.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein selecting the group of baseball instructions of the particular type includes pressing an actuatable element representing the group of baseball instructions of the particular type.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein selecting one of the baseball instructions includes pressing an icon representing one of the baseball instructions within one of the plurality of groups of baseball instructions of different types of baseball instructions.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the body-worn receiver is configured as a wrist watch, and wherein reproducing the baseball instruction includes displaying as text on a display screen of the wrist watch the baseball instruction.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein reproducing the baseball instruction includes displaying a visual image on the display screen of the body-worn receiver.
12 . The method of claim 11 , where the visual image includes a strike zone with a dot representing a desired pitch location within a strike zone.
13 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the body-worn receiver is configured as a wrist watch, and wherein reproducing the baseball instruction includes displaying as text on a display screen of the wrist watch the baseball instruction.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein reproducing the baseball instruction includes displaying a visual image on the display screen of the body-worn receiver.
15 . The method of claim 14 , where the visual image includes a strike zone with a dot representing a desired pitch location within a strike zone.
16 . A method of sending baseball signals wirelessly to body-worn receivers on a baseball field, the method comprising:
receiving an input selecting, on a tablet during a baseball game, a group of baseball instructions of a particular type of baseball instruction from a plurality of groups of baseball instructions of different types of baseball instructions as a selected group;
receiving an input selecting one of the baseball instructions within the selected group as a selected baseball instruction to be performed by a player during the baseball game after receiving the selected baseball instruction;
encrypting a selection signal corresponding to the selected baseball instruction to generate an encrypted selection signal using a shared key for encrypting and decrypting communications among a plurality of devices associated with a baseball team;
wirelessly transmitting, from a transmitter, the encrypted selection signal corresponding to the selected baseball instruction;
receiving at a body-worn receiver the encrypted selection signal;
decrypting the encrypted selection signal at the body-worn receiver to obtain the selection signal at the body-worn receiver;
selecting a visual instruction corresponding to the selection signal from a memory of the body-worn receiver, the visual instruction providing a visual representation of the selected baseball instruction comprising a textual representation of the baseball instruction; and
reproducing the visual instruction providing the visual representation of the baseball instruction on the body-worn receiver on a display visible to the player wearing the body-worn receiver, wherein the baseball instruction is displayed as a visual image to prompt the player to perform the selected baseball instruction.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein reproducing includes displaying the visual image as a strike zone with a dot representing a desired pitch location within a strike zone.