IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,940,379

Granted Patent B1

US 10,940,379 · App. 16/506,370 · Granted Mar 9, 2021

Wireless game management system

Inventors: William P. Rutledge (Pacific Palisades, CA); Daniel A. Henderson (Fort Worth, TX)

A63B67/068 A63B24/0021 A63B43/004 A63B2024/0028 A63B2220/12 A63B2220/53 A63B2220/833 A63B2220/89 A63B2225/52 A63B2225/54 A63B2243/0062

View Patent ↗

Loading inventors, assignments & file history…

Monitor This Case

Get email alerts when status or documents change.

Order Certified Copies

Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.

Order via The Patent Place →

Pre-filled with this patent's details

Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 10,940,379
App. No.: 16/506,370
Granted: Mar 9, 2021
Kind: B1

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

A wireless game management system includes a plurality of game pieces, each game piece including a wireless module configured to transmit a location signal, and a wireless game management processor configured to determine the absolute or relative positions of at least two game pieces based on the location signals, determine a game status based on the absolute or relative positions of the at least two game pieces, and convey game status information through a user interface associated with the wireless game management processor.

Claims (76)

1. A wireless game management system comprising:

a plurality of game balls for a game of bocce, each game ball including a wireless module configured to transmit a location signal, the plurality of game balls including a pallino ball and a plurality of bocce balls, wherein the pallino ball is configured to obtain the location signal of the pallino ball, determine a relative position of at least one of the bocce balls relative to the pallino ball based on the location signal transmitted by the wireless module of the at least one of the bocce balls, and transmit, using the wireless module of the pallino ball, location information including the obtained location signal of the pallino ball and the determined relative position of the at least one of the bocce balls; and

a wireless game management processor configured to:

determine the absolute positions of at least two game balls of the plurality of game balls based on the location information received from the wireless module of the pallino ball,

determine a game status based on the determined absolute positions of the at least two game balls, and

convey game status information based on the determined game status through a user interface associated with the wireless game management processor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless module of each game ball determines an absolute or relative position of the game ball, and wherein the location signal transmitted by each wireless module conveys the absolute or relative position of the game ball.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein each wireless module includes a GPS receiver to determine an absolute position of the game ball.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the wireless game management system further includes at least one beacon, and wherein each wireless module includes wireless circuitry configured to determine an absolute or relative position of the game ball based on beacon signals from the at least one beacon.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless module of each bocce ball includes a magnet that provides the location signal for the bocce ball, and wherein the pallino ball includes a hall effect sensor used to determine the relative position of at least one of the bocce balls relative to the pallino ball.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless module of each game ball includes a magnet that provides the location signal, and wherein the wireless game management system further comprises a plurality of sensors to determine the positions of the game balls based on the magnetic location signals.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the sensors are hall effect sensors positioned under the field of play.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bocce balls are associated with at least two different teams of players, and wherein determining the game status based on the absolute positions of the at least two game balls comprises determining at least one of:

which team made a move in the game;

which team should make the next move in the game;

the score of the game;

which team is leading the game; or

which team won the game.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein each wireless module is configured to transmit identification information directly or indirectly to the wireless game management processor, and wherein the wireless game management processor is configured to distinguish the at least two game balls based on the received game piece identification information.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless module of at least one game ball includes an impact sensor and is configured to transmit an impact signal directly or indirectly to the wireless game management processor.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless game management processor is configured to generate an electronic measurement fault signal when the absolute positions of the two game balls are determined to be equidistant to a reference location within a predetermined tolerance.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the electronic measurement fault signal is human perceptible signal.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a set of boundary elements, wherein each boundary element includes at least one sensor configured to sense the location of a game ball and to transmit location information to the wireless game management processor.

14. A pallino ball for use in a bocce game having a plurality of game balls including the pallino ball and a plurality of bocce balls, the pallino ball comprising:

a wireless module communicatively coupled to a wireless game management system, the wireless module comprising:

a power source;

at least one antenna; and

wireless circuitry powered by the power source and configured to:

obtain, using the at least one antenna, a location signal of the pallino ball;

determine a relative position of at least one of the bocce balls relative to the pallino ball based on a location signal transmitted by the at least one of the bocce balls; and

transmit, using the at least one antenna, location information including the obtained location signal of the pallino ball and the determined relative position of the at least one of the bocce balls to a game management system processor of the wireless game management system configured to determine the absolute positions of at least two game balls based on the location information received from the wireless circuitry of the pallino ball and to determine a game status of the bocce game based on the determined absolute positions of the at least two game balls.

15. The pallino ball of claim 14 , wherein the wireless module includes a GPS receiver.

16. The pallino ball of claim 14 , wherein the wireless game management system further includes at least one beacon, and wherein the wireless circuitry is configured to determine the absolute or relative position of the pallino ball based on beacon signals from the at least one beacon.

17. The pallino ball of claim 14 , wherein each bocce ball includes a magnet that provides the location signal for the bocce ball, and wherein the wireless circuitry of the pallino ball includes a hall effect sensor used to determine the relative position of at least one of the bocce balls relative to the pallino ball.

18. The pallino ball of claim 14 , wherein the wireless circuitry is configured to transmit identification information allowing the wireless game management processor to identify at least the pallino ball.

19. The pallino ball of claim 14 , wherein the wireless module includes an impact sensor and wherein the wireless circuitry is configured to transmit an impact signal to the wireless game management processor based on the impact sensor.

20. The pallino ball of claim 14 , further comprising a body in which the wireless module is disposed.

21. A wireless game management system comprising:

a wireless game management processor configured to:

determine the relative positions of at least two game balls of the plurality of game balls based on the location information received from the wireless module of the pallino ball,

determine a game status based on the determined relative positions of the at least two game balls, and

convey game status information based on the determined game status through a user interface associated with the wireless game management processor.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the wireless module of each game ball determines an absolute or relative position of the game ball, and wherein the location signal transmitted by each wireless module conveys the absolute or relative position of the game ball.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein each wireless module includes a GPS receiver to determine an absolute position of the game ball.

24. The system of claim 22 , wherein the wireless game management system further includes at least one beacon, and wherein each wireless module includes wireless circuitry configured to determine an absolute or relative position of the game ball based on beacon signals from the at least one beacon.

25. The system of claim 21 , wherein the wireless module of each bocce ball includes a magnet that provides the location signal for the bocce ball, and wherein the pallino ball includes a hall effect sensor used to determine the relative position of at least one of the bocce balls relative to the pallino ball.

26. The system of claim 21 , wherein the wireless module of each game ball includes a magnet that provides the location signal, and wherein the wireless game management system further comprises a plurality of sensors to determine the positions of the game balls based on the magnetic location signals.

27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the sensors are hall effect sensors positioned under the field of play.

28. The system of claim 21 , wherein the bocce balls are associated with at least two different teams of players, and wherein determining the game status based on the relative positions of the at least two game balls comprises determining at least one of:

which team made a move in the game;

which team should make the next move in the game;

the score of the game;

which team is leading the game; or

which team won the game.

29. The system of claim 21 , wherein each wireless module is configured to transmit identification information directly or indirectly to the wireless game management processor, and wherein the wireless game management processor is configured to distinguish the at least two game balls based on the received game piece identification information.

30. The system of claim 21 , wherein the wireless module of at least one game ball includes an impact sensor and is configured to transmit an impact signal directly or indirectly to the wireless game management processor.

31. The system of claim 21 , wherein the wireless game management processor is configured to generate an electronic measurement fault signal when the relative positions of the two game balls are determined to be equidistant to a reference location within a predetermined tolerance.

32. The system of claim 31 , wherein the electronic measurement fault signal is human perceptible signal.

33. The system of claim 21 , further comprising:

34. A pallino ball for use in a bocce game having a plurality of game balls including the pallino ball and a plurality of bocce balls, the pallino ball comprising:

a wireless module communicatively coupled to a wireless game management system, the wireless module comprising:

a power source;

at least one antenna; and

wireless circuitry powered by the power source and configured to:

obtain, using the at least one antenna, a location signal of the pallino ball;

determine a relative position of at least one of the bocce balls relative to the pallino ball based on a location signal transmitted by the at least one of the bocce balls; and

transmit, using the at least one antenna, location information including the obtained location signal of the pallino ball and the determined relative position of the at least one of the bocce balls to a game management system processor of the wireless game management system configured to determine the relative positions of at least two game balls based on the location information received from the wireless circuitry of the pallino ball and to determine a game status of the bocce game based on the determined relative positions of the at least two game balls.

35. The pallino ball of claim 34 , wherein the wireless module includes a GPS receiver.

36. The pallino ball of claim 34 , wherein the wireless game management system further includes at least one beacon, and wherein the wireless circuitry is configured to determine the absolute or relative position of the pallino ball based on beacon signals from the at least one beacon.

37. The pallino ball of claim 34 , wherein each bocce ball includes a magnet that provides the location signal for the bocce ball, and wherein the wireless circuitry of the pallino ball includes a hall effect sensor used to determine the relative position of at least one of the bocce balls relative to the pallino ball.

38. The pallino ball of claim 34 , wherein the wireless circuitry is configured to transmit identification information allowing the wireless game management processor to identify at least the pallino ball.

39. The pallino ball of claim 34 , wherein the wireless module includes an impact sensor and wherein the wireless circuitry is configured to transmit an impact signal to the wireless game management processor based on the impact sensor.

40. The pallino ball of claim 34 , further comprising a body in which the wireless module is disposed.

Continuity (1)

Provisional Application 62696159 · Jul 10, 2018