Abstract:
A wireless scoreboard display system, including at least two scoreboard displays, two controllers, a spread spectrum radio receiver in each scoreboard display, and a spread spectrum radio transmitter in each controller. Software controls the selection of a transmitting channel while a combination of hardware and software is used in the selection of a receiving channel.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     None. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is for a scoreboard system, and more particularly, pertains to a wireless scoreboard display system with at least two scoreboard displays, two controllers, a radio transmitter in each controller, and a radio receiver in each scoreboard display for controlling the scoreboard displays, either together or separately from one or both controllers. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     In the past, it was difficult to control two scoreboard displays from one controller or two controllers, and it was always necessary to rewire the controllers. This was especially the case in indoor basketball games where scoreboard displays were operated for the entire court using one controller or for split courts using two controllers. The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a two-display two-controller system with RS spread spectrum radios where a transmitter is in each controller and a receiver is in each display. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The general purpose of the present invention is to provide a wireless scoreboard display system using spread spectrum radios for the scoreboard displays and controllers for an entire court, such as indoor basketball, for either entire court games or split court games. 
     According to the present invention, there is provided a wireless scoreboard display system, including at least two scoreboard displays, two controllers, a spread spectrum radio receiver in each scoreboard display, and a spread spectrum radio transmitter in each controller. Software controls the selection of a transmitting channel while a combination of hardware and software is used in the selection of a receiving channel. 
     One significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a wireless scoreboard display system incorporating spread spectrum radios to communicate data from controllers having spread spectrum radio transmitters to scoreboard displays having spread spectrum radio receivers for viewing the data on the scoreboard displays. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other objects of the present invention and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a plan view of the wireless scoreboard display system; and, 
         FIG. 2  illustrates the wireless scoreboard display system incorporating two controllers and four scoreboard displays being used in association with two basketball courts. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a plan view of the wireless scoreboard display system  10 , including two controllers  12  and  14  with radio transmitters  16  and  18 , and two scoreboard displays  20  and  22  with radio receivers  24  and  26 . Controllers  12  and  14  are shown resting on a referee&#39;s table  28  at mid-court of a basketball court  30 . The scoreboard displays  20  and  22  are mounted above the basketball court  30 , such as on the walls or the wood part between the first and second levels of the court. 
     The radio transmitters  16  and  18  and the radio receivers  24  and  26  are 2.4 GHZ spread spectrum radio devices. The radio devices use frequency hopping to eliminate interference from outside sources such as cordless phones and other RF devices on the same frequency. 
     The radio receivers  24  and  26  are housed in ABS plastic enclosures, which are easily mounted inside the scoreboard displays  20  and  22  with a small dipole antenna mounted to the face of or adjacent to the scoreboard displays  20  and  22 . Outdoor scoreboard displays  20  and  22  can include rubber gaskets to keep moisture out of the enclosures. The radio receivers  24  and  26  can include a rotary switch or other selection device allowing the user to select different operating channels, normally set once during installation. The instant invention can be used in multi-field complexes, such as in baseball, enabling each system to operate independently without interfering with one another. Currently, there are 16 channels available to select from with the ability to expand to 77 non-interfering channels. 
     The radio transmitters  16  and  18  are internal to the controllers  12  and  14  to enable channel selection through contained software and contained interconnects. The user will be prompted on an LCD screen or other display of the controllers  12  and  14  as to which channel would be best suited. This eliminates the use of external switches that can wear out, break or degrade over a period of time and use. 
     The radio receivers  24  and  26  have auto-switching capabilities which monitor the selected transmitting channel, set by an internal switch on installation, as well as the broadcast channel. Once the radio receiver  24  or  26  finds valid scoreboard data, it will lock onto that channel and remain there until the signal is lost. 
     The auto-switching feature is incorporated to ease the operation of indoor basketball games where the entire system may be operated using one controller ( 12  or  14 ) or by splitting the system and operating with two separate controllers ( 12  and  14 ). In normal operation and for purposes of example and illustration, one of the controllers can be set to broadcast channel  0  (zero) through on-board software. All of the scoreboard displays  20  and  22  will automatically find the data coming from this controller since they are more than likely receiving nothing on their selected channel and will search the spectrum until a suitable and proper signal on one of the channels is encountered. When split court operation is required, the different controllers  12  and  14  are set to the channel of the scoreboard displays  20  or  22  which it needs to control. The scoreboard displays  20  and  22  will again automatically find the data coming from the controller  12  or  14  set to the selected channel of the scoreboard displays  20  and  22 . 
     The radio receivers  24  and  26  will always come up set to the channel it was last operating on. If last operated in select mode and switched back to broadcast mode, a 3–5 second delay may be experienced and a 7–10 second delay when multi-broadcast is enabled, compared to a 30 second delay found with competitor systems, where the receiver synchronizes with the controller unit. There is no delay if the system is operated in the same mode as when the system was shut down. 
     The instant invention operates along the spread spectrum radio system and operates at 2.4 GHZ, such as a 2.4 GSS Micro Hopper by World Wireless Communications, Inc. 
     The spread spectrum radio system also has multiple broadcast channels to allow for adjacent facilities to also operate simultaneously in either a split court or full court mode. This is accomplished by assigning one broadcast channel to receivers set to channel  1 – 15  and another broadcast channel to receivers set to channel  17 – 32 . 
     The spread spectrum radio system also has a master broadcast that all radio receivers  24  and  26  monitor during the auto switching mode that will again allow every scoreboard display, such as scoreboard displays  20  and  22 , in the facility to run from one single controller  12  or  14 . Thus, the auto switching sequence, when multi-broadcast mode is enabled, would be to check the selected channel, its primary broadcast channel, and finally the master broadcast channel. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the wireless scoreboard display system  10  incorporating two controllers  12  and  14  with radio transmitters  16  and  18  and four scoreboard displays  20 ,  22 ,  20 ′ and  22 ′ with radio receivers  24 ,  26 ,  24 ′ and  26 ′ being used in association with two basketball courts  30  and  30 ′. 
     Various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the apparent scope hereof.