Patent Publication Number: US-8113930-B1

Title: Dartboard assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Field of the Disclosure 
     The disclosure relates to dartboard devices and more particularly pertains to a new dartboard device for allowing players to play darts against each other over a computer network system such as the Internet. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing that has a front wall, a rear wall and a perimeter wall attached to and extending between the front and rear walls. A dartboard is mounted on the front wall. A support apparatus is attached to the housing. A game camera is mounted on the support apparatus and is directed toward the dartboard when the support apparatus is in a deployed position. A player camera is mounted to the support apparatus and is directed away from the dartboard and toward any player throwing darts at the dartboard. A data port is mounted on the housing and is electrically coupled to each of the game and player cameras. The data port is connectable to a computer network to allow other persons to remotely view the game and player cameras. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a dartboard assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure in a deployed position. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure in a stored position. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, a new dartboard device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the dartboard assembly  10  generally comprises a housing  12  that has a front wall  14 , a rear wall  16  and a perimeter wall  18  is attached to and extends between the front  14  and rear  16  walls. A dartboard  20  is mounted on the front wall  14 . The dartboard  20  may either be a conventional, passive type dartboard or may comprise an electronic dartboard capable of tracking player turns and scores. A light emitter  22  is mounted on the housing  12  and is directed toward the dartboard to illuminate the dartboard. 
     A support apparatus  24  is attached to the housing  12  and is extendable outwardly away from the front wall  14 . The support apparatus  24  includes a pair of arms  26  that each has a first end  28  and a second end  30 . The first end  28  of each of the arms  26  is pivotally attached to perimeter wall  18  and the arms  26  are positioned on opposite sides of the housing with respect to each other. A central member  32  is attached to and extends between the second ends  30  of the arms  26 . The support apparatus  24  is positionable in a stored position folded against the housing  12  or in a deployed position extending outwardly from the housing  12 . A support rod  34  is attached to the housing  12  and one of the arms  26  to releasably retain the support apparatus  24  in the deployed position. When in the deployed position, an angle between the arms  26  and the front wall  14  is between 100° and 135° to prevent the central member  32  from being struck by darts. The perimeter wall  18  includes a top wall  36 , a bottom wall  38  and a pair of lateral walls  40 . The first ends  28  of the arms  26  are positioned adjacent to the top wall  36 . The central member  32  includes a finger grip notch  42  therein to assist a person rotating the support apparatus  24  with respect to the housing  12 . 
     A game camera  44  is mounted on the support apparatus  24 , and more particularly is mounted on the central member  32 . The game camera  44  is directed toward the dartboard  20  when the support apparatus  24  is in the deployed position. A player camera  46  is mounted to the support apparatus  24  and more particularly is also mounted on the central member  32 . The player camera  46  is directed away from the dartboard  20  and toward any player throwing darts at the dartboard  20 . The game  44  and player  46  cameras are conventional cameras typically known as “web cams” and function in a like manner. 
     A data port  48  is mounted on the housing  12  and is electrically coupled to each of the game  44  and player  46  cameras. The data port  48  is connectable to a computer network  50  to allow other persons to remotely view the game  44  and player  46  cameras and in this manner may comprise any conventional data port, such a USB port. If the dartboard  20  is an electronic dartboard, the USB port will also be electronically coupled to the dartboard  20 . The computer network  50  would likely include computers  52  in communication with each other via the Internet  54 . The computers  52  may be programmed to retain and or track scoring, particularly if the dartboards  20  are electronic so that the player turn and scoring inputs are retained or tracked by the computers  52  networked together. 
     In use, the dartboard  20  is used in a conventional manner to play any number of dart games. When a player wishes to remotely play another player, both players couple the data ports  48  from their location to local computers  52  so that the computers  52  can communicate through the Internet  54  to send video signals of the players and the dartboard  20  between the computers  52  for viewing by the other player. If the dartboards  20  are electronic, the scores achieved by the players will also be tracked by the computers  52 . In this manner, players can play against each other regardless of their physical location with respect to each other. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure.