Patent Publication Number: US-11383151-B2

Title: Automated game scoring and pin tracking system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/376,101 filed Aug. 17, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention in general relates to games, and in particular to an automated system for providing ancillary features of at least one of scoring and tracking pin position and pin placement, gameplay, and playing time during games of FOWLING™ and FOWLING™ competitions. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     FOWLING™ is a sports game that involves throwing a football at an array of pins in order to knock down as many pins as possible in the shortest amount of time. The pins used in FOWLING™ are generally of the same dimensions and weight as standard pins used in bowling. FOWLING™ is either played one-on-one, with teams of two, or involves doubles play, where participants or teams stand on opposite ends called lanes. In doubles play, teammates are positioned on the same lane and throw at the opposing team&#39;s lane. A game starts with a coin toss where the winner is granted the decision whether to fowl first or choose a lane to defend and defer to the other team to decide on FOWLING™ first. Each team alternates throwing the football at their opponent&#39;s pins while also alternating fowlers within the team. Each player has 20 seconds to throw starting from their intention on throwing. An imaginary foul line is designated for men and women who are throwing. Men are allowed to throw anywhere behind the back edge of the lane and women may throw from anywhere behind the front edge of the lane. Players may use any throwing style, but must throw from the same location during each frame and must throw with the same arm for an entire match unless a medical emergency permits otherwise. At no time are players allowed to interfere with the throwing of the ball or the ball contacting the pins. Defense is authorized only when a ball has crossed the foul line and technically the ball is still in play until the ball stops. Any rule violation results in a foul throw for the other team and the other team regains possession as well regardless of throwing rotation predicted by the coin toss. Special prizes may be awarded based on hitting only specified pins. For example, a prize may be awarded when a player achieves a “bonk,” which means downing only the middle pin on a first throw. 
     A FOWLING™ match is broken down into frames. In match play, one frame is completed when all pins of an opponent are knocked down on either lane. The team that accomplishes knocking down all their opponent&#39;s pins first wins the frame. The game of FOWLING™ is declared over when a team wins two out of three frames. A tie occurs when the team that throws last knocks down all the other team&#39;s pins. In the case of a tie, overtime is invoked in a sudden death contest to determine the winner. Both teams place one pin anywhere on the FOWLING™ lane for their opponents to throw at. A coin toss determines who throws first and no equalizer throw is allowed. The team that knocks their opponent&#39;s pin down first wins the match. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a typical prior art set up  10  for a game of FOWLING™. A lane surface  12  is a forty two inch by ninety six inch (42″×96″) rectangle on a platform  14  constructed of half inch plywood fastened to a two inch by four inch (2″×4″) wood frame edge. Each game set up  10  has two lane surfaces  12  placed forty eight feet (48′) apart, where the spacing defines a neutral zone  16  between the front edge lines  18  that mark the forward placement of the lane surfaces  12  that are facing each other. A back edge lines  20  define the rear placement of the lane surfaces  12 . Men are allowed to throw the football anywhere behind the back edge lines  20  of the lane, and women may throw the football from anywhere behind the front edge lines  18  of the lane. The bowling pins  22  are of standard regulation size and weight and are arranged in a standard triangular bowling pin formation with equidistant twelve inch (12″) spacing between each pin from center to center. 
     While the popularity of FOWLING™ has been growing, there is currently no automated system for scoring and tracking gameplay, playing time, pin position and pin placement during FOWLING™ competitions. Thus, there exists a need for an automated monitoring system for use in FOWLING™ gameplay. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A system is provided for scoring and tracking pin position and pin placement, gameplay, and playing time during pin games or pin game competitions. The system includes a set of platforms spaced apart to form a court, with two sets of pins for placement on each platform of the set of platforms, where each individual pin that forms the two sets of pins is configured with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. An RFID reader is in electrical communication with the RFID tags. 
     A system is provided for scoring and tracking pin position and pin placement, gameplay, and playing time during pin games or pin game competitions. The system includes a set of platforms spaced apart to form a court with two sets of pins for placement on each platform of the set of platforms, where each individual pin that forms the two sets of pins is configured with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and a conductive or magnetic disk on a bottom portion or surface of the pin. A pin position array with a series of conductive pin placement pads joined by a conductive grid on a top surface of each of the platforms, where the conductive or magnetic disks on the bottom portion or surface of each of the individual pins complete circuit junctions in the pin position array that confirm the presence of a standing pin and when a pin has been dislodged and presumably toppled over. An RFID reader is in electrical communication with the RFID tags. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The subject matter that is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a prior art view of a set up for a standard game of FOWLING™ game; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a modified pin with a radio frequency identification tag affixed to or implanted in the pin, and a conductive or magnetic base in accordance with embodiments of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is top perspective view of a FOWLING™ lane with a pin position array, a processor, and a radio frequency identification reader in accordance with embodiments of the invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram illustrating an overall view of communication devices, computing devices, and mediums for implementing embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has utility as an automated system for scoring and tracking pin position and pin placement, gameplay, and playing time during games of FOWLING™ and FOWLING™ competitions. These games are also referred to generically as pin games or pin game competitions, respectively. Embodiments of the invention provide a modified pin with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag affixed to or implanted in the pin that allows for tracking of individual pins during gameplay. A RFID reader may be used to poll the set of pins on the platform to determine when a pin has left a set position. A processor may be used to control the RFID tag reader and a clock so as to track pin position versus time. The processor may be configured to record the positions and times that pins have been dislodged, as well as the total time required to knock down all of the pins. The processor may be part of a device having data input and output capacity, processor support circuitry, memory circuitry and an executable program for analysis of data transmitted from the RFID tags via the tag reader that is in data communication with the RFID tags associated with each of the pins. In specific embodiments a pin position array may be used in conjunction with conductive or magnetic disks on the bottom portion or surface of the pin for tracking pin position, pin placement, and gameplay. The conductive or magnetic disks complete circuit junctions in the array that confirm the presence of a standing pin and when a pin has been dislodged and presumably toppled over. The processor reads the array to track pin position, pin placement, and gameplay. A light indicator (“green light”) may be provided on the platform to indicate that the pins are set up and properly placed in the pin pattern, so that a game may be started. In tournament play the speed at which a game of FOWLING™ is completed may be used as a ranking parameter for participants or teams. The processor may be connected to and control a timing display to inform participants of various match related times, such as time to throw in a player&#39;s turn. Real-time gaming information may also be made available to Internet enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and personal computing devices. Player and team rankings may be posted to a website. 
     Referring now to the figures,  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a modified pin  22 ′ with a radio frequency identification tag  24  affixed to or implanted in the pin  22 ′, and a disk  26  forming a conductive or magnetic base at the bottom of the pin  22 ′. It is noted that the position of the RFID tag  24  is for illustration only and may be positioned anywhere in or on the pin  22 ′. It is also noted that the pin  22 ′ may have either the RFID tag  24  or the conductive or magnetic disks  26 . 
       FIG. 3  is top perspective view of a FOWLING™ lane platform  14 ′ with a pin position array  28 , a processor/controller  34 , and a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader  36 . The pin position array  28  has a series of conductive pin placement pads  30  on the lane surface  12 ′. The pin placement pads  30  are joined by a conductive grid  32  that is in electrical communication with the processor/controller  34 . The pin placement pads  30  may be used in conjunction with conductive or magnetic disks  26  on the bottom portion or surface of the pin  22 ′ for tracking pin position, pin placement, and gameplay. The conductive or magnetic disks  26  complete circuit junctions in the array  28  that confirm the presence of a standing pin and when a pin has been dislodged and presumably toppled over. The RFID reader  36  interrogates the RFID tags  24  of the pins  22 ′, and is in electrical communication with the processor/controller  34 . It is noted that one or both of the pin position array  28  and RFID reader  36  may be present on the platform  14 ′ depending on the type of pins used. A light indicator  38  (“green light”) may be provided on the platform to indicate that the pins are set up and properly placed in the pin pattern, so that a game may be started. 
     Continuing with  FIG. 3 , one or more master RFID readers  40  may be positioned near exits from a facility housing FOWLING™ lanes in certain inventive embodiments in order to deter theft of pins  22 ′ that are fitted with RFID tags  24 . In the event a participant attempts to leave the facility with a FOWLING™ pin  22 ′, the RFID reader  40  will detect the pin  22 ′ at the exit and an alarm will be sounded to alert personnel of the errant pin  22 ′. 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram illustrating an overall view of communication devices, computing devices, and mediums for implementing a system and method for an automated system for scoring and tracking pin position and pin placement, gameplay, and playing time during games of FOWLING™ and FOWLING™ competitions. 
     The system  100  includes multimedia devices  102  and desktop computer devices  104  configured with display capabilities  114  and processors for executing instructions and commands. The multimedia devices  102  are optionally mobile communication and entertainment devices, such as cellular phones, tablets, mobile computing devices, and gaming consoles that in certain embodiments are wirelessly connected to a network  108 . The multimedia devices  102  typically have video displays  118  and audio outputs  116 . The multimedia devices  102  and desktop computer devices  104  are optionally configured with internal storage, software, and a graphical user interface (GUI) for carrying out elements of the system for an automated system for scoring and tracking pin position and pin placement, gameplay, and playing time during games of FOWLING™ and FOWLING™ competitions. The network  108  is optionally any type of known network including a fixed wire line network, cable and fiber optics, over the air broadcasts, satellite  120 , local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), global network (e.g., Internet), intranet, etc. with data/Internet capabilities as represented by server  106 . Communication aspects of the network are represented by cellular base station  110  and antenna  112 . In a preferred embodiment, the network  108  is a LAN and each remote device  102  and desktop device  104  executes a user interface application (e.g., Web browser) to contact the server system  106  through the network  108 . Alternatively, the remote devices  102  and  104  may be implemented using a device programmed primarily for accessing network  108  such as a remote client. 
     The software for the system for an automated system for scoring and tracking pin position and pin placement, gameplay, and playing time during games of FOWLING™ and FOWLING™ competitions may be resident on tablets,  102  desktop or laptop computers  104 , or stored within the server  106  or cellular base station  110  for download to an end user. Server  106  may implement a cloud-based service for implementing embodiments of a platform for league based FOWLING™ with a multi-tenant database for storage of separate client data for each independent user carried out on the platform. 
     Various types of machine readable wireless tag and reader combinations may be used in the inventive system. In one embodiment, the tags are RFID passive tags, those that transmit information only in response to interrogation by a reader. In general, a passive tag is energized to transmit identification information by the reader. Passive tags may include an energy source, such as a battery, for example to increase read range. Such tags are often termed semi-passive or battery-assisted passive. In another embodiment, the tags are RFID active tags and may initiate information transmission. Active tags are powered by an energy source, such as a battery, and may transmit continuously or intermittently. Numerous radio frequency identification readers and tags have been developed illustratively including those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,442,507; 4,796,074; 5,095,362; 5,296,722; 5,347,263; 5,347,280; 5,378,880; 5,407,851; 5,430,441; 5,528,222; 5,550,547; 5,521,601; 5,541,604; 5,565,846; 5,682,143; and 5,625,341. 
     In one embodiment, the radio frequency tags are read-only. Such RFID tags are known in the art and are exemplified by the “ES600-Series Read Only Tags” commercially available from Escort Memory Systems (EMS), Scotts Valley, Calif. Alternatively, tags are configured to allow information to be written to the tag. For instance, the pin number or placement position may be written to the machine readable wireless tags. Read-write RFID tags are known in the art and include IntelliTag Series from Intermec Technologies Corporation and the HMS-100 Series passive read-write tags available from EMS. 
     A machine readable wireless tag reader is included in an inventive system which is configured to interrogate the tag and receive information from the tag. The reader is in data communication with a device having input and output capacity, processing and memory circuitry, along with an executable program for analysis of data transmitted from the tag. Exemplary devices include a personal digital assistant, personal computer or mainframe computer. The device may be built into the FOWLING™ platform or optionally, the device is portable. The reader may be in wireless or direct wired connection to the device for communication of data. In addition, information received from the tag may be input from an RFID reader over a wired or wireless connection to a device such as a server or computer network accessible by multiple users from multiple locations. The server may be any type of computer system such as a personal digital assistant, personal computer, workstation, or mainframe computer as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
     In some inventive embodiments, a reader is directly incorporated in a device including processing and memory circuitry as described above. Such devices illustratively include an RFID reader with database and processor components, a personal digital assistant having a reader capability or personal computer having reader capability. 
     The foregoing description is illustrative of particular embodiments of the invention, but is not meant to be a limitation upon the practice thereof. The following claims, including all equivalents thereof, are intended to define the scope of the invention.