Patent Publication Number: US-2019200130-A1

Title: Silent disco roller skating

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of Provisional Application No. 62/609,882 filed Dec. 22, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This application relates generally to a roller skating activity. More specifically, the present invention is a system and method for hosting a silent roller skating event. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Roller skating rinks generally have music played through speakers. Some rinks may have a disc jockey that plays certain types of music. Some roller skaters and other persons in the rink like the music to be at a high volume. However, other person do not like the music at high volume. For example, a person may want to communicate with another person without the music interfering with their conversation. Further, neighbors next to the rink may not want to hear the loud music coming from the rink. Also, other persons may not want to hear the type of music that is being played. 
     Roller skating rink systems and methods for hosting roller skating events may benefit from improvements. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect of the present invention, a system for hosting a silent roller skating event is provided. The system includes a first station that includes roller skates and a first group of headphones for users to rent. The system includes a second station that includes a second group of headphones for users to rent, but does not include roller skates. The system includes a music station that includes first, second and third substations in operative association with each headphone. Each headphone has first, second, and third channels and a channel selector switch. The first substation is configured to transmit a first type of music to the first channel of each headphone. The second substation is configured to transmit a second type of music to the second channel of each headphone. The third substation is configured to transmit a third type of music to the third channel of each headphone. Each headphone outputs the first type of music from the first substation in response to the channel selector switch being in a first position. Each headphone outputs the second type of music from the second substation in response to the channel selector switch being placed in a second position. Each headphone outputs the third type of music from the third substation in response to the channel selector switch being placed in a third position. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, a method of hosting an event at a roller skating rink is provided. The method includes a) admitting users into the roller skating rink at a roller skating admission station; b) providing roller skates and headphones to users who desire to rent roller skates and headphones at a first station; c) providing headphones to users at a second station that does not provide roller skates; d) transmitting music of a first type from a first substation of a music station to a first channel of each headphone; f) transmitting music of a second type from a second substation of the music station to a second channel of each headphone; g) transmitting music of a third type from a third substation of the music station to a third channel of each headphone; and h) enabling the headphone to allow selection of one of the first channel, second channel, and third channel to output music from the selected channel. 
     Other aspects of the disclosed invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is schematic diagram of the roller skating rink system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a portion of the roller skating rink system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of wireless headphone of the roller skating rink system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of a pair of roller skates of the roller skating rink system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5A  is a schematic side view of a portion of the wireless headphone of  FIG. 3  illustrating the first LED illuminating and the channel selector switch in the first position with portions of the LED lined with blue; 
         FIG. 5B  is a schematic side view of a portion of the wireless headphone of  FIG. 3  illustrating the second LED illuminating and the channel selector switch in the second position with portions of the LED lined with red; 
         FIG. 5C  is a schematic side view of a portion of the wireless headphone of  FIG. 3  illustrating the third LED illuminating and the channel selector switch in the third position with portions of the LED lines with green; and 
         FIG. 6  is a flow diagram of a method of hosting an event at a roller skating rink using the roller skating rink system of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be readily understood that the components of the embodiments as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations in addition to the described example embodiments. Thus, the following more detailed description of the example embodiments, as represented in the figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments, as claimed, but is merely representative of example embodiments. 
     Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to give a thorough understanding of embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the various embodiments can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obfuscation. The following description is intended only by way of example, and simply illustrates certain example embodiments. 
     As used herein, the terms “component” and “system” are intended to encompass hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. Thus, for example, a system or component may be a process, a process executing on a processor, or a processor. Additionally, a component or system may be localized on a single device or distributed across several devices. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a system  10  for hosting a silent skating party is shown. The system includes a roller skating rink  12 . The roller skating rink  12  may include an admission station  14  where users  16  pay a fee to enter and use the roller skating rink  12 . The roller skating rink  12  includes a skating rental and headphone station  18  and a rental headphone station  20  that does not include rental roller skates  22 . The skating rental and headphone station  18  may be a stand that includes rental roller skates  22  and rental wireless headphones  24 . The skating rental and headphone station  18  may include waiver forms  26  for the users  16  to sign and include their names and other information before using the rental headphones  24  and rental roller skates  22 . The rental headphone station  20  may be a stand that includes only rental wireless headphones  24  for users with roller skates or otherwise do not want to use the rental roller skates  22 . The rental headphone station  20  may also include waiver forms  26  for the customers or users of the roller skating rink  12  to sign and include their names and other information before using the rental headphones  24 . The customers&#39; names and data on the waiver forms  26  are stored in a database  28  of a computer  30  and may be arranged in alphabetical order. The waiver form  26  makes the user who rents the headphones liable for any loss, damaged or stolen headphones. The stands may be stand-alone or part of the building structure of the roller skating rink  12 . Alternatively, the stations  18 ,  20  may be included in one stand or structure rather than two separate stands or structures. 
     The roller skating rink system  10  further includes a music station  32  for playing music through speakers within the roller skating rink  12  or through the headphones  24 . The music station  32  may have first, second, and third substations  34 ,  36 ,  38  for playing different types of music. Each headphone  24  is wirelessly connected to the substations. Each substation may have a disc jockey (DJ) play a certain type of music. For example, the first disc jockey  40  for the first substation  34  may play reggae music. The second disc jockey  42  for the second substation  36  may play disco music. The third disc jockey  44  for the third substation  38  may play country music. The type of music may alternatively be any other type or arrangement such as classical, rock and roll or songs from an album or from various artists. 
     The disc jockeys may use audio equipment that can play at least two sources of recorded music simultaneously and mix them together to create seamless transitions between recordings and develop unique mixes of songs. Often, this involves aligning the beats of the music sources so their rhythms do not clash when played together or to enable a smooth transition from one song to another. The disc jockeys may use specialized DJ mixers, small audio mixers with crossfader and cue functions to blend or transition from one song to another. Mixers may be also used to pre-listen to sources of recorded music in headphones and adjust upcoming tracks to mix with currently playing music. Disc jockey software may be used with a DJ controller device to mix audio files on a computer instead of a console mixer. Disc jockeys may also use a microphone to speak to the audience either through the headphones or through stand-alone speakers in the roller skating rink. The disc jockey may also use effects units such as reverb to create sound effects and electronic musical instruments such as drum machines and synthesizers. 
     Each substation may have more types of equipment for the disc jockey to play and mix music. For example, a substation may have two turntables plugged into a DJ mixer for the disc jockey to mix music on vinyl records. The substation may have compact discs that may be played on specialized high quality CD players known as CDJs. CDJs can take the place of turntables or be used together with turntables. The CDJs may play digital music files from USB flash drives or SD cards in addition to CDs. With the use of a portable laptop, tablet, and smartphone computers, the disc jockey may use software together with specialized sound cards and a DJ controller hardware. DJ software can be used in conjunction with a hardware DJ mixer or be used instead of a hardware mixer. The disc jockeys may also have DJ headphones that have properties useful for DJs, such as designs that acoustically isolate the sounds of the headphones from the outside environment (hard shell headphones), flexible headbands 
     As seen in  FIG. 2 , a mixer  46  and transmitter  48  may be associated with each substation. The output of the mixer  46  is connected to the transmitter  48  and assigned to one of three channels  50 ,  52 ,  54  to enable the substation to transmit the music to the associated channel of the headphone as seen in  FIG. 2 . For example, the first substation  34  may transmit a first type of music to the first channel  50  of each headphone  24 . The second substation  36  may transmit a second type of music to the second channel  52  of each headphone  24 , and the third substation  38  may transmit a third type of music to the third channel  54  of each headphone  24 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , each of the headphones  24  given to the users may be a wireless headphone. Each headphone  24  may be configured to be sufficiently sturdy to help prevent it from inadvertently falling off a user&#39;s head. Each headphone  24  may include an adjustable headband  56  and ear cups  58 R,  58 L attached to the ends of the headband  56 . The ear cups  58 R,  58 L may be configured to fit over the ears of the user to help isolate the music that outputs from the ear cups from the outside sounds. Each headphone  24  may be powered by a rechargeable battery  60  or other suitable source as schematically illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Each headphone may include a power button  62  provided on the side of the left ear cup  58 L (as view from  FIG. 3 ) to turn on or off the power to the headphone. Each headphone  24  may also include a volume control knob or wheel  64  provided on the right ear cup  58 R to control the volume of the audio being output from the ear cups. Each headphone  24  may also include a charger jack  66  to enable charging of the rechargeable battery  60  of the headphone. 
     Each headphone  24  may also include a three channel selector switch  68  slidably connected on the side of the left ear cup  58 L. The channel selector switch  68  may be slid to first, second, and third positions as shown in  FIGS. 5A to 5C . Each position enables the headphone  24  to output or play the type of music that is transmitted through a particular channel. For example, the headphone  24  may output or play the first type of music from the first substation in response to the channel selector switch  68  being in a first position as shown in  FIG. 5A . The headphone  24  may output the second type of music from the second substation  36  in response to the channel selector switch  68  being placed in a second position as shown in  FIG. 5B . The headphone  24  may output or play the third type of music from the third substation  38  in response to the channel selector switch  68  being placed in a third position as shown in  FIG. 5C . 
     The channel selector switch  68  is operatively associated with light emitting diodes (LED)  70 ,  72 ,  74  that illuminate a certain color around the ear cups  58 R,  58 L when the channel selector switch  68  is in the selected position. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 5A , when the channel selector switch  68  is in a first position, a first LED  70  illuminates a blue color through a tubular bulb  76  around the ear cups  58 L,  58 R. As illustrated in  FIG. 5B , when the channel selector switch  68  is in a second position, a second LED  72  illuminates a red color through the tubular bulb  76  around the ear cups  58 R,  58 L. As illustrated in  FIG. 5C , when the channel selector switch  68  is in a third position, a third LED  74  illuminates a green color through the tubular bulb  76  around the ear cups  58 R.  58 L. 
     One example of a wireless headphone that may be used in the systems is a Talent RF-309 Silent Disco 3 Channel Headphone with 3 Color LED. This headphone provides the listener the ability to select between 3 Talent TX-50RF transmitter channels, so that the user can listen to their own type of music personal music selection. The output of the corresponding substation&#39;s mixer is connected to the transmitter (via RCA) and assigned to one of the three channels. The headphone provides LED feedback to the DJ and other skaters by illuminating lights on the ear cups with the corresponding color for the corresponding channel (e.g. channel  1 : blue, channel  2 : red, channel  3 : green). 
     In combination with the Talent TX-50RF transmitters, the Talent RF-309 headphone allows the user to switch between up to 3 channels of transmission. Active noise reduction and the over-the-ear design helps create isolation from environmental noise. An auto mute feature ensures that if no signal is received by the headphone, it will go into a mute mode. The RF-309 headphone features LED illuminated ear cups, volume and channel select controls, and rechargeable batteries charged via included charging cable. 
     The music station may have a microphone  78  electrically coupled to the music station. The microphone may be used by an announcer  80  that hosts the event. The announcements or other sounds going into the microphone  78  may be transmitted to the rink speakers and also may be received by the transmitter and then transmitted to the headphone  24  regardless of which channel is selected on the headphone in response to the microphone  78  being turn on. 
     A method  600  of hosting an event at a roller skating rink  12  using the system  10  will now be explained with reference to  FIG. 6 . In step  602 , the customers or users pay the rink fee at the roller skating admission station  14  and are admitted into the roller skating rink  12 . In step  604 , a query is made as to whether the user wants rental roller skates  22  and headphones  24  or only headphones  24 . In step  606 , the users who want rental roller skates  22  and headphones  24  go to the rental roller skate and headphone station  22  and obtain their rental roller skates  22  and headphones  24  after showing their identification and filling out and signing the waiver form  26 . In step  608 , the users who just want rental headphones  24  go to the rental headphone station  20  and obtain their rental headphones  24  after showing their identification and filling out and signing the waiver form  26 . In step  610 , the users&#39; names and other information on the waiver forms for both stations are stored in the database  28  of the computer  30 . Once everyone for a particular event in the roller skating rink  12  has their headphones  24  on, the announcer  80  announces through the microphone  10  which channels correspond to which music in step  612 . The announcement may be heard through all channels of the headphone as well as through the speakers in the rink  12 . Thus, users who are wearing a headphone  24  with the channel selector switch  68  at any of the positions as well as users or other persons in the roller skating rink  12  who are not wearing a headphone  24  will be able to hear the announcement. In step  614 , music of a first type is transmitted from the first substation  34  to the first channel  50  of each headphone  24 , music of a second type is transmitted from the second substation  36  to the second channel  52  of each headphone  24 , music of a third type is transmitted from the third substation  38  to the third channel  54  of each headphone  24 . 
     In step  616 , the users may select the channel for their desired type of music by sliding the channel selector switch  68  to either a first position, second position, or third position. Users then can see which users have which type of music from the colored lights illuminating on the headphones  24  and can form skating groups with the same music type. 
     If a user wants to talk to another user, the user may either take off their headphone  24  or turn down the music. Since no loud music is being played through the rink speakers, no loud music will interfere with the users&#39; conversation with other persons in the rink, while at the same time the user who wants to listen to music can still do so via the headphone  24 . 
     Periodically, the announcer  80  may interrupt the music outputting from the headphones  24  to give important announcements through the microphone  78 . In step  618 , once the event is over, the announcer  80  then announces that it is time to return the headphones  24  and rental roller skates  22  and also announce that a first group  82  of users in which the first letter in their last names is between two letters (e.g. A-F) will go return their headphones and (if they rented them) rental roller skates to the station that the users rented them from. In step  620 , a query is made as to whether there are remaining user that need to return the rental equipment. If there are remaining users, then after the first group of users returns their headphones and roller skates, the announcer will then announce that another group  84  of users in which the first letter in their last names is between two other letters (e.g. G-M) will go return their headphones and if they rented them, rental roller skates to the station that the users rented them from in step  622 . This process repeats until all the users return their rental equipment. This makes the process of returning the headphones and skates more orderly and quicker. 
     Although various embodiments of the system and method for hosting a silent roller skating event have been shown and described, modifications may occur to those skilled in the art upon reading the specification. The present application includes such modifications and is limited only by the scope of the claims.