Patent ID: 8675452

Claim:
A system for timing an athletic event, comprising: a starter unit including a first radio unit, a first user-operable switch interface, a first user-visible output interface and first processing circuitry providing a first real time clock; a timer unit including a second radio unit, a second user-operable switch interface, a second user-visible output interface and second processing circuitry providing a second real time clock, wherein the second radio unit, second user-operable switch interface, second user-visible output interface and second processing circuitry providing the second real time clock are different from the first radio unit, first user-operable switch interface, first user-visible output interface and first processing circuitry providing the first real time clock, respectively; a camera coupled to the timer unit and providing video information to an input of the timer unit; wherein an operator of the starter unit exchanges commands with an operator of the timer unit via the first user-operable switch interface, wherein the starter unit and the timer unit exchange information to synchronize their respective first and second real time clocks, wherein an indication is provided by each of the first and second user-visible output interfaces that the event is ready to be started, wherein the first processing circuitry of the starter unit detects the start of the event and subsequently sends information indicative of a race start time to the timer unit, wherein the timer unit outputs video frames that encode information indicative of an elapsed race time in the output video frames; wherein the starter unit is integral with a sound implement that generates sound indicative of the start of the event.