Covert sports communication system

Abstract

A covert sports communication system for remotely communicating baseball instructions that has a transmitter, a display receiver and a human interface device. The transmitter includes a transmitter unit configured to transmit text characters as wireless signals, a touch screen display that displays baseball instructions as selectable signals to transmit, a first microcontroller coupled to the transmitter unit and the touch screen display. The first microcontroller provides the transmitter unit with a selected baseball instruction to wirelessly transmit. A receiver unit of the transmitter receives control signals from a human interface device (HID) that controls the first microcontroller to select the selectable signals to transmit as baseball instructions. The display receiver has a receiving unit that wirelessly receives the characters as wireless signals, a second microcontroller and a display that displays the text characters as a baseball instruction. The HID is wirelessly or hard coupled to the transmitter and includes physical input elements that are actuatable by a person through touch. The HID provides a control signal to the first microcontroller to control the selection of the selected baseball signal to wirelessly transmit and is configured to be wearable by a catcher.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of the filing date of provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 720,096, entitled “COVERT SPORTS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM” and filed on Nov. 13, 2024, the entire contents of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to a communication system for communicating with an athletic participant in a secure and covert manner.BACKGROUND

[0003] In many sports, communication between players, or between coaches and players, is both allowed and desirable. For example, in the game of baseball, pitchers will throw a variety of pitches including fastballs, curveballs, sliders, and changeups. Fastballs are thrown relatively straight, and as the name implies, are thrown at the highest velocity among the pitcher's repertoire of pitches. A curveball is generally thrown at a lower velocity with a high rate of sidespin, so that the ball approaches the batter with a more curving trajectory. A slider is between a fastball and a curve, as it is a faster pitch than a curveball, but less than that of a fastball, with a sharper break towards the end of the pitch. A changeup is the slowest of pitches. There are yet other types of pitches, such as but not limited to a knuckleball, a forkball, and a splitter. Pitchers may not be able to throw all these different types of pitches but may be able to throw some subset of these pitches.

[0004] While it is very difficult to hit a baseball thrown by a major league pitcher in any event, it is much easier for a major league batter to hit a pitch if they know what type of pitch is coming, i.e., whether the pitch will be a fastball, curveball, slider, or other type of pitch. The batter can time the pitch more effectively, as well as anticipate the trajectory of the pitch and alter his swing to match the incoming pitch. On the other hand, it is important for the catcher to know what pitch is coming, because it is very difficult to catch a major league pitch that is a different type than the one expected. In other words, if a catcher is expecting a curveball, and the pitcher unexpectedly throws a fastball, the speed of the fastball can surprise the catcher and cause him to miss the ball or even get injured.

[0005] Accordingly, since the early days of baseball, catchers have communicated with pitchers to select which pitch to throw. The catcher has usually signaled using the fingers of their throwing hand to indicate the pitch selection. Their fingers are normally held pointing downwardly between their legs when the catcher is in his crouch. This shields the opposing team from seeing the pitch signal. A pitch selection signal may be one finger for a fastball, two for a curve, etc. The pitcher is able to see the catcher's fingers and know which pitch to throw. Unfortunately, an opposing player standing on second base is able to see the signals as well. If the runner is able to decode the signal, he can send a visual signal to the batter to indicate what type of pitch is coming. To combat this from happening, a catcher will run through a series of pitch signals with his fingers in a code.

[0006] Although catchers use codes to try to prevent anyone from stealing the signals, the visual nature of the signals allows anyone able to see the signals to decode the finger signals. It is a time-honored tradition for players on second base to try to decode the signals, but in recent years, more advanced means have been rumored to have been employed to ascertain the pitch selection. There has been suspected sign stealing using video to provide a team employee the ability to view the catcher's finger signals and provide an audible or other signal to the batter to indicate the suspected pitch selection, such as by a whistle to indicate a fastball instead of a curve, for instance. As baseball is a tradition-minded sport, the use of video and cameras and communication with the dugout to indicate the other team's pitch selection is considered a form of cheating. Furthermore, as baseball games become longer and longer (the average game length has significantly increased over the years, threatening fan interest), the running through of multiple signals for each pitch in an effort to prevent or hinder decoding of the pitch selection adds quite a bit of time to each game, in the tens of minutes.

[0007] In 2022, Major League Baseball (“MLB”) adopted the use of a covert sports communication system called PitchCom®, the subject matter of U.S. Pat. No. 11,893,307. This system was instantly successful, eliminating sign stealing and speeding up the game by eliminating dead time with catchers using fingers to signal pitches and other signals. This system included a push button transmitter with a hard shell to be worn on the field by a catcher, and audio receivers that received direct radio frequency (RF) communication from the transmitter to signal the pitch. In the commercial PitchCom® system, a code is sent from the transmitter that indicates which audio track, stored at the receivers, is to be played, thereby informing the players as to the sporting instruction, such as a pitch type or pitch location. Every team in MLB used the PitchCom® system and still do today.

[0008] In 2023, PitchCom® introduced a display receiver to be used in college and high school competitions, as audio receivers for pitchers and other fielders were not then allowed at those levels. The PitchCom® receivers operated similarly in receiving a direct RF signal from the hard shell transmitter and informing which display track to show on the display receiver. In 2024, the NCAA allowed all players to wear audio receivers.

[0009] While the PitchCom® system is the exclusive signaling system in MLB, other systems are used in colleges, high schools and travel ball. For signaling pitchers and fielders, all such other systems currently use wrist display receivers. One such system, sold by GoRout®, uses a mobile device that is either a tablet or smartphone, to send a wireless communication over a network, such as a cellular network or a WiFi or other type of network. This is in contrast to the direct RF communication of the PitchCom® system. In the GoRout® system, the tablet or smartphone runs an application (“app”) that displays a number of selectable sports instruction signals. Touching the display screen at a location corresponding to a selection, such as “fastball inside”, causes the tablet or smartphone to transmit a signal to the wrist display receivers on the field. In addition to concerns about the frequent instability of employing a wireless network to send sports instruction signals, the GoRout® system does not readily allow a player to call such signals on the field.

[0010] Traditionally, as mentioned earlier, a catcher will call pitches, locations and other signals on the field. With the hard shell and push button transmitter of the PitchCom® system, the catcher is able to do so safely. A search for images of MLB catchers calling pitches while wearing a PitchCom® transmitter reveal numerous examples of catchers wearing the transmitter on their shin guards. However, with a system using a tablet or smartphone or similar mobile device, it would be very dangerous to use such a tablet or smartphone on the field to call pitches due to ball strikes from foul balls, player collisions and many other possible events during a game.

[0011] Other companies also make systems with tablets or smartphones as transmitters. These include Armilla Tech® and DigiWrist. They suffer from the same deficiency in not allowing on-field players to safely call signals. This deficiency prevents catchers from developing their skills at calling pitches and forcing teams to have coaches call pitches or have catchers use old-fashioned and unsecure finger signals.SUMMARY

[0012] There is a need for a secure communication system that allows sports instructions to be selected and communicated by an on-field athlete to other on-field athletes using systems with tablets or smartphones or similar mobile devices as transmitters. Such a system would allow catchers to call pitches with systems that use a tablet or smartphone or similar mobile device.

[0013] This and other needs are met by a system for remotely communicating baseball instructions that has a transmitter, a display receiver and a human interface device. The transmitter includes a transmitter unit configured to transmit text characters as wireless signals, a touch screen display that displays baseball instructions as selectable signals to transmit, a first microcontroller coupled to the transmitter unit and the touch screen display. The first microcontroller is configured to provide the transmitter unit with a selected baseball instruction to wirelessly transmit. A receiver unit is coupled to the first microcontroller and is configured to receive control signals from a human interface device (HID) that controls the first microcontroller to select the selectable signals to transmit as baseball instructions. The display receiver includes a receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive the characters received as wireless signals, a second microcontroller connected to the receiving unit, and a display connected to the second microcontroller and configured to display the text characters as a baseball instruction. The HID is coupled to the transmitter and includes physical input elements that are actuatable by a person through touch, a third microcontroller coupled to the input elements, and an HID output coupled to third microcontroller and the transmitter, the HID providing a control signal to the first microcontroller to control the selection of the selected baseball signal to wirelessly transmit. The HID is configured to be wearable by a catcher.

[0014] These needs are also met by a system for remotely communicating baseball instructions having a transmitter and a display receiver. The transmitter includes a transmitter unit configured to transmit text characters as wireless signals, and an input element array with a plurality of input elements, the input element array configured to provide input of selections of baseball instructions to transmit. The transmitter also includes a first microcontroller coupled to the transmitter unit and the input element array, the first microcontroller configured to provide the transmitter unit with a selected baseball instruction to wirelessly transmit in response to actuation of one of the input elements. The display receiver includes a receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive the characters received as wireless signals, a second microcontroller connected to the receiving unit, and a display connected to the second microcontroller and configured to display the text characters as a baseball instruction. The transmitter transmits the text characters as wireless signals to the display receiver over a wireless network and is configured to be wearable by a catcher.

[0015] The earlier stated needs are also met by a system for remotely communicating baseball instructions. The system has a transmitter, a wearable protective shell for the transmitter and a display receiver. The transmitter includes a transmitter unit configured to transmit text characters as wireless signals, a touch screen display that displays baseball instructions as selectable signals to transmit, the touch screen having selectable touch locations to select baseball instructions, and a first microcontroller coupled to the transmitter unit and the touch screen display. The first microcontroller is configured to provide the transmitter unit with a selected baseball instruction to wirelessly transmit in response to selection at a touch location of the display screen. The display receiver includes a receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive the characters received as wireless signals, a second microcontroller connected to the receiving unit, and a display connected to the second microcontroller and configured to display the text characters as a baseball instruction. The wearable protective shell has a recess configured to hold the transmitter within, the recess having an opening to receive the transmitter. The shell has a closable cover that covers and exposes the transmitter when the transmitter is within the shell, and an attachment element configured for removable attachment of the shell and transmitter to a catcher.

[0016] The earlier stated needs are met by embodiments of a method of remotely communicating baseball instructions wirelessly. This method includes coupling a human interface device (HID) to a transmitter configured to transmit text characters as wireless signals, the transmitter comprising one of a tablet and a smartphone. An input element of the HID is actuated to select a baseball instruction, the HID outputting a signal to the transmitter indicating the selection. The selection of the baseball instruction is input from the HID at the transmitter which then transmits text characters as wireless signals, the text characters corresponding to the baseball instruction. The text characters are received at a display receiver and displayed as a baseball instruction. The method also include removably attaching the HID to a catcher.

[0017] It is understood that other configurations of the subject technology will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein various configurations of the subject technology are shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the subject technology is capable of other and different configurations and its several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the scope of the subject technology. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The drawing figures depict one or more implementations in accord with the present teachings, by way of example only, not by way of limitation. In the figures, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. Furthermore, it should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of the operation of a pitch communication system in accordance with a prior art commercially available system that does not use a tablet or smartphone.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction of the operation of a pitch communication system in accordance with a prior art commercially available system that uses a tablet or smartphone and communicates signals over a network.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a schematic depiction of the operation of a pitch communication system in accordance with a prior art commercially available system that uses a tablet or smartphone and communicates signals without a network.

[0022] FIG. 4A shows a prior art transmitter and FIG. 4B shows a prior art display receiver used in the FIG. 1 system.

[0023] FIG. 5A shows a prior art tablet transmitter, FIG. 5B shows a prior art smartphone, and FIG. 5C shows a prior art display receiver used in the FIG. 2 system.

[0024] FIG. 6A is a perspective depiction of a hard shell and transmitter arrangement, showing the shell with an open cover and a smartphone transmitter inside the shell.

[0025] FIG. 6B is a perspective depiction of the shell with a closed cover attached to a wrist of a catcher.

[0026] FIG. 6C shows the underside of the shell.

[0027] FIG. 7A is a schematic depiction of a Human Interface Device (HID) and a transmitter wirelessly connected to the HID.

[0028] FIG. 7B is a schematic depiction of a Human Interface Device (HID) and a transmitter physically coupled to the HID.

[0029] FIG. 8 depicts a system in accordance with embodiments of the present invention using a network to communicate baseball signals.

[0030] FIG. 9 depicts a system in accordance with embodiments of the present invention using direct RF communication to communicate baseball signals.

[0031] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a transmitter, display receiver and a human interface device depicting some of the components in the respective devices.

[0032] FIG. 11 is a top view of a transmitter constructed in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure with physical input elements that sends text characters to receivers over a network.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of various configurations of the subject technology and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the subject technology may be practiced. The appended drawings are incorporated herein and constitute a part of the detailed description. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the subject technology. However, it will be clear and apparent to those skilled in the art that the subject technology is not limited to the specific details set forth herein and may be practiced using one or more embodiments. In one or more instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the subject technology.

[0034] In the following drawings, a schematic depiction of players and the devices they wear or carry are shown. The devices are depicted very outsized compared in relation to the players than they would be in practice. The devices, including display receivers and the HID are sized to be comfortably worn by players. The relative large sizes of the devices in the drawings should be ignored.

[0035] FIG. 1 schematically depicts a prior art baseball communication system, such as the commercially available PitchCom® system. In this system, components of which are shown in prior art FIGS. 4A and 4B, a catcher 10 is provided with a transmitter 14. This transmitter 14 has a number of buttons and a hard shell case. The transmitter configuration allows the catcher 10 to safely wear the transmitter 14 during play and call the pitches. Foul balls and wild pitches that impact the transmitter 14 will not damage the transmitter 14 in a way as to cause harmful debris spray. The transmitter 14 uses direct RF communication, with no network connection, to wirelessly send a coded signal to receivers 16, which can be worn by all the players on the field, including a pitcher 12 and the catcher 10. The wearing of a receiver 16 by the catcher 10 assures the catcher 10 that he sent the intended baseball instruction to the pitcher 12 and other players (not shown) on the field. The use of a catcher-worn transmitter 14 in the PitchCom® system allows for catchers to call pitches and other instructions and aids in their development as baseball players. In professional baseball, catchers universally call the signals and not coaches.

[0036] FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction operation of a different pitch communication system in accordance with a different prior art commercially available system, such as that provided by GoRout®. In this system, a coach 15 or off-field player uses a tablet 18 or smartphone 30 (FIG. 5B, for example) to communicate signals (baseball instructions) over a network to wrist worn receivers 20 such as that shown in FIG. 5C. The receiver 20 in FIG. 5C can show multiple signals on the same display screen. The network can be different types, including but not limited to, cellular, WiFi, Lora, etc. Referring also to FIG. 5A, the coach 15 selects an instruction from the display screen of the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 by touching an icon (such as a virtual selection button) on the display screen. This action causes the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 to transmit the baseball instruction as text characters, such as in an SMS message, as only one example. The transmission is sent by the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 to an antenna 22 of the network. This antenna can be a cell tower, or a WiFi router, or other device that will receive the signal from the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 and then relay the signal to each of the receivers 20 worn by the catcher 10, pitcher 12 and other players (not shown). The network can be a public or private network.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a schematic depiction operation of a still different pitch communication system in accordance with a different prior art commercially available system, such as that provided by Armilla Tech® and DigiWrist. It is similar to the prior art system of FIG. 2 in that it uses a tablet 18 or smartphone 30 to send signals from an off-field coach to receivers 20 worn by players, such as the catcher 10 and the pitcher 12. However, it is different from the system of FIG. 2 in that the system of FIG. 3 uses direct RF communication from tablet 18 or smartphone 30 to the receivers 20 instead of a network.

[0038] The prior art systems of FIGS. 2 and 3 both have a significant drawback in that they do not allow for the use of the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 by the catcher 10 to call pitches. This stunts the development of catchers since they will lack the experience and skill at sequencing the pitches. As these systems are used for youth, high school and college baseball teams, a catcher may never experience calling pitches himself and understand the nuances involved in determining the best pitch to call. From a competitive aspect, a catcher is often best positioned to know which pitch to call, since he is sitting behind the batter and has the best view of both the batter and the pitcher.

[0039] Embodiments of the present invention provide structure to allow systems employing tablets 18 or smartphones 30 to be used by on-field players to call pitches and other baseball instructions, in a safe manner.

[0040] FIGS. 6A-6C depict various views of a shell 40 that is configured to be wearable on the body of the catcher 10. The shell 40 has a chamber 42 sized and shaped to securely receive and hold a smartphone 30 (or appropriately sized tablet 18). A cover 44 can be hinged to open to allow the shell 40 to receive the smartphone 30 in the chamber 42 and then closed during a play. A magnetic latch (not shown) or similar latching arrangement allows the cover 44 to remain closed during a pitch and throughout a play, thereby protecting the smartphone from damage and the players from debris that could be caused by an impact with ball or player. To call a pitch, or other signal, a catcher 10 would lift the cover 44 temporarily to gain access to the display screen of the smartphone 30 and make a pitch selection. To make it easier to lift the cover, a lip 46 that extends beyond the chamber 42 and main shell body is provided. The catcher 10 can grab or push up on this lip 46 to hinge the cover 44 upwardly to expose the display screen of the smartphone 30. Following the selection and transmission of the baseball instruction, the catcher 10 closes the cover 44 over the smartphone 30 and prepares to receive the pitch.

[0041] The shell 40 is configured to be worn by a catcher 10. In certain embodiments, the outer dimensions of the shell 40 are less than about 8″ in length L, less than about 4″ in width W, and less than about 1.5″ in depth D. These dimensions allow the shell to be worn by a catcher during play while also being able to receive a smartphone 30 in the chamber 42. The shell 40 can be worn by a catcher 10 in different places. Advantageously, as shown in FIG. 6C that depicts the shell 40 from underneath, the bottom surface 47 of the shell 40 can have an attachment element 48, such as a hook and loop fastening element. This allows the shell 40 to be attached to a mating element worn by the catcher 10, such as a forearm sleeve, a shin guard, a wrist strap, etc.

[0042] The shell 40 can be made of any appropriate material that will be lightweight, withstand high impacts from baseballs and will not block transmission from the smartphone 30. High density injection molded plastic is one such material, for example.

[0043] The shell 40 provides a physical means of allowing catcher 10 to call pitches in a tablet 18 or smartphone 30 based system. The catcher 10 can call pitches safely and securely without exposing himself or other players to harm.

[0044] FIG. 7A depicts a human interface device (HID) 50 that wirelessly connects to the tablet 18 or smartphone 30. Such devices are readily commercially available and have physical input elements 52 to allow input by a catcher through touch (pushing a button, for example). Examples of HIDs include controllers that connect to tablets 18 or smartphones 30 through Bluetooth or other wireless protocols.

[0045] In operation, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the catcher 10 wears the HID 50 while the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 can safely stay in the dugout off-field. The catcher 10 will push a button or buttons 52 (physical input elements) to send a control signal, via Bluetooth for example, to the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 to control the selection of the baseball signal to transmit from the tablet 18 or smartphone 30. The tablet 18 or smartphone 30 can send the signal to the receivers 20 via a network (FIG. 8) or through direct RF communication (FIG. 9). The HID 50 can be made with an outer case that protects against debris in the event of an impact.

[0046] Maintaining the tablet 18 or the smartphone 30 off the field while allowing the catcher 10 to still call pitches through the system is advantageous from a player development standpoint as well as a competitive perspective. Also, this allows for retrofitting such prior art systems to provide catchers with this ability and save costs for colleges and high schools who will not need to purchase complete new systems.

[0047] FIG. 7B shows a different embodiment of the HID 50 with a physical coupling of the output of the HID 50 to a tablet 18 or smartphone 30. This arrangement also allows the catcher 10 to call pitches but requires the phone to be worn by the catcher 10, in protective shell 40, for example. A hardwired connection from the HID 50 to the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 is made. Although FIG. 7B shows the HID 50 and the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 positioned end to end, this is only for illustrative purposes to stress the physical coupling. As stated above, the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 can be protected within a hard shell. To provide compactness, a physical arrangement may include the HID 50 on top of the tablet 18 or smartphone 30. This embodiment is not as elegant a solution as the wireless connection, but it will still achieve the earlier stated needs.

[0048] FIG. 10 shows a block diagram of some of the elements of an exemplary tablet 18 or smartphone 30, an exemplary receiver 20, and an exemplary HID 50. The tablet 18 (or smartphone 30, not referenced for illustrative purposes) includes a touch screen display 89, a first microcontroller 82, a transmitter unit 84 and a receiver 86. The receiver 20, worn by players typically on their wrist, include a display 88, a second microcontroller 90 and a receiver 92. The HID 50 includes physical input elements 52, a third microcontroller 94 and an output 96, which can be either hardwired or wireless, such as Bluetooth.

[0049] The system of FIG. 10 is a system for remotely communicating baseball instructions that has a transmitter 30, a display receiver 20 and a human interface device 50. The transmitter 30 includes the transmitter unit 84 configured to transmit text characters as wireless signals, the touch screen display 80 that displays baseball instructions as selectable signals to transmit, a first microcontroller 82 coupled to the transmitter unit 84 and the touch screen display 80. The first microcontroller 82 is configured to provide the transmitter unit 84 with a selected baseball instruction to wirelessly transmit. The receiver unit 86 is coupled to the first microcontroller 82 and is configured to receive control signals from the human interface device (HID) 50 that controls the first microcontroller 82 to select the selectable signals to transmit as baseball instructions. The receiving unit 92 of the display receiver 88 is configured to wirelessly receive the characters received as wireless signals. The second microcontroller 90 is connected to the receiving unit 92. The display 88 is connected to the second microcontroller 90 and configured to display the text characters as a baseball instruction. The HID 50 is coupled to the transmitter 30 (wirelessly or physically) and the physical input elements 52 are actuatable by a person through touch. The third microcontroller 94 is coupled to the input elements 52. The HID output 96 is coupled to the third microcontroller 94 and the transmitter 30, the HID 50 providing a control signal to the first microcontroller 82 to control the selection of the selected baseball signal to wirelessly transmit. The HID 50 is configured to be wearable by a catcher 10.

[0050] FIG. 11 is a top view of a transmitter 100 constructed in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure with physical input elements 102. The transmitter 100 sends text characters over a network but does not use a touch screen to input the selections. A microcontroller and transmitter unit are provided (not shown) and connect to the input element array 102. Selection of a baseball instruction to transmit is made through pushing one of the physical input elements in the input element array 102. This causes the microcontroller to cause the transmitter unit to send the text characters over the network. A display receiver 20, not shown in FIG. 11, can then display the baseball instruction received as text characters over the network. This embodiment allows the catcher to call pitches without using a tablet 18 or smartphone 30 having a touch display.

[0051] The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” or as an “example” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “include,”“have,” or the like is used in the description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprise” as “comprise” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

[0052] All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure us explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for”.

[0053] The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principled defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein but are accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one: unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. Pronouns in the masculine (e.g., his) include the feminine and neuter gender (e.g., her and its) and vice versa. Headings and subheadings, if any are used for convenience only and do not limit the subject disclosure.

[0054] While various embodiments have been described, the description is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting, and it is understood that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the embodiments. Although many possible combinations of features are shown in the accompanying figures and discussed in this detailed description, many other combinations of the disclosed features are possible. Any feature of any embodiment may be used in combination with or substituted for any other feature or element in any other embodiment unless specifically restricted. Therefore, it will be understood that any of the features shown and / or discussed in the present disclosure may be implemented together in any suitable combination. Accordingly, the embodiments are not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Also, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the attached claims.

[0055] While the foregoing has described what are considered to be the best mode and / or other examples, it is understood that various modifications may be made therein and that the subject matter disclosed herein may be implemented in various forms and examples, and that the teachings may be applied in numerous applications, only some of which have been described herein. It is intended by the following claims to claim any and all applications, modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the present teachings.

[0056] Unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions, magnitudes, sizes, and other specifications that are set forth in this specification, including in the claims that follow, are approximate, not exact. They are intended to have a reasonable range that is consistent with the functions to which they relate and with what is customary in the art to which they pertain.

[0057] The scope of protection is limited solely by the claims that now follow. That scope is intended and should be interpreted to be as broad as is consistent with the ordinary meaning of the language that is used in the claims when interpreted in light of this specification and the prosecution history that follows and to encompass all structural and functional equivalents. Notwithstanding, none of the claims are intended to embrace subject matter that fails to satisfy the requirement of Sections 101, 102, or 103 of the Patent Act, nor should they be interpreted in such a way. Any unintended embracement of such subject matter is hereby disclaimed.

[0058] Except as stated immediately above, nothing that has been stated or illustrated is intended or should be interpreted to cause a dedication of any component, step, feature, object, benefit, advantage, or equivalent to the public, regardless of whether it is or is not recited in the claims.

[0059] It will be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein. Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,”“comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “a” or “an” does not, without further constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

[0060] The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various examples for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claims require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed example. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0033]The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of various configurations of the subject technology and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the subject technology may be practiced. The appended drawings are incorporated herein and constitute a part of the detailed description. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the subject technology. However, it will be clear and apparent to those skilled in the art that the subject technology is not limited to the specific details set forth herein and may be practiced using one or more embodiments. In one or more instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the subject technology.

[0034]In the following drawings, a schematic depiction of players and the devices they wear or carry are shown. The devices are depicted very outsized compared in relat...

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of the filing date of provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 720,096, entitled “COVERT SPORTS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM” and filed on Nov. 13, 2024, the entire contents of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to a communication system for communicating with an athletic participant in a secure and covert manner.BACKGROUND

[0003] In many sports, communication between players, or between coaches and players, is both allowed and desirable. For example, in the game of baseball, pitchers will throw a variety of pitches including fastballs, curveballs, sliders, and changeups. Fastballs are thrown relatively straight, and as the name implies, are thrown at the highest velocity among the pitcher's repertoire of pitches. A curveball is generally thrown at a lower velocity with a high rate of sidespin, so that the ball approaches the batter with a more curving trajectory. A slider is between a fastball and a curve, as it is a faster pitch than a curveball, but less than that of a fastball, with a sharper break towards the end of the pitch. A changeup is the slowest of pitches. There are yet other types of pitches, such as but not limited to a knuckleball, a forkball, and a splitter. Pitchers may not be able to throw all these different types of pitches but may be able to throw some subset of these pitches.

[0004] While it is very difficult to hit a baseball thrown by a major league pitcher in any event, it is much easier for a major league batter to hit a pitch if they know what type of pitch is coming, i.e., whether the pitch will be a fastball, curveball, slider, or other type of pitch. The batter can time the pitch more effectively, as well as anticipate the trajectory of the pitch and alter his swing to match the incoming pitch. On the other hand, it is important for the catcher to know what pitch is coming, because it is very difficult to catch a major league pitch that is a different type than the one expected. In other words, if a catcher is expecting a curveball, and the pitcher unexpectedly throws a fastball, the speed of the fastball can surprise the catcher and cause him to miss the ball or even get injured.

[0005] Accordingly, since the early days of baseball, catchers have communicated with pitchers to select which pitch to throw. The catcher has usually signaled using the fingers of their throwing hand to indicate the pitch selection. Their fingers are normally held pointing downwardly between their legs when the catcher is in his crouch. This shields the opposing team from seeing the pitch signal. A pitch selection signal may be one finger for a fastball, two for a curve, etc. The pitcher is able to see the catcher's fingers and know which pitch to throw. Unfortunately, an opposing player standing on second base is able to see the signals as well. If the runner is able to decode the signal, he can send a visual signal to the batter to indicate what type of pitch is coming. To combat this from happening, a catcher will run through a series of pitch signals with his fingers in a code.

[0006] Although catchers use codes to try to prevent anyone from stealing the signals, the visual nature of the signals allows anyone able to see the signals to decode the finger signals. It is a time-honored tradition for players on second base to try to decode the signals, but in recent years, more advanced means have been rumored to have been employed to ascertain the pitch selection. There has been suspected sign stealing using video to provide a team employee the ability to view the catcher's finger signals and provide an audible or other signal to the batter to indicate the suspected pitch selection, such as by a whistle to indicate a fastball instead of a curve, for instance. As baseball is a tradition-minded sport, the use of video and cameras and communication with the dugout to indicate the other team's pitch selection is considered a form of cheating. Furthermore, as baseball games become longer and longer (the average game length has significantly increased over the years, threatening fan interest), the running through of multiple signals for each pitch in an effort to prevent or hinder decoding of the pitch selection adds quite a bit of time to each game, in the tens of minutes.

[0007] In 2022, Major League Baseball (“MLB”) adopted the use of a covert sports communication system called PitchCom®, the subject matter of U.S. Pat. No. 11,893,307. This system was instantly successful, eliminating sign stealing and speeding up the game by eliminating dead time with catchers using fingers to signal pitches and other signals. This system included a push button transmitter with a hard shell to be worn on the field by a catcher, and audio receivers that received direct radio frequency (RF) communication from the transmitter to signal the pitch. In the commercial PitchCom® system, a code is sent from the transmitter that indicates which audio track, stored at the receivers, is to be played, thereby informing the players as to the sporting instruction, such as a pitch type or pitch location. Every team in MLB used the PitchCom® system and still do today.

[0008] In 2023, PitchCom® introduced a display receiver to be used in college and high school competitions, as audio receivers for pitchers and other fielders were not then allowed at those levels. The PitchCom® receivers operated similarly in receiving a direct RF signal from the hard shell transmitter and informing which display track to show on the display receiver. In 2024, the NCAA allowed all players to wear audio receivers.

[0009] While the PitchCom® system is the exclusive signaling system in MLB, other systems are used in colleges, high schools and travel ball. For signaling pitchers and fielders, all such other systems currently use wrist display receivers. One such system, sold by GoRout®, uses a mobile device that is either a tablet or smartphone, to send a wireless communication over a network, such as a cellular network or a WiFi or other type of network. This is in contrast to the direct RF communication of the PitchCom® system. In the GoRout® system, the tablet or smartphone runs an application (“app”) that displays a number of selectable sports instruction signals. Touching the display screen at a location corresponding to a selection, such as “fastball inside”, causes the tablet or smartphone to transmit a signal to the wrist display receivers on the field. In addition to concerns about the frequent instability of employing a wireless network to send sports instruction signals, the GoRout® system does not readily allow a player to call such signals on the field.

[0010] Traditionally, as mentioned earlier, a catcher will call pitches, locations and other signals on the field. With the hard shell and push button transmitter of the PitchCom® system, the catcher is able to do so safely. A search for images of MLB catchers calling pitches while wearing a PitchCom® transmitter reveal numerous examples of catchers wearing the transmitter on their shin guards. However, with a system using a tablet or smartphone or similar mobile device, it would be very dangerous to use such a tablet or smartphone on the field to call pitches due to ball strikes from foul balls, player collisions and many other possible events during a game.

[0011] Other companies also make systems with tablets or smartphones as transmitters. These include Armilla Tech® and DigiWrist. They suffer from the same deficiency in not allowing on-field players to safely call signals. This deficiency prevents catchers from developing their skills at calling pitches and forcing teams to have coaches call pitches or have catchers use old-fashioned and unsecure finger signals.SUMMARY

[0012] There is a need for a secure communication system that allows sports instructions to be selected and communicated by an on-field athlete to other on-field athletes using systems with tablets or smartphones or similar mobile devices as transmitters. Such a system would allow catchers to call pitches with systems that use a tablet or smartphone or similar mobile device.

[0013] This and other needs are met by a system for remotely communicating baseball instructions that has a transmitter, a display receiver and a human interface device. The transmitter includes a transmitter unit configured to transmit text characters as wireless signals, a touch screen display that displays baseball instructions as selectable signals to transmit, a first microcontroller coupled to the transmitter unit and the touch screen display. The first microcontroller is configured to provide the transmitter unit with a selected baseball instruction to wirelessly transmit. A receiver unit is coupled to the first microcontroller and is configured to receive control signals from a human interface device (HID) that controls the first microcontroller to select the selectable signals to transmit as baseball instructions. The display receiver includes a receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive the characters received as wireless signals, a second microcontroller connected to the receiving unit, and a display connected to the second microcontroller and configured to display the text characters as a baseball instruction. The HID is coupled to the transmitter and includes physical input elements that are actuatable by a person through touch, a third microcontroller coupled to the input elements, and an HID output coupled to third microcontroller and the transmitter, the HID providing a control signal to the first microcontroller to control the selection of the selected baseball signal to wirelessly transmit. The HID is configured to be wearable by a catcher.

[0014] These needs are also met by a system for remotely communicating baseball instructions having a transmitter and a display receiver. The transmitter includes a transmitter unit configured to transmit text characters as wireless signals, and an input element array with a plurality of input elements, the input element array configured to provide input of selections of baseball instructions to transmit. The transmitter also includes a first microcontroller coupled to the transmitter unit and the input element array, the first microcontroller configured to provide the transmitter unit with a selected baseball instruction to wirelessly transmit in response to actuation of one of the input elements. The display receiver includes a receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive the characters received as wireless signals, a second microcontroller connected to the receiving unit, and a display connected to the second microcontroller and configured to display the text characters as a baseball instruction. The transmitter transmits the text characters as wireless signals to the display receiver over a wireless network and is configured to be wearable by a catcher.

[0015] The earlier stated needs are also met by a system for remotely communicating baseball instructions. The system has a transmitter, a wearable protective shell for the transmitter and a display receiver. The transmitter includes a transmitter unit configured to transmit text characters as wireless signals, a touch screen display that displays baseball instructions as selectable signals to transmit, the touch screen having selectable touch locations to select baseball instructions, and a first microcontroller coupled to the transmitter unit and the touch screen display. The first microcontroller is configured to provide the transmitter unit with a selected baseball instruction to wirelessly transmit in response to selection at a touch location of the display screen. The display receiver includes a receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive the characters received as wireless signals, a second microcontroller connected to the receiving unit, and a display connected to the second microcontroller and configured to display the text characters as a baseball instruction. The wearable protective shell has a recess configured to hold the transmitter within, the recess having an opening to receive the transmitter. The shell has a closable cover that covers and exposes the transmitter when the transmitter is within the shell, and an attachment element configured for removable attachment of the shell and transmitter to a catcher.

[0016] The earlier stated needs are met by embodiments of a method of remotely communicating baseball instructions wirelessly. This method includes coupling a human interface device (HID) to a transmitter configured to transmit text characters as wireless signals, the transmitter comprising one of a tablet and a smartphone. An input element of the HID is actuated to select a baseball instruction, the HID outputting a signal to the transmitter indicating the selection. The selection of the baseball instruction is input from the HID at the transmitter which then transmits text characters as wireless signals, the text characters corresponding to the baseball instruction. The text characters are received at a display receiver and displayed as a baseball instruction. The method also include removably attaching the HID to a catcher.

[0017] It is understood that other configurations of the subject technology will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein various configurations of the subject technology are shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the subject technology is capable of other and different configurations and its several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the scope of the subject technology. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The drawing figures depict one or more implementations in accord with the present teachings, by way of example only, not by way of limitation. In the figures, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. Furthermore, it should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of the operation of a pitch communication system in accordance with a prior art commercially available system that does not use a tablet or smartphone.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction of the operation of a pitch communication system in accordance with a prior art commercially available system that uses a tablet or smartphone and communicates signals over a network.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a schematic depiction of the operation of a pitch communication system in accordance with a prior art commercially available system that uses a tablet or smartphone and communicates signals without a network.

[0022] FIG. 4A shows a prior art transmitter and FIG. 4B shows a prior art display receiver used in the FIG. 1 system.

[0023] FIG. 5A shows a prior art tablet transmitter, FIG. 5B shows a prior art smartphone, and FIG. 5C shows a prior art display receiver used in the FIG. 2 system.

[0024] FIG. 6A is a perspective depiction of a hard shell and transmitter arrangement, showing the shell with an open cover and a smartphone transmitter inside the shell.

[0025] FIG. 6B is a perspective depiction of the shell with a closed cover attached to a wrist of a catcher.

[0026] FIG. 6C shows the underside of the shell.

[0027] FIG. 7A is a schematic depiction of a Human Interface Device (HID) and a transmitter wirelessly connected to the HID.

[0028] FIG. 7B is a schematic depiction of a Human Interface Device (HID) and a transmitter physically coupled to the HID.

[0029] FIG. 8 depicts a system in accordance with embodiments of the present invention using a network to communicate baseball signals.

[0030] FIG. 9 depicts a system in accordance with embodiments of the present invention using direct RF communication to communicate baseball signals.

[0031] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a transmitter, display receiver and a human interface device depicting some of the components in the respective devices.

[0032] FIG. 11 is a top view of a transmitter constructed in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure with physical input elements that sends text characters to receivers over a network.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of various configurations of the subject technology and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the subject technology may be practiced. The appended drawings are incorporated herein and constitute a part of the detailed description. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the subject technology. However, it will be clear and apparent to those skilled in the art that the subject technology is not limited to the specific details set forth herein and may be practiced using one or more embodiments. In one or more instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the subject technology.

[0034] In the following drawings, a schematic depiction of players and the devices they wear or carry are shown. The devices are depicted very outsized compared in relation to the players than they would be in practice. The devices, including display receivers and the HID are sized to be comfortably worn by players. The relative large sizes of the devices in the drawings should be ignored.

[0035] FIG. 1 schematically depicts a prior art baseball communication system, such as the commercially available PitchCom® system. In this system, components of which are shown in prior art FIGS. 4A and 4B, a catcher 10 is provided with a transmitter 14. This transmitter 14 has a number of buttons and a hard shell case. The transmitter configuration allows the catcher 10 to safely wear the transmitter 14 during play and call the pitches. Foul balls and wild pitches that impact the transmitter 14 will not damage the transmitter 14 in a way as to cause harmful debris spray. The transmitter 14 uses direct RF communication, with no network connection, to wirelessly send a coded signal to receivers 16, which can be worn by all the players on the field, including a pitcher 12 and the catcher 10. The wearing of a receiver 16 by the catcher 10 assures the catcher 10 that he sent the intended baseball instruction to the pitcher 12 and other players (not shown) on the field. The use of a catcher-worn transmitter 14 in the PitchCom® system allows for catchers to call pitches and other instructions and aids in their development as baseball players. In professional baseball, catchers universally call the signals and not coaches.

[0036] FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction operation of a different pitch communication system in accordance with a different prior art commercially available system, such as that provided by GoRout®. In this system, a coach 15 or off-field player uses a tablet 18 or smartphone 30 (FIG. 5B, for example) to communicate signals (baseball instructions) over a network to wrist worn receivers 20 such as that shown in FIG. 5C. The receiver 20 in FIG. 5C can show multiple signals on the same display screen. The network can be different types, including but not limited to, cellular, WiFi, Lora, etc. Referring also to FIG. 5A, the coach 15 selects an instruction from the display screen of the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 by touching an icon (such as a virtual selection button) on the display screen. This action causes the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 to transmit the baseball instruction as text characters, such as in an SMS message, as only one example. The transmission is sent by the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 to an antenna 22 of the network. This antenna can be a cell tower, or a WiFi router, or other device that will receive the signal from the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 and then relay the signal to each of the receivers 20 worn by the catcher 10, pitcher 12 and other players (not shown). The network can be a public or private network.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a schematic depiction operation of a still different pitch communication system in accordance with a different prior art commercially available system, such as that provided by Armilla Tech® and DigiWrist. It is similar to the prior art system of FIG. 2 in that it uses a tablet 18 or smartphone 30 to send signals from an off-field coach to receivers 20 worn by players, such as the catcher 10 and the pitcher 12. However, it is different from the system of FIG. 2 in that the system of FIG. 3 uses direct RF communication from tablet 18 or smartphone 30 to the receivers 20 instead of a network.

[0038] The prior art systems of FIGS. 2 and 3 both have a significant drawback in that they do not allow for the use of the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 by the catcher 10 to call pitches. This stunts the development of catchers since they will lack the experience and skill at sequencing the pitches. As these systems are used for youth, high school and college baseball teams, a catcher may never experience calling pitches himself and understand the nuances involved in determining the best pitch to call. From a competitive aspect, a catcher is often best positioned to know which pitch to call, since he is sitting behind the batter and has the best view of both the batter and the pitcher.

[0039] Embodiments of the present invention provide structure to allow systems employing tablets 18 or smartphones 30 to be used by on-field players to call pitches and other baseball instructions, in a safe manner.

[0040] FIGS. 6A-6C depict various views of a shell 40 that is configured to be wearable on the body of the catcher 10. The shell 40 has a chamber 42 sized and shaped to securely receive and hold a smartphone 30 (or appropriately sized tablet 18). A cover 44 can be hinged to open to allow the shell 40 to receive the smartphone 30 in the chamber 42 and then closed during a play. A magnetic latch (not shown) or similar latching arrangement allows the cover 44 to remain closed during a pitch and throughout a play, thereby protecting the smartphone from damage and the players from debris that could be caused by an impact with ball or player. To call a pitch, or other signal, a catcher 10 would lift the cover 44 temporarily to gain access to the display screen of the smartphone 30 and make a pitch selection. To make it easier to lift the cover, a lip 46 that extends beyond the chamber 42 and main shell body is provided. The catcher 10 can grab or push up on this lip 46 to hinge the cover 44 upwardly to expose the display screen of the smartphone 30. Following the selection and transmission of the baseball instruction, the catcher 10 closes the cover 44 over the smartphone 30 and prepares to receive the pitch.

[0041] The shell 40 is configured to be worn by a catcher 10. In certain embodiments, the outer dimensions of the shell 40 are less than about 8″ in length L, less than about 4″ in width W, and less than about 1.5″ in depth D. These dimensions allow the shell to be worn by a catcher during play while also being able to receive a smartphone 30 in the chamber 42. The shell 40 can be worn by a catcher 10 in different places. Advantageously, as shown in FIG. 6C that depicts the shell 40 from underneath, the bottom surface 47 of the shell 40 can have an attachment element 48, such as a hook and loop fastening element. This allows the shell 40 to be attached to a mating element worn by the catcher 10, such as a forearm sleeve, a shin guard, a wrist strap, etc.

[0042] The shell 40 can be made of any appropriate material that will be lightweight, withstand high impacts from baseballs and will not block transmission from the smartphone 30. High density injection molded plastic is one such material, for example.

[0043] The shell 40 provides a physical means of allowing catcher 10 to call pitches in a tablet 18 or smartphone 30 based system. The catcher 10 can call pitches safely and securely without exposing himself or other players to harm.

[0044] FIG. 7A depicts a human interface device (HID) 50 that wirelessly connects to the tablet 18 or smartphone 30. Such devices are readily commercially available and have physical input elements 52 to allow input by a catcher through touch (pushing a button, for example). Examples of HIDs include controllers that connect to tablets 18 or smartphones 30 through Bluetooth or other wireless protocols.

[0045] In operation, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the catcher 10 wears the HID 50 while the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 can safely stay in the dugout off-field. The catcher 10 will push a button or buttons 52 (physical input elements) to send a control signal, via Bluetooth for example, to the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 to control the selection of the baseball signal to transmit from the tablet 18 or smartphone 30. The tablet 18 or smartphone 30 can send the signal to the receivers 20 via a network (FIG. 8) or through direct RF communication (FIG. 9). The HID 50 can be made with an outer case that protects against debris in the event of an impact.

[0046] Maintaining the tablet 18 or the smartphone 30 off the field while allowing the catcher 10 to still call pitches through the system is advantageous from a player development standpoint as well as a competitive perspective. Also, this allows for retrofitting such prior art systems to provide catchers with this ability and save costs for colleges and high schools who will not need to purchase complete new systems.

[0047] FIG. 7B shows a different embodiment of the HID 50 with a physical coupling of the output of the HID 50 to a tablet 18 or smartphone 30. This arrangement also allows the catcher 10 to call pitches but requires the phone to be worn by the catcher 10, in protective shell 40, for example. A hardwired connection from the HID 50 to the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 is made. Although FIG. 7B shows the HID 50 and the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 positioned end to end, this is only for illustrative purposes to stress the physical coupling. As stated above, the tablet 18 or smartphone 30 can be protected within a hard shell. To provide compactness, a physical arrangement may include the HID 50 on top of the tablet 18 or smartphone 30. This embodiment is not as elegant a solution as the wireless connection, but it will still achieve the earlier stated needs.

[0048] FIG. 10 shows a block diagram of some of the elements of an exemplary tablet 18 or smartphone 30, an exemplary receiver 20, and an exemplary HID 50. The tablet 18 (or smartphone 30, not referenced for illustrative purposes) includes a touch screen display 89, a first microcontroller 82, a transmitter unit 84 and a receiver 86. The receiver 20, worn by players typically on their wrist, include a display 88, a second microcontroller 90 and a receiver 92. The HID 50 includes physical input elements 52, a third microcontroller 94 and an output 96, which can be either hardwired or wireless, such as Bluetooth.

[0049] The system of FIG. 10 is a system for remotely communicating baseball instructions that has a transmitter 30, a display receiver 20 and a human interface device 50. The transmitter 30 includes the transmitter unit 84 configured to transmit text characters as wireless signals, the touch screen display 80 that displays baseball instructions as selectable signals to transmit, a first microcontroller 82 coupled to the transmitter unit 84 and the touch screen display 80. The first microcontroller 82 is configured to provide the transmitter unit 84 with a selected baseball instruction to wirelessly transmit. The receiver unit 86 is coupled to the first microcontroller 82 and is configured to receive control signals from the human interface device (HID) 50 that controls the first microcontroller 82 to select the selectable signals to transmit as baseball instructions. The receiving unit 92 of the display receiver 88 is configured to wirelessly receive the characters received as wireless signals. The second microcontroller 90 is connected to the receiving unit 92. The display 88 is connected to the second microcontroller 90 and configured to display the text characters as a baseball instruction. The HID 50 is coupled to the transmitter 30 (wirelessly or physically) and the physical input elements 52 are actuatable by a person through touch. The third microcontroller 94 is coupled to the input elements 52. The HID output 96 is coupled to the third microcontroller 94 and the transmitter 30, the HID 50 providing a control signal to the first microcontroller 82 to control the selection of the selected baseball signal to wirelessly transmit. The HID 50 is configured to be wearable by a catcher 10.

[0050] FIG. 11 is a top view of a transmitter 100 constructed in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure with physical input elements 102. The transmitter 100 sends text characters over a network but does not use a touch screen to input the selections. A microcontroller and transmitter unit are provided (not shown) and connect to the input element array 102. Selection of a baseball instruction to transmit is made through pushing one of the physical input elements in the input element array 102. This causes the microcontroller to cause the transmitter unit to send the text characters over the network. A display receiver 20, not shown in FIG. 11, can then display the baseball instruction received as text characters over the network. This embodiment allows the catcher to call pitches without using a tablet 18 or smartphone 30 having a touch display.

[0051] The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” or as an “example” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “include,”“have,” or the like is used in the description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprise” as “comprise” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

[0052] All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure us explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for”.

[0053] The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principled defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein but are accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one: unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. Pronouns in the masculine (e.g., his) include the feminine and neuter gender (e.g., her and its) and vice versa. Headings and subheadings, if any are used for convenience only and do not limit the subject disclosure.

[0054] While various embodiments have been described, the description is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting, and it is understood that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the embodiments. Although many possible combinations of features are shown in the accompanying figures and discussed in this detailed description, many other combinations of the disclosed features are possible. Any feature of any embodiment may be used in combination with or substituted for any other feature or element in any other embodiment unless specifically restricted. Therefore, it will be understood that any of the features shown and / or discussed in the present disclosure may be implemented together in any suitable combination. Accordingly, the embodiments are not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Also, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the attached claims.

[0055] While the foregoing has described what are considered to be the best mode and / or other examples, it is understood that various modifications may be made therein and that the subject matter disclosed herein may be implemented in various forms and examples, and that the teachings may be applied in numerous applications, only some of which have been described herein. It is intended by the following claims to claim any and all applications, modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the present teachings.

[0056] Unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions, magnitudes, sizes, and other specifications that are set forth in this specification, including in the claims that follow, are approximate, not exact. They are intended to have a reasonable range that is consistent with the functions to which they relate and with what is customary in the art to which they pertain.

[0057] The scope of protection is limited solely by the claims that now follow. That scope is intended and should be interpreted to be as broad as is consistent with the ordinary meaning of the language that is used in the claims when interpreted in light of this specification and the prosecution history that follows and to encompass all structural and functional equivalents. Notwithstanding, none of the claims are intended to embrace subject matter that fails to satisfy the requirement of Sections 101, 102, or 103 of the Patent Act, nor should they be interpreted in such a way. Any unintended embracement of such subject matter is hereby disclaimed.

[0058] Except as stated immediately above, nothing that has been stated or illustrated is intended or should be interpreted to cause a dedication of any component, step, feature, object, benefit, advantage, or equivalent to the public, regardless of whether it is or is not recited in the claims.

[0059] It will be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein. Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,”“comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “a” or “an” does not, without further constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

[0060] The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various examples for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claims require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed example. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0033]The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of various configurations of the subject technology and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the subject technology may be practiced. The appended drawings are incorporated herein and constitute a part of the detailed description. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the subject technology. However, it will be clear and apparent to those skilled in the art that the subject technology is not limited to the specific details set forth herein and may be practiced using one or more embodiments. In one or more instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the subject technology.

[0034]In the following drawings, a schematic depiction of players and the devices they wear or carry are shown. The devices are depicted very outsized compared in relat...

Claims

1. A system for remotely communicating baseball instructions, comprising:a transmitter including:a transmitter unit configured to transmit text characters as wireless signals;a touch screen display that displays baseball instructions as selectable signals to transmit;a first microcontroller coupled to the transmitter unit and the touch screen display, the first microcontroller configured to provide the transmitter unit with a selected baseball instruction to wirelessly transmit; anda receiver unit coupled to the first microcontroller and configured to receive control signals from a human interface device (HID) that controls the first microcontroller to select the selectable signals to transmit as baseball instructions;a display receiver including:a receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive the text characters received as wireless signals;a second microcontroller connected to the receiving unit; anda display connected to the second microcontroller and configured to display the text characters as a baseball instruction; anda HID coupled to the transmitter, the HID including:physical input elements that are actuatable by a person through touch;a third microcontroller coupled to the physical input elements; andan HID output coupled to third microcontroller and the transmitter, the HID providing a control signal to the first microcontroller to control selection of the selected baseball instruction to wirelessly transmit;wherein the HID is configured to be wearable by a catcher.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the baseball instructions include at least one of a pitch type, pitch location, and running game instruction.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the HID and the transmitter are wirelessly connected.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the HID and the transmitter are wirelessly connected by Bluetooth.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the HID is less than 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 1 inch deep.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the transmitter transmits the text characters as wireless signals to the display receiver over a wireless network.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the wireless network is at least one of a cellular network and a WiFi network.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the HID and the transmitter are physically connected such that the control signal is provided by the HID to the transmitter over a physical connection.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the transmitter transmits the text characters as wireless signals to the display receiver directly through RF communication without a network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the HID is less than 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 1 inch deep.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein the HID and the transmitter are physically connected such that the control signal is provided by the HID to the transmitter over a physical connection.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the transmitter transmits the text characters as wireless signals to the display receiver over a wireless network.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless network is at least one of a cellular network and a WiFi network.

14. A system for remotely communicating baseball instructions, comprising:a transmitter including:a transmitter unit configured to transmit text characters as wireless signals;a input element array with a plurality of input elements, the input element array configured to provide input of selections of baseball instructions to transmit; anda first microcontroller coupled to the transmitter unit and the input element array, the first microcontroller configured to provide the transmitter unit with a selected baseball instruction to wirelessly transmit in response to actuation of one of the plurality of input elements; anda display receiver including:a receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive the text characters received as wireless signals;a second microcontroller connected to the receiving unit; anda display connected to the second microcontroller and configured to display the text characters as a baseball instruction,wherein the transmitter transmits the text characters as wireless signals to the display receiver over a wireless network, andwherein the transmitter is configured to be wearable by a catcher.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the wireless network is at least one of a cellular network and a WiFi network.

16. A system for remotely communicating baseball instructions, comprising:a transmitter including:a transmitter unit configured to transmit text characters as wireless signals;a touch screen display that displays baseball instructions as selectable signals to transmit, the touch screen display having selectable touch locations to select baseball instructions; anda first microcontroller coupled to the transmitter unit and the touch screen display, the first microcontroller configured to provide the transmitter unit with a selected baseball instruction to wirelessly transmit in response to selection at a touch location of the touch screen display;a display receiver including:a receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive the text characters received as wireless signals;a second microcontroller connected to the receiving unit; anda display connected to the second microcontroller and configured to display the text characters as a baseball instruction; anda wearable protective shell having a recess configured to hold the transmitter within, the recess having an opening to receive the transmitter, a closable cover that covers and exposes the transmitter when the transmitter is within the wearable protective shell, and an attachment element configured for removable attachment of the wearable protective shell and transmitter to a catcher.

17. A method of remotely communicating baseball instructions wirelessly, the method comprising:coupling a human interface device (HID) to a transmitter configured to transmit text characters as wireless signals, the transmitter comprising one of a tablet and a smartphone;actuating an input element of the HID to select a baseball instruction, the HID outputting a signal to the transmitter indicating selection of the baseball instruction;receiving the selection of the baseball instruction that was input from the HID at the transmitter and transmitting text characters as wireless signals, the text characters corresponding to the baseball instruction;receiving the text characters at a display receiver and displaying the text characters as a baseball instruction; andfurther comprising removably attaching the HID to a catcher.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the transmitter transmits the text characters as wireless signals to the display receiver over a wireless network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the wireless network is at least one of a cellular network and a WiFi network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the HID and the transmitter are wirelessly connected.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the HID and the transmitter are physically connected such that the signal is provided by the HID to the transmitter over a physical connection.

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