Universal electronic sports scoring system using an interactive mobile judge controller with an adaptive server-driven user interface.

Abstract

An interactive electronic sport scoring system for, but not limited to martial arts events that uses mobile judge controllers with an adaptive server-driven user interface dynamic rendered at run-time. The Mobile Judge UI is generated as per the scoring server instructions. The Mobile Judge UI is continually updated in real-time during the event by the scoring server. The UI is updated every time the server status is changed, the rules for scoring are changed, the sport event type is changed or the current scored event status is changed; the scored event can be a match, a training session or an athlete graduation event.

Description

Universal electronic sports scoring system using an interactive mobile judge controller with an adaptive server-driven user interface.

[0001] The present invention relates generally to a system for scoring sports competitions. More particular, this invention relates to the device used by the judges and referees during a sports event to electronically score martial arts sports events. This replaces the traditional scoring joystick devices and judges software applications. Still, more particularly, this invention is related to an electronic judge controller used to input the score. It has an adaptive server-driven interface that is fully controlled by the server and changes based on the type of sports event or type of scoring model selected from the scoring server console.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Every day, millions of people participate in sporting events that require real-time scoring from one or multiple referees and judges. Sports organizers and participants are committed to making the scoring fair and simple and displaying the scores in real-time during the matches. As a result, there is common constant interest coming from event organisers, referees, players, fans, friends, family members or colleagues of the players towards using simpler electronic scoring systems at events such as, but not limited to, martial arts sporting tournaments and gymnastics.

[0003] The problem with real-time scoring is that the match-scoring servers must run with high availability during the tournament. Unlike the online registration servers, for example, where the network delay is not important, a good quality scoring server must provide low network latency and absolutely no disconnections for the real-time scoring to be as accurate as possible.

[0004] Electronic scoring systems that help the referees to score points during an event are already known. It is to be noted that such systems are dedicated systems created and optimized for a specific type of sport or competition type, and they are not designed to be portable or to support multi-scoring systems at the same time. The existing scoring systems implementing static rules for a specific sport make them not usable or adaptable to sports events other than for the ones they have been created for.

[0005] In order for sporting event organizers to support real-time scoring for tournaments with multiple events using different scoring systems or scoring rules (for example Taekwondo sparing vs Taekwondo poomsae or Karate vs Taekwondo vs Judo), the organizers must support multiple electronic scoring systems and scoring controllers. For martial arts, a match ring (or court) requires one or more judges. Each judge then uses a flag, a specialized joystick or a specialized app to signal or submit the score points during the athletes performances.

[0006] The scoring systems from different sports interpret the scored points submitted by the judges and referees using different rules. For example:For Taekwondo ITF the winner is calculated based on the number of judges who vote for a player or a team of players at the end of the fight.In other sports like WT Taekwondo or Karate Kumite, the winner is calculated based on the total number of scored points accumulated by each player or team of players during the fight.In WT Taekwondo, the judges score points only for kicks or punches; in Karate, the judges are responsible for signalling or scoring the penalties and warnings.In Taekwondo, a match is not interrupted after each scored point; opposite to Karate where the game is stopped after an athlete scores a point.

[0007] The complexity of the rules in a variety of sporting competitions makes the traditional scoring systems designed only for a specific sport not a portable valid solution for multi rules sport competitions.

[0008] The existing mobile applications are specifically designed for a specific type of sport or type of scoring. Hence, limiting the electronic judge's capabilities to a single type of tournament; therefore, in WT taekwondo, the organizers use multiple dedicated scoring systems during the same tournament. These are a patterns system and a sparring system. In Karate they need a Kata application and a Kumite application.

[0009] Using multiple scoring systems at the same tournament has quite a few disadvantages for clubs and organizations supporting these events:The event organizer must invest in and support multiple scoring systems.The organizers must train judges to use two or more controller types.Double data entries for all competitors participating in multiple divisions during the same event using.There is no automatic athlete results aggregation across all divisions when these systems are not interconnected and do not have a built in compatible intersystem data communication following the same specification.

[0010] Using specialized joysticks or mobile apps with a client-side-driven UI increases the systems maintenance. For example, the World Taekwondo organization used to award points for kicks only; a few years ago, a new rule was introduced where athletes could score points for punches too. All joysticks and mobile applications suddenly required an extra button to be able to support the new scoring rule. The minimal consequences of these changes are:Any time a new scoring rule is added to the sport, organizers must buy a new set of expensive joysticks and make sure every one of the judges client apps is updated.If a judge does not upgrade his client application, there is always a risk that he will submit the wrong results to the server. Consequently, potentially corrupting the results without knowing about it.

[0011] Most martial arts sports organizations like Karate are divided into small sub-organizations, and each of them uses different scoring rules. The high cost required to develop a performant and reliable sports scoring system with electronic judges makes lots of sports competitions (including popular sports like Karate Sanbon Kumite) still use paperwork and manually score using flags systems to track their scores during the match. For this reason, only organizations like World Taekwondo, which has a massive number of clubs and potential buyers of scoring systems, benefit from automatic electronic scoring systems today.

[0012] Building a universal scoring system that supports dynamic rules (with an adaptive and dynamic judge controller that is configurable for multiple sports), will share the cost of development across multiple sports and users and will make it accessible to a larger audience.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The primary objective of the invention is to provide a universal adaptive scoring system for, but not limited to martial arts sports, with an interactive dynamic electronic judge controller that uses server-driven user interface architecture.

[0014] This new universal judge controller provides intelligent judge assistance and interactive judge help during the event. Hence, providing capabilities previously not possible with the traditional joystick judge controllers or through mobile judge apps that use client-side logic to control the look and feel of the judge controller user interface.

[0015] The new scoring server supports dynamic scoring rules and has the built-in capability to send judge notifications, real-time status updates, real-time data and UI updates to the judge controller.

[0016] The new judge controller is an intelligent two-way communication app with reduced client-side logic, which has a UI look and feel controlled by the scoring server.

[0017] The new universal judge controller constantly displays information to the judge about the changes of the status of the games. Therefore, it requires less judge training and helps organize and manage events in less time and with fewer resources, hence, being more efficient and reliable.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The above and other features of this invention are described in the following drawings:

[0019] - Server & Electronic Judges – Connectivity. It’s a perspective view of the components of the present invention. The adaptive judges with server-driven UI communicate wirelessly with the scoring server.

[0020] - Adaptive Mobile Judge loading the initial UI from the scoring server. It’s a sequence diagram of the Adaptive Mobile Judge user interface initialization. When the Mobile client app is preparing, it’s reading and renders the initial user interface from the scoring server.

[0021] - Scoring Server Pushing UI changes to Mobile Judge device. It’s a sequence diagram of the scoring server notifying the Mobile Client application about the user interface updates during the event. The Mobile application will re-render the mobile user interface according with the instructions provided by the server at any time during the event.

[0022] - Mobile Device - checks and requests UI Updates from the Scoring Server. It’s a sequence diagram of the Mobile Judge app checking for user interface updates during the event. This is a pull process. If any events are identified, the mobile application will re-render the mobile user interface according with the instructions provided by the server.

[0023] The components of the system are:the scoring server implements dynamic scoring rules capable of supporting multiple sport scoring types. It is also capable of sending real-time configuration updates to the universal judge controller adaptive user interface.the universal judge controller devices with an adaptive user interface are driven by the scoring server. This judge device communicates with the scoring server and renders the user interface according to the server instructions received in real-time during the sporting event.

[0024] The scoring-server application will run either on a machine or as a virtual appliance.

[0025] The universal judge controller application will run on each judges mobile device.

[0026] As per the drawings (, 3 and 4) the Judge User interface is constructed and updated using a push, pull or a combination of push and pull operations. These are standard development patterns and each implementor can choose the preferred mechanism. In a full implementation the server is pushing the user interface configuration and updates to an electronic Judge application that subscribes for notifications from the server. At the same time the Judge application uses a pull mechanism to constantly check the scoring server for UI updates.

[0027] During the operations, the scoring server controls the judge devices and dynamically updates in real-time the judge-controller’s user interface looks and feel based on the selected scoring type, the server status changes and the current game status.

[0028] The mobile app does not implement specific user interfaces for any specific sport.

[0029] The judge user interface is built by the controller at run-time based on the descriptions and information provided by the scoring server. The UI is rendered using mobile native UI components combined with UI parts remotely built and supplied by the server to the controller via WebView or similar technologies.

[0030] Using the mobile device with a Server-Driven UI architecture to dynamically render any complex judge dynamic user interfaces generated by the server, opposite to the existing judge applications coding the judge user interface layout in the mobile application itself has major advantages:The scoring server can support and add complex scoring rules without changing the judges mobile application.The scoring-server can create and release new versions of the judge user interfaces optimized and with improved accessibility without changing the judge mobile applications; (doesn’t make any sense)The organizer can customize the judges controllers from the server console, without changing and releasing the mobile apps;Eliminates the extra complex cycle of release and update for the electronic judge controller software.Reduces the judges training without rereleasing and upgrading the judge controllers:The mobile scoring device has the capability to include interactive help specific to each remote user interface.The mobile scoring device can run graphical and video presentations that help the user quickly understand the controllers capabilities.Notify and make users aware of new controller capabilities.

[0031] For UI updates, the implementor can choose to implement only the server push operation described by diagram 3, or the mobile client app pull operation described by diagram 4, or can implement push and pull operations at the same time for a full redundant system.

Claims

An electronic scoring system for sports comprising of:a scoring server with configurable scoring rules; anda universal dynamic-judge controller used by judges to submit scored events to the server during the event, implemented using a dynamic and adaptive server-driven user interface that is rendered at run-time as per the instructions received from the server in real-time and providing an interactive help and a judge scoring assistant.Scoring server of claim 1, supports dynamic and configurable sport scoring rules.Scoring server of claim 1, has the capability to send instructions and data to the universal judge controller or claim 1.Scoring server of claim 1, has the capability to receive scoring events from the universal judge controller or claim 1.Scoring server of claim 1, continues to update (in real-time) the user interface look and feel of the universal judge controller of claim 1, based on the current selected sport event type and status.The universal judge controller of claim 1, is a mobile app with a server-driven UI.The universal judge controller of claim 1, provides the components and the capability to build, at runtime, a user interface based on the server instructions.The universal judge controller of claim 1, is supplied as a software application that runs on the judges mobile devices.The universal judge controller of claim 1, has a communication capability to receive UI layout updates from the scoring server.The universal judge controller of claim 1, has an assigned unique ID that allows the server to uniquely identify and manage each judge controller.

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