LED Play Calling Board for Rapid Signal Transmission
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for secret play calling in sports, such as the coach-messenger paradigm and coded systems, suffer from inaccuracies due to hearing limitations and ambient noise, and are slow, leaving a narrow margin for error and requiring significant time for communication and execution.
Innovation Solution
An electronic play calling device with a LED display board powered by a rechargeable battery, controlled via a remote transmitter using IR, RF, or WiFi signals, allowing for quick and accurate communication of coded plays to players on the field without relying on vocal cues or visual signs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional coach-messenger play calling is used, then the system is simple and easy to operate, but communication accuracy deteriorates due to attenuation error and miscommunication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/acoustic communication system (coach yelling, messenger relaying) with an electronic display system using LED lights arranged in patterns to represent plays. This substitution eliminates attenuation errors and miscommunication while maintaining operational simplicity through intuitive visual interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an electronic display board as an intermediary between the coach and players. The display board translates coach inputs into visual play patterns, serving as a reliable mediator that eliminates direct human-to-human communication errors while keeping the overall system straightforward to operate.
2Reliability
If coded play calling systems are used, then communication accuracy improves, but the system becomes more complex and requires additional equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex verbal coding systems with a visual LED display system that directly shows play patterns. This substitution maintains high communication accuracy while simplifying the system by eliminating the need for players to memorize and interpret complex coded messages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses different colored LED lights arranged in specific patterns to represent different plays. This visual color-coding system provides high communication accuracy through intuitive visual differentiation while keeping the system simple through straightforward light pattern recognition rather than complex code interpretation.
3Reliability
If vocalized play codes are used, then the system is simple to operate, but reliability deteriorates due to hearing limitations and ambient noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes acoustic communication (vocalized play codes) with optical communication (LED light patterns). This substitution dramatically improves reliability in noisy environments and for players with hearing limitations while maintaining operational simplicity through intuitive button presses or touch inputs on the display device.
4Productivity
If traditional play calling procedures are used, then the system is simple, but the time required for play execution increases to 20-35 seconds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the multi-step mechanical process (coach tells messenger, messenger runs to field, messenger relays to players) with an instantaneous electronic display system. This substitution reduces play execution time to approximately 10 seconds by eliminating physical transmission delays while keeping the interface simple through direct input methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a system where plays are pre-programmed into the electronic display device. The coach can quickly select from pre-defined play patterns, and the system automatically displays the corresponding LED pattern, eliminating the time required to manually communicate and interpret play details while maintaining operational simplicity.
5Productivity
If substitute players are used to relay plays, then the system remains simple, but the time for play execution increases due to the relay process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the human messenger relay system with an electronic display system that directly communicates plays to all players simultaneously. This substitution dramatically increases play execution speed by eliminating the sequential relay process while maintaining operational simplicity through intuitive input methods for the coach.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid and accurate communication of play calls, reducing the time required for execution to approximately 10 seconds, minimizing errors, and ensuring that only intended players understand the play, even in noisy environments.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of lights attached to the board and configured to illuminate a translated signal that is visible to a set of football players on the football field. In some embodiments, the plurality of lights are LED lights.
Implementation Method 2
The remote control of some embodiments transmits coded play selections to the electronic board by at least one of infrared (IR) signals, radio frequency (RF) signals, and WiFi signals.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic play calling device, system, process is disclosed for calling plays displaying encoded representations associated with the plays is displayed on an electronic display board adjacent to a playing field. The electronic play calling device includes a play calling board, a power source, and several LED lights attached to the board and configured to illuminate a translated signal that is visible to a set of players on the playing field.