Timing Display Device Using Color-Coded LED Sequences
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Solution Overview
Problem
Players in fast-paced sports like basketball face difficulty tracking time remaining on a shot clock due to the complexity of numeric displays, leading to challenges in timing accuracy and awareness, especially in high school and college levels where shot clocks are not universally used.
Innovation Solution
A timing display device featuring a series of indicator lights that change color and pattern in a defined sequence, surrounding a basketball backboard, providing a visual representation of time remaining through a green-yellow-red progression, allowing players and spectators to intuitively understand the time left without relying on numeric displays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a numeric digital clock display is used to show time remaining, then precise time measurement is provided, but player awareness and comprehension of time remaining deteriorates due to complexity and fast game pace
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses color changes in indicator lights to represent different time remaining intervals. The system transitions from green (plenty of time) to yellow (moderate time) to red (low time), providing intuitive visual feedback that players can quickly comprehend without needing to read or interpret numeric displays. This color-coding system directly addresses the problem of player awareness by making time status immediately recognizable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the time remaining into discrete segments or intervals, each represented by a specific color. Instead of displaying continuous numeric time, the system segments the time into ranges (e.g., 0-5 seconds, 5-10 seconds, 10-15 seconds) and assigns colors to each segment. This segmentation simplifies the information players need to process while maintaining sufficient precision for strategic decision-making.
2Reliability
If traditional shot clock systems are used in high school and college basketball, then timing functionality is provided, but timing accuracy and awareness deteriorates due to complexity of the system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential timing information from complex numeric displays and presents only the most relevant data in a simplified visual format. By removing unnecessary numeric details and keeping only the color-coded time intervals, the system maintains reliable timing functionality while dramatically reducing the complexity of the display and improving player comprehension.
3Ease of operation
If multiple colors and patterns are used in the indicator lights, then visual indication of time remaining is enhanced, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic activation of indicator lights rather than continuous illumination. The lights are activated in sequences or patterns that correspond to time intervals, turning on only when needed to indicate specific time statuses. This periodic action reduces overall energy consumption compared to continuously lit displays while maintaining clear visual indication during critical moments.
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
Enhances player awareness and timing accuracy by providing a clear, visual indication of time remaining, reducing the complexity of tracking time and improving situational awareness during games, applicable to various sports and timing applications.
Implementation Method 1
The lights may comprise light emitting diodes (LEDs) or similar elements
Data Source
AI summary
A timing display device is defined by an extended length of indicator lights having a first end, a second end, and at least one intermediate location. A controller communicates with the indicator lights for controlled activation of the lights in a set pattern in conjunction with a clock sequence. The pattern of activating starts in the intermediate location and moves therefrom towards the ends of the extended length. The movement of the light activation includes a first and second projected color, wherein the first color is sequentially activated between the intermediate location and the two ends and the second color is sequentially activated from intermediate location towards the two ends, while overlapping the previously activated first color. The indicator lights may be light emitting diodes and the display may be affixed to a basketball backboard.