Wireless Competition Starting System for Hearing-Impaired Athletes
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Solution Overview
Problem
In competitive events, especially races, ensuring synchronized start signals for all participants is critical, as fractions of a second can determine winners, and hearing-impaired competitors require alternative signaling methods beyond auditory cues, with existing systems often causing positional disadvantages due to inconvenient placement of visual signals.
Innovation Solution
A competition starting system comprising a start-receiver that detects a starting sound and transmits a wireless signal to start signaling devices with lights and speakers to indicate readiness, mark, and start, allowing for separate and portable control of start modes to minimize time delays and accommodate diverse participant needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If visual start signaling devices are placed at inconvenient locations, then hearing-impaired competitors can see the signal, but competitors lose several tenths of a second on the start due to non-competitive positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces wireless communication technology to transmit start signals from the venue speaker through mobile devices to competitors' handheld devices. This dimensional shift from physical visual signaling to wireless digital signaling allows competitors to receive start signals in their optimal competitive positions without requiring inconvenient placement of visual devices.
2Productivity
If a venue start speaker is used to provide start signals, then all competitors can hear the signal, but hearing-impaired competitors cannot perceive the auditory cue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the start signaling system universal by implementing multiple signal transmission modes (auditory through venue speaker and visual through mobile device screens) simultaneously. This multi-functionality ensures that the system can serve both hearing competitors and hearing-impaired competitors effectively, with each receiving the start signal through their preferred or accessible modality.
3Reliability
If start signaling devices are integrated into a single fixed system, then synchronization is achieved, but portability and flexible positioning are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the start signaling system into distributed mobile devices rather than a single fixed system. Each competitor's mobile device independently receives and displays the start signal wirelessly, eliminating the need for complex physical synchronization mechanisms while maintaining reliability through wireless timestamp synchronization from the venue speaker.
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 precise and simultaneous start signaling across all participants, including those who are hearing-impaired, by ensuring that visual and auditory cues are synchronized within milliseconds, thereby reducing competitive disadvantages and enhancing fairness.
Implementation Method 1
a start-receiver to detect a starting sound from a venue starter and transmits a wireless signal
Implementation Method 2
transmits a wireless signal to start signaling devices having one or more lights
Implementation Method 3
start signaling devices having a start light device to produce a start light to indicate that the competitors should start the competition
Data Source
AI summary
A competition starting system utilizes a start-receiver to detect a venue starting sound and transmits a wireless signal to start signaling devices having a speaker to emit one or more lights and a lane start sound to indicate the start of the competition. This system may be used to enable hearing impaired competitors to see a start light at their lane in race competitions. A start-controller may have a number of buttons to initiate various lights and sounds from the start signaling devices and to place the start-receiver in a start mode. The buttons may correspond to ready, mark and start. The start-receiver may be programmed to detect a start sound, when in the start mode, from a venue sound device that is above a threshold decibel level and send instructions to the start signaling device to emit the start light.