Device for Locating Tournament Players

Abstract

A player locating device for a golf tournament includes a listing of tee off times for a plurality of golf holes for the tournament. From a list of players on the device, a user finds a starting tee off time and a starting golf hole for a given player that the user wishes to locate at the tournament. Using a moveable element, which can be a slider or a dial on the device, the user aligns the player's starting golf hole listed on the moveable element with the starting tee off time listed on the device. Then, the user finds the current time during the tournament on the device and reads the number of the aligned golf hole listed on the moveable element to determine which hole the player is currently playing in the tournament.

Description

FIELD OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

The subject matter of the present disclosure relates to a device for locating players at a tournament.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

Unlike most sporting events that have a “kick-off” or other distinct beginning, professional golf tournaments have multiple “tee-off times” for each pairing or group of professional golfers in the tournament. Currently, pairing sheets are available for golfing fans at the tournament. The pairing sheets show the starting tee-off times for each pairing or group of golfers. Newspapers may also provide the starting tee-off times for the golfers. Golfing fans may arrive at the tournament throughout the day and may have an interest in seeing only some of the professional golfers. Unfortunately, the pairing sheets do not enable the golfing fan to locate where a desired golfer is located on the course throughout the tournament. Therefore, a need exists to help golfing fans locate particular golfers in a tournament during various times of the day.

The subject matter of the present disclosure is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

A player locating device for a golf tournament or other such event includes a listing of starting tee-off times for a plurality of golf holes of the tournament. From a list of players on the device, a user finds a starting tee-off time and a starting golf hole for a given player that the user wishes to locate at the tournament. Using a moveable element, which can be a slider or a dial on the device, the user aligns the player's starting golf hole listed on the moveable element with the starting tee-off time listed on the device. Then, the user finds the current time on the device and reads the number of the aligned golf hole listed on the moveable element to determine which hole the player is currently playing in the tournament.

The foregoing summary is not intended to summarize each potential embodiment or every aspect of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, preferred embodiments, and other aspects of subject matter of the present disclosure will be best understood with reference to a detailed description of specific embodiments, which follows, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A-1B illustrate an embodiment of a device for locating players at a tournament throughout various times.

FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate another embodiment of a device for locating players at a tournament throughout various times.

FIG. 2C illustrates a pairing sheet.

While the disclosed device for locating players at a tournament is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. The figures and written description are not intended to limit the scope of the inventive concepts in any manner. Rather, the figures and written description are provided to illustrate the inventive concepts to a person skilled in the art by reference to particular embodiments, as required by 35 U.S.C. § 112.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1A-1B, an embodiment of a device 10 for locating players or golfers at a tournament or other such event throughout various times is illustrated. The device 10 includes a card or sheet 12 having a front side 14 shown in FIG. 1A and having a reverse side 15 shown in FIG. 1B. As shown on the front side 14 of FIG. 1A, the device 10 includes a pairing section 20, a time section 30, one side of a movable element 40, and directions 18. As shown on the reverse side 15 of FIG. 1B, the device 10 similarly includes a pairing section 20, a time section 30, and another side of the movable element 40. Because these sides 14 and 15 are substantially similar, the various sections and elements in FIGS. 1A-1B are given the same reference numerals for convenience.

The pairing section 20 shows the various parings 22 of golfers for the tournament next to their starting “tee-off” times in the time column 32 of the time section 30. In the present example, the pairings 22 on the front side 14 of FIG. 1A are for those players teeing-off at the starting location 24 of the number one tee for the particular day of the tournament for which the device 10 has been made. The pairings 22 on the reverse side 15 of FIG. 1B are for those players teeing-off at the starting location 25 of the number ten tee for the particular day of the tournament.

The movable element 40 is a slider and is movable within a slot 16 formed in the device 10. One side of the slider 40 is visible on the front side 14 of the device 10, as shown in FIG. 1A. Similarly, another side of the slider 40 is visible on the reverse side 15 of the device 10, as shown in FIG. 1B. The sides of the slider 40 have columns 42 and 44 listing the locations (i.e., holes or tees) of the golf course. Because the pairings 22 on the front side 14 of FIG. 1A tee-off from the starting location 24 of the number one tee, the first hole in column 42 on the slider 40 shows an arrow for aligning with a starting tee-off time in the time column 32 that corresponds to the adjacent pairing 22 in the pairing section 20. Contrariwise, because the pairings 22 on the reverse side 15 of FIG. 1B tee-off from the starting location 25 of the number ten tee, the tenth hole in column 42 on the slider 40 shows an arrow for aligning with a starting tee-off time in the time column 32 that corresponds to the adjacent pairing 22.

The device 10 can be conveniently given out to golfing fans arriving at the tournament. Using the device 10, the golfing fans can find where a particular golfer is likely located on the course at various times during the tournament. To use the device 10, a user moves the arrow on the slider 40 to the start time in time column 32 for the particular golfer in the pairings 22 that they wish to locate. This can be done for the golfers starting from the starting location 24 of number one tee on the front side 14 of FIG. 1A or for the golfers starting from the starting location 25 of the number ten tee on the reverse side 15 of FIG. 1B. For example, the user in FIG. 1A has aligned the arrow for the number one tee with the paring 22 having the golfers of Campbell, Perez, and Palmer, who had a starting tee-off time of 9:15 a.m. from the number one tee.

Then, the user finds the current time on either column 32 or 34 of the time section 30 to find the current hole in column 42 or 44 on the slider 40 that the desired golfer is likely located. For example, if the current time is 12:15 p.m., the user can determine that the paring 22 of Campbell, Perez, and Palmer, who teed-off at 9:15 a.m. from the number one tee, is likely located at the thirteenth hole or tee of the course. In a similar fashion, the user can operate the slider 40 on the reverse side 15 of the device 10 to find the current hole of any of the pairings 22 who teed-off from the number ten tee on the given day.

In some situations, course or weather delays may have changed the starting tee-off times for the pairings 22 in the tournament. To account for such changes, the user can add the time delay to the starting tee-off time of the pairing 22 they wish to locate and can then use the device 10 as before to locate the pairing 22 at the current time. For example, if there was a weather delay of 30 minutes delaying the starting tee-off time, the user wishing to located the pairing 22 of Pelt, Sanden, Bryan in FIG. 1A would align the arrow on the slider 40 not to the original tee-off time of 8:45 a.m. but instead to the tee-off time of 9:15 a.m. Then, the user can find the current time (e.g., 12:15 p.m.) to determine that the pairing 22 of Pelt, Sanden, Bryan is likely located at the thirteenth hole or tee of the course instead of the fifteenth hole.

Alternatively, any course or time delay in the starting tee-off times could instead be subtracted at the end of the determination. For example, if there was a weather delay of 30 minutes in the starting tee-off time, the user wishing to located the pairing 22 of Campbell, Perez, Palmer could still align the arrow on the slider 40 with the pairing's original tee-off time of 9:15 a.m., as shown in FIG. 1A. Then, the user can find the current time (e.g., 12:15 p.m.) and subtract the weather delay of 30 minutes to determine that the pairing 22 of Campbell, Perez, Palmer is likely located at the eleventh hole or tee of the course instead of the thirteenth hole.

In the present embodiment, the pairings 22 in the pairing section 20 have starting tee-off times at fifteen-minute intervals. It will be appreciated that a given tournament or other such event may have different times of play so that the pairing section 20 and time section 30 for a given tournament can be set up according to the predetermined time interval for that particular tournament. The hole columns 42 and 44 on the slider 40 can be similarly configured to align with the time interval of the tournament so that the numbers for the holes in columns 42 and 44 can align with the times in the time columns 32 and 34.

For example, a given tournament may have starting tee-off times at every twenty minutes so that each pairing 22 may play each hole in approximately twenty minutes. In this example, then the time columns 32 and 34 in the time section 30 would be divided into twenty-minute intervals for each hour, and the pairings 22 in the pairing section 20 would be aligned with the twenty-minute interval that represents that pairing's starting tee-off time. Of course, the measure or time of play is usually known or predetermined for a golf course so that the device 10 can be properly configured for the course and size of the pairings 22 for a given implementation.

Referring to FIGS. 2A-2B, another embodiment of a device 50 for locating players or golfers during a tournament is illustrated. The device 50 includes a card or sheet 52 having a front side 54 shown in FIG. 2A and having a reverse side 55 shown in FIG. 2B. As shown on the front side 54 in FIG. 5A, the device 50 includes a time section 60, a movable element 70, and directions 58. The time section 60 is arranged as times of a clock with a plurality of first predetermined intervals 62, which are every ten minutes in the present embodiment.

The movable element 70 is a dial and is rotatable about an attachment or rivet point 71 on the device 50. The dial 70 has a plurality of locations 72 representing the holes of the tournament. The holes 72 are arranged at every 5-degrees about the dial 70 so that the holes 72 are alignable with the times 62 in the time section 60. The holes 72 on the dial 70 are listed from the number one tee all the way through the number eighteen tee and further through the number nine tee.

As shown on the reverse side 55 in FIG. 2B, the device 50 similarly includes a time section 65, a movable element 75, and directions 59. The time section 65 is arranged as times of a clock with a plurality of second predetermined intervals 67, which are every eight minutes in the present embodiment. The movable element 75 is a dial and is rotatable about an attachment or rivet point 76 on the device 50, which can be the same rivet used on the front side 54 of FIG. 2A. The dial 75 has a plurality of locations 77 representing the holes of the tournament. The holes 77 are arranged at every 4-degrees about the dial 75 so that the holes 77 are alignable with the times 67 in the time section 65. The holes 77 on the dial 75 are listed from the number one tee all the way through the number eighteen tee and further through the number nine tee.

The device 50 has a weekday version on front side 54 of FIG. 2A and a weekend version on reverse side 55 of FIG. 2B with different time intervals on the time sections 60 and 65 and different location divisions on the dials 70 and 75. Lacking pairing information, the device 50 in the present embodiment is made to “stand alone.” In this way, the device 50 is generic and can be used in conjunction with already available pairing information of a tournament. Consequently, the player locating device 50 can be used on multiple days of a tournament and can used at different tournaments since it is not restricted to any specific pairings.

Pairings during a weekday of a tournament, such as on Thursday and Friday, usually have three players per pairing and have tee-off times at ten-minute intervals. Accordingly, the front side 54 of the device 50 in FIG. 2A is configured to locate pairings for a weekday of a tournament. The time section 60 has time intervals 62 at every ten-minutes, which corresponds to the usual tee-off separation for each pairing of three players during a weekday of a tournament. Pairings during a weekend of a tournament, such as on Saturday and Sunday, usually have two players per pairing and have tee-off times at eight-minute intervals. Accordingly, the reverse side 55 of the device 50 in FIG. 2B is configured to locate pairings for a weekend day of a tournament. The time section 65 has time intervals 67 at every eight-minutes, which corresponds to the usual tee-off separation for each pairing of two players during a weekend day of a tournament.

To use the device 50, the user refers to available pairing information, such as shown on pairing sheet 80 of FIG. 2C. The pairing sheet 80 has starting tee-off times 82 and pairings 84 of golfers. As shown by heading 86, this example of pairing information is for a weekday of a tournament (e.g., Friday) and shows the tee-off times for the three member parings from the number one tee. To locate a player, the user finds the starting tee-off time 82 of the player's pairing 84 that they wish to locate. Then, based on whether it is a weekday or a weekend, the user determines what version or side 54 or 55 of the device 50 in FIGS. 2A-2B to use, which in the present example is the weekday version on the front side 54 of FIG. 2A. The user rotates the dial 70 on the front side 54 to align the hole 72 for the pairing's starting location 86 (e.g., the number one tee) with the starting time 62 for the pairing. For example, for the first pairing 84 having the starting time of 7 a.m. at the starting location 86 of the number one tee shown in FIG. 2C, the user aligns the number one hole 72 on the dial 70 of FIG. 2A with the time 62 of 7 a.m. on the front side 54. Next, the user finds the current time of day in the time section 60 and finds the current hole 72 for the selected pairing on the dial 70. For example, if the current time is about 8:10 a.m., then the selected pairing, which started at the number one tee at 7 a.m., is likely located at the number eight tee of the course. Again, the user adds or subtracts any weather or course delays that may have occurred.

Although the embodiment of the device 50 in FIGS. 2A-2B lacks pairing information on the device 50, an alternative embodiment of the device 50 can include a pairing section directly on the device 50. For example, one embodiment of the device 50 can include dial 70 on the front side 54 and can include a pairing section on the reverse side 55 of the card 52 instead of including the second dial 75 and time section 65. In another embodiment of the device 50, pairing information (i.e., the names of members in a pairing) can be listed directly adjacent the pairing's start time 62 in the time section 60 on the device 50.

Although the embodiment of the player locating device 10 disclosed in FIGS. 1A through 1B includes pairing sections showing daily tee off information for pairings at a tournament, it will be appreciated that the device 10 can also lack such daily tee off information for pairings at the tournament so that the device 10 of FIGS. 1A-1B can “stand alone” and be used in conjunction with available pairing information.

Embodiments of the player locating devices disclosed herein can be sized to fit into a shirt pocket. Alternatively, embodiments of the player locating devices disclosed herein can include a string so that a user can wear the device in a manner similar to how golf fans wear their daily tickets. Because the player locating devices disclosed herein can be given to attendees of a tournament, embodiments of the player locating devices disclosed herein can also include advertising information printed on available space of the devices. In yet another alternative, embodiments of the player locating devices disclosed herein can be set up in a kiosk or on a display board at the various entrances of a tournament. The kiosk or display board can include a large-scale physical version or a computer touch screen version of the disclosed device for use by attendees. For example, a large-scale physical version of the embodiment of the locating device in FIG. 2A can be installed on a display board.

Although the embodiments of the player locating devices disclosed herein have been directed to locating golfers at a golf tournament, it will be appreciated with the benefit of the present disclosure that that the disclosed devices can be used for various tournaments and events. For example, the disclosed devices can be used for any tournament or event having a plurality of competitors and a sequence of competitions at different locations and at different predetermined times. Some examples of such tournaments and events include, but are not limited to, golf tournaments, tennis tournaments, dance competitions, swimming competitions, gymnastics competitions, bike racing competitions, Olympic events, weight lifting competitions, etc. Accordingly, the term “tournament” used in the present disclosure and claims can refer to an event, competition, contest, game, match, etc.

In addition, for a given “tournament,” the term “location” used in the present disclosure and claims can refer to a golf hole, a golf tee, an arena, a part of a competition, a leg of a race, etc. Furthermore, for a given “tournament,” the term “player” used in the present disclosure and claims can refer to a competitor, a golfer, a tennis player, a dancer, a swimmer, a gymnast, a racer, etc. As evidenced by the time sections 30 of FIG. 1A-1B and the time section 60 of FIG. 2A and as also evidenced by the locations listed on the slider 40 of FIGS. 1A-1B and the dial 70 of FIG. 2A, the terms “list,” “listing,” and “column” as used in the present disclosure and claims should not be construed as referring only to a linear arrangement.

The foregoing description of preferred and other embodiments is not intended to limit or restrict the scope or applicability of the inventive concepts conceived of by the Applicant. In exchange for disclosing the inventive concepts contained herein, the Applicant desires all patent rights afforded by the appended claims. Therefore, it is intended that the appended claims include all modifications and alterations to the full extent that they come within the scope of the following claims or the equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A player locating device for a tournament, the tournament having a plurality of locations and having predetermined times of play at the locations, the tournament having a plurality of players, each player associated with a starting time of the predetermined times of play and associated with a starting location of the sequence of locations, the device comprising:

a time list listing the predetermined times of play for each location of the tournament; and

a location list listing a sequence of locations for the tournament,

wherein the location list and the time list are movable relative to one another such that the locations are alignable with the predetermined times of play,

wherein the starting location in the location list for a given player is movably alignable with the given player's starting time in the time list, and

wherein a current location of the given player at a given time during the tournament is determined by the alignment of the predetermined time of play corresponding to the given time listed on the time list with the aligned location listed on the location list.

2. The device of claim 1, comprising a moveable element movably attached to the device, the moveable element having the location list and being movable relative to the time list such that the location list and the time list are movable relative to one another.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the time list comprises at least one column listing the predetermined times of play adjacent the moveable element.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the moveable element comprises at least one column listing the sequence of locations on the moveable element, each of the listed locations being alignable with the predetermined times of play listed on the time list.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the moveable element comprises a slider movably positioned in a slot of the device.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein the moveable element comprises a dial rotatably attached to the device.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined times of play are listed according to a predetermined interval in the time list.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the sequence of locations are listed according to the predetermined interval in the location list such that the locations are alignable with the predetermined times of play.

9. The device of claim 2, further comprising:

a second time list listing times of play on a reverse side of the device; and

a second side of the moveable element on the reverse side of the device, the second side listing a second sequence of locations and being movable relative to the second time list.

10. The device of claim 2, further comprising:

a second time list listing times of play on a reverse side of the device; and

a second moveable element on the reverse side of the device, the second movable element listing a second sequence of locations and being movable relative to the second time list.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising a player list listing the players of the tournament, each player associated with a starting time of play at a starting location.

12. A player locating device for a tournament, the tournament having a plurality of locations and having predetermined times of play at the locations, the device comprising:

a player list listing the players of the tournament, each player associated with a starting time of play at a starting location;

a time list listing the predetermined times of play for the locations; and

a moveable element movably attached to the device, the moveable element listing a sequence of the locations of the tournament and being movable relative to the time list such that the listed locations are alignable with the listed times of play,

wherein the starting location on the moveable element for a given player is movably alignable with the given player's starting time of play in the time list, and

wherein a current location of the given player at a given time during the tournament is determined by the alignment of the listed time of play corresponding to the given time with the aligned location listed on the moveable element.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the time list comprises at least one column listing the times of play adjacent the moveable element.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the moveable element comprises at least one column listing the sequence of locations on the moveable element.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the moveable element comprises a slider movably positioned in a slot of the device.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the moveable element comprises a dial rotatably attached to the device.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined times of play are listed according to a predetermined interval in the time list.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the sequence of locations are listed according to the predetermined interval such that the listed locations are alignable with the listed times of play.

19. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a second time list listing times of play on a reverse side of the device; and

a second side of the moveable element on the reverse side of the device, the second side listing a second sequence of locations and being movable relative to the second time list.

20. The device of claim 12, wherein the player list comprises:

a first list showing first players at starting times of play from a first location; and

a second list showing second players at starting times of play from a second location.

21. A player locating device for a tournament, the tournament having a plurality of player, a plurality of locations, and predetermined times of play at the locations, the device comprising:

means for associating each player with a starting time and a starting location on the device;

means for moving a sequence of the locations listed on the device relative to predetermined times of play listed on the device;

means for aligning the starting time for a given player with the given player's starting location; and

means for determining a current location for the given player aligned with the time of play corresponding to a current time.