GB2186491A - Snooker scoreboard - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic scoreboard for the game of snooker comprises individual LCD or LED screens for individual player's scores and a further such screen for the current break value. Scores are input by depression of buttons coloured to correspond to the colours of the balls on a snooker table, each button carrying the numerical value associated with that coloured ball. Scoring is simply controlled, by depressing the button whose colour corresponds to any ball potted. Additional buttons may be provided for player selection, new game, new frame, foul or cancelling a wrongly entered score. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Snooker scoreboard Description This invention relates to scoreboard apparatus for the game of snooker. In particular, the invention relates to a novel electronic scoreboard that makes it particularly easy to keep score even for those who do not fully understand the scoring system of snooker.

Aconventional snookerscoreboard comprises two pairs of sliders each on a brass rail. Each slider can be moved along the rail to point to numbers painted on a board adjacentthe rail,to indicate the score. Typically one slider of each pairwould indicate the units of one player's score and the other slider of each pair would indicate the score in larger multiples of, for example, 10's or 20's. This makes the scoreboard difficult to read, and of course the scorekeeper must know the value ofthevarious coloured balls and must be able to perform simple mental arithmetic in orderto keep score correctly.

This invention provides an electronic scoreboard forthe game of snooker, comprising individual display screens for the scores of two or more players, an array of seven push buttons each carrying the colour of one of the differently valued balls in snooker, and circuitry for distinguishing between the different players and for maintaining on the display screens for the different players scores associated with the sequence of coloured buttons pressed on behalf of each player.

Advantageously the circuitry for distinguishing between the different players comprises a two-way switch our a pair of push-buttons, one for each player, with associated EITHER/OR circuitry; and an optical indication such as a light-emitting diode (LED) for each playerto indicate whose score is being increased at any given time.

The array of seven push-buttons indicating the seven different colours of balls on the snookertable is preferably arranged in the pattern in which the balls are placed on the table atthe start of a game of snooker. The numerical values of the differently coloured buttons is as follows: Redl Yellow2 Green 3 Brown 4 BlueS Pink6 Black7 Advantageously the electronic scoreboard also comprises a display screen for displaying the cumulative value of a player's current break, or a pair of such screens oneforeach player. Normally one such screen would be sufficient. The end of break would be communicated to the scoreboard either by a dedicated switch or pushbutton for clearing the "current break" display screen or, preferably, by actuation of the circuitry for distinguishing between the different players.

If desired the scoreboard could include an electronic memory and an associated display screen for recording and displaying the highest break in a game or in a sequence of games.

The scoreboard advantageously also includes means for automatically recording foul strokes, comprising a "foul" button in conjunction with circuitry for assigning the next score entered to the opposing player. Advantageously actuation of the "foul" button overrides the numerical values ofthe differently coloured buttons as follows Red4 Yellow4 Green 4 Brown 4) Blue 5) unchanged Pink6) Black 7) Otherfeaturesthat may be included in the scoreboard are as follows: Means for counting the number of framers won by each player in a given match.

Means for resetting the scores (a) at the beginning of each frame or (b) atthe beginning of each match.

Meansfordisplayingthe maximum numberof "points on the table" as a decreasing total of the maximum break available to the next player.

Means for cancelling a wrongly entered score.

All of these additional features may be achieved by electronic circuitry that is known in itself.

Drawing The accompanying drawing is a plan view of a scoreboard according to the invention.

In the sole Figure of the drawing, the scoreboard is assembled in a housing 10. This may be any convenient size, from a small size suitable for a hand-held unit, through a wall-mountable intermediate size up to a full display size suitable for snookertournaments.

Two score display screens 12 and 14 are provided, for displaying the individual scores of players (or teams) 1 and 2 respectively. Between them is a third display screen 16 for displaying the cumulative score ofthe current break. Each of the screens 12 to 16 may be electric or mechanical display screens, but are preferably electrical screens such as liquid crystal display (LCD) or LED screens.

Beneath each of the screens 12 and 14 is an LED 18 indicating which of the players is atthe table at any time, and beneath each LED 18 is an associated control button 20. Thus when player No. 1 is atthe table, the left-hand button 20 is pressed and the associated left-hand LED 18 illuminates. The action of pressing either button 20 also has the effect of cancelling the score displayed in the "current break" display screen 16, or resetting that score to zero.

Beneath the screens 12 to 16 is an array of push-buttons 22 to 34, arranged in a pictorial layout 36 of a snookertable and coloured with the colours of the associated snooker balls. Thus button 22 is coloured red, and is positioned in the centre of a pictorial representation of a pack of fifteen red snooker balls; button 24 is coloured yellow and is positioned on the baulk line where the yellow ball is initially placed on a snookertable; and soon.

An array offour control buttons 38 to 44 is positioned to the right of the layout 36. Button 36 is a "new game" button used to set all score displays and registers to zero. Advantageously depression of button 36 also initiates a random selection circuit which causes LEDs 18 to blink alternately until the circuitry selects, at random, one of the two players to break. That player's LED 18then remains illuminated while the other's is extinguished. An internal bistable memory stores the information as to which player was the first to break.

A " new frame" button 40 resets the screen displays to zero while resetting the internal bistable memory so asto give the initial break to the player who did not break on the preceding game.

A "foul" button 42 ensures that the next score entered is added to the score ofthe opponent rather than the player "atthe table". In addition, depression ofthe "foul" button 42 ensures that a minimum foul score of 4 points is awarded. Thus, for example, a playertryingto hita red ball and missing would have his foul score recorded by pressing, in sequence, the "foui" button 42 and the "red" button 22. The "red" button 22 normally carries a value of 1 point but after depression of the "foul" button 42 a score of not 1 point but 4 points is added to the cumulative total of the opposing player.

Each score, when entered, is retained in a memory in the electronic scoreboard until the next score is entered. A "cancel " button 44 makes use of this feature by subtracting automatically the last score entered, to permit correction of mistakes.

Afinal and optional feature is a button 46 belowthe "current break" screen 16. This button 46 may have either or both of two functions. It may cause the screen 1 to display the highest break score ofthe game (togetherwith an indication, via LEDs 18, of the player achieving that break), or it may cause the screen 16 to display a score representing the maximum number of points on the table at that stage in the game. Either of these numerictotals may be obtained from internal registers and memories in the electronic circuitry ofthe scoreboard, which registers and memories are updated as each score is entered. If desired one or more separate screens (not shown) may be provided to display this information, ratherthan having the screen l6share the function.

If a single button 46 is used to display eitherthe highest break orthe maximum number of points remaining on thetable, then this can readily be achieved by circuitry capable of recognising a double depression of that button.

Two arrays 48 and 50 of LEDs indicate a cumulative score total in frames for each player. If desired these could, ofcourse, be replaced by numerical displays on screens similar to screens 12 and 14.

Claims (16)

1. An electronicscorebpardforthegameof snooker, comprising individual display screens for the scores of two or more players, an array of seven push buttons each carrying the colour of one of the differently valued balls in snooker, and circuitryfor distinguishing between the different players and for maintaining on the display screensforthe different players scores associated with the sequence of coloured buttons pressed on behalf of each player.

2. A scoreboard according to claim 1 wherein the individual display screens are two in number, for displaying the scores of two players only.

3. Ascoreboard according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a display screen for displaying the cumulative value of a player's current break.

4. A scoreboard according to apy preceding claim, further comprising switch means and associated circuitry for identifying which of the players is scoring at any particular time.

5. Ascoreboard according to claim 4, further comprising an optical indication for each player, to indicate whose score is being screened at any given time.

6. A scoreboard according to any preceding claim, wherein the array of seven push buttons is arranged in the pattern in which snooker balls are placed on a snookertable at the start of a game.

7. Ascoreboard according to any preceding claim, further comprising a reset button for resetting all registers of the circuitry to zero for the start of a new game.

8. A scoreboard according to claim 7, wherein actuation of the reset button causes random selection circuitry to select and indicate which ofthe players is to commence the game.

9. Ascoreboard according to any preceding claim, further comprising a "newframe" button for restoring the score displays to zero while retaining in a memory or register selected details of the previous frame orframes for which scores have been entered.

10. A scoreboard according to any preceding claim, further comprising a memory for recording details ofthe last score entered, and a "cancel" button depression of which is effective to subtract from the appropriate display or displays the last score entered.

11. Ascoreboard according to any preceding claim,furthercomprising a "foul" button depression of which is effective to cause associated ci rcuitry to add a screw corresponding to the next score button depressed to the score of the opposing player.

12. Ascoreboard according to claim 11,wherein the circuitry associated with the "foul" button is effective to add a minimum penalty score of 4 points to the opponent's score, even though the next score depressed may carry a value of less than 4 points.

13. Ascoreboard according to any preceding claim, further comprising means for displaying the highest break achieved in a game.

14. A scoreboard according to any preceding claim, furthercomprising a register carrying as a decreasing total the number of points permitted to be scored during the game of snooker, and means for displaying that total.

15. A scoreboard according to any preceding claim, further comprising means for recording and displaying the number of frames won by each player during a game of snooker.

16. An electronic scoreboard for the game of snooker, substantially as particularly described herein with reference to the drawing.