US6195090B1 — Interactive sporting-event monitoring system

Claim 1

Independent Claim 274 words

An interactive sporting event monitoring system for facilitating monitoring of a live sporting event wherein spectators at the sporting event can identify one or more contestants by contestant identifiers, each of a plurality of the one or more contestants having a radio transmitter on a distinct transmitting frequency for transmitting audio information to a data receiving station, the data receiving station comprising a plurality of radio receivers wherein each radio receiver is tuned to a corresponding contestant's radio transmitter, wherein each radio receiver's audio output is digitized and digitally tagged with the corresponding contestant identifier, the interactive sporting event monitoring system comprising: tuning means for selecting a television channel, the television channel comprising one or more channels of sporting-event audio information, wherein each of the one or more channels of sporting-event audio information is encoded with a corresponding channel identifier distinguishing that channel from other channels; detecting means for detecting the one or more channels of sporting-event audio information on the television channel, the detecting means being for associating each of the one or more channels of sporting-event audio information with its corresponding channel identifier, each channel identifier including a corresponding contestant identifier and each of the one or more channels of sporting-event audio information including audio information of the contestant identified by the corresponding contestant identifier; a user input adapted to accept a user-specified channel identifier from a user, the user-specified channel identifier specifying a channel of sporting-event audio information that the user desires to monitor; and monitoring means for placing the channel of sporting-event audio information that the user desires to monitor in a format to facilitate monitoring thereof by a user.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 274 words

An interactive sporting event monitoring system for facilitating monitoring of a live sporting event wherein spectators at the sporting event can identify one or more contestants by contestant identifiers, each of a plurality of the one or more contestants having a radio transmitter on a distinct transmitting frequency for transmitting audio information to a data receiving station, the data receiving station comprising a plurality of radio receivers wherein each radio receiver is tuned to a corresponding contestant's radio transmitter, wherein each radio receiver's audio output is digitized and digitally tagged with the corresponding contestant identifier, the interactive sporting event monitoring system comprising: tuning means for selecting a television channel, the television channel comprising one or more channels of sporting-event audio information, wherein each of the one or more channels of sporting-event audio information is encoded with a corresponding channel identifier distinguishing that channel from other channels; detecting means for detecting the one or more channels of sporting-event audio information on the television channel, the detecting means being for associating each of the one or more channels of sporting-event audio information with its corresponding channel identifier, each channel identifier including a corresponding contestant identifier and each of the one or more channels of sporting-event audio information including audio information of the contestant identified by the corresponding contestant identifier; a user input adapted to accept a user-specified channel identifier from a user, the user-specified channel identifier specifying a channel of sporting-event audio information that the user desires to monitor; and monitoring means for placing the channel of sporting-event audio information that the user desires to monitor in a format to facilitate monitoring thereof by a user.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 33 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the monitoring means comprises display means for visually displaying information relating to a plurality of channels of sporting-event audio information.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 25 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the display means visually displays channel identifiers that have had transmission activity.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 27 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 3 , wherein the display means displays the contestant identifier associated with each channel identifier being displayed.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 37 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 3 , wherein the display means displays, in a visually distinctive format relative to other channel identifiers being displayed, those channel identifiers that currently have transmission activity.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 34 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 5 , wherein the display means displays only the channel identifiers that have had transmission activity since the user began monitoring the sporting event.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 27 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the display means displays the contestant identifier associated with each channel identifier being displayed.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 34 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the display means displays the contestant identifier as the channel identifier, for each channel identifier being displayed by the display means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 20 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the user input is a remote control.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 53 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the monitoring means comprises means for visually indicating the channel of sporting-event audio information that the user desires to monitor in a format that is visually distinctive over the information relating to the plurality of channels on the display means.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 55 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 1 , wherein: the television channel selected by the tuning means comprises a first television channel; and the tuning means comprises means for simultaneously selecting a second television channel, the second television channel comprising a standard commercial video and audio broadcast of the sporting event.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 20 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the user input is a remote control.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 25 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the display means visually displays channel identifiers that have had transmission activity.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 32 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claims 1 , wherein the monitoring means is adapted to display information to allow the user to select among audio and telemetry modes.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 41 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the television channel comprises a video blanking interval; and the video blanking interval comprises at least one of the one or more channels of sporting event audio information.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 194 words

An interactive sporting event monitoring system for facilitating monitoring of a sporting event wherein spectators at the sporting event can identify contestants by contestant identifiers, the interactive sporting event monitoring system comprising: tuning means for selecting a television channel, the television channel comprising a plurality of channels of telemetry information, wherein each of the plurality of channels of telemetry information is encoded with a corresponding channel identifier distinguishing that channel from other channels; detecting means for detecting the plurality of channels of telemetry information on the television channel, the detecting means being adapted to associate each of the plurality of channels of telemetry information with its corresponding channel identifier, each channel identifier including a corresponding contestant identifier and each of the plurality of channels of telemetry information including telemetry information of the contestant identified by the corresponding contestant identifier; a user input adapted to accept a user-specified channel identifier from a user, the user-specified channel identifier specifying a channel of telemetry information that the user desires to monitor; and monitoring means for placing the channel of telemetry information that the user desires to monitor in a format to facilitate monitoring thereof by a user.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 194 words

An interactive sporting event monitoring system for facilitating monitoring of a sporting event wherein spectators at the sporting event can identify contestants by contestant identifiers, the interactive sporting event monitoring system comprising: tuning means for selecting a television channel, the television channel comprising a plurality of channels of telemetry information, wherein each of the plurality of channels of telemetry information is encoded with a corresponding channel identifier distinguishing that channel from other channels; detecting means for detecting the plurality of channels of telemetry information on the television channel, the detecting means being adapted to associate each of the plurality of channels of telemetry information with its corresponding channel identifier, each channel identifier including a corresponding contestant identifier and each of the plurality of channels of telemetry information including telemetry information of the contestant identified by the corresponding contestant identifier; a user input adapted to accept a user-specified channel identifier from a user, the user-specified channel identifier specifying a channel of telemetry information that the user desires to monitor; and monitoring means for placing the channel of telemetry information that the user desires to monitor in a format to facilitate monitoring thereof by a user.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 57 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of telemetry data channels comprises at least one of speed data, position data, magnetic heading data, engine revolutions per minute (RPM) data, lateral acceleration data, throttle position data, brake on/off data, and gear data that corresponds to the particular contestant.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 81 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the monitoring means comprises means for constructing a virtual reality sporting-event environment and for generating a virtual-reality contestant within the virtual reality sporting-event environment, the monitoring means generating the virtual-reality contestant based upon at least one of the data, position data, magnetic heading data, engine revolutions per minute (RPM) data, lateral acceleration data, throttle position data, brake on/off data, and gear data that corresponds to a particular contestant.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 48 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 18 , wherein the monitoring means is adapted to display information to allow the user to view, from within the virtual reality sporting-event environment, the sporting event from any vantage point on or above the field of play.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 47 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 19 , wherein the monitoring means is adapted to display information to allow the user to view, from within the virtual reality sporting-event environment, the sporting event from a vantage of any participant of the sporting event.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 47 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 18 , wherein the interactive sporting event monitoring system is adapted to store telemetry data to provide instant replays, using the virtual reality sporting-event environment, from any angle and position on or above the field of play.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 20 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the user input is a remote control.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 70 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the monitoring means comprises display means for visually displaying information relating to a plurality of channels of telemetry information, and further comprises means for visually indicating the channel of telemetry information that the user desires to monitor in a format that is visually distinctive over the information relating to the plurality of channels on the display means.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 25 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 23 , wherein the display means visually displays channel identifiers that have had transmission activity.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 27 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 24 , wherein the display means displays the contestant identifier associated with each channel identifier being displayed.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 37 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 25 , wherein the display means displays, in a visually distinctive format relative to other channel identifiers being displayed, those channel identifiers that currently have transmission activity.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 34 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 26 , wherein the display means displays only the channel identifiers that have had transmission activity since the user began monitoring the sporting event.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 27 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 27 , wherein the display means displays the contestant identifier associated with each channel identifier being displayed.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 34 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 28 , wherein the display means displays the contestant identifier as the channel identifier, for each channel identifier being displayed by the display means.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 20 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 29 , wherein the user input is a remote control.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 33 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 18 , wherein the interactive sporting event monitoring system is adapted to generate and display real-time statistics for contestants in the sporting event.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 47 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the interactive sporting event monitoring system is adapted to allow the user to insert himself or herself into a virtual reality of the sporting event to participate with the actual competitors in real time.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 58 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the interactive sporting event monitoring system is adapted to allow the user to insert himself or herself into a virtual reality of the sporting event to participate with the actual competitors in a virtual re-creation of the sporting event alter the sporting event has concluded.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 37 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the television channel comprises a video blanking interval; and the video blanking interval comprises at least one of the plurality channels of telemetry information.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 64 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the monitoring means comprises means for constructing a virtual reality sporting-event environment comprising virtual contestants, wherein movement of the virtual contestants are based on telemetry data streams transmitted from the live sporting event and wherein the user can enter the virtual reality sporting-event environment and participate in the virtual sporting event.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 55 words

The interactive sporting event monitoring system as recited in claim 1 or 16 , wherein the interactive sporting event monitoring system is adapted to allow regular broadcast video and audio programming to be viewed in conjunction with over-laid or picture-in-picture graphics and over-laid audio from the real-time sporting event contestant audio and telemetry data streams.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2004-02-27	2004-08-28	2005-02-27	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2008-02-27	2008-08-28	2009-02-27	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2012-02-27	2012-08-28	2013-02-27	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Interactive sporting-event monitoring system

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