Digital baseball and softball umpire game status indicator

Abstract

A digital baseball and softball game umpire status indicator comprising a battery powered or otherwise powered electronic unit possessing inputs and associated indicators for balls, strikes, outs, innings, home team and road team scores, and trips to the pitching mound. The housing is ergonomically designed to avoid user fatigue and inadvertent actuation of the inputs. The apparatus also has a time feature, an input lock feature, reset feature, an audible output when the indicators are advanced, and a redundant securing means to prevent inadvertent dropping of the device by the user. The displays are illuminated as required to provide for easy reading at night and during daylight. The device may also be equipped with wireless capabilities for actuation of remote displays such as scoreboards.

1 . A digital baseball and softball umpire game status indicator comprising: 
 a housing comprising a front face and rear face;    a display located on said front face comprising an outs indicator, a strikes indicator, a balls indicator, and an inning indicator;    a means for actuating each of said indicators;    a control means which is responsive to said means for actuating said indicators; and    a loop flexibly anchored to said housing for securing said umpire indicator to the wrist of the user to prevent inadvertent dropping of the device.    
   
   
       2 . The umpire game status indicator in  claim 1 , wherein said display further comprises an indicator for recording trips to the pitcher's mound; 
 a means for actuating said trip indicator; and    said control means further responsive to said means for actuating said trip indicator.    
   
   
       3 . The umpire game status indicator in  claim 1 , wherein said innings indicator permits recordation beyond nine innings.  
   
   
       4 . The umpire game status indicator in  claim 1 , wherein said display further comprises a time indicator for tracking either elapsed time of the game or a countdown time after being set for a predetermined time period; 
 a means for actuating said time indicator; and    said control means which is further responsive to said means for actuating said time indicator.    
   
   
       5 . The umpire game status indicator in  claim 1 , wherein said display comprises a liquid crystal display or a light emitting diode display.  
   
   
       6 . The umpire game status indicator in  claim 1  further comprising a first attachment means affixed to said rear face; a second attachment means affixed to said rear face; and a strap biased in between said first attachment means and said second attachment means to permit the user to grip the device.  
   
   
       7 . The umpire status indicator in  claim 1  wherein said control means automatically resets the balls indicia and strikes indicia for a batter upon recordation of an out by said umpire.  
   
   
       8 . The umpire status indicator in  claim 1  wherein said control means automatically resets the balls indicia, strikes indicia, and outs indicia upon recordation of a third out.  
   
   
       9 . The umpire status indicator in  claim 1  wherein said control means automatically highlights a batting team upon recordation of the third out.  
   
   
       10 . A digital baseball and softball umpire game status indicator comprising: 
 a housing comprising a front face and rear face;    a display located on said front face comprising an outs indicator, a strikes indicator, a balls indicator, an inning indicator, an indicator for recording trips to the pitcher's mound, and a time indicator for tracking either elapsed time of the game or a countdown time after being set for a predetermined time period;    a means for actuating each of said indicators;    a control means which is responsive to said means for actuating said indicators; and    a loop flexibly anchored to said housing for securing said umpire indicator to the wrist of the user to prevent inadvertent dropping of the device.    
   
   
       11 . The umpire status indicator in  claim 10  further comprising an audible means operatively connected to said control means for emitting a first tone when said balls indicator is actuated; a second tone when said strikes indicator is actuated; a third tone when said out indicator is actuated; a fourth tone when said countdown timer expires; and fifth tone when said trip indicator is actuated whereby the user can distinguish the actuated indicator by its unique tone.  
   
   
       12 . The umpire status indicator of  claim 10  further comprising an audible means operatively connected to said control means for emitting a first series of tones when said balls indicator is actuated; a second series of tones when said strikes indicator is actuated; a third series of tones when said out indicator is actuated; and a fourth series of tones when said countdown timer expires whereby the user can distinguish the actuated indicator by its unique series of tones.  
   
   
       13 . The umpire game status indicator in  claim 10 , wherein said display further comprises an indicator for home team score and an indicator for said visiting team score; 
 a means for actuating said indicator for home team score and said indicator for said visiting team score; and    said control means further responsive to said means for actuating said indicator for home team score and said indicator for said visiting team score.    
   
   
       14 . The umpire game status indicator in claims  10  wherein a correction means permits the correction of said indicators; 
 a means for actuating correction of said indicators; and    said control means further responsive to said means for correcting said indicators.    
   
   
       15 . A digital baseball and softball umpire game status indicator comprising: 
 a housing comprising a right side, a left side, a top side, a bottom side, a front face and a rear face;    said right side comprising a four ridge scallop shape formed by a first recess, a second recess and a third recess extending from the right side of said front face across said right side around to said rear face for comfortable placement of the user's fingers;    a display located on said front face comprising an outs indicator, a strikes indicator, a balls indicator, an inning indicator, an indicator for recording trips to the pitcher's mound, and a time indicator for tracking either elapsed time of the game or a countdown time after being set for a predetermined time period;    a means for actuating said indicators located on said housing; and    a control means which is responsive to said means for actuating outs, strikes, balls, trips and time and inning on said display.    
   
   
       16 . The umpire indicator in  claim 15  wherein said means for actuating said ball indicator is disposed in said first recess on said front face; 
 said means for actuating said strike indicator is disposed in said second recess on said front face; and    said means for actuating said out indicator is disposed in said third recess on said front face.    
   
   
       17 . The umpire game status indicator in  claim 15  wherein said left side comprises a generally convex curvature matching the general curvature of a human left hand.  
   
   
       18 . The umpire game status indicator in  claim 15 , further comprising a first attachment means affixed to said rear face; a second attachment means affixed to said rear face; and a strap biased between said first attachment means and said second attachment means to permit the user to grip the device.  
   
   
       19 . The umpire status indicator in  claim 15 , further comprising a loop anchored with adjustment means and means for attaching said loop to said left side of said housing to prevent the inadvertent dropping of said indicator.  
   
   
       20 . The umpire game status indicator in  claim 15 , wherein said innings indicator permits recordation beyond nine innings.  
   
   
       21 . The umpire status indicator in  claim 15  further comprising an audible means operatively connected to said control means for emitting a first tone when said balls indicator is actuated; a second tone when said strikes indicator is actuated; a third tone when said out indicator is actuated; and a fourth tone when said countdown timer expires whereby the user can distinguish the actuated indicator by its unique tone.  
   
   
       22 . The umpire game status indicator in claims  15  wherein a correction means permits the correction of said indicators; 
 a means for actuating correction of said indicators; and    said control means which is further responsive to said means for correcting said indicators.    
   
   
       23 . The umpire status indicator in  claim 15  wherein said control means automatically resets the balls indicia and strikes indicia for a batter upon recordation of an out by said umpire.  
   
   
       24 . The umpire status indicator in  claim 15  wherein said control means automatically resets the balls indicia, strikes indicia, and outs indicia upon recordation of a third out.  
   
   
       25 . The umpire status indicator in  claim 15  wherein said control means automatically highlights a batting team upon recordation of the third out.  
   
   
       26 . A digital baseball and softball umpire game status indicator comprising: 
 a housing comprising a right side, a left side, a top side, a bottom side, a front face and a rear face;    said right side comprising a four ridge scallop shape formed by a first recess, a second recess and a third recess extending from the right side of said front face across said right side around to said rear face for comfortable placement of the user's fingers;    said left side comprises a generally convex curvature matching the general curvature of a human left hand;    a display located on said front face comprising an outs indicator, a strikes indicator, a balls indicator, an inning indicator, an indicator for recording trips to the pitcher's mound, and a time indicator for tracking either elapsed time of the game or a countdown time after being set for a predetermined time period;    means for actuating said indicators located on said housing;    a control means which is responsive to said means for actuating outs, strikes, balls, trips, time and inning on said display; and    a first loop extending outward from said right side from said first ridge to said second ridge; a second loop adjacent to and generally aligned with said first loop extending from said second ridge to said third ridge; and a third loop adjacent to and generally aligned with said second loop extending from said third ridge to said fourth ridge to create a brass-knuckle-like grip for the user.    
   
   
       27 . The umpire status indicator in  claim 26  wherein said means for actuating said ball indicator is disposed in said first recess on said front face; 
 a means for actuating said strike indicator is disposed in said second recess on said front face; and    a means for actuating said out indicator is disposed in said third recess on said front face.    
   
   
       28 . The umpire status indicator in  claim 26  further comprising an audible means operatively connected to said control means for emitting a first tone when said balls indicator is actuated; a second tone when said strikes indicator is actuated; a third tone when said out indicator is actuated; and a fourth tone when said countdown timer expires whereby the user can distinguish the actuated indicator by its unique tone.  
   
   
       29 . The umpire game status indicator in  claim 26  wherein a correction means permits the correction of said indicators; 
 a means for actuating correction of said indicators; and    said control means is further responsive to said means for correcting said indicators.    
   
   
       30 . The umpire status indicator in  claim 26  wherein said control means automatically resets the balls indicia and strikes indicia for a batter upon recordation of an out by said umpire.  
   
   
       31 . The umpire status indicator in  claim 26  wherein said control means automatically resets the balls indicia, strikes indicia, and outs indicia upon recordation of a third out.  
   
   
       32 . The umpire status indicator in  claim 26  wherein said control means automatically highlights a batting team upon recordation of the third out.  
   
   
       33 . The umpire status indicator in  claim 1  further comprising a wireless means to display said indicators in said display on a remote display device.