Devices and method for sports and/or aquatic environments

Abstract

The present invention relates to devices and methods for sports and other physical training. In some embodiments, the devices and methods are adapted for use in relation to aquatic environments or pursuits. In some forms, the invention relates to timing devices and associated methods. In other forms, invention relates to a communication device and a wearable item incorporating the communication device.

1 . A method of timing a plurality of events that overlap in time using a common time keeping device, the method including, for each event:
 determining a start of the event;   determining an elapsed time since the start of the event, and   in the case that the that the elapsed time is greater than a maximum expected duration of the event, subtracting a start interval from the elapsed time of the event, said start interval representing a time interval between the start of the event and a start of a preceding event.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of determining a start of the event includes deeming that the event starts at a scheduled time that is offset from the start time of the preceding event by the start interval, wherein the start interval is predefined. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further includes determining an end of the event and determining the duration of the event as the elapsed time of the event at the end of the event. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further includes determining the maximum expected duration of the event on the basis of a recorded duration of a first event in the plurality of events. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the maximum expected duration of the event is calculated according to: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 maximum 
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                 expected 
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                 duration 
               
               = 
               
                 
                   duration 
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                   of 
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                    
                   first 
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                   event 
                 
                 + 
                 
                   
                     start 
                      
                     
                         
                     
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                     interval 
                   
                   2 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of determining a start of each event includes triggering the start of each event. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further includes signalling the start of the event to a device that is external to the time keeping device, or to a user. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the time of signalling is offset from the time of said triggering. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the start of each event is the time of triggering the event. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method is performed in a portable device suitably programmed to act as a timing device. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the portable device is a stopwatch. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method includes signalling a duration of the event to a device that is external to the time keeping device, or to a user. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the signalled duration is represented as an offset relative to a base time. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the base time is one of: a multiple of 10 seconds or a minute, a target time, or a record time. 
     
     
         16 . A method of timing events using a common time keeping device, wherein the method includes:
 a) timing a first plurality of events that overlap in time using a method in accordance with  claim 1     b) once a first cycle time has elapsed since commencing said timing of the first plurality of events, timing a second plurality of events that overlap in time using a method in accordance with  claim 1 .   
     
     
         17 - 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . A method in a timing system for timing an aspect of a sporting pursuit, the method including:
 starting timing upon the occurrence of an event;   detecting a plurality of inputs to the timing device, indicating a corresponding plurality of time measurements, each input representing an instant at which a participant in the sporting pursuit meets a predetermined position along a course; and   on the basis of the plurality of inputs determining a speed of the participant between pairs of said positions along the course.   
     
     
         41 - 42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein the method includes displaying the speed of the participant between a plurality of pairs of positions along the course simultaneously on an interface of the timing system. 
     
     
         44 . A method of determining a timing of an event using a timing device operated by a human operator, the method including:
 receiving at the timing device a first input indicating the occurrence of the incident;   determining a time of said input; and   determining a corrected first input time by correcting the determined time of the first input to account for a delay in reaction of the operator to the occurrence of the incident.   
     
     
         45 - 47 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . The method according to claim  47 , wherein the method includes receiving at the timing device a second input indicating the occurrence of the second incident and determining a time of said second input,
 and wherein in the event that the operator of the timing device estimates the occurrence of the second incident, the method includes determining the elapsed time between the first and second incidents on the basis of the corrected first input time and the determined time of the second input.   
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 44 , wherein the step of correcting the determined time of the first input to account for a delay in reaction of the operator to the occurrence of the incident includes determining the corrected first input time to be earlier than the first input time by a correction factor representing the operator's reaction time. 
     
     
         50 - 93 . (canceled)