System with improved portable soccer goal having an interactive display

Abstract

The present invention is a soccer simulation system having a portable soccer goal with an interactive display, the system including a sectionalized grid have a plurality of sections each with at least one sensor for sensing a soccer ball and including a managing station in electrical communication with a goal controller and a server.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic device comprising:
 (a) a generally vertical rectangular soccer goal frame that defines a goal area;   (b) one or more vertical members and one or more horizontal members span the goal area and define grid openings between vertical and horizontal members themselves or between vertical or horizontal members and the soccer goal frame, where at least one grid opening is adapted to allow passage of a soccer ball through it;   (c) one or more ball sensors adapted to detect passage of a soccer ball through the grid openings; and   (d) a remote or local managing station connected with the ball sensors adapted to receive input from the ball sensors that is stored in a storage memory of computer of the managing station.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic device of  claim 1  wherein the managing station comprises a computer connected with one or more of a camera whose photographs or video input are recorded as input to the storage memory, a monitor to display outputs from the storage memory, a printer to print out output from the storage memory, a speaker to produce audio output from the storage memory, lights adapted to be turned on or off according to output from the storage memory, a barcode reader which inputs to storage memory detection of barcodes scanned at a physical location close to the soccer goal frame, and an input/output connection between the computer and remote computer servers by way of Internet or similar computer networks. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic device of  claim 2  wherein an intervening goal controller directly receives all input from the ball sensors and transmits signals representing its input from the ball sensors to one of the computer or to remote computer servers by way of Internet or similar computer networks and the goal controller is adapted to receive input signals from the computer which are transmitted from the goal controller to control operation of said lights or speakers. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic device of  claim 2  wherein resident programs in the computer create operational outputs in response to input from ball sensors that a soccer ball has activated a ball sensor by passing through it. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic device of  claim 4  wherein one or more goal lights connected with the computer are arranged and oriented so that their being turned on indicates to a viewer in front of the soccer goal frame that a lighted goal light is associated with a specific grid opening and a first operational output are signals which turn on only a goal light when a ball sensor detects that a soccer ball has passed through the grid opening associated with that grid opening. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic device of  claim 5  wherein a lighted goal light illuminates a number value associated with a grid opening to a viewer in front of the soccer goal frame. 
     
     
         7 . The electronic device of  claim 4  wherein one or more speakers connected with the computer are arranged and oriented so that their having audio output indicates to a local or remote person receiving signals indicating the progress of ball sensor activations that such a ball sensor activation, or goal, has occurred and a second operational output are signals which produce audio output to the speakers indicating that a goal has occurred and optionally, through which grid opening a soccer ball has passed or a numerical value associated with that goal. 
     
     
         8 . The electronic device of  claim 4  wherein a first resident program on the computer causes an input of a ball sensor activation associated with a specific grid opening to be associated with a pre-determined numeric score value, whereafter the first resident program is adapted to output the numeric score value from the computer to one or more devices connected with the computer to display or otherwise announce the numeric score value to a person viewing or listening to results of the operation of the electronic device. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic device of  claim 8  wherein the numeric score value is adapted to be in input as a pre-determined numeric score value to the computer when the computer is connected with the bar code reader and a bar code to be read comprises information including said pre-determined numeric score values. 
     
     
         10 . The electronic device of  claim 8  wherein the numeric score value is displayed to a local or remote monitor. 
     
     
         11 . The electronic device of  claim 8  wherein the numeric score value is displayed by a printout of a local or remote printer. 
     
     
         12 . The electronic device of  claim 8  wherein the numeric score value is adapted to be announced on local or remote speakers. 
     
     
         13 . The electronic device of  claim 8  wherein the numeric score value is adapted to be stored in the computer with previously recorded numeric score values. 
     
     
         14 . The electronic device of  claim 13  wherein cumulative numeric score values stored in the computer are adapted to be added together to produce a cumulative score value, whereafter the first resident program is adapted to output the cumulative numeric score value from the computer to one or more devices connected with the computer to display or otherwise announce the numeric score value to a person viewing or listening to results of the operation of the electronic device. 
     
     
         15 . The electronic device of  claim 14  wherein the cumulative score value is adapted to be associated with a player name, whereafter the first resident program is adapted to output the player name with the cumulative numeric score value from the computer to one or more devices connected with the computer to display or otherwise announce the numeric score value to a person viewing or listening to results of the operation of the electronic device. 
     
     
         16 . The electronic device of  claim 15  wherein parts of the horizontal members or vertical members are replaceably removable, resulting in the first resident program associating with the player name a reduced numeric score value upon activation of a ball sensor for a grid opening where a part of a horizontal member or vertical member was removed and the ball sensor for an expanded grid opening is activated. 
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 (a) a generally vertical rectangular soccer goal frame that defines a goal area;   (b) one or more vertical members and one or more horizontal members span the goal area and define grid openings between vertical and horizontal members themselves or between vertical or horizontal members and the soccer goal frame, where at least one grid opening is adapted to allow passage of a soccer ball through it;   (c) one or more ball sensors adapted to detect passage of a soccer ball through the grid openings;   (d) a remote or local managing station connected with the ball sensors adapted to receive input from the ball sensors that is stored in a storage memory of computer of the managing station; and   (e) a field is located in front of the soccer goal frame, whereupon a human player attempts to kick a soccer ball through one of the grid openings large enough for a soccer ball to pass through.   
     
     
         18 . The electronic device of  claim 17  wherein the managing station comprises a computer connected with one or more devices in the form of a camera whose photographs or video input are recorded as input to the storage memory, a monitor to display outputs from the storage memory, a printer to print out output from the storage memory, a speaker to produce audio output from the storage memory, lights adapted to be turned on or off according to output from the storage memory, a barcode reader which inputs to storage memory detection of barcodes scanned at a physical location close to the soccer goal frame, and an input/output connection between the computer and remote computer servers by way of Internet or similar computer networks and activation of a ball sensor by passing of the soccer ball through it results in the computer operating a first resident program so that an operation output is output to a device connected to the computer. 
     
     
         19 . The electronic device of  claim 18  wherein the a first resident program on the computer causes an input of a ball sensor activation associated with a specific grid opening to be associated with a pre-determined numeric score value, whereafter the first resident program output the numeric score value from the computer to one or more devices connected with the computer to display or otherwise announce the numeric score value to a person viewing or listening to results of the operation of the electronic device. 
     
     
         20 . The electronic device of  claim 17  wherein numeric score values stored in the computer are adapted to be added together to produce a cumulative score value, whereafter the first resident program is adapted to output the cumulative numeric score value from the computer to one or more devices connected with the computer to display or otherwise announce the numeric score value to a person viewing or listening to results of the operation of the electronic device.