System and methods for timing rodeo events

Abstract

A system for timing rodeo events consisting of a gate sensor, a saddle sensor, a network, and computing devices. The gate sensor creates an event start time stamp upon detection of movement by the gate rope. The saddle sensor creates an event end time upon detection of strain on the rodeo contestant's rope. The system calculates the elapsed time by comparing the event start time stamp and the event end time stamp. The system transmits the elapsed time to a computer for storage and/or display.

1 . A system for timing rodeo events comprising:
 a gate sensor, a saddle sensor, and a network;   the gate sensor, saddle sensor, and network are in wireless communication;   the gate sensor and saddle sensor are configured to create time stamps;   the gate sensor creates a time stamp for the start of the event upon an event start triggering event; and   the saddle sensor creates a time stamp for the end of the event upon an event end triggering event.   
     
     
         2 . The system for timing rodeo events of  claim 1  wherein the gate sensor comprises an enclosure, a pully attachment extension, a printed circuit board, and a gate attachment extension; 
     
     
         3 . The system for timing rodeo events of  claim 2  wherein:
 the gate sensor is attached to a rail of a rodeo event start gate via the gate attachment extension; 
 a pully is attached to the gate sensor via the pully attachment extension; and 
 a gate rope is threaded through the pully. 
 
     
     
         4 . The system for timing rodeo events of  claim 3  wherein the pully comprises a position encoder. 
     
     
         5 . The system for timing rodeo events of  claim 4  wherein the pully detects movement of the gate rope via the position encoder and the printed circuit board of the gate sensor creates a time stamp of the time the pully detected movement of the gate rope. 
     
     
         6 . The system for timing rodeo events of  claim 3  wherein:
 the gate sensor comprises a strain detector configured to detect strain on the gate sensor caused by movement of the gate rope; and 
 the printed circuit board of the gate sensor creates a time stamp of the time the strain detector detects strain caused by movement of the gate rope. 
 
     
     
         7 . The system for timing rodeo events of  claim 1  wherein the saddle sensor comprises an enclosure, a printed circuit board, a strap, a magnetic sensor, a magnet, and a cord. 
     
     
         8 . The system for timing rodeo events of  claim 7  wherein the magnetic sensor comprises a cavity wherein the magnet fits. 
     
     
         9 . The system for timing rodeo events of  claim 8  wherein:
 the magnet is connected to the cord; and 
 the cord is connected to a rope of a rodeo contestant. 
 
     
     
         10 . The system for timing rodeo events of  claim 9  wherein:
 the rope pulls on the cord when the rope is pulled taut; 
 the cord pulls the magnet out of the cavity when the cord is pulled by the rope; and 
 the printed circuit board creates a time stamp identifying the time the magnetic connection between the magnet and the cavity was lost. 
 
     
     
         11 . The system for timing rodeo events of  claim 1  wherein:
 the gate sensor has an armed and unarmed setting; 
 the saddle sensor has an armed and unarmed setting; 
 when the gate sensor is in the armed setting the gate sensor searches for an armed saddle sensor; 
 when the armed gate sensor detects an armed saddle sensor, the gate sensor and saddle sensor synchronize their timing devices by exchanging at least one data transmission; 
 
     
     
         12 . The system for timing rodeo events of  claim 1  wherein the event start triggering event comprises an abrupt acceleration reading by the gate sensor caused by movement of a rodeo event gate rope followed by a reduction in measured strain. 
     
     
         13 . The system for timing rodeo events of  claim 1  wherein the event end triggering event comprises the saddle sensor detecting the loss of a magnetic or electrical connection between the saddle sensor and a magnetic or electrical element connected to a rodeo contestant's rope. 
     
     
         14 . The system for timing rodeo events of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a plurality of saddle sensors; 
 each saddle sensor has a unique identification; and 
 the gate sensor is configured to recognize and distinguish between the unique identifications of the plurality of saddle sensors. 
 
     
     
         15 . The system for timing rodeo events of  claim 1  further comprising:
 the saddle sensor transmitting time stamp for the end of the event to the gate sensor; 
 the gate sensor calculating an elapsed time by comparing the time stamp for the end of the event with the time stamp for the start of the event. 
 
     
     
         16 . The system for timing rodeo events of  claim 15  further comprising:
 a base computing device; 
 the gate sensor transmitting the elapsed time for an event to the base computing device. 
 
     
     
         17 . The system for timing rodeo events of  claim 15  further comprising the gate sensor transmitting the elapsed time to a display device.