# US 10,441,862 B2 · Automatic scoring system for beer pong game and online beer pong game system

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- Number: US 10,441,862 B2
- Document ID: US10441862B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/557,815
- Filed: 2017-07-06
- Published: 2019-05-02
- Granted: 2019-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-12
- Assignees: Atalon IP Limited
- Applicants: Atalon IP Limited
- Inventors: Steven Ka Hing Yip
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441862B2

## CPC

- A63B 67/066: {using balls on a horizontal playing ground, e.g. petanque}
- A63B 63/08: with {substantially} horizontal opening for ball, e.g. for basketball {(A63B57/40, A63B63/06 take precedence)}
- A63B 67/002: {Games using balls, not otherwise provided for}
- A63B 67/06: Ring or disc tossing games {, e.g. quoits; Throwing or tossing games, e.g. using balls; Games for manually rolling balls, e.g. marbles}
- A63B 71/0605: {Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration}
- A63B 71/0669: {Score-keepers or score display devices}
- A63F 7/00: Indoor games using small moving playing bodies, e.g. balls, discs or blocks (board games or raffle games A63F3/00; roulette games A63F5/00; miniature bowling games A63D3/00; bagatelle or similar games A63D13/00; billiards or pocket billiards A63D15/00)
- A63F 7/30: {Details of the playing surface, e.g.} obstacles; {Goal posts;} Targets; Scoring or pocketing devices; Playing-body-actuated sensors, e.g. switches; Tilt indicators; {Means for detecting misuse or errors}
- A63B 71/0622: {Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user}
- A63B 2071/0625: {Emitting sound, noise or music}
- A63B 2225/15: with identification means that can be read by electronic means
- A63B 2225/54: Transponders, e.g. RFID
- A63B 2225/682: for beverages
- A63B 2225/74: with powered illuminating means, e.g. lights
- A63F 2250/024: drinkable
- A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H)
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

The present invention discloses an automatic scoring system for a beer pong game to implement an automatic scoring function of the beer pong game using a radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, comprising: a game table equipped with a RFID reader and a plurality of RFID antennas; a plurality of game cups with electronic tags being attached at bottoms thereof; at least one game ball with an electronic tag embedded therein, and a computer that processes data read by the reader from the electronic tags and controls a scoring procedure of the beer pong game, wherein the RFID antennas are placed at a plurality of predetermined positions in a game zone of the game table, the plurality of predetermined positions corresponding to possible positions of the game cups placed according to game rules. The present invention also discloses an online beer pong game system, comprising the automatic scoring system for a beer pong game as mentioned above, which online beer pong game obtains game data in real-time from a computer of the automatic scoring system using a cloud storage technology and a mobile phone application, such that competitors of the beer pong game can online participate in the game, track game scores and statistics, compare results with other competitors on a global scale.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An automatic scoring system for a beer pong game to implement an automatic scoring function of the beer pong game using a radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, comprising:
a game table equipped with an RFID reader and a plurality of RFID antennas;
a plurality of game cups with electronic tags being attached at bottoms thereof;
at least one game ball inlaid with an electronic tag; and
a computer that processes data read by the RFID reader from the electronic tags and controls a scoring procedure of the beer pong game,
wherein the RFID antennas are placed at a plurality of predetermined positions in a game zone of the game table, the plurality of predetermined positions corresponding to possible positions of the game cups placed according to game rules,
wherein one of the RFID antennas detects location of the at least one game ball by detecting the data of the electronic tag of the at least one game ball and the data of an electronic tag of one of the game cups in which the at least one game ball is placed, and
the computer performs the scoring procedure according to the data of the electronic tag of the at least one game ball and the data of an electronic tag of one of the game cups in which the at least one game ball is placed read by the RFID reader.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The automatic scoring system for a beer pong game according to claim 1, wherein the electronic tags of the game cups are dimensioned to be positioned only in working zones of the corresponding RFID antennas; the electronic tag of the game ball is dimensioned such that the electronic tag of the game ball that lands into the game cup while drifts on a liquid surface is only positioned within a working zone of the corresponding RFID antenna.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The automatic scoring system for a beer pong game according to claim 2, wherein respective electronic tags of the game cups and the game ball are all 13.56 MHz high-frequency passive tags following the ISO15693 Standard, and dimensions of the electronic tags of the game cups are far smaller than a dimension of the electronic tag of the game ball.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The automatic scoring system for a beer pong game according to claim 3, wherein a data storage format identifier (DFSID) and an application family identifier (AFI) of the electronic tags for the game cups are different from those of the electronic tag for the game ball, such that the RFID reader can only read the electronic tags of the game cups or the electronic tag of the game ball, and can determine, based on information returned from an electronic tag, whether the electronic tag belongs to the game cups or the game ball.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The automatic scoring system for a beer pong game according to claim 4, wherein if the RDIF reader can simultaneously identify the electronic tags of the game cups and the electronic tag of the game ball, the computer determines that the game ball lands in the game cup and automatically scores according to the game rules.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

An online beer pong game system, comprising the automatic scoring system for a beer pong game according to claim 4, wherein game data are obtained in real-time from a computer of the automatic scoring system using a cloud storage technology and a mobile phone application, such that competitors of the beer pong game can online participate in the game, track game scores and statistics, compare results with other competitors on a global scale.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

A beer pong game cup for the automatic scoring system for a beer pong game according to claim 4, wherein the electronic tags of the game cups are respectively attached at a bottom of the game cups.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

A beer pong game ball for the automatic scoring system for a beer pong game according to claim 4, wherein the electronic tag of the beer pong game ball is embedded inside the beer pong game ball.

### Claim 9 (depends on 4)

A beer pong game table for the automatic scoring system for a beer pong game according to claim 4, wherein the beer pong game table is equipped with the RFID reader and the plurality of RFID antennas.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

An online beer pong game system, comprising the automatic scoring system for a beer pong game according to claim 2, wherein game data are obtained in real-time from a computer of the automatic scoring system using a cloud storage technology and a mobile phone application, such that competitors of the beer pong game can online participate in the game, track game scores and statistics, compare results with other competitors on a global scale.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

An online beer pong game system, comprising the automatic scoring system for a beer pong game according to claim 1, wherein game data are obtained in real-time from a computer of the automatic scoring system using a cloud storage technology and a mobile phone application, such that competitors of the beer pong game can online participate in the game, track game scores and statistics, compare results with other competitors on a global scale.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The online beer pong game system according to claim 11, further comprising a light control sub-system, an information displaying sub-system, and/or a sound control sub-system to correspondingly implement lighting, animation display, and/or sound effect in mating with scoring results of the automatic scoring system.