Sports Innovations

The National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF) is unveiling a new exhibit where visitors can score a touchdown and take their team to victory. Game-Changing Inventors will feature:

Stan Honey, Sports Broadcast Graphic Enhancements

U.S. Patent No. 6,141,060

NIHF Inductee Stan Honey’s Virtual Yellow 1^st & Ten^® line, introduced during an ESPN-televised game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals in 1998, is used to augment televised programs, inserting graphical elements that are not present in real life. Honey holds 31 patents in television graphics, navigation technology and tracking. His innovations have forever changed the way we watch sports at home.

Philo Farnsworth, Television System

U.S. Patent No. 1,773,980

Did you watch the 2018 FIFA World Cup on your TV at home? You can thank NIHF Inductee Philo Farnsworth for improving the modern television system. He held more than 300 U.S. and foreign patents during his lifetime, covering the scanning, focusing, synchronizing, contrast, controls and power of television.

Gerhard Sessler & Jim West, Electret Microphone

U.S. Patent No. 3,118,022

NIHF Inductees Gerhard Sessler and Jim West patented the electret microphone in 1962. These microphones are often worn by referees and players, allowing fans to hear the action on the field. Electret microphones make up 90 percent of today’s microphones, even some of those used by broadcasters in sports television and radio!

Garrett Brown, SkyCam System

U.S. Patent No. 4,710,819

NIHF Inductee Garrett Brown is most notably known for the Steadicam^® Camera Stabilizer, which permits camera operators to move freely, walking, running and climbing stairs while the shots remain smooth. With the SkyCam, Brown made it possible to produce stabilized aerial shots of basketball courts, hockey rinks and football fields. Brown holds 50 patents worldwide for his innovations in camera technology.

Sponsored by Sports Media Technology, Game-Changing Inventors will be on display beginning May 1. Get in the game to learn about innovations and inventors who have influenced sports-based technology. Plan your visit today.