Event timing system having an RFID tag reader and integrated GPS location determination

• US 10,029,163 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2016
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Timing Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Innovative Timing Systems LLC
• Inventors: Hansen, Kurt S.
• Primary Examiner(s): BEE, ANDREW W.
• Application Number:
  US15/351,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20170056749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/62 Time or time measurement used for time reference, time stamp, master time or clock signal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0062 Monitoring athletic performances, e.g. for determining the work of a user on an exercise apparatus, the completed jogging or cycling distance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0616 Means for conducting or scheduling competition, league, tournaments or rankings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0686 Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10128 the step consisting of detection of the presence of one or more record carriers in the vicinity of the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10198 setting parameters for the interrogator, e.g. programming parameters and operating modes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/24 Race time-recorders

Abstract

A system and method for determining a time of an event participant passing a detection point having a participant identifier number by a timing system coupled to an RFID tag reader in proximity to at a monitored point and receiving RFID tag read times and coupled to a portable device with a transceiver and a location detector for selectively receiving a participant number read, the timing system receiving the geographic location of the handheld device, the handheld read participant number and a handheld time, determining that the received RFID tag read times timing system are not usable times and determining a time of passing of the participant by the detection point by determining a delta time between the proximity detector and the handheld device and an adjusted time of participant passing based on the determined delta time and handheld time.

Claims

1. A timing system for supporting a determination of a time of passing of a monitored detection point by a participant in an event having an RFID tag with a participant identifier associated with a unique participant identifier number, the system comprising:

a timing system server having a processor, a communication interface, a non-transitory memory, computer executable instructions and a first interface to interface with an RFID tag reader positioned proximate to the monitored detection point, a second interface to interface with a portable handheld device positioned at a spaced apart distance from the monitored detection point, and a third interface to interface with a participant/event reporting system, the timing system configured to;

store a current geographic location of at least one of the RFID tag reader and the monitored detection point the memory;

receive over the first interface one or more RFID tag reads of the RFID tag when the RFID tag is in proximity to the RFID tag reader, each received RFID tag read including the RFID participant identifier number and the RFID tag read times by the RFID tag reader;

receive over the second interface a handheld device participant identifier number, a handheld device time, and a current geographic location of the handheld device,

correlate the received RFID participant identifier number with the received handheld device participant identifier number to determine the participant identifier number;

store the received RFID tag read times and the received handheld device time in the memory associated with the correlated participant identifier number;

store the received current geographic location of the handheld device;

compare the received RFID tag read times to the handheld device time;

determine that the received RFID tag read times are not usable as the time of passing of the monitored detection point by the participant;

determine a delta time from the difference in the stored current geographic location of the RFID tag reader and the received current geographic location of the handheld device;

calculate an adjusted time for the participant identifier number from the received and stored handheld device time and the determined delta time;

store the calculated adjusted time as a time of passing of the detection point for the participant; and

transmit over the third interface to the participant/event reporting system the participant identifier number and the calculated adjusted time as the time of passing of the participant having the participant identifier number.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the timing system is further configured to determine a velocity of the participant approaching the detection point from the received one or more tag reads from the RFID tag reader, and wherein the timing system further calculates the delta time based on the determined velocity.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the timing system is communicatively coupled to a plurality of RFID tag readers and receives a plurality of tag reads for the plurality of the coupled RFID tag readers with two or more tag reads having different participant identifier numbers but one of which is the participant identifier number associated with the participant, the timing system configured to determine from the plurality of participant identifier tag read times for the plurality of participant identifier numbers, an average velocity of the plurality of participant identifiers approaching the detection point, and determines the delta time based on the determined average velocity.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the timing system is configured to transmit over the first interface and the second interface a clock synchronization message including a system time value from the timing system and wherein the received RFID tag read times and the handheld times are each based on and relative to the system time value.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the stored current geographic location of the at least one of the RFID tag reader and the monitored detection point are Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates and wherein the received current geographic location of the handheld device is also GPS coordinates.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the timing system is further configured to receive the current geographic location of the at least one of the RFID tag reader and the monitored detection point over a fourth interface prior to the storing in the memory.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the timing system is further configured to receive over the second interface an image captured by the handheld device, to store the received captured image in association with the handheld device time of the participant identifier number and to transmit the captured image over the third interface along with the participant identifier number and the calculated adjusted time.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the participant further has an associated bar code, and wherein the timing system is configured to receive over the second interface a scanned bar code with the handheld time from the handheld device in lieu of the participant identifier number and the captured image and to determine the participant identifier number associated with the received bar code.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the participant further has an associated bar code, and wherein the timing system is configured to receive over the second interface a scanned bar code with the handheld time from the handheld device in lieu of the participant identifier number and to determine the participant identifier number associated with the received bar code.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the received handheld device time for the participant identifier is a first handheld device time and the current geographic location of the handheld device is a first current geographic location, further comprising the timing system is configured

to receive over the second interface a second handheld device time with the participant identifier number and a second current geographic location of the handheld device that is different from the first current geographic location;

to store the received second handheld device time with the second current geographic location of the handheld device;

wherein the determining of the delta time includes a comparison of the first current geographic location of the handheld device to the second current geographic location of the handheld device and relative to the stored current geographic location of the RFID tag reader and wherein calculating the adjusted time for the participant identifier number is responsive to the comparing.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein determining that the received RFID tag read times are not usable as the time of passing of the monitored detection point by the participant includes a comparison of the RFID tag read times to the handheld time, and a comparison of the current location of the RFID tag reader relative to the current location of the handheld device.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein when the timing system fails to correlate the participant identifier number of the handheld device with the participant identifier number of the RFID tag reads, the timing system automatically determines the adjusted time based on the handheld time.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the RFID tag reader is offset from the monitored detection point, and wherein the timing system stores a current geographic location of the monitored detection point as well as the current geographic location of the RFID tag reader, and is configured to determine an offset time as a function of the difference between the current geographic location of the RFID tag reader and the current geographic location of the monitored detection point, wherein the determining that the received RFID tag read times are not usable as the time of passing of the monitored detection point by the participant is a function of the determined offset time and a comparison of the RFID tag read times to the handheld time.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the determining that the received RFID tag read times are not usable as the time of passing of the monitored detection point by the participant includes comparing the received RFID tag reads with RFID tag reads of a second participant in the same event and determining that received tag reads of the participant do not accurately indicate the time of passing of the participant at the detection point.

15. A method for a timing system using an RFID tag reader to determine a time of passing of a monitored detection point by a participant in an event having a participant identifier with an associated unique participant identifier number, the method comprises:

in a timing system server having a processor, a communication interface, a non-transitory memory, computer executable instructions, a first interface to interface with an RFID tag reader positioned proximate to the monitored detection point, a second interface to interface with a portable handheld device positioned at a spaced apart distance from the monitored detection point, and a third interface to interface with a participant/event reporting system, performing the method of;

receiving a current geographic location of at least one of the RFID tag reader and the monitored detection point;

storing the received current geographic location of the at least one of the RFID tag reader and the monitored detection point in the memory;

receiving over the first interface one or more RFID tag reads of the RFID tag when the RFID tag is in proximity to the RFID tag reader, each received RFID tag read including the RFID participant identifier number and the RFID tag read times by the RFID tag reader;

receiving over the second interface a handheld device participant identifier number, a handheld device time, and a current geographic location of the handheld device,

correlating the received RFID participant identifier number with the received handheld device participant identifier number to determine the participant identifier number;

storing the received RFID tag read times and the received handheld device time in the memory associated with the correlated participant identifier number;

storing the received current geographic location of the handheld device;

comparing the received RFID tag read times to the handheld device time;

determining that the received RFID tag read times are not usable as the time of passing of the monitored detection point by the participant;

determining a delta time from the difference in the stored current geographic location of the RFID tag reader and the received current geographic location of the handheld device;

calculating an adjusted time for the participant identifier number from the received and stored handheld device time and the determined delta time;

storing the calculated adjusted time as a time of passing of the detection point for the participant; and

transmitting over the third interface to the participant/event reporting system the participant identifier number and the calculated adjusted time as the time of passing of the participant having the participant identifier number.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein in the timing system:

determining a velocity of the participant approaching the detection point from the received one or more tag reads from the participant proximity detector, and wherein calculating the delta time is based on the determined velocity.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein in the timing system:

receiving a plurality of tag reads for a plurality of participant identifier numbers each having a plurality of identified participant identifier read times, one of which is the participant identifier number associated with the participant; and

determining from the plurality of participant identifier read times for the plurality of participant identifier numbers an average velocity of the plurality of participant identifiers approaching the detection point, and wherein the determining of the delta time is based on the determined average velocity.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein in the timing system:

receiving a second current geographic location of the handheld device that is different from the received current geographic location; and

storing the second current geographic location in the timing system memory.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein in the timing system

receiving over the second interface an image captured by the handheld device;

storing the received captured image in association with the handheld device time of the participant identifier number; and

transmitting the captured image over the third interface along with the participant identifier number and the calculated adjusted time.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the participant further has an associated bar code, and wherein in the timing system

receiving over the second interface a scanned bar code with the handheld time from the handheld device in lieu of the participant identifier number and the captured image;

and

determining the participant identifier number associated with the received bar code.