Method and apparatus for associating radio frequency identification tags with participants

• US 10,333,568 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2017
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Alonso, Rodrigo, Turner, Belinda, Ameti, Aitan, Senerchia, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Littlejohn, Jr., Mancil
• Application Number:
  US15/597,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20170257127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 340 10- 1061
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/002 adapted to accommodate electronic equipment patients' garments for medical monitoring A41D13/1281; luminous ornaments A41D27/085
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/005 with embedded cable or connector
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/04 Vests, jerseys, sweaters or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2600/10 for sport activities
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/30 Mounting radio sets or communication systems
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0025 Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0028 Tracking the path of an object, e.g. a ball inside a soccer pitch
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0056 for statistical or strategic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0686 Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 : by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10227 : loading programming parameters or programs into the interrogator, e.g. for configuring the interrogator
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 : arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10306 : ultra wide band
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 : the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 : Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 : Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 : Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 : Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 : using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 : Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 : for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 : for simulation or modelling of medical disorders
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1036 : with automatic suppression of narrow band noise or interference, e.g. by using tuneable notch filters H04B1/123 takes precedence; filter circuits H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7097 : Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/71635 : Transmitter aspects H04B1/7174 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/71637 : Receiver aspects H04B1/7183 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/719 : Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 : Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 : Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media are disclosed for associating a radio frequency identification tag with a participant. In one embodiment, a method is provided for associating an unassociated RF location tag with a participant. The method may include determining an unassociated RF location tag to be associated with the participant, receiving sensor derived data from one or more sensors, determining an identity of the particular participant using the sensor derived data, and associating the identity of the particular participant with the unassociated RF location tag.

Claims

1. A method for associating a participant with a radio frequency (RF) location tag, the method comprising:

transmitting an activation signal within a designated zone, the activation signal causing the RF location tag to activate upon receipt and transmit an activation notification;

receiving the activation notification from the RF location tag;

determining whether a required minimum number of tags is present in the designated zone, wherein the required minimum number of tags is based on a role of the participant in an event;

in response to determining that the required minimum number of tags is present in the designated zone, determining, using a processor, a participant identity within the designated zone using information received from one or more sensors; and

associating the RF location tag with the participant identity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises visual data and the one or more sensors comprise a camera.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the visual data comprises an image of a player jersey.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an orientation of the RF location tag using the information received from the one or more sensors.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the activation signal within the designated zone is performed at a first period of time at the event, and further comprising transmitting a deactivation signal within the designated zone at a second period of time at the event.

5. An apparatus for associating a participant with a radio frequency (RF) location tag, the apparatus comprising a processor configured to cause the apparatus to at least:

transmit an activation signal within a designated zone, the activation signal causing the RF location tag to activate upon receipt and transmit an activation notification;

receive the activation notification from the RF location tag;

determine whether a required minimum number of tags is present in the designated zone, wherein the required minimum number of tags is based on a role of the participant in an event;

in response to determining that the required minimum number of tags is present in the designated zone, determine a participant identity within the designated zone using information received from one or more sensors; and

associate the RF location tag with the participant identity.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the information comprises visual data and the one or more sensors comprise a camera.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the visual data comprises an image of a player jersey.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, the processor configured to cause the apparatus to determine an orientation of the RF location tag using the information received from the one or more sensors.

14. The apparatus of claim 5, the processor configured to cause the apparatus to:

transmit the activation signal within the designated zone at a first period of time at the event; and

transmit a deactivation signal within the designated zone at a second period of time at the event.

9. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to configure an apparatus to at least:

transmit an activation signal within a designated zone, the activation signal causing a radio frequency (RF) location tag to activate upon receipt and transmit an activation notification;

receive the activation notification from the RF location tag;

determine whether a required minimum number of tags is present in the designated zone, wherein the required minimum number of tags is based on a role of a participant in an event;

in response to determining that the required minimum number of tags is present in the designated zone, determine a participant identity within the designated zone using information received from one or more sensors; and

associate the RF location tag with the participant identity.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the information comprises visual data and the one or more sensors comprise a camera.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the visual data comprises an image of a player jersey.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the instructions configure the apparatus to determine an orientation of the RF location tag using the information received from the one or more sensors.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the instructions configure the apparatus to:

transmit the activation signal within the designated zone at a first period of time at the event; and

transmit a deactivation signal within the designated zone at a second period of tie at the event.