SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR CHARTING AND DISPLAYING THE TIME AND POSITION OF CONTESTANTS IN A RACE

• US 20070100577A1
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fernando Vincenzini
• Original Assignee: Fernando Vincenzini
• Inventors: Vincenzini, Fernando
• Granted Patent: US 8,145,448 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: A63K 3/00 Equipment or accessories for racing or riding sports training equipment for animals A01K15/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/24 Race time-recorders

Abstract

A system and a process for determining the timing and position of contestants on a track. This system comprises at least one directional antenna that projects a field from an inside rail to an outside rail on the track. There is also at least one competitor communication device that can be coupled to each contestant. A remote base station, is in communication with the positioning device, wherein the positioning device determines a contestant time as the contestant passes the projected field and also determines the position of the contestant in relation to an inside guide such as a rail. A relay positioned in the center of the track can also be used to increase the signal flowing between the base station and the positioning device. The process for determining the position and timing of each contestant in a race includes the steps of attaching at least one competitor communication device on at least one individual contestant. Next, the race starts, whereby during the race, the position and time for each contestant is recorded. Next a signal is transmitted from the competitor communication device to a remote base station. Finally, these signals are synchronized so that there is no interference. Information relating to this race is then sent to a display for providing a plurality of characteristics of the race.

Claims

1. A system for determining a particular position and a particular position of an individual contestant in a race and a position on a track of that contestant wherein the system comprises:

at least one transmitting antenna positioned at a particular position on the track and for creating an ambient field;

at least one competitor communication device which can be coupled to each contestant and which can be used to read the ambient field;

at least one remote receiving station for receiving at least one transmission from said competitor communication device;

wherein said at least one receiving station is used to determine a position of a competitor as that competitor is passing said at least one transmitting antenna.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein said at least one competitor communication device comprises at least one microprocessor which contains a set of instructions which creates a unique identity for said at least one microprocessor identifying the contestant using the device.

3. The system as in claim 1, wherein said microprocessor contains a time division multiple access (TDMA) protocol to set a periodic time for transmission to and from said transceiver to said remote processing station to avoid collision or interference of a signal.

4. The system as in claim 1, further comprising an infrared system positioned adjacent to each of said at least one loop wherein said infrared system determines when a competitor crosses a path on said infrared system.

5. The system as in claim 1, further comprising at least one relay station for relaying and amplifying signals for transmitting information between said at least one competitor communication device and said at least one remote base station.

6. A system for charting the position of at least one contestant in a race comprising:

at least one transmitting antenna disposed adjacent to a running surface on the track for creating an ambient field;

at least one competitor communication device which can be coupled to at least one contestant and which can be used to read the ambient field;

at least one remote base station, wherein said competitor communication device determines a contestant time as said contestant passes said at least one antenna, and wherein this contestant time is forwarded to said at least one base station; and

at least one display in communication with said at least one remote base station, wherein said display displays the position of the contestant in relation to the other contestants in the race.

7. The system as in claim 6, wherein said at least one display is in the form of screen including a graphical representation of a full field running order for each of the contestants in a race.

8. The system as in claim 7, wherein said at least one contestant comprises a plurality of contestants and said display includes a graphical representation of the top three finishers taken from said plurality of contestants at a plurality of different positions throughout an entire race.

9. The system as in claim 6, wherein said display includes a screen displaying a television based graphical representation which can be used to provide an instant race recap for each fraction and finish position for each contestant.

10. A process for tracking and reporting the position of contestants in a race comprising:

creating an ambient field in at least one position on a track;

attaching at least one individual contestant positioning device on at least one contestant, wherein said positioning device is equipped to measure the magnitude of said field on said at least one contestant;

starting a race;

recording a position and time of at least one contestant;

reporting said position and time of said at least one contestant on a display device.

11. The process as in claim 10, wherein said step of recording a position and time of said at least one contestant comprises recording a position of at least one contestant relative to an adjacent contestant.

12. The process as in claim 11, wherein said step of recording a position and time of said at least one contestant comprises comparing a position of at least one first contestant to at least one second contestant and then comparing a difference in distance to an average length of a competitor.

13. The process as in claim 12, wherein said step of recording a position and time of said at least one contestant includes recording a position of at least one contestant relative to an inside rail.

14. The process as in claim 13, wherein said step of recording a position of said at least one contestant includes recording a position of at least one contestant relative to an inside rail and measured based upon an average width of a contestant.

15. The process as in claim 10, wherein said step of reporting a position of at least one contestant includes reporting on at least one display in the form of screen including a graphical representation of a full field running order for each of the contestants in a race.

16. The process as in claim 10, wherein said step of reporting a position of at least one contestant includes reporting a position of a plurality of contestants on a display which includes forming on said display a graphical representation of the top three finishers taken from said plurality of contestants at a plurality of different positions throughout an entire race.

17. The system as in claim 10, wherein said step of reporting a position includes providing a screen displaying a television based graphical representation which can be used to provide an instant race recap for each fraction and finish position for each contestant.

18. A process for tracking and reporting the position of contestants in a race comprising:

electronically tracking a time and position of at least two contestants in a race by reading an ambient field created by a directional antenna;

recording a position and time of said at least two contestants including comparing a position of at least one first contestant to at least one second contestant and then comparing a difference in distance to an average length of a contestant; and

reporting said position and time of said at least two contestants on a display device.

19. The process as in claim 18, wherein said step of recording a position and time of said at least one contestant includes recording a position of at least one contestant relative to an inside rail on a track.

20. The process as in claim 18, wherein said step of recording a position of said at least two contestants includes recording a position of at least two contestants relative to an inside rail and wherein said position is measured based upon an average width of a contestant.

21. The process as in claim 18, wherein said step of reporting a position of at least two contestants includes reporting on at least one display in the form of screen including a graphical representation of a full field running order for each of the contestants in a race.

22. The process as in claim 18, wherein said step of reporting a position of at least two contestants includes reporting a position of a plurality of contestants on a display which includes forming on said display a graphical representation of the top three contestants in terms of finishing order, taken from said plurality of contestants at a plurality of different positions throughout an entire race.

23. The process as in claim 18, wherein said step of reporting a position includes providing a graphical representation which can be used to provide an instant race recap for each fraction and finish position for each contestant.

24. The process as in claim 18, wherein said step of electronically tracking a time and position of at least two contestants includes:

attaching at least one individual contestant positioning device on at least one contestant, wherein said positioning device is equipped to measure the magnitude of said ambient field on said at least one contestant.

25. A display for providing information relating to a contestant in a race comprising:

a plurality of graphical representation elements wherein each element represents a contestant in a race, wherein each element is arranged in an order on said display to indicate an order of contestants in a race.

26. The display as in claim 25, wherein the display further comprises a video display of the device.

27. The display as in claim 25, further comprising a second set of a plurality of graphical representation elements wherein each element in said second set of elements represents a distance that each associated competitor is from in relation to a leading contestant in the race.

28. The display as in claim 27, wherein each graphical representation element represents distance as a fraction of a length of a contestant.

29. The display as in claim 27, further comprising a third set of graphical representation elements, which indicate a distance that each competitor is from an inside rail.