METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETECTING AN EVENT ON A SPORTS TRACK

• US 20140052279A1
• Filed: 11/08/2011
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mylaps B.V.
• Original Assignee: AMB i.t. Holding B.V. (Sports Timing Holding BV)
• Inventors: Van Rens, Bas Jan Emile
• Granted Patent: US 10,026,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/91
• 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 2220/62 Time or time measurement used for time reference, time stamp, master time or clock signal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/836 Sensors arranged on the body of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/15 with identification means that can be read by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/18 Skating
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0028 for running, jogging or speed-walking movable endless bands A63B22/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/00 Registering, indicating or recording the time of events or elapsed time, e.g. time-recorders for work people registering or indicating the working of machines or vehicles G07C3/00, G07C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/22 in connection with sports or games
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/24 Race time-recorders
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method and system for detecting an event on a sports track. By applying one or more track segments across the width of the sports track and detecting passage of participants for the track segments, a comparison can be made between detected passage results and known passage results that may e.g. be available from a storage internal or external to the system. A deviation between the detection results and the known results that exceeds a particular deviation margin may be used as an immediate sign of an irregularity occurring during the sports event. The irregularity may e.g. relate to malfunctioning of one or more components of the time monitoring system or to deviating behavior by a participant to the sports event.

Claims

1. A method for detecting an event on a sports track during a sports event comprising:

providing at least one track segment across the width of the sports track;

detecting passage of participants of the sports event for the track segment to obtain a track segment passage result for the track segment;

comparing the obtained track segment passage result with a known track segment passage result for the track segment; and

detecting the event on the sports track when the obtained track segment passage result deviates by at least a deviation margin from the known track segment passage result.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deviation of the obtained track segment passage results from the known track segment passage results comprises a time deviation by at least a time deviation margin.

3. The method according to claim 2 and further comprising

comparing obtained track segment passage results for a time interval with a known track segment passage distribution for the corresponding time interval;

and

detecting the event when the obtained track segment passage results deviate from the known track segment passage distribution by the time deviation margin.

4. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising:

providing at least two track segments across the width of the sports track;

detecting passage of participants of the sports event for each of the track segments to obtain at least one track segment passage result for one or more of the track segments;

comparing at least one of the obtained track segment passage results with a known track segment passage result for the same track segment; and

detecting the event on the sports track when the obtained track segment passage result deviates by at least a deviation margin from the known track segment passage result for the at least one track segment.

5. The method according to claim 4 and further comprising:

comparing obtained track segment passage results for a plurality of track segments with known track segment passage distribution for the corresponding plurality of track segments; and

detecting the event when the obtained track segment passage results deviate from the known track segment passage distribution by a deviation margin.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the deviation comprises a location deviation by at least a location deviation margin.

7. The method according to claim 4 and further comprising selecting the width of the track segment substantially in accordance with the width of a participant.

8. The method according to claim 4 and further comprising providing the at least two track segments by providing at least two mats, each of the mats containing a detector for detecting the passage of participants.

9. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising generating an alert signal in response to detecting the event.

10. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising performing at least said comparing at a remote analysis device.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the event relates to operation of a detection system for detecting the passage of the participants of the sports event.

12. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising:

providing a first one or more track segments across the width of the sports track at a first position along the sports track;

providing a second one or more track segments across the width of the sports track at a second position along the sports track, wherein the second position differs from the first position in the direction along the sports track;

detecting an event between the first one or more track segments and the second one or more track segments when a known distribution of track segment passage results for the first one or more track segments deviates by a deviation margin from the obtained track segment passage results for the second one or more track segments.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the known distribution of track segment passage results is obtained from detecting the passage of participants for the first plurality of track segments.

28. The method according to claim 13 wherein the event is malfunctioning of a detection component of a detection system on a sports track.

14. A system for detecting an event on a sports track during a sports event, wherein the sports track is segmented across the width of the sports track by at least one track segment, the system comprising:

at least one detector configured to detect passage of participants of the sports event for the track segment to obtain a track segment passage result for the track segment;

a comparator configured to compare the obtained track segment passage result with a known track segment passage result for the track segment; and

an analyser configured to determine whether the obtained track segment passage result deviates from the known track segment passage result for the at least one track segment in order to detect the event on the sports track.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the deviation of the obtained track segment passage results from the known track segment passage results comprises a time deviation by at least a time deviation margin.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein:

the comparator is configured to compare obtained track segment passage results for a time interval with a known track segment passage distribution for the corresponding time interval; and

the analyser is configured to detect the event when the obtained track segment passage results deviate from the known track segment passage distribution by the time deviation margin.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein the sports track is segmented across the width of the sports track by at least two track segments, the system comprising:

at least one detector configured to detect passage of participants of the sports event for each of the track segments to obtain at least one track segment passage result for each of the track segments;

a comparator configured to compare at least one of the obtained track segment passage results with a known track segment passage result for the same track segment; and

an analyser configured to determine whether the obtained track segment passage result deviates by at least a deviation margin from the known track segment passage result for the at least one track segment in order to detect the event on the sports track.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein:

the comparator is configured to compare obtained track segment passage results for a plurality of track segments with known track segment passage results for a corresponding plurality of track segments; and

the analyser is configured to determine whether the obtained track segment passage results deviate from a known track segment passage distribution by a deviation margin.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the deviation comprises a location deviation by at least a location deviation margin.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein the width of the track segment is selected substantially in accordance with the width of a participant.

21. The system according to claim 17, wherein the track segments comprise mats, each of the mats containing a detector configured to detect the passage of participants.

22. The system according to claim 14, wherein the system comprises a generator configured to generate an alert signal in response to detecting the event.

23. The system according to claim 14, wherein at least the comparator and the analyser are contained in a remote analysis device.

24. The system according to claim 14, wherein the event relates to operation of a detection system for detecting the passage of the participants of the sports event.

25. The system according to one claim 14, the sports track comprising:

a first one or more track segments across the width of the sports track at a first position along the sports track; and

a second one or more track segments across the width of the sports track at a second position along the sports track, wherein the second position differs from the first position in the direction along the sports track;

and wherein the analyzer is configured to determine whether a known distribution of track segment passage results for the first one or more track segments deviates by a deviation margin from obtained track segment passage results for the second one or more track segments in order to detect an event between the first one or more track segments and the second one or more track segments.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the system is configured such that the known distribution of track segment passage results is obtained from detecting the passage of participants of the first one or more track segments.

27. A non-transitory computer readable storage media comprising software code portions, which when executed by a processor perform one or more of:

detecting passage of participants of a sports event for a track segment to obtain a track segment passage result for the track segment;

comparing the obtained track segment passage result with a known track segment passage result for the track segment; and

detecting an event on the sports track when the obtained track segment passage result deviates by at least a deviation margin from the known track segment passage result.