RFID skier monitoring systems and methods

• US 8,669,845 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VAIL Resorts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: VAIL Resorts Incorporated
• Inventors: Chakraborty, Sayan, Bruns, Logan, Urwiler, Robert, April, Tim, Younge, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akki, Munear
• Application Number:
  US12/060,132
• Time in Patent Office: 2,171 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.6, 340/5.52, 340/5.53, 340 563- 567, 340 574- 592, 340/571.1, 340/572.1, 340/10.1, 235/440, 235/459, 235/461, 23546201-46269, 235/470, 23547201-47203, 235/60.37, 235/451
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/00 Measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, persons, animals or other moving solid bodies, e.g. using odometers, using pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/00 Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns methods or arrangements for marking the record carrier in digital fashion G06K1/00; pattern recognition G06F18/00; arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding G06V10/00; character recognition, recognising digital ink or document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10425 the interrogation device being arranged for interrogation of record carriers passing by the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H

Abstract

A system and method monitor skier behavior. An identifier is read from a lift access product when the lift access product is in the vicinity of a lift boarding area and a scan record containing the identifier, location information of the lift boarding area and a time stamp if generated. The scan record is processed to generate a location event record that is stored within a location database. The location database is processed to determine skier behavior based upon the location event records.

Claims

1. An RFID skier monitoring system, comprising:

a plurality of lift access products for customers of a ski resort, each lift access product having a unique identifier;

at least one RFID scanner located at a boarding location of one or more ski lifts, the at least one RFID scanner configured to read the unique identifier of each lift access product as customers board the one or more ski lifts, the at least one RFID scanner configured to generate a scan record comprising the unique identifier, a scanner ID, and a time stamp for each unique identifier read;

a location event generator configured to generate a location event record for each scan record;

a location database configured to store the location event record;

a service application configured to process the location database to determine a profile of a skier using the lift access product, wherein the profile of the skier using the lift access product includes suggested terrain areas commensurate with terrain areas previously taken by the skier; and

a display configured to convey the suggested terrain areas to the skier.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the profile include lift progression information.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an integrity tool configured to determine whether scan records generated during a set period of time are duplicate scan records using a minimum time required for a customer to ride a ski lift and ski down to a base of the ski lift.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an integrity tool configured to determine whether scan records generated during a set period of time are duplicate scan records using at least one of the following:

a maximum time required for a customer to access a ski lift when that lift is busy and a maximum time required for a customer to access a ski lift when that lift is not busy.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fraud detector configured to determine a fraud score using location event records in the location database.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the fraud detector is further configured to increase the fraud score for a customer when an uncharacteristic run is made.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the fraud detector is configured to determine the fraud score each time the lift access product is scanned.