RFID skier monitoring systems and methods

• US 9,141,837 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2014
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• 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 T
• Application Number:
  US14/547,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20150070140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 307 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.31, 340/573.1, 340/572.1, 340/10.1, 340/5.6, 235/440
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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. A skier monitoring system, comprising:

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

at least one 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 scanner configured to generate a scan record comprising the unique identifier, location information of the lift boarding area, and a time stamp for each unique identifier read;

a service application configured 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.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of transmitting real-time lift wait time information for display on a lift time display.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the lift time display on which the real time lift wait time information is displayed is a cell phone display.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one scanner is located at a boarding location of the one or more ski lifts.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one scanner is an RFID scanner.

21. The method of claim 8, wherein the lift time display on which the real time lift wait time information is displayed in proximity to the lift boarding area.

10. A 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 scanner located at each location of one or more ski lifts, the at least one scanner configured to read the unique identifier of each lift access product as customers access the one or more ski lifts, the at least one 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; and

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 data identifying profiles of one or more persons that have formed a party with the skier.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a user interface device configured to access the profile of the skier using the lift access product and to display personal statistics derived from location event records for that skier.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the user interface device is configured to display a location of each person in the party.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the location of each person in the party includes a particular lift that each person in the party is currently riding or a time and ski lift last ridden by each person in the party.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the user interface device is a kiosk, and wherein the kiosk is adapted to display a message from a person in the party.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the kiosk is configured to automatically log in the skier using the lift access product.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising a user interface device configured to access the profile of the skier, wherein the user interface device is a cell phone.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the user interface device is configured to add profiles of persons to the party using lift access products for each of the additional persons.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one scanner is an RFID scanner.