RFID tag reading systems and methods for aquatic timed events

• US 9,187,154 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2013
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Timing Solutions LLC, Innovative Timing Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Innovative Timing Systems LLC
• Inventors: Hansen, Kurt S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jiang, Yong Hang
• Application Number:
  US13/957,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20140035729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/10.2, 340/10.3, 340/10.31, 340/10.32, 340/10.33, 340/10.34, 340/10.4, 340/10.41, 340/10.42, 340/10.5, 340/10.51, 340/10.52, 441/1, 345/419, 345/8, 345/156, 345/549, 345/584, 706/46, 715/810, 707/E17.019, 707/E17.018, 707/E17.016
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/04 Fixations or other anchoring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/16 specially adapted for marking a navigational route signalling or lighting devices B63B45/00
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 22/20 Ballast means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/24 Race time-recorders

Abstract

A system and method for determining the passing of a participant of an aquatic event by a water-based timing point including an RFID tag associated with the participant, an aquatic based RFID tag reading point having one or more aquatic tag reading assemblies placed in the water, each aquatic tag reading assembly having one or more RFID tag readers mounted thereon at a position above the surface of the water on an aquatic tag reader mounting assembly, the aquatic tag reader mounting assembly having a portion below the surface of the water and including at least one float system and at least one stabilization system.

Claims

1. An assembly for use with an event timing system for determining a timing of passing of an aquatic timing point by a participant that includes a person, a boat, or water based vehicle participating in a timed aquatic event, the participant having an RFID tag with a unique participant identifier, the system comprising:

an elongated body having an upper end and a lower end, and a middle portion positioned between the upper end and the lower end;

an RFID antenna mounting assembly attached proximate to the upper end of the elongated body configured for mounting an RFID antenna;

a stabilizer assembly located at a fixed vertical position of the middle portion of the elongated body, the stabilizer assembly including a plurality of radially spaced apart coupling connectors;

a plurality of anchors, each anchor having a mass significantly greater than water for placement on a bottom of an aquatic body and a coupling fixture;

a plurality of anchor lines, each anchor line having a first end for attachment to one of the coupling connectors of the stabilizer assembly and a second end for attachment to the coupling fixture of one of the anchors; and

one or more floatation devices coupled to at least one of the elongated body and the stabilizer assembly, wherein the sum of the buoyancy of the one or more floatation devices selected to provide substantial floatation of the elongated body and the stabilizer assembly following mounting of an antenna to the RFID antenna mounting assembly.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the elongated body is a PVC tube.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the one or more floatation devices are coupled to the elongated body at the middle portion thereon.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the stabilizer assembly includes a plurality of lateral members extending substantially perpendicular from the elongated body and wherein at least a portion of the coupling connectors are positioned proximate to a distal end of the lateral members.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein at least a portion of one or more floatation devices is positioned proximate to the distal ends of the lateral members.

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein at least a portion of the one or more floatation devices is positioned on a lateral member proximate to the elongated body.

7. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the stabilizer assembly includes two elongated members having two opposing distal ends and a middle, each of the two elongated members attached to the elongated body about at the middle of each elongated member and positioned perpendicular to each other.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the elongated body and the elongated members are each made of a PVC tube.

9. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the stabilizer assembly includes a plurality of supports, each support having a first end coupled to a spaced apart position of the elongated body and a second end coupled to one of the elongated members at a positioned spaced apart from the elongated body.

10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein each anchor line has at least one of the first end and the second end configured for adjusting a length of the anchor line and securing the adjusted length at a defined length position.

11. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising an RFID antenna mounted to the RFID antenna mounting assembly, the RFID antenna being communicatively coupled to an RFID tag reader system positioned remote from the assembly.

12. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the RFID antenna mounting assembly has two opposing sides for mounting a first RFID antenna on a first side and a second RFID antenna on a second side.

13. The assembly of claim 12, further comprising a first RFID antenna mounted to the first side of the RFID antenna mounting assembly and a second RFID antenna mounted to a second side of the RFID antenna mounting assembly, the first antenna configured for reading RFID tags in a direction of the first side and the second antenna configured for reading RFID tags in a direction of the second side.

14. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the sum of the buoyancy of the one or more floatation devices is greater than the weight of the elongated body, the stabilizer assembly and the mounted antenna.

15. A system for recording a passing of a participant that includes a person, a boat, a vehicle or any other water based device participating in a timed aquatic event past an aquatic timing point, the participant having an RFID tag with a unique participant identifier, the system comprising:

an RFID tag reader system having a processor, a memory, a clock, a communication interface, a radio frequency transceiver for generating a wireless communication with the RFID tag via an antenna;

an aquatic antenna mounting assembly having an elongated body having an upper end and a lower end, and a middle portion positioned between the upper end and the lower end, an RFID antenna mounting assembly attached proximate to the upper end of the elongated body configured for mounting an RFID antenna, a stabilizer assembly located at a fixed vertical position of the middle portion of the elongated body, the stabilizer assembly including a plurality of radially spaced apart coupling connectors, a plurality of anchors, each anchor having a mass significantly greater than water for placement on a bottom of an aquatic body and a coupling fixture, a plurality of anchor lines, each anchor line having a first end for attachment to one of the coupling connectors of the stabilizer assembly and a second end for attachment to the coupling fixture of one of the anchors, and one or more floatation devices coupled to at least one of the elongated body and the stabilizer assembly, wherein the sum of the buoyancy of the one or more floatation devices selected to provide substantial floatation of the elongated body and the stabilizer assembly following mounting of an antenna to the RFID antenna mounting assembly, the aquatic antenna mounting assembly being positionable proximate to the aquatic timing point; and

an RFID antenna mounted on the RFID antenna mounting assembly and communicatively coupled to the radio frequency transceiver of the RFID tag reader system, wherein the RFID tag reader system is configured for transmitting a tag read request from the antenna to the RFID tag and receiving at the antenna one or more tag reads from the RFID tag, and transmitting the tag read request and the tag reads between the RFID tag reader system and the antenna.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a tag reader platform having a platform body with buoyancy and a plurality of platform anchors each attached to a spaced apart portion of the platform body by an anchor line.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a radio frequency communication cable coupling the RFID antenna to the radio frequency transceiver of the RFID tag reader system, wherein the aquatic antenna mounting system includes securing fixtures for securing the communication cable in a fixed position relative to the elongated body.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the radio frequency communication cable includes a conduit defining an air tight cavity and an RF transmission line positioned within the air tight cavity.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the conduit is a flexible conduit and the RF transmission line is a coax line.

20. The assembly of claim 15 wherein the RFID antenna mounting assembly has two opposing sides for mounting a first RFID antenna on a first side and a second RFID antenna on a second side, and wherein the antenna is a first RFID antenna mounted to the first side of the RFID antenna mounting assembly, further comprising a second RFID antenna mounted to a second side of the RFID antenna mounting assembly, the first antenna configured for reading the RFID tag when it is in a direction of the first side and the second antenna configured for reading the RFID tag when the RFID tag is in a direction of the second side, and wherein radio frequency transceiver of the RFID tag reader is configured for communicating with each of the first and second RFID antenna and differentiating communications between the two antenna.

21. A system for timing a plurality of participants including persons, boats, or water based vehicles participating in a timed aquatic event as they travel past at least one aquatic timing point, each participant having an RFID tag with a unique participant identifier, the system comprising:

an event timing system having a processor for executing computer executable instructions, a memory for storing the computer executable instructions, and a communication interface, system configured for receiving over the communication interface a plurality of RFID tag reads for each participant, determining a time for each tag read, and determining a lapse time of each participant in the timed aquatic event as a function of the plurality of RFID tag reads;

an RFID tag reader system having a processor, a memory, a clock, a communication interface for communicating with the event timing system and transmitting RFID tag reads as determined by the RFID tag read system to the event timing system, a radio frequency transceiver for generating a wireless communication with the RFID tag via an antenna;

an aquatic antenna mounting assembly having an elongated body having an upper end and a lower end, and a middle portion positioned between the upper end and the lower end, an RFID antenna mounting assembly attached proximate to the upper end of the elongated body configured for mounting an RFID antenna, a stabilizer assembly located at a fixed vertical position of the middle portion of the elongated body, the stabilizer assembly including a plurality of radially spaced apart coupling connectors, a plurality of anchors, each anchor having a mass significantly greater than water for placement on a bottom of an aquatic body and a coupling fixture, a plurality of anchor lines, each anchor line having a first end for attachment to one of the coupling connectors of the stabilizer assembly and a second end for attachment to the coupling fixture of one of the anchors, and one or more floatation devices coupled to at least one of the elongated body and the stabilizer assembly, wherein the sum of the buoyancy of the one or more floatation devices selected to provide substantial floatation of the elongated body and the stabilizer assembly following mounting of an antenna to the RFID antenna mounting assembly, the aquatic antenna mounting assembly being positionable proximate to the aquatic timing point; and

an RFID antenna mounted on the RFID antenna mounting assembly and communicatively coupled to the radio frequency transceiver of the RFID tag reader system, wherein the RFID tag reader system is configured for transmitting a tag read request from the antenna to the RFID tag and receiving at the antenna one or more tag reads from the RFID tag, and transmitting the tag read request and the tag reads between the RFID tag reader system and the antenna.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein there are multiple RFID antennas mounted to the aquatic antenna mounting assembly.

23. The assembly of claim 22 wherein the RFID antenna mounting assembly has two opposing sides for mounting a first RFID antenna on a first side and a second RFID antenna on a second side, and wherein the antenna is a first RFID antenna mounted to the first side of the RFID antenna mounting assembly, further comprising a second RFID antenna mounted to a second side of the RFID antenna mounting assembly, the first antenna configured for reading the RFID tag when it is in a direction of the first side and the second antenna configured for reading the RFID tag when the RFID tag is in a direction of the second side, and wherein radio frequency transceiver of the RFID tag reader is configured for communicating with each of the first and second RFID antenna and differentiating communications between the two antenna.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein there are multiple aquatic antenna mounting assemblies, each having one or more RFID antenna mounted thereon, and wherein each of the multiple aquatic antenna mounting assemblies are positioned spaced apart from one another at different aquatic timing points.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising at least one tag reader platform associated with at least one of the RFID tag reader systems, each tag reader platform having a platform body with buoyancy and a plurality of platform anchors each attached to a spaced apart portion of the platform body by an anchor line.