Laser detection enhanced RFID tag reading event timing system and method

• US 9,375,627 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Timing Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Innovative Timing Systems LLC
• Inventors: Hansen, Kurt S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Laura
• Application Number:
  US13/980,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20130300542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 368/10
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10425 the interrogation device being arranged for interrogation of record carriers passing by the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/24 Race time-recorders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining a time of a passing a detection line by a participant having an RFID tag traveling along the route, the system includes a timing system an RFID tag reader system for wirelessly receiving tag reads including a tag identifier for the RFID tags, time stamps each RFID tag read, and transmits them to the timing system, a laser detector detects a laser beam interrupt and generates a laser beam interrupt indicator receives the generated laser beam interrupt indicator, and determines a beam interrupt time, and creates a laser beam interrupt message including the beam interrupt time, the timing system receives the tag read messages and the laser beam interrupt messages, determines the identity of the participant from the tag identifier, associates the laser beam interrupt message with the determined tag identifier, and stores the beam interrupt time as the time of detecting the passing.

Claims

1. A system for determining a time of a passing a detection line on a route by two participants each having an RFID tag on the participant or an object associated with each participant, both of which are traveling along the route, the system comprising:

a timing system having a processor, a memory, a clock, and a data interface;

a RFID tag reader system having a processor, a memory, a clock, a communication interface for communicating with the timing system, a radio frequency transceiver for wirelessly communicating with the RFID tag, and one or more antenna coupled to the radio frequency transceiver positionable proximate to the detection line for communicating with the RFID tags at one or more monitored points passed by each participant as they approach the detection line, the tag reader system transmitting a tag read request and receiving one or more tag reads including a different tag identifier for each of the RFID tags when the two RFID tags are proximate to one of the monitored points, time stamping each of the RFID tag reads, and transmitting over the communication interface to the timing system a tag read message including the tag identifier and at least a portion of the time stamped RFID tag reads for each of the two RFID tags;

a laser detector having a laser beam generator for projecting a laser beam across the detection line, the laser detection system generating a laser beam interrupt indicator when detecting an interruption of the projected laser beam at the detection line;

a laser detection system having a processor, a memory, a clock, a communication interface for communicating with the timing system and an interface coupled to the laser detector for receiving the generated laser beam interrupt indicator, the laser detection system determining a beam interrupt time of when the laser beam was interrupted as provided by the laser beam interrupt indicator, and creating a laser beam interrupt message including the beam interrupt time, and transmitting over the communication interface to the timing system the laser beam interrupt message;

wherein the timing system receives the tag read messages from the RFID tag reader system and the laser beam interrupt message, determines from the RFID tag reads which one of the received RFID tags is the first RFID tag and which is the second RFID tag, the first RFID tag being determined as the one having the shortest distance between the RFID tag and the detection line, the timing system associating the beam interrupt time with the first RFID tag, the timing system determining a delta time as the difference between the time stamps of the first and second RFID tag reads, the timing system determining a second beam interrupt time for the second RFID tag as the sum of the first beam interrupt time and the delta time, and storing in the timing system memory the beam interrupt time of the laser beam interrupt message as the time of detecting the passing at the detection line of the first RFID tag and the associated first tag identifier and storing the determined second beam interrupt time in the timing system memory as the time of detecting the passing at the detection line of the second RFID tag and associated second tag identifier.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the RFID tag reader system includes a digital I/O port configured to receive the laser beam interrupt indicator and wherein the RFID tag reader system includes the laser detection system.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the RFID tag reader system is configured to interface with a plurality of laser detectors.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the timing system stores each of the received time stamped RFID tag reads and the beam interrupt time in the timing system memory in a file associated with each determined tag identifier.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the stored beam interrupt time and RFID tag read times are stored in the timing system memory so that they are uniquely identified as to their origin.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes a plurality of laser detectors, each coupled to the laser detection system and each positioned at the same detection line.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein at least two of the laser detectors are positioned at different heights.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes two laser detectors each positioned at about the same height but spaced apart from each other on opposing sides but proximate to the detection line.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the two laser detectors are positioned so that their projected laser beams are angled relative to the detection line, and wherein each generates a separate beam interrupt indicator and the laser detection system determines a separate beam interrupt time, calculating a time of passing of the participant based on a comparison of the two separate beam interrupt times.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the timing system is configured for controlling the laser detection system and the laser detection system is configured to receive controls from the timing system and to control the coupled laser detector, said controlling including the activating and deactivating of the laser beam generator, and the receipt and request of a laser beam interrupt message.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the laser detector generator projects a dual beam laser beam.

12. A method of determining a time of a passing a detection line on a route by two participants each having an RFID tag on the participant or an object associated with each participant, both of which are traveling along the route, the method comprising:

a) in a RFID tag reader system having a processor, a memory, a clock, a communication interface for communicating with a timing system, a radio frequency transceiver for wirelessly communicating with the RFID tag, and one or more antenna coupled to the radio frequency transceiver that are positioned proximate to the detection line for communicating with the RFID tags at one or more monitored points passed by each participant as they approach the detection line;

transmitting a tag read request and receiving one or more tag reads including a different tag identifier for each of the RFID tags when the two RFID tags are proximate to one of the monitored points;

time stamping each of the RFID tag reads; and

transmitting over the communication interface to the timing system a tag read message including the tag identifier and at least a portion of the time stamped RFID tag reads for each of the two RFID tags;

b) in a laser detector having a laser beam generator;

projecting a laser beam across the detection line;

generating a laser beam interrupt indicator when detecting an interruption of the projected laser beam at the detection line;

c) in a laser detection system having a processor, a memory, a clock, a communication interface for communicating with the timing system and an interface coupled to the laser detector;

receiving the generated laser beam interrupt indicator;

determining a beam interrupt time of when the laser beam was interrupted as provided by the laser beam interrupt indicator; and

creating a laser beam interrupt message including the beam interrupt time, and transmitting over the communication interface to the timing system the laser beam interrupt message;

d) in a timing system having a processor, a memory, a clock, and a data interface;

receiving the tag read messages from the RFID tag reader system;

receiving the laser beam interrupt message;

determining from the RFID tag reads which one of the received RFID tags is the first RFID tag and which is the second RFID tag, the first RFID tag being determined as the one having the shortest distance between the RFID tag and the detection line;

associating the beam interrupt time with the first RFID tag;

determining a delta time as the difference between the time stamps of the first and second RFID tag reads;

determining a second beam interrupt time for the second RFID tag as the sum of the first beam interrupt time and the delta time;

storing in the timing system memory the beam interrupt time of the laser beam interrupt message as the time of detecting the passing at the detection line of the first RFID tag and the associated first tag identifier; and

storing the determined second beam interrupt time in the timing system memory as the time of detecting the passing at the detection line of the second RFID tag and associated second tag identifier.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising,

in the timing system

storing each of the received time stamped RFID tag reads and the beam interrupt time in the timing system memory in a file associated with each determined tag identifier.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein storing the beam interrupt time and each of the RFID tag read times are stored in the timing system memory so that they are uniquely identified as to their origin.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the laser detector is a first laser detector having a first laser beam generator and the projecting is projecting a first laser beam across the detection line and generating a first laser beam interrupt indicator when detecting the interruption of the projected first laser beam at the detection line,

further comprising

in a second laser detector having a second laser beam generator,

projecting a second laser beam across the detection line but spaced apart from the first laser beam and generating a second laser beam interrupt indicator when detecting an interruption of the projected second laser beam at the detection line,

and wherein in the laser detection system, determining a second beam interrupt time, and creating a second laser beam interrupt message including the second beam interrupt time, and transmitting over the communication interface to the timing system the second laser beam interrupt message,

wherein the timing system receives the second laser beam interrupt message and calculating a time of passing of the participant based on a comparison of the first beam interrupt time to the second beam interrupt time.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the first laser detector generates the first laser beam at a first height at the detection line and the second laser detector generates the second laser beam at a second height at the detection line that is different than the first height.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the first laser detector generates the first laser beam at a first height at the detection line and the second laser detector generates the second laser beam at a second height at the detection line that is about the same height as the first height but spaced apart from the first laser beam on an opposing side proximate to the detection line.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the two laser detectors are positioned so that the first laser beam and the second laser beam are each positioned at an angle relative to the detection line.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein in the timing system controlling the laser detection system and in the laser detection system receiving controls from the timing system and controlling the coupled laser detector responsive thereto, said controlling including the activating and deactivating of the laser beam generator, and controlling the receipt and request of a laser beam interrupt message.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein in the laser detector projecting includes projecting a dual beam laser beam across the detection line.