SPORTS TIMING SYSTEM (STS) INTEGRATED COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20120303753A1
• Filed: 01/11/2011
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Timing Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Innovative Timing Systems LLC
• Inventors: Hansen, Kurt S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,164,494 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• 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 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 2225/54 Transponders, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0616 Means for conducting or scheduling competition, league, tournaments or rankings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0686 Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/22 in connection with sports or games
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Systems and methods for an integrated communication system for sports timing systems having a data interface, a memory and a processor. The data interface is for communicating over a data communication network. The memory includes executable instructions for operating the data interface to communicate over the data communication network and for storing participant data including participant data that includes a participant identifier for uniquely identifying each participant and participant timing data. The processor is coupled to the memory and the data interface and executes the executable instructions for operating the data interface to transmit datagram messages over a stateless packet data communication network wherein the datagram messages include multicast and unicast messages, each of which includes at least a portion of the participant data.

Claims

1. A system for communicating in real time sporting event timing information with a sport timing system (STS) having a participant detection system for the detecting a participant'"'"'s proximity to an event detection point and determining a time associated with said detection and the sports timing system having a unique STS identifier, the system comprising:

a processor configured for executing computer executable instructions;

a memory storing the computer executable instructions and the unique STS identifier and coupled to the processor for providing the computer executable instructions to the processor, the computer executable instructions including a database application for storing a plurality of participant data in the memory, each participant data including a participant identifier for uniquely identifying each participant, and a participant timing data that includes the determined time of detection of the participant in proximity to the event detection point;

a data interface coupled to the processor and memory, the computer executable instructions causing the data interface to communicate over a data communication network using a stateless broadcast protocol for communicating a plurality of predefined multicast and unicast messages, each including at least a portion of the participant data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the sports timing system (STS) is a first sports timing system, further comprising a second sports timing system with a second data interface to communicate over the data communication network using the stateless broadcast protocol using the plurality of predefined multicast and unicast messages including the portion of the participant data.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the data interface is a first data interface, further comprising the sport timing system (STS) having a timing clock providing a present time signal and a second data interface to receive participant detection data from the detection system responsive to the detection system detecting a proximity of a participant in a sporting event to a detection point, wherein the executable instructions include a set of instructions to cause the processor to determine the participant timing data responsive to the received participant detection data and the present time signal.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the STS includes the participant detection system and wherein the processor, memory and first and second data interfaces are each components of the STS.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the detection system is a radio frequency identification device (RFID) tag reading system having one or more RFID tag readers and wherein the participant detection data includes an RFID tag number uniquely assigned to the detected participant.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the multicast messages includes a read message having the STS identifier, the participant identifier, the participant'"'"'s determined time, and a uniquely assigned packet number.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the multicast messages include an identification of an originating STS system but do not include an identification of an intended receiving STS system, the multicast messages being selected from the group of message consisting of:

an announcement message, an announce message for lap events message, a read message, a no announcement message, a resend message, a time synchronization message, a remote signal verification message and a refresh display message.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the stateless broadcast protocol is user datagram protocol (UDP).

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the participant identifier is selected from the group consisting of a bib number, and a participant identification number.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the predefined message includes a uniquely assigned packet number that is a next sequential number for the data interface.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the data interface including a unicast lookup information message having the STS identifier, a particular participant data in text format, a destination STS identifier, and a different uniquely assigned packet number.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the unicast messages includes an identification of an originating STS system and an identification of an intended receiving STS system, the unicast messages being selected from the group of messages consisting of:

a message re-announcement message, a resend message, a lookup information message, a start remote system message, a stop remote system message, an execute a command message, a request image message, a sent image message, a request directory message, a sent directory message, a request an image stream on message, and a request an image stream off message.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the data interface includes communicating using the stateless broadcast protocol having one or more broadcast messages, each broadcast message not including an identification of an originating STS system or an identification of an intended receiving STS system.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the broadcast messages are selected from the group of messages consisting of:

an announce message information message, and a set start clock time message.

19. The system of claim 2 wherein the

second sport timing system (STS) has

a memory with executable instructions and for storing at least a portion of the participant data;

and

a processor coupled to the memory and the second data interface.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the first STS further comprises a second data interface to receive participant detection data from a detection system responsive to the detection system detecting a proximity of a participant in a sporting event to a detection point, wherein the executable instructions include a set of instructions to cause the processor to determine the participant timing data responsive to the received participant detection data.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the second STS does not include a second data interface to receive participate detection data.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the second data interface of the first STS receives first participant detection data from a first detection system responsive to the first detection system detecting a first proximity of the participant in the sporting event to a first detection point,

wherein the second STS includes a second data interface to receive participant second detection data from a second detection system responsive to the second detection system detecting a proximity of the participant in the sporting event to a second detection point, wherein the second STS executable instructions include a set of instructions to cause the second processor to determine second participant timing data responsive to the received second participant detection data.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein second STS transmits the determined participant second timing data over its first data interface using a stateless datagram message and over the stateless packet data communication network,

and wherein the first STS receives the participant second timing data over its first data interface and stores the participant second timing data and wherein the participant data includes the received participant second timing data.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein the multicast messages include an identification of an originating STS system but do not include an identification of an intended receiving STS system, and wherein the unicast messages includes an identification of an originating STS system and an identification of an intended receiving STS system.

15-18. -18. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

26-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A nontransitory computer readable medium encoded with a set of executable instructions for enabling a data interface of a sports timing system for communication over a coupled data communication network to cause a computer to perform the operation of:

storing in a memory participant data including participant data that includes a participant identifier for uniquely identifying each participant and participant timing data; and

transmitting, via a data interface, datagram messages over a stateless packet data communication network, datagram messages including multicast and unicast messages including at least a portion of the participant data.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 30 having executable instructions for:

providing a present time signal from a timing clock;

receiving, at a second data interface, participant detection data from a detection system responsive to the detection system detecting a proximity of a participant in a sporting event to a detection point; and

determining in a processor the participant timing data responsive to the received participant detection data and the present time signal.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31 having executable instructions for:

storing a plurality of the participant data in the memory including the determined the participant timing data.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 30 wherein the detection system is an RFID tag reading system having one or more RFID tag readers and wherein the participant detection data includes an RFID tag number uniquely assigned to the detected participant, the executable instructions for:

communicating with the RFID tag reading system and receiving the participant detection data including a RFID tag number of the detected participant'"'"'s RFID tag.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 30 having executable instructions including transmitting the datagram messages using user datagram protocol (UDP).

35. The computer readable medium of claim 30 having executable instructions including storing an identification of the STS system, and formatting the multicast datagram messages to not include the stored STS identification in the multicast message but to include an identification of an intended receiving STS system, and formatting the unicast messages to include the stored STS identification and to include an identification of an intended receiving STS system.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 30 having executable instructions for:

storing an identification of the STS system;

formatting one or more broadcast messages to not include the STS identification or any identification of an intended receiving STS system; and

transmitting via the data interface the one or more broadcast messages.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 30 having executable instructions for formatting the participant identifier in the format selected from the group consisting of a bib number, and a participant identification number.

36. (canceled)

38. (canceled)

40. A method for communicating sporting event timing information between a first sport timing system and a second sport timing system, wherein at least one of the sport timing systems includes a participant detection system for detecting the proximity of a participant in a sporting event to an event demarcation point, the method comprising:

storing in a memory participant data including participant data that includes a participant identifier for uniquely identifying each participant and participant timing data; and

transmitting, via a data interface, datagram messages over a stateless packet data communication network, datagram messages including multicast and unicast messages including at least a portion of the participant data.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

providing a present time signal from a timing clock;

receiving at a second data interface participant detection data from a detection system responsive to the detection system detecting a proximity of a participant in a sporting event to a detection point; and

determining in a processor the participant timing data responsive to the received participant detection data and the present time signal.

42. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

storing a plurality of the participant data in the memory including the determined the participant timing data.

43. The method of claim 40 wherein the detection system is an RFID tag reading system having one or more RFID tag readers and wherein the participant detection data includes an RFID tag number uniquely assigned to the detected participant, the method further comprising:

communicating with the RFID tag reading system and receiving the participant detection data including a RFID tag number of the detected participant'"'"'s RFID tag.

44. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

transmitting the datagram messages using user datagram protocol (UDP).

45. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

storing an identification of the STS system, and formatting the multicast datagram messages to not include the stored STS identification in the multicast message but to include an identification of an intended receiving STS system, and

formatting the unicast messages to include the stored STS identification and to include an identification of an intended receiving STS system.

47. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

storing an identification of the STS system;

formatting one or more broadcast message to not include the STS identification or any identification of an intended receiving STS system; and

transmitting via the data interface the one or more broadcast messages.

49. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

formatting the participant identifier in the format selected from the group consisting of a bib number, and a participant identification number.

50. The method of claim 40 wherein one or more of the predefined message includes a uniquely assigned packet number that is a next sequential number for the data interface.

46. (canceled)

48. (canceled)