Automated timing systems and methods having multiple time event recorders and an integrated user time entry interface

• US 9,076,278 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Timing Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Innovative Timing Systems LLC
• Inventors: Hansen, Kurt S.
• Primary Examiner(s): KING, CURTIS J
• Application Number:
  US13/194,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20120025944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/24 Race time-recorders
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Systems and methods for timing of a passing of an object past a monitored location where the monitored location is being monitored by timing system having at least one automated object detection system for wirelessly detecting the passing of the object at the monitored location. The system comprises a remote entry computer system having a processor for executing computer executable instructions, a clock for determining a present time, a user interface for receiving user input data, a memory being a computer readable medium storing the computer executable instructions and the received user input data, and a communications interface for communicating with the timing system. The system includes a computer readable medium including the computer executable instructions for performing the method of receiving the user input data at the user interface, receiving from the clock a user data input time associated with the receipt of the received user input data at the user interface, and storing the received user input data and the user data input time in the memory. The computer executable instructions also include the method of creating a received user data message including the stored user input data and a time value as a datagram message and transmitting the user data message over the communications interface to the timing system.

Claims

1. A system for timing of a passing of an object past a monitored location where the monitored location is being monitored by a timing system having at least one automated object detection system for wirelessly detecting the passing of the object at the monitored location;

the system comprising;

a remote entry computer system having a processor for executing computer executable instructions, a clock for determining a present time, a user interface for receiving user input data, a memory being a computer readable medium storing the computer executable instructions and the received user input data, and a communications interface for communicating with the timing system, the remote entry computer system being positionable at a current location selected from among a plurality of potential locations each of which is set apart and different than the monitored location at which the automated object detection system is located,

wherein the remote entry computer system has computer readable medium including the computer executable instructions for performing the actions of;

storing in the memory an offset time value;

receiving the user input data at the user interface;

receiving from the clock a user data input time associated with the receipt of the received user input data at the user interface;

determining a remote time value from the received user data input time, the remote time value being indicative of a time of passing of the object at the set apart current location of the remote entry computer system;

determining an adjusted time value from the determined remote time value and the stored offset time value, the adjusted time value as compared to the user data input time being indicative of a time of passing of the object at the monitored location even though determined by the remote entry computer from the user data input time located at the set apart current location of the remote entry computer system;

storing the received user input data and the determined adjusted time value in the memory;

creating a remote user data message including the received user input data and the determined adjusted time value; and

transmitting the remote user data message over the communications interface to the timing system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface is configured for receiving the offset time value that is subsequently stored in the memory.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote entry computer system further includes a GPS receiver for determining the set apart current location of the remote entry computer system, wherein the computer executable instructions further include performing the action of determining the offset time value based on the determined set apart current location.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the memory includes a stored GPS location of the monitored location and wherein the determining of the offset time value is based on the stored GPS location of the monitored location.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication interface is configured for receiving from the timing system over the communication interface the offset time value that is subsequently stored in the memory.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the communication interface receives a plurality of offset timing values from the timing system, each of the received plurality of offset timing values being stored in the memory, further comprising determining an applicable one of the received and stored offset timing values to be used in the determining of adjusted time value as a function of a performance, speed, acceleration, deceleration of one or more objects, a current time as received from the clock as compared to a predetermined event time as stored in the memory, or in response to receiving an instruction from the timing system.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication interface is configured for receiving a clock synchronization message including a system time value from the timing system, and wherein the clock is configured to set the present time of the clock to the value of the received system time value.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication interface is configured to receive a verification message from the timing system indicative of a currently available active communication link therebetween, wherein the computer executable instructions include the actions of:

creating a verification response message in response to receiving the verification message, the verification response message being indicative of the remote entry computer'"'"'s receipt of the verification message from the timing system; and

transmitting the verification response message over the communication interface to the timing system after the creating thereof.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface includes a key pad and wherein the user input data is selected from the group consisting of an identification number associated with the object and a name associated with the object.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the user input data includes an identification number associated with the object, wherein the user interface includes a display, wherein the computer executable instructions include instructions for performing the action

transmitting an image request message including the identification number over the communication interface requesting an image file associated with the identification number;

receiving an image message including the requested image file over the communication interface; and

displaying on the display of the user interface an image contained in the received image file.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication interface is a wireless interface for wirelessly communicating with the timing system.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the user data message is a state-less UDP message and the communication interface is a state-less UDP network interface.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the computer executable instructions in include performing the actions of:

determining a lapse of time since the transmitting of the user data message; and

retransmitting the user data message over the communications interface after the determined lapse of time has met or exceeded a predetermined period of time.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote entry computer system is selected from the group consisting of a laptop computer, a smart phone and a tablet PC.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer executable instructions further include performing the actions of:

detecting a current inability of communicating with the timing system over the communication interface;

suppressing the transmitting of the user data message in response to the detecting of the current inability to communicate;

monitoring the status of the communication interface to determine a renewed ability to communicate with the timing system over the communication interface; and

identifying the renewed ability to communicate with the timing system, wherein transmitting occurs after the identification of the renewed ability to communicate.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the timing system is a sports timing system and wherein the object is an RFID tag associated with a participant in a timed sporting event and the automated object detection system is an RFID detection system for detecting the passing of the RFID tag at the monitored location.

17. A system for timing of a passing of an object past a monitored location, the system comprising:

a computer-implemented timing system having a data interface for communicating over a data communication network, a memory with executable instructions for operating the data interface to communicate and for storing an identification of the timing system, event data, and object data, the object data including an object identifier for uniquely identifying each object and object timing data including one or more object timing values, and a processor coupled to the memory and the data interface for executing the executable instructions for operating the data interface to communicate messages over a stateless packet data communication network;

an object detection system communicatively coupled to the timing system and positioned at the monitored location, the object detection system having a processor, memory and communication interface; and

at least one antenna for wirelessly detecting a passing of the object by the monitored location; and

a remote entry computer system having a processor for executing computer executable instructions, a clock for determining a present time, a user interface for receiving user input data, a memory being a computer readable medium storing the computer executable instructions and the received user input data, and a communications interface for communicating with the timing system, the remote entry computer system being positionable at a current location selected from among a plurality of potential locations each of which is set apart and different than the monitored location at which the object detection system is located

wherein the having computer readable medium including the computer executable instructions for performing the actions of;

receiving the user input data at the user interface;

receiving from the clock a user data input time associated with the receipt of the received user input data at the user interface;

determining a remote time value from the received user data input time, the remote time value being indicative of a time of passing of the object at the set apart current location of the remote entry computer system;

storing the received user input data and the determined remote time value in the memory;

creating a remote user data message including the received user input data and at least one of an adjusted time value and the remote time value;

transmitting the user data message over the communications interface to the timing system;

wherein the timing system receives the transmitted user data message over the timing system data interface and wherein the received user input data is the object identifier, wherein

at least one of the timing system and the remote entry computer system stores an offset time value; and

determining by at least one of timing system and the remote entry computer system the adjusted time value responsive to the determined remote time value and the stored offset time value.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the computer executable instructions of the remote entry computer system include performing the actions of:

storing in the memory of the remote entry computer system the offset time value; and

wherein determining the adjusted time value includes determining by the remote entry computer system the adjusted time value as a function of the determined remote time value and the stored offset time value, wherein the creating of the received user data message includes the determined adjusted time value and wherein the timing system stores the received adjusted time value as one of the object timing values within the object timing data.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the communication interface of the remote entry computer system is configured for receiving the offset time value that is subsequently stored in the memory.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the remote entry computer system further includes a GPS receiver for determining the set apart current location of the remote entry computer system, wherein the computer executable instructions further include performing the action of determining the offset time value based on the determined set apart current location.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the remote entry computer system memory includes a stored GPS location of the monitored location and wherein the determining of the offset time value is based on the stored GPS location of the monitored location.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the timing system determines the offset time value, creates a message including the determined offset time value, and transmits a message to the remote entry computer system including the offset time value,

wherein the communication interface of the remote entry computer system is configured for receiving the message containing the offset time value and stores the received offset time value in the memory of the remote entry computer system.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the timing system determines the offset time value as a current dynamic offset time value from among a plurality of changing offset time values as a function of a parameter selected from the group consisting of a distance between the remote entry computer system and the monitored location;

a determined speed of one or more objects passing the monitored location;

a determined change in speed of one or more objects passing the monitored location, and a determined current time period of a timed event.

24. The system of claim 18 wherein the object detection system determines the offset time value, creates a message including the determined offset time value, and transmits a message to the remote entry computer system including the offset time value,

wherein the communication interface of the remote entry computer system is configured for receiving the message containing the offset time value and stores the received offset time value in the memory of the remote entry computer system.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the timing system determines the offset time value as a current dynamic offset time value from among a plurality of changing offset time values as a function of a parameter selected from the group consisting of a distance between the remote entry computer system and the monitored location;

a determined speed of one or more objects passing the monitored location;

a determined change in speed of one or more objects passing the monitored location; and

a determined current time period of a timed event.

26. The system of claim 17 wherein at least one of the timing system and the object detection system is configured for generating a clock synchronization message, and wherein the communication interface of the remote entry computer system is configured for receiving the clock synchronization message including a system time value from the timing system, and wherein the clock is configured to set the present time of the clock to the value of the received system time value.

27. The system of claim 17 wherein at least one of the timing system and the object detection system is configured for generating a verification message indicative of a currently available active communication link therebetween, wherein the communication interface of the remote entry computer system is configured to receive a verification message, wherein the computer executable instructions of the remote entry computer system include the actions of:

creating an verification response message in response to receiving the verification message, the verification response message being indicative of the remote entry computer'"'"'s receipt of the verification message; and

transmitting the verification response message over the communication interface after the creating thereof.

28. The system of claim 17 wherein the user interface of the remote entry computer system includes a key pad and wherein the user input data is selected from the group consisting of an identification number associated with the object and a name associated with the object.

29. The system of claim 17 wherein the user input data of the remote entry computer system includes an identification number associated with the object, wherein the user interface includes a display, wherein the computer executable instructions include instructions for performing the actions of:

transmitting an image request message including the identification number over the communication interface of the remote entry computer system requesting an image file associated with the identification number;

receiving at the timing system the image request message;

transmitting an image message containing the requested image file by the timing system;

receiving the image message at communication interface of the remote entry computer including the requested image file over the communication interface; and

displaying on the display of the user interface of the remote entry computer system an image contained in the received image file.

30. The system of claim 17 wherein the communication interface of the remote entry computer system is a wireless interface for wirelessly communicating with the timing system and wherein at least one of the data interface of the timing system and the communication interface of the object detection system include a wireless interface for communicating with the wireless interface of the remote entry computer system.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the wireless interface is a Wi-Fi interface.

32. The system of claim 17 wherein the user data message is a state-less UDP message and the communication interface of the remote entry computer system is a state-less UDP network interface.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the computer executable instructions of the remote entry computer system include performing the actions of:

determining a lapse of time since the transmitting of the user data message; and

retransmitting the user data message over the communications interface after the determined lapse of time has met or exceeded a predetermined period of time.

34. The system of claim 17 wherein the remote entry computer system is selected from the group consisting of a laptop computer, a smart phone and a tablet PC.

35. The system of claim 17 wherein the computer executable instructions of the remote entry computer system include performing the actions of:

detecting a current inability of communicating with the timing system over the communication interface;

suppressing the transmitting of the user data message in response to the detecting of the current inability to communicate;

monitoring the status of the communication interface to determine a renewed ability to communicate with the timing system over the communication interface; and

identifying the renewed ability to communicate with the timing system, wherein transmitting occurs after the identification of the renewed ability to communicate.

36. The system of claim 17 wherein the timing system is a sports timing system and wherein the object is an RFID tag associated with a participant in a timed sporting event and the object detection system is an RFID detection system for detecting the passing of the RFID tag at the monitored location.

37. The system of claim 18 wherein the communication interface of the remote entry computer system receives a plurality of offset timing values from the timing system, each of the received plurality of offset timing values being stored in the memory, further comprising determining an applicable one of the received and stored offset timing values to be used in the determining of the adjusted time value as a function of a performance, speed, acceleration, deceleration of one or more objects, a current time as received from the clock as compared to a predetermined event time as stored in the memory, or in response to receiving an instruction from the timing system.