The present invention generally relates to competitive athletic event timing systems and methods, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to timing competitve athletic events where participants are measured by the amount of time it takes for the participant to travel a specific distance.
Conventional race timing systems, such as RFID based timing technologies, involve a computer running specialized software, a RFID reader device, a plurality of RFID antennas, a 120-volt power source, and passive RFID tags. Quite often, RFID systems are cumbersome to implement due to the number of RFID antennas needed to achieve accurate results, the necessity to mount the RFID antennas onto a structure, and having to meet the power requirements for all the equipment. Disadvantages multiply with multiple locations along an event course limiting the number of RFID sensing points. This type of system is expensive and requires trained professionals to set up and operate.
As such, race events with fewer than 500 participants typically can't afford to hire a race timing company and reson to timing the event manually.
Present approaches to race timing systems suffer from a variety of drawbacks, limitations, disadvantages and problems including those respecting equipment, expertise, and others. There is a need for the unique and inventive competitive athletic event timing apparatuses, systems and methods disclosed herein.
One embodiment of the present invention entails an event timing system having detection devices hosting software applications and Bluetooth Low Energy devices.
The advantages of the present invention include, without limitation, a simplistic implementation of the solution for a competitive athletic event which is less expensive than other timing systems, enables non-technical experts to electronically time a competitive athletic event, and maintains an acceptable level of timing accuracy.
Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for competitive athletic event timing. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application shall become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles ofthe invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications in the described embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the invention as described herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates,
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and computer program products for timing competitive athletic events, events such as running and walking races (marathons, half-marathon, 10 k, 5 k, 1 mile, and cross-country events), cycling races, kayak. races, canoe races, and any other events where event coordinators measure the amount of time it takes for a participant to participate, usually by traveling along a specific distance,
In accordance with one aspect of the present inventive subject matter, a competitive event timing system is provided that collects and processes event data for one or more event participants progressing along a course. The competitive event timing system of this embodiment includes an event management device, a plurality of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices, and a plurality of mobile detection devices located at points along a course.
The event management device is capable of managing event data, detecting participant BLE devices and communicating with event databases. Each participant BLE device can be provisioned with an identifier which is distinguishable from the identifiers of the other BLE devices. A BLE device is designed to be borne by a corresponding event participant to thereby identify the corresponding event participant with the identifier that the BLE device is provisioned with. The mobile detection devices can be configured with software and are capable, of detecting the participant BLE devices over radio waves to wirelessly detect each BLE device's unique identifier as the BLE device passes by the mobile detection device.
In the embodiment shown in
At the start of an event, the event management device 110 records the detected participants 120 by their BLE devices as they pass a starting position 141. Event data is collected including participant identifier, starting position, and time stamp and recorded in an event database 150. During the event, the mobile detection devices 130 are capable of detecting participants 120 by their corresponding BLE device and reporting an event record including the identifier for the detected participant 120, the location of the mobile detection device 130, and a time stamp. The event record is reported. to an event mobile database 155. The event mobile database 155 can share the event record with specified spectators 160 and send the event record to the event management device 110. At completion of the event, the participants 120 pass a finishing position 142 where event data is again collected including participant identifier, finishing position, and time stamp. The event management device 110 is capable of managing the event records and determining and reporting event information such as participant time placement amongst a specified group and progress information.
In a specific embodiment, a race administrator timing a race signals the start of the race via the software application residing on a race management device. The software on the race management device stores the race start date and time in a race management database. The race, management device can include a personal computer, a tablet computer, or a mobile phone, to name a few. The race management device can also include a plurality of input devices communicating with a central computing device running race management software. The race management device establishes wireless connections to BLE devices within its range, typically 30-50 meters; however, theoretical limits extend beyond this range. The race management device wirelessly detects each BLE device's unique 110 and Radio Signal Strength as the BLE device passes by the race management device.
The race management device detects a participant BLE device with its unique identifier as a participant passes a race starting point. The race management device records the identifier for the participant BLE device along with a participant race start time stamp in a race management database. When race participants cross the finish line, the race management device detects the unique identifier of the participant BLE devices. The participant's unique identifier and race completion time stamp are stored in the race management database. The software application on the race management device calculates a participant's finish time based on the data collected for the participant and stored in the race management database.
The race management device will have race management software capable of setting up event and race participant information, detecting participant race data during a race, and managing the participant data throughout the event. Event information can include, but is not limited to, date, event distances, event start time, course routes, and maximum number of participants. Race participant information can include, but is not limited to, name, gender, age, emergency contact information, event attending, and special accommodations. Race participant data can include, but is not limited to, start time, finish time, pace, elapsed time at points along the course. Managing participant data can include, but is not limited to, calculating finish position based on overall time, gender sorted overall time, age sorted overall time, calculating average pace, and posting, and communicating race results.
The system of this embodiment also includes a plurality of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices. Each race participant will have a unique identifier based on a BLE device. The BLE device can include, but not limited to, a BLE wristband, a smart watch, a smart phone, a fitness tracker, a location tracker, and the like. The BLE device can be worn or carried by various means at an point along a participant's body. The BLE device can be provided by the race administrators or by the race participant. The race management software will store the unique identifier for a race participant's BLE device in the race participant'information. Race participant data collected will be associated with the race participant's unique identifier and recorded by the race management software for that participant. The race management software uses the BLE device information captured for each participant at the beginning of the event and again as the participant crosses the finish line to calculate the duration of time it takes a participant to complete a competitive event.
The system of this embodiment further includes a plurality of mobile detection devices. A mobile detection device can include, but not limited to, a laptop computer, tablet computer, or mobile phone. The mobile detection devices are capable of running a software application which facilitates the competitive athletic event by providing intermediate race data. Each of the mobile detection devices is capable of detecting the BLE devices and communicating with a cloud software application for storing data associated with the BLE devices. A race management device is also capable of accessing the race participant data stored with the cloud software application for reporting and publishing race results and statistics.
As a feature of an embodiment, a mobile detection device establishes wireless connections to BLE devices within its range, typically 30-50 meters; however theoretical limits extend beyond this range. The mobile detection device waelessly detects each BLE device's unique ID and Radio Signal Strength as the BLE device passes by the mobile detection device. Each mobile detection device can be positioned at a point along the racecourse. The BLE device's unique ID and Radio Signal Strength are transmitted by the mobile detection device to a mobile race data database along with a location and time stamp. The mobile race database can share race data or the race management device can access the mobile race database to retrieve race data for analysis with the race management software.
In another embodiment, the BLE devices operate in an ‘advertising mode’ in which the BLE devices advertise data so that they can be discovered and transfer data without an explicit pairing operation with another device. When a BLE device is advertising, it is broadcasting public advertising data that any other BLE capable device is able to receive and react to. BILE devices broadcast their advertising packets at intervals. The interval value of the BLE device is configurable to suit the characteristics of the device. At each BLE device's programmed broadcast interval, the BLE device broadcasts its advertisement packet with the BLE device's unique ID and a Radio Signal Strength. The advertised packet contains a unique ID which allows the BLE device to be identified. The advertised packet also communicates information about the strength of the signal being received which can be used to detect the proximity of the BLE device to a mobile detection device thereby determining if the BLE device is traveling towards the mobile detection device or away from it. The signal strength analysis can provide precise information on a participant's location and elapsed race time throughout the race course.
In yet another embodiment as shown in
Mobile detection devices 230 may provide information to a participant over the BLE connection to the participant's BLE device 220, such as position, elapsed time, pace, location of other participants, as the participant passes by a mobile detection device or a volunteer's mobile device 230 running the appropriate software. Any computing device capable of detecting and reading BLE shared information could be a race data device and become part of the mesh network.
Further features of an event timing system can include a race management device capable of facilitating multiple events concurrently For example, a competitive race event may of distances of marathon, half marathon, 10 K, and 5 K. The race management software associates participants for the event for which the participant is registered. The race administrator or the race management software can start all events at the same time, “gun start”, or start. each event individually. Upon the participant finishing the event, the race management software reports the participant's finish time for that finisher's event.
It should be understood, that competitive athletic event may include a greater or lesser number of participants to track and record race start and finish times. For example, a small charitable event could have only 50-100 participants where large events could have several thousand'participants. A plurality of mobile detection devices will be leveraged for larger events and for providing a back up to the race management device.
A schematic diagram shown in
In this embodiment, the mobile database 355 and the event management device 310 are capable of accepting requests from remote systems 370 regarding participant data. A remote system 370 can be a personal computer, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, or a website, for example. In response to the request, participant data obtained from the race record 322 can be sent to the remote system 370 or a designated spectator device 360. Requests can be for data from a single participant's race record 322. Another example would be a request for standing instructions to send data for all participant race records 322 related to a particular participant.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and riot restrictive in character. it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the inventions are desired to be protected. it should be understood that while the use of words such as preferable, preferably, preferred or more preferred utilized, in the description above indicate that the feature so described may be more desirable, it nonetheless may not be necessary and embodiments lacking the same may be contemplated as within the scope of the invention, the scope being defined by the claims that follow. In reading the claims, it is intended that when words such as “a,” “an,” “at least one,” or “at least one portion” are used there is no intention to limit the claim to only one item unless specifically stated to the contrary in the claim. When the language “at least a portion” and/or “a portion” is used the item can include a portion and/or the entire item unless specifically stated to the contrary.