RFID timing system and method with integrated event participant location tracking

摘要

A system and method for determining and tracking a location of a participant traveling along a route wherein the participant being tracked with an RFID tag during an event. The system includes a tag reader system receiving one or more tag reads from the RFID tag, determining a time for each tag read, identifying the tag number of the RFID tag, and transmitting a tag read message including at least a portion of the received tag reads with the tag number and the determined times. A timing system is configured for receiving and storing the tag read message including the tag number from the tag reader. A location device that is associated with the RFID tag of the participant has a location data receiver for receiving location data from a location providing source, and a wireless communication interface. The location detection device receives location information from the location providing source, time stamps each received location information, and transmits tag location data over the wireless interface. A location detection device that is in at least periodic wireless communication with the location device receives the transmitted tag location data, and transmits the received location data to the timing system. The timing system stores the location data and associates the location data with the RFID tag number as provided by the RFID tag reader from at least one of the tag reads from the tag associated with the location device.

主权项

1. A system for determining and tracking a location of a participant traveling along a route wherein the participant is being tracked with a RFID tag having a unique RFID tag number during an event, the system comprising:
a tag reader system for:
reading the RFID tag, the tag reader system located at a fixed location in proximity to the route at a first monitored location point for receiving one or more tag reads from the RFID tag as the tracked participant with the RFID tag travels in proximity to said location along the route, and for:determining a time for each tag read,identifying the tag number of the RFID tag, andtransmitting a tag read message including at least a portion of the received tag reads with the RFID tag number and the determined tag read times; a timing system in communication with the tag reader system receiving and storing the transmitted tag read message including the tag number and the determined tag read times as transmitted by the tag reader system; a location device associated with the participant, the location device having a location data receiver for receiving a plurality of location data from a location signal providing source, a memory for storing the received location data, and a wireless communication interface, the location device receiving the plurality of location data as the participant travels along the route, time stamping each received location data, and transmitting location information including the plurality of location data and the time stamps over the wireless communication interface; and a location detection device located at a fixed location in proximity to the route at a second monitored location point and in wireless communication with the location device for receiving the transmitted location information when the location device is in proximity to the location detection device in response to the location detection device receiving a location data download command from at least one of the timing system and the tag reader system, upon at least one of the timing system and the tag reader system receiving the RFID tag number of the tag read message, and then the location detection device transmitting the received location information to the timing system; wherein the timing system stores the received location information including the time stamps and associates the received location information with the RFID tag number of at least one of the one or more tag reads of the received tag read message as a function of the tag read times and the time stamps of the location information, the timing system determining a plurality of tracked locations of the participant along the route of the event as a function of the plurality of location data and time stamps provided by the location information that is associated with the RFID tag number for the participant.