CA2238529A1

CA2238529A1 - Method and apparatus for ski and snowboard identification and theft detection

Info

Publication number: CA2238529A1
Application number: CA 2238529
Authority: CA
Inventors: Tom Lalor; Derick Pyner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-05-25
Filing date: 1998-05-25
Publication date: 1999-11-25
Also published as: FR2778987A1; FR2778987B1

Abstract

The present invention is a world wide system for the identification and theft detection of skies and snowboards, and other equipment, that utilizes passive electronic tags embedded into the physical structure of equipment during manufacture, and electronic tag readers strategically located at or near areas where the equipment is used, for routinely reading identity information stored in the electronic tags and comparing this identity information with identity information contained in a central data base registry of lost or stolen equipment.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SKI
AND SNOWBOARD IDENTIFICATION AND THEFT DETECTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the identification of ski and snowboard equipment and for the detection and control of theft of such equipment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The loss due to theft and otherwise of ski and snowboard equipment by the general public, manufacturers, distributors, rental and demo outlets and retail stores has lately begun to reach epidemic proportions.
Devices such as that described in U.S. patent No. 4,535,322, issued to Yeski on August 13, 1985, have been used to mechanically lock skies and provide an audible alarm when the lock is tampered with. Unfortunately, if no one is nearby to hear the alarm, or if the alarm is ignored, the system is ineffective in preventing theft. Other devices such as that described in U.S. patent No. 5,001,461, issued to Vroom et al. on March 19, 1991, use a motion sensor to detect when ski equipment is moved and a digital transmitter to send an alarm signal to a remote receiver unit. One problem with this system is that it must be manually activated by the user each time equipment is left unattended and the transmitter has a limited range.

In some situations, ski resort operators have hand no choice but to hire extra personnel to watch their patrons' ski equipment in order to deter and prevent theft.
A problem with all of these systems is that if they fail to prevent theft and the equipment goes missing, the new "owner" is free to use the equipment with complete anonymity at any ski hill.
In addition, these systems provide no means of subsequently identifying and recovering the stolen property. All of these prior art methods have been ineffective in significantly deterring or preventing theft of ski and snowboard equipment.
For the most part, the use of ski and snowboard equipment is limited to commercially operated ski hills having mechanical lifts for transporting patrons to the top of the hills so that they may ski or snowboard to the bottom. One way to effectively deter and prevent the theft of ski and snowboard equipment therefore would be to provide a system that would make it impossible for a person in possession of stolen equipment to use these mechanical lifts, thereby making it virtually impossible for such person to get to any location where the equipment can be used. While not actively preventing theft itself, a system of this nature would effectively eliminate any incentive to steal equipment since there would be no place where the equipment could be used.

Electronic tags and tag readers have been widely used by the retail merchandising industry to diminish or eliminate losses due to theft and to monitor and control inventory. In these applications, tags are attached externally to goods being protected and all customers leaving a store are constrained to exit through an area being constantly scanned by a tag reader tuned to the frequency of the attached tags. A tag that comes within range of the electromagnetic monitoring field of the tag reader emits an electronic signal that is detected by the tag reader, triggering an audible alarm. Other tags can be programmed to emit identity information pertaining to the particular product thereby facilitating the rapid recordal of store inventory using portable hand held tag readers.
SU1~IARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for deterring the theft of ski and snowboard equipment that will identify such equipment and prevent persons in possession of stolen equipment from using the mechanical lifts located at commercial ski hills.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for the identification and recovery of lost or stolen ski and snowboard equipment.

According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for ski and snowboard equipment identification and theft detection comprising: a radio frequency identity (RFID) tag attached to the equipment, the tag containing memory, the memory containing identity information relating to the equipment; a tag reader for reading the identity information contained in the memory of the tag; a data processing and data storage means for storing identity information relating to stolen or lost equipment and for comparing identity information received from the tag reader with the stored identity information; and communication means connected between the tag reader and the data processing and storage means for transmitting the identity information obtained from the tag to the data processing and storage means for comparison with the stored identity information.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method for ski and snowboard equipment identification and theft detection comprising:
attaching a radio frequency identity (RFID) tag to the equipment, the tag containing memory, the memory containing identity information relating to the equipment; reading the identity information contained in the memory of the tag using a tag reader; providing a data processing and data storage means for storing identity information relating to stolen or lost equipment and for comparing identity information received from the tag reader with the stored identity information; and using a communication means connected between the tag reader and the data processing and storage means to transmit the identity information obtained from the tag to the data processing and storage means for comparison with the stored identity information.
The present invention advantageously provides a passive system that requires no conscious effort on the part of the ski owner except for registering the identity information relating to the ski or snowboard equipment with a central data base and subsequently reporting any loss or theft of the equipment. Once reported, identity information concerning the equipment is placed into a central data base where it can be periodically accessed by ski hill operators to update their local system data bases with the latest information on stolen equipment. As soon as one of the tag readers, which are advantageously located at the entrance to all ski lifts, detects an electronic tag corresponding to any stolen equipment recorded in the central data base, the person in possession of the equipment bearing that tag is located using a portable hand-held tag reader and prevented from using the lift.
A further advantage of the present method and apparatus is that it can be used by equipment retailers or rental outlets to control and price inventory on their premises and at the same time, should any of their equipment become lost or stolen, that equipment can be registered on the central registry data base to prevent use of the equipment at ski hills.

Other advantages, objects and features of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a review of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in greater detail, and will be better understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention, showing an RFID
tag and accompanying multi-turn coil antenna.
Figure 2 is perspective, partial cut-away view of a ski, showing possible locations for the RFID
tag shown in figure 1.
Figure 3 is a close-up, perspective, partial cut-away view of one embodiment of the present invention, showing the RFID tag of figure 1 embedded in the laminated structure of a ski or snowboard.
Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a typical ski hill installation of one embodiment the present invention.
Similar reference numerals are used in different figures to denote similar components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to Figure 1, in one embodiment of the present invention a radio frequency identity (RFID) tag or transponder 10 is encoded with specific identity information pertaining to the particular ski or snowboard equipment to which it is to be attached. In this embodiment, tag 10 is mounted on a copper coated flexible substrate 15 and attached to a large low frequency multi-turn antenna 20 etched into substrate 15. Substrate 15 can be made of glass fibre, polyester or rigid FR4 which is a standard printed circuit board substrate. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the entire structure, comprising tag 10, substrate 15 and antenna 20, is embedded within the laminated core of a ski 30. Once encoded with the proper identity information and securely attached to or embedded into the ski or snowboard equipment, RFID tag 10 functions as a specific identify tag for that piece of equipment. Upon reading the identity information recorded in the tag and comparing it with a central data base of identity information, it is possible, using the system taught by the present invention, to identify lost or stolen equipment that has been registered on the central data base. In other embodiments of the present invention the identity information can be used to control inventory, record pricing information related to the equipment, or locate the rightful owner of lost or stolen equipment. Still further embodiments are contemplated by the applicant wherein the identity information contained in tag 10 can be used for lift ticket processing or race timing.
Referring to Figure l, RFID tag 10 is a well known technology that has been used in many automatic data collection applications to replace bar codes. RFID tag 10 is a small integrated circuit or silicon chip about one centimetre square and less that .O1 inches thick. The integrated circuits of tag 10 include a section of memory that can be used to store an identification code or other data. The amount of data that can be stored in a tag varies according to the particular manufacture.
For example, Micron Communications Inc. of Boise, Idaho, produces a low frequency passive tag with 96 bits of addressable memory selling under the brand name MICROTAG,TM and a high frequency, battery powered tag with 256 bytes (2,048 bits) of addressable memory, which they sell under the name MICROSTAMPTM.
The information contained within the memory of tag 10 can be read using an RFID tag reader 40 as shown in Figure 4. RFID tag readers have radio circuitry to communicate with the tag, a microprocessor to check and decode the data received from the tag, and memory to store the data for later transmission. As shown in Figure 4, tag reader 40 has an antenna 45 used to transmit and receive radio frequency signals to and from tag 10. Also shown in Figure 4, is a portable hand held tag reader 50 that can be used to scan individual skiers. Tag readers 40, 50 emit an electromagnetic field of a particular g radio frequency defining a read zone 47. The volume of read zone 47 depends on the operating frequency of the system, the size of the antenna, and the tag reader output power. When tag 10 passes through read zone 47, it is energized by the tag reader's electromagnetic field causing tag 10 to emit a radio frequency (RF) signal containing identity information stored within its memory (in this case the identity information encoded by the manufacturer). This identity information is received and decoded by tag readers 40, 50.
RFID tag 10 may be either active or passive.
Active tags include a battery connected to or built into the tag itself and have a longer readable range, but also have a shorter operating life than passive tags which have no internal power source, relying instead on the electromagnetic energy from the tag reader for its operating power. Passive tags are smaller and lighter than active tags, less expensive to manufacturer and have a virtually unlimited lifetime. However, passive tags usually have a shorter read range and require a more powerful tag reader.
Active and passive tags are further divided into three main groups based on memory type: 1) read-write memory which is dynamic and can be modified during normal operating conditions (examples include toll collection tags, phone cards and debit banking cards); 2) write-once/read-many (WORM) memory which is one-time programmable and can not be changed once initially programmed; and 3) g _ read-only memory which has unique data encoded during manufacture and cannot be modified. Most passive tags provide read-only memory and a short read range of under 6 feet.
RFID systems are also distinguished by operating frequency, since the tags and the readers must be tuned to the same frequency in order to communicate effectively. High frequency systems work well in applications where long read ranges and high reading speeds are required, such as railroad car monitoring and toll collection systems, however, they are generally more expensive to manufacturer and have increased sensitivity to obstructions.
Intermediate frequencies, in the range of 13.56 MHZ
to 6.8 MHz, are used in active tags where large volumes of data must be transferred, such as access control and smart card applications. Low frequency systems, operating in the range of 125 kHz, are useful in applications where read range is not important and cost must be kept to a minimum.
In addition to tag reader power output, the read range of a tag depends on the kind of antenna used and the radio frequency at which it operates.
Since passive, low frequency tags that draw their power from the tag reader use inefficient antennas, they do not offer long-range data transmission.
Typically, low frequency passive tags use antennas comprised of hundreds of turns of copper wire. This creates resistance for the current being generated to drive the tag. This resistance, coupled with the poor impedance match between the integrated circuit of the tag and the tag antenna, results in an inefficient, albeit simple and inexpensive antenna system.
Anti-collision is another feature of RFID
systems that must be considered. Many low frequency tags must be read one at a time. If the spacing between tags is not sufficient the reader will not be able to discriminate identity information coming from each tag. Microchip Technology Inc. of San Jose, California, has developed two passive tags, the MCRF250 and the MCRF350, that provide anti-collision capabilities of up to eight tags per second at 125 kHz and 25 tags per second at 13.56 MHz.
The applicant has found that in the present invention, the use of passive, low frequency tags, such as the MCRF250, is preferred. The benefits are low cost, long life and the ability to draw power from the tag reader and not from an internally provided power source. In addition, passive tags are small and can be readily embedded into the laminated.core of skies and snowboards.
Referring once again to Figures 1 to 3, the applicant has been able to successfully compensate for the limited range offered by passive tags by installing them into the laminated structure of skies and snowboards. Skies and snowboards are relatively long structures, typically in excess of 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) in width, and are constructed using composite materials such as glass fibre, carbon fibre and KEVLARTM. Metals such as aluminum are rarely used today. A reasonably large (2 inch x 6 inch, 5 cm x 15 cm), low frequency, multi-turn, coil antenna 20 is etched onto a copper coated flexible substrate 15. Tag 10 is mounted directly onto substrate 15 and connected to antenna 20. The entire structure is then embedded into the core of ski 30. As thus constructed, the present invention provides a low cost passive tag having an acceptable read range and excellent anti-collision properties.
By embedding the tag into the structure of the ski or snowboard a high level of security is provided for the identity information contained on the tag.
Even if the tag itself were removed, an intelligent tag reader would still be able to detect the presence of the antenna, thereby recognizing that the ski has been tampered with.
By orienting tag 10 as shown in figures 2 and 3, and by locating tag reader 40 as shown in figure 4 so that skies are moved through tag reader 40 generally perpendicular to read zone 47, optimum tag reading conditions are created.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that tags may be encapsulated within the core of a ski or snowboard as described above or moulded directly into the body of other types of ski equipment such as boots bindings or poles. It is also contemplated by the applicant that tags might be surface attached by adhesive or affixed to equipment by a cable or other means. Referring to figure 2, other possible locations for tag 10 are shown by arrows A, B and C.
Figure 4, shows a schematic representation of a typical ski hill installation of one embodiment of the present invention. A tag reader 40 is positioned in the corral area next to a ski lift 65.
Tag reader 40 has an RF transmitter, an RF receiver and at least one antenna 45 for generating an RF
electromagnetic field 47 and for communicating with local computer and data storage 60. A further connection is periodically established between local computer 60 and a central registry data base 70 for the exchange of identity information and other data related to the identification of ski and snowboa~d equipment. This exchange may take place over any communication network such as a direct phone link or through the Internet. Also shown is a portable hand-held tag reader 50 that can be used to more, accurately locate a particular tag.
Micron Communications Inc. has developed a tag reader with an external antenna approximately 28 inches (71 cm) by 8 inches (20 cm) that offers read ranges up to 28 inches (71 cm) with larger tags.
The applicant has found that it is possible to bury this antenna in the snow to detect tags attached to skies passing on the surface. Low frequency antennas are less affected by snow and wet conditions than high frequency dipole antennas.
A Skier approaching lift hut 65 is required to pass through an area between antennas 45 of tag reader 40. As the skier passes through the electromagnetic field 47, tag 10 attached or embedded in his or her skies or other equipment, is energized causing it to emit an RF signal containing the unique identity information encoded during manufacturer. This identity information is read by tag reader 40 and communicated to the local computer and data storage device 60 where it is compared to a local data base containing identity information relating to lost or stolen equipment. If the identity information emitted by tag 10 matches an entry on the local data base, an alarm is sounded and a closer inspection of the skier can be made using hand-held portable tag reader 50 to locate the particular individual possessing the equipment.' This person can then be prevented from using the ski lift .
The local data base of computer 60 is updated periodically by making a telecommunications connection to a central registry data base 70 and downloading the most current registry data. Such connection can be made directly by modem or tholagh a network such as the Internet. Alternatively, the data can be transmitted on computer disk by various ground transportation means. In one embodiment', of the present invention, the central registry date base keeps track of identity information relating to lost or stolen equipment. The identity informaltion is identical to the identity information contained in the tags embedded in or attached to the equipment during manufacture. A match between the identity information emitted by tag 10 and an entry on the registry data base results in that equipment not being allowed onto that particular ski hill. In this way, lost or stolen equipment becomes useless except in the hands of the rightful owner or authorized user. In addition to preventing the use of lost or stolen skies, the system could be used to identify recovered skies by matching the identity information with the registered owner.
Alternatively, the data base could be used to correlate the identity information with pricing or product information for use by the retailer in sales or inventory control.
In order to deter theft of equipment protected by the present invention it is preferable to mark the equipment externally with a highly visible, easily identifiable warning or symbol indicating that the equipment is theft protected for use by the registered owner only and that unauthorized use at 1 specially protected ski hills will not be permitted.
The above-described embodiments of the present invention are meant to be illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications, that would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. The only limitations to the scope of the present invention are set out in the following appended claims."

Claims

1. An apparatus for ski and snowboard equipment identification and theft detection comprising:
a radio frequency identity (RFID) tag attached to the equipment, the tag containing memory, the memory containing identity information relating to the equipment;
a tag reader for reading the identity information contained in the memory of the tag;
a data processing and data storage means for storing identity information relating to stolen or lost equipment and for comparing identity information received from the tag reader with the stored identity information; and communication means connected between the tag reader and the data processing and storage means for transmitting the identity information obtained from the tag to the data processing and storage means for comparison with the stored identity information.

2. A method for ski and snowboard equipment identification and theft detection comprising:
attaching a radio frequency identity (RFID) tag to the equipment, the tag containing memory, the memory containing identity information relating to the equipment;
reading the identity information contained in the memory of the tag using a tag reader;
providing a data processing and data storage means for storing identity information relating to stolen or lost equipment and for comparing identity information received from the tag reader with the stored identity information; and using a communication means connected between the tag reader and the data processing and storage means to transmit the identity information obtained from the tag to the data processing and storage means for comparison with the stored identity information.