Football Tracking Chip for Real-Time Location Determination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current football tracking systems rely on human judgment and video reviews, which can lead to inconsistencies, biases, and time-consuming disputes due to obstructed views and lack of real-time data, resulting in potential errors in determining the ball's location during games.
Innovation Solution
A system featuring a lightweight tracking chip embedded in the football that communicates with a sensor network along the sidelines and goal lines, providing real-time location data to a handheld reading device, minimizing human error and disputes by offering objective and precise ball placement information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If referees use human judgment and video reviews to determine ball location, then they can make decisions, but the process is time-consuming and prone to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/optical system of video cameras and human visual inspection with an electromagnetic field-based RFID tracking system. The tracking chip in the ball communicates location data wirelessly to referees' handheld devices, providing real-time, objective position information without requiring video review or human visual estimation.
Solution Approach 2:
The ball itself carries the tracking chip that actively transmits its location data, making the ball self-reporting. This eliminates the need for referees to manually track or visually estimate ball position, as the ball provides its own location information automatically.
2Reliability
If referees rely on visual observation, then they can determine ball location, but obstructed views lead to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of RFID tracking chips and wireless communication infrastructure. This intermediary layer transmits ball location data through electromagnetic fields that can penetrate obstacles, eliminating the line-of-sight requirement that plagues visual observation methods.
3Reliability
If video monitoring systems are used, then ball location can be reviewed, but inconsistencies in camera angles make assessment difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential information needed for ball location determination from the complex video review process. Instead of requiring referees to analyze multiple camera angles and manually track the ball across frames, the system directly extracts and provides only the critical location data through RFID tracking, simplifying the decision-making process.
4Ease of operation
If subjective human opinions are used for ball placement, then decisions can be made, but bias and discrepancies occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates an objective digital copy of ball location data through RFID tracking. This digital record provides precise, unambiguous position information that eliminates subjective interpretation and human bias, ensuring consistent and reliable ball placement determination across all officials and reviews.
Data Source
AI summary
A football tracking system used for locating real-time location of a football during play is disclosed. The system includes a tracking chip embedded in the football and a sensor network including a plurality of sensors positioned along at least the sidelines and the goal lines. The chip transmits the location of the football to the sensor network and one or more sensors receive the location of the football. A handheld device is held by one or more referees and the device is adapted to receive the location of the football along with the location of a sensor. A display screen on the device displays the real-time location of the football for enabling the referee to officiate the game.