This invention relates to a device adapted to automatically identifying units at a fixed place, at a fixed point of time.

The device may be used in various fields, but is primarily intended for use in connection with competitions such as car races, skiing contests, cross-country runs and so on. In association to said competitions, the device is adapted to identify athletes and sportsmen or other competition units when they pass a measuring point.

The device may also be used with e.g. counting of vehicles in traffic and other traffic investigations. Then, a recording is made of where and when a vehicle passes a fixed place. Thereafter, a recording is made of to where the vehicle has moved subsequent to the first recording as well as the time consumed in doing so.

The identifying device according to the invention may be e.g. optical or electromagnetic and comprises the use of codes, e.g. optical line codes. Each individual competitor/unit is marked with such codes, which can be read by means of one or more scanners, e.g. laser scanners, radar scanners or cameras. To simplify the specification, the read off device will be described as a laser scanner, but it

might as well consist of e.g. a camera or a radar. Line codes may be used to be mounted onto the competitors such that the line codes may be read by laser scanners from above. The laser scanners are coupled to a time recording equipment.

With e.g. skiing contests, one may use large boards showing the passage times for the actual skiers. If scanners are placed at e.g. each 5 kilometre, the skier will, when passing a scanner, immediately be able to see how he/she is positioned in relation to the preceding competitors. This means that all skiers will receive the very same seconding.

Using the invention, also the result lists will be ready immediately after the last skier has finished the contest.

The device according to the invention may be used in order to distinguish the various competitors from each other automatically through positioning the laser scanner or scanners on a beam under which the competitors/competing units pass. The laser scans continuously across a fixed field. When a competitor enters into the laser light from the scanner, an optical receiver adjacent the scanner unit will record the reflected light from the optical code/mark on the competitor, and an electronic unit will immediately recognize the pattern and thereby identify the competitor. Then, the identification signal may be transmitted further together with the accurate time to the time recording equipment of the device, so that it is made possible to measure the accurate time for each separate competitor or unit.

A plurality of beams or frames may be positioned at various places along the trail/path, so that intermediate times may be detected automatically as well.

The device according to the invention will substitute large amounts of crew. Today, such crew is used in order to note down the order in which the various competitors pass the finishing tape.

By means of the device according to the invention, with large athletic meetings, one will be able to measure accurate times of passing for all competitors. Even with very large sports gatherings wherein several thousand people participate and many of these pass a measurement point simultaneously, the device according to the invention will record accurate point of passing time for all participants. This will simplify the execution of such large arrangements substantially, as well as offer a precision hithertofore impossible to obtain. The manning or crew at the passing places as well as at the finishing line could be reduced to a number practically equal to zero.

An embodiment of the device according to the invention is further explained in the following, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a top plane view of a sportsman at that moment he actually crosses a measurement point;

Figure 2 shows diagrammatically a front view of five athletes simultaneously crossing a measurement point; and

Figure 3 illustrates diagrammatically the principle of measurement when using laser scanners to identify the athletes/competitive units.

In accordance with figure 1, on an athlete, one or more optical codes have been anchored, e.g. line codes 1.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a concentrated laser beam from a scanner, not shown. This athlete may be recognized by means of one or more laser scanners and the anchored optical codes 1. In this manner, every runner may be recognized/identified automatically and, thus, one may measure intermediate times as well as final time for each participant individually by means of the automatic timekeeping device incorporated into the device according to the invention.

The optical codes or marks may be formed/shaped/designed such that they may be read independent of the direction along which the athlete passes the laser scanner. One possible way is to compose a "rosette" of three line codes, adjacent line codes forming an angle of 120 . Such a rosette may be anchored to each of the shoulders of the athlete.

Figure 2 shows laser scanners 3 mounted on a beam 4 across a control point (a tape-line) passed by five runners simultaneously. Again, laser light has been denoted by reference numeral 2. The lasers overlap each other and, therefore, they must be synchronized or work at different light frequencies.

Figure 3 illustrates diagrammatically the principle of measurement for use of laser scanners in order to identify athletes or other competitive units.

A rotary mirror cube 5 transmits a light beam scanning across e.g. the runners passing the finishing tape. Whenever the light beam hits a line code 1, a decoder electronics 6 which also comprises an electronic clock, immediately identify the runner and record the point of time.

It is possible to incorporate much redundancy into the code

1, so that it will be possible to identify a participant even if the mark has become curled or partly covered. For the sake of safety, an identification mark or the like may be attached to each of the participant's shoulders.

If one wishes a time solution of 1/100 second, this means that all lasers must have scanned their field in the course of a time of 1/100 second or less. When the elelctronic unit has detected a participant and recorded the point of time, the datas will be transmitted to the timekeeping device. In case several runners become detected in the course of the same laser scanning, the runners will be recorded as having the same time.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a light receiver.