FR2830663A1 - System for event management, e.g. for management of athletic meetings, whereby details of participants in each event, results, etc. are displayed, recorded, etc. via means of interactive terminals linked to a central server - Google Patents

Abstract

System for managing events comprises an interactive terminal (5) with a communications link to a central unit (7). An event participant can enter and identifier in the interactive terminal and so exchange data with the central unit. The central unit has a processing unit for classifying participants prior to an event and displaying the results on the interactive terminals and also carriers out a second classification after an event so that results can be displayed on the terminals. The invention also relates to a corresponding method.

Description

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 Method and system for event management.

 The present invention relates to the field of event management bringing together a large number of people, for example a sports competition, a political gathering, a cultural event, etc.

 Currently, during a sports competition, for example athletics, meeting or championship type, several management problems are encountered and affect the smooth running of the competition. The program is generally available on a paper display panel. Competitors' registrations for each event are made on sheets of paper by the competitors themselves or by a person dedicated to this task.

The number of sheets made available is significant given the high number of events, ie ten to fifteen per category (male or female) and by age (minimum, cadet, juniors, seniors). The number of competitors per event justifies several sheets of paper each time. If we consider three sheets per test, or twenty four registrations, it is possible to arrive quickly beyond 250 sheets of paper, corresponding to several thousands or tens of thousands of manual entries. Of course, a lot of information is incorrect or missing, such as an illegible name, an absent club name, an unknown license number, an absent or false performance, especially if the athlete tries not to find himself in the best series of competitors. For each event, competition sheets are redone in order to place each athlete (competition order, series and race lane) according to their level determined by the best performance of the year. Again, we often end up with more than 250 new leaves on the stadium. In addition, for each test, it is necessary that a person is available to transport the secretary's sheets to the place of the test. After each test, the results (performance and place of the athlete opposite his name) are written manually on the sheets. The results are processed in a call room. of the

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 new sheets of paper are edited based on the results. The results sheets are displayed for consultation by the competitors of their performances and their possible qualification for the next round. New sheets including a list of athletes qualified for the next round are in turn brought by a person from the organization to the jury of the races or competitions concerned. At the end of the sports match, the results are sent to the league or the federation by fax or by post. The sheets of paper are displayed on the stadium often long after the event.

Competitors can consult their results, performance and classification, but often have to wait for someone available to pick up the sheets at the secretariat.

 The organization of an athletics competition is often confronted with problems of respecting the timetables of the tests. Such a malfunction is due either to forecasts that are difficult to make on the number of participants, or to technical problems such as the breakdown of electrical timing, unavailability of equipment, etc. ; either to the postponement of an event, or even to unfavorable weather conditions. The whole schedule of events is then shifted and it is difficult, if not impossible, except to constantly repeat the program, to warn the competitors concerned.

 This type of organization therefore has drawbacks in terms of loss of time in the management of paper flows at the competition site and between the club and the federal authorities, a need for high manpower, a risk of erroneous or lost information, risk of poor distribution of results to the media, sports bodies or other partners, circulation of unsecured information, difficult access to information for competitors and absence of advanced processing of information likely to offer a pleasant service to the public, competitors, journalists, and more generally to any interested person.

 The object of the present invention is to remedy the drawbacks of current organizations.

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 The event management system, according to one aspect of the invention, comprises: - at least one interactive terminal comprising a display means, a data entry means so that a participant in said event can provide an identifier to said interactive terminal, and means for exchanging data with a central unit so that the interactive terminal sends said identifier to the central unit, and - a central unit comprising means for exchanging data with said at least one interactive terminal , a means for exchanging data with a remote unit, a data processing unit and a man-machine interface, the data processing unit being able to perform a first classification of the participants before the event and to send said classification at least one interactive terminal for display, and after the event to carry out a second classification of people from an event result ent supplied to the central unit and to send said second classification to at least one interactive terminal for display.

 The interactive terminal allows the public and participants to take note of information relating to the progress of the event, and each participant to identify themselves, for example by name, license number or even a smart card from which high security. The exchange of data between the interactive terminal and the central unit allows centralized management of the event with an information display and a decentralized information input.

The exchange of data between the central unit and the remote unit allows the central unit to benefit from archived data or even to perform a certain number of verifications, for example relating to the identity of the participants or to a characteristic. of a participant such as a past performance.

 In one embodiment of the invention, a wired or wireless link is provided between the interactive terminal and the central unit. The wired link allows very secure communication. The radio link allows a more flexible and easier installation of

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 interactive terminals within a radius of several tens of meters around the central unit.

 In one embodiment of the invention, the interactive terminal includes a touch screen. The same screen is therefore used to display information and so that a participant can provide information to the system, which allows an interesting ergonomics for the terminal which can be in the form of a parallelepiped devoid of roughness, handling easy and devoid of fragile elements such as a keyboard.

 In one embodiment of the invention, the interactive terminal includes a personal organizer.

 Advantageously, the system comprises a plurality of interactive terminals. This facilitates the dissemination of information and the entry of data by a plurality of people.

 In one embodiment of the invention, each interactive terminal includes a barcode reader and / or a smart card reader.

 In one embodiment of the invention, the system comprises a display terminal provided with a screen and with means for receiving data from the central unit. The display terminal may include an interactive terminal and means for inhibiting at least one function of the interactive terminal, for example for inhibiting the data input means.

 In one embodiment of the invention, the interactive terminal includes a screen and means for displaying on the screen at least one input field of at least one identifier of at least one person. Means may also be provided for displaying on the screen at least one input field for at least one characteristic, of the performance type, of at least one person. The system may include means for displaying on the screen an input field of at least one second characteristic, of at least one person.

 In one embodiment of the invention, at least one interactive terminal comprises means for automatically receiving

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 data from a sensor or operator. We can thus detect the arrival of a race or the start of a race.

 Advantageously, at least one interactive terminal comprises a means for consulting archived data. A participant can thus consult a previous classification or a previous performance.

 Advantageously, at least one interactive terminal comprises a means for choosing an event, and a means for confirming the choice.

A window may be provided on the screen, for example of the drop-down menu type, offering the choice of the various events and allowing the registration of a participant, with a following screen to confirm the choice. The system will advantageously be provided with a means of managing inconsistencies making it possible to prohibit a participant from registering for two tests taking place simultaneously.

 Advantageously, the system includes a means of checking the personal identifiers. This avoids fraudulent registrations.

 The system may also include a means of confirming the identities of the people.

 The invention also provides an event management method, in which a participant in said event supplies an identifier to an interactive terminal, the interactive terminal sends the identifier to a central unit, the central unit performs a first classification of the participants beforehand. to the event and sends said classification to interactive terminals for display, and after the event, an event result is supplied to the central unit which performs a second classification of people and sends said second classification to an interactive terminal for display .

 This saves time for the progress of the event, in the management of information flows between the central unit and any remote units likely to receive or send information, when sending results, for example to sports clubs, federal authorities or the media. Information security is improved by identifying participants. We avoid errors in registrations and in the

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 transfer of results. The gathering and management of information makes it possible to structure it according to a common model and to ensure better accessibility. In addition, paper flows can be reduced during the event and after the event by eliminating the sending of mail. Finally, we reduce the costs of distributing the results as well as the manpower requirements, volunteer or not.

- la figure 3 est une vue schématique d'une unité centrale ; - la figure 4 est un organigramme de fonctionnement du système ; et - les figures 5 et 6 sont des vues de fenêtres affichées sur un écran de borne interactive. The present invention will be better understood on reading the detailed description of an embodiment taken by way of nonlimiting example and illustrated by the appended drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic view of a system according to the invention installed on a sports field; - Figure 2 is a schematic view of an interactive terminal;

- Figure 3 is a schematic view of a central unit; - Figure 4 is a flow diagram of the system; and - Figures 5 and 6 are views of windows displayed on an interactive terminal screen.

 As can be seen in Figure 1, a sports field 1 is provided with a central zone 2 on which sports can be practiced, a peripheral zone 3 on which spectators can settle and a space 4 dedicated to the management of the sports field 1 and / or of an event taking place on the sports field 1, arranged adjacent to the peripheral zone 3.

 The system comprises a plurality of interactive terminals referenced 5, six in number, arranged in the peripheral zone 3, an interactive terminal 6 disposed in the space 4, and a central unit 7 also arranged in the space 4. The unit central unit 7 and the interactive terminal 6 are connected by a wired link 8. The central unit 7 and the interactive terminals 5 are connected by a radio link of frequency suitable for transporting significant flows of information over short distances, from range from a few meters to a few tens, even hundreds of meters. The central unit 7 is provided with a port 9 connected to the wired link 8, a port 10 equipped with a radio transmission and reception means for communication

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 with the interactive terminals 5 and a port 11, for example a modem, for communication with remote units referenced 12 and 13 via a long distance data transport network, of the telephone network, numeris type, etc. The link between port II and the remote unit 12 is referenced 14. The link between port II and the remote unit 13 is referenced 15. A link 16 is also provided between the remote units 12 and 13. The communication of information between the port 11, the remote unit 12 and the remote unit 13 can be carried out according to an Internet type protocol.

 Each interactive terminal 5,6 is provided with a base 17 able to rest on the ground, natural ground or floor, concrete, etc. ; and an upper part 18 which will generally be provided with a screen.

 An example of an interactive terminal is illustrated in more detail in FIG. 2. The upper part 18 includes a screen 19 allowing the display of information and, optionally, the entry of information in the case where the screen 19 is tactile type. The upper part 18 also comprises a keyboard 20 and a pointer control means 22 formed by a ball 21 whose rotation is detected by appropriate sensors which translate them into the coordinates of a pointer 22 displayed on the screen 19. The presence of the keyboard 20 and of the ball 21 is necessary in the case where the screen 19 is of the non-touch type and optional in the opposite case. The screen 20 and the ball 21 are generally arranged under the screen 19. Next to the keyboard 20, there is also provided a bar code reader 23 and / or a smart card reader 24.

 The upper part of the interactive terminal 5 further comprises a port 25 capable of cooperating with a wired link 26 to communicate with another unit 27 which may be a central unit, for example in the case of the interactive terminal arranged in space 4. The upper part 18 of the interactive terminal may also include a port 28 equipped with radio communication means for communication with another unit 29 which may be the central unit in the case of the interactive terminals 5 placed at a distance d 'a central unit, or a performance sensor. According to

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 needs, only one of the two ports 25,28 will be used. It is also conceivable, for reasons of economy, that an interactive terminal is equipped with only one of these two types of ports. There is also an electrical supply outlet 30 capable of receiving an electrical cable 31 for supplying energy to the interactive terminal.

 Optionally, a battery 32 can be placed in the base 17 of the interactive terminal to provide it with independent power supply in the event of a power supply failure or even in the event of impossibility of ensuring the power supply. The battery 32 can be recharged either when the interactive terminal is unused or when it is used with power supply from the mains by the cable 31. An advantage of the battery 32 is that it contributes to the mechanical stability of the interactive terminal by reducing the height of its center of gravity, due to the mass of said battery. To this end, provision may be made for the lower end of the base 17 to be equipped with several batteries 32.

 The structure of a central processing unit 7 is shown in more detail in FIG. 3. The central processing unit comprises at least one microprocessor 33, at least one non-volatile memory 34, at least one non-retentive memory 35 and a communication bus 36 enabling the exchange of data between these different elements. The data bus 36 is also connected to ports 9 to 11 and to an additional module 37 which can perform various functions, in particular video processing. The central unit 7 further comprises a screen 38, of the touch or conventional type and allowing the display of information, a keyboard 39 and a mouse 40 forming a means of controlling a pointer which can be displayed on the screen. 38. The mouse 40 is connected to the bus 36 via an interface 41.

 Different process steps are illustrated in Figure 4.

First of all a person, for example a competitor, wishes to consult the program. To this end, the competition program is displayed on the screens of the interactive terminals, and this by default, by displaying a window such as that illustrated in FIG. 5. The window 42 which can be displayed on the screen 19 of a interactive terminal 5 or 6

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comprend, d'une part, une liste d'épreuves, ici notées de A à G, un champ info , un champ inscription , un champ fédération et un champ feuille de course . Dans le cas d'un écran tactile, la personne souhaitant obtenir des informations supplémentaires sur une épreuve, par exemple l'épreuve C, appuiera simultanément ou successivement sur le champ épreuve C et sur le champ info .

includes, on the one hand, a list of events, here noted from A to G, an info field, a registration field, a federation field and a race sheet field. In the case of a touch screen, the person wishing to obtain additional information on a test, for example test C, will press simultaneously on the test C field and on the info field.

A person wishing to register for one of the tests will perform a similar manipulation by pressing the field of the desired test as well as the registration field. A person wishing to consult the race or start sheet for one of the events will carry out a similar manipulation by pressing on the field of the desired event as well as on the race sheet field.

 A person wishing to connect to the website of the corresponding sports federation will press the federation field. We can also provide that pressing on the federation field opens a following window giving information relating to said federation but without making a connection via the Internet. The person therefore has at his disposal a means of ordering information on each test, a means of registering for each test and a means of obtaining information relating to the federation, or more generally to an organization of rank higher than that of the event organizer.

 In the case where the person has carried out the registration manipulation for test C, the window 43 illustrated in FIG. 6 will then be displayed on the screen 19. On window 43, information relating to the test is displayed , namely test C, then instructions relating to the identification of the person. In the case represented here, where the person is equipped with a smart card or an equivalent means making it possible to identify it, for example a memory card supplied by a sports club, said person will enter his card in the reader. card 24. In the case where the person has a club card equipped with a bar code, they will enter said card in the bar code reader 23. The interactive terminal then has the

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 necessary information relating to the identity of the person and, in the case of a memory card, information in particular relating to the past performance of said person. After entering their card, a confirm field will be displayed. The person will then press on this field to confirm their registration for test C.

 Of course, in the event that the system does not have sufficient information on the person's past performance, one or more intermediate screens can be provided before confirmation, requiring the person to fill in fields relating to his past performance .

 After the registration stage of the various athletes, the system performs a registration of registrations, in particular in order to carry out the classification of the series. Then, the system generates the competition or start sheets which are made available to referees, judges or the like. The course of the test finally takes place and the results are entered by the jury and supplied to the system by means of suitable window keyboards for entering results or even semi-automatically for tests where certain types of results may be supplied by sensors. In this case, the results are indicated to the jury and proposed for validation. After entering the results, the system centralizes the results and ranks them. The system can now display the results on the screens of the interactive terminals which are in communication with the central unit. As soon as the classification is made, the system transmits the results in a secure manner, possibly encrypted, to a higher authority, such as a sports federation which may have an Internet portal. It is then possible to access the results through the federation portal from either a computer connected to an Internet-type network, or even from interactive terminals.

 In addition, after the generation of the competition and race sheets by the central unit, it is advantageous to provide a step for displaying said sheets on the screens of the interactive terminals, so that the competitors can read them. After the

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 classification of the results, these can be sent directly by the central unit or subsequently by the federation to other sports clubs, press organizations, etc. Preferably, the central unit and the federation portal will be linked by a secure Intranet network.

 In other words, the competitors are provided with a card (license) provided by the federation and which contains their license number, an identification of their club and their category. On an interactive terminal, competitors can consult the program with details of the events and the day's schedules. They can register for an event by selection on a touch screen and identify themselves securely by inserting their card in the reader. The competitor selects the desired event and registers, then confirms his registration. The information contained in the card is automatically entered and their best performance of the year, allowing athletics to assign the order of passage, is sent by a database of the federation. It is also possible to indicate its performance to the system using the touch screen if said performance is not entered in the federation's database, for example in the case of a foreign competitor or having not competed for some time. The system is also provided with a means of automatic management of possible errors in registration for combined events, for example by refusing registration for two sprints for a quadrathlon in the minimal category, and by avoiding a distribution of events with the same sprinter. on two different sprints or the same launcher on two different throws.

 The secretariat of the competition, to which the terminals are linked by radio via the central unit, can consult in real time the progress of registrations, which can make it possible, if necessary, to make a reminder call. At a given moment before the course of an event, the secretariat blocks the possibility of registering and the electronic competition or race sheets are generated automatically. The competition and race sheets can be viewed on the screens of interactive terminals 5 and 6. On site

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 of the event, the competitors authenticate with their smart card.

The sheet corresponding to the competitors is displayed on the terminal and a judge or a referee or equivalent can enter the results directly on a terminal after each jump or each throw. After that, the sheet for the next athlete is displayed. The secretariat can consult the partial results and can announce the results as they are recorded by means of a suitable sound system.

The finalists for the event are immediately determined and the electronic final sheets are automatically generated and sent to the interactive terminals. The final tests take place in the same way as the qualification tests. At the end of the test, the final results, validated by the secretariat, are sent by the central unit, to the league or to the federation via a secure Intranet network. The final results can also be viewed on the various terminals installed on the stadium. The federation website is automatically updated and available to the public.

 Thanks to the invention, the public, the competitors and the organizers of a competition benefit from the maximum information available and, if necessary, in the language of their choice, by providing multilingual screens or a choice of language.

 The use of an Intranet network allows a transmission which can be secured between the central unit and the federation. Significant time savings are made during the course of the competition, in the management of information flows, and during the distribution of results. Errors in registration and transfer of results are avoided and the flow of paper documents during and after the test is reduced. We also reduce the volunteer or non-volunteer workforce that is necessary for the organization of a competition.

Claims (17)

 CLAIMS l-Event management system, characterized in that it comprises: - at least one interactive terminal (5) comprising a display means (19), a data entry means (20) so that a participant in said event can provide an identifier to said interactive terminal, and means for exchanging data (30) with a central unit so that the interactive terminal sends said identifier to the central unit, and - a central unit ( 7) comprising means for exchanging data (9) with said at least one interactive terminal, means for exchanging data (11) with a remote unit (12), a data processing unit and a man-machine interface, the data processing unit being able to carry out a first classification of the participants before the event and to send said classification to at least one interactive terminal for display, and after the event to carry out a second classification t people from an event result supplied to the central unit and to send said second classification to at least one interactive terminal for display.  2-System according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a wire connection (8) or wireless between the interactive terminal and the central unit.  3-System according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the interactive terminal includes a touch screen.  4-System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the interactive terminal includes a personal organizer.  5-System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of interactive terminals (5).  6-System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the interactive terminal comprises a bar code reader (23) and / or a smart card reader (24). <Desc / Clms Page number 14>  7-System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a display terminal provided with a screen and means for receiving data from the central unit.  8-System according to claim 7, characterized in that the display terminal comprises an interactive terminal and means for inhibiting at least one function of the interactive terminal.  9-System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the interactive terminal comprises a screen and means for displaying on the screen at least one input field of at least one identifier of at least one person .  10-System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the interactive terminal comprises a screen and means for displaying on the screen at least one input field of at least one characteristic, of performance type, d 'at least one person.  11-System according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises means for displaying on the screen an input field of at least a second characteristic, of at least one person.  12-System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an interactive terminal comprises means for automatically receiving data from a sensor or an operator.  13-System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an interactive terminal comprises means for consulting archived data.  14-System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an interactive terminal comprises a means for choosing a test, and a means for confirming the choice.  15-System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a means of checking the identifiers of people. <Desc / CRUD Page number 15>  16-System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a means of confirming the identities of people.  17-Event management method, in which: - a participant in said event supplies an identifier to an interactive terminal, - the interactive terminal sends said identifier to a central unit, - the central unit performs a first classification of the participants before the event and sends said classification to interactive terminals for display, and - after the event, an event result is supplied to the central unit which performs a second classification of people and sends said second classification to an interactive terminal for display .