# US 2022/0035320 A1 · Ski resort management system

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- Number: US 2022/0035320 A1
- Document ID: US20220035320A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/279,951
- Filed: 2019-09-27
- Published: 2022-02-03
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-27
- Assignees: Skadii GmbH
- Applicants: Hti Digital GmbH
- Inventors: Gunter Tschinkel
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220035320A1

## CPC

- B61B 11/00: Ski lift, sleigh lift or like trackless systems with guided towing cables only
- G06Q 10/0631: Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
- E01H 4/00: Working on surfaces of snow or ice in order to make them suitable for traffic or sporting purposes, e.g. by compacting snow (production of artificial snow F25C3/04)
- F25C 3/00: Processes or apparatus specially adapted for producing ice or snow for winter sports or similar recreational purposes, e.g. for sporting installations; Producing artificial snow
- G01W 1/14: Rainfall or precipitation gauges (measuring volume in general G01F)
- E01H 4/02: for sporting purposes, e.g. preparation of ski trails; {Construction of artificial surfacings for snow or ice sports (construction of ice skating rinks E01C13/102); Trails specially adapted for on-the-snow vehicles}, e.g. devices adapted for ski-trails (production of snow or ice for winter sports or similar recreational purposes F25C3/00)
- F25C 2303/00: Special arrangements or features for producing ice or snow for winter sports or similar recreational purposes, e.g. for sporting installations; Special arrangements or features for producing artificial snow
- G01W 2001/006: {Main server receiving weather information from several sub-stations}
- B61B: RAILWAY SYSTEMS; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (lifts or hoists, elevators, escalators, moving walkways B66B)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- E01H: STREET CLEANING; CLEANING OF PERMANENT WAYS; CLEANING BEACHES; DISPERSING {OR PREVENTING} FOG IN GENERAL {CLEANING STREET OR RAILWAY FURNITURE OR TUNNEL WALLS}(cleaning in general B08B)
- F25C: PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
- G01W: METEOROLOGY (radar, sonar, lidar or analogous systems, designed for meteorological use G01S13/95, G01S15/88, G01S17/95)

## Abstract

A ski resort management system comprising: a data acquisition system that receives data from telemetry systems of the lift systems, of the snow generators and of the snow groomers of the ski resort; a processing station; mass storage units, containing a system database fed by the data acquisition system; and a display interface, accessible from operator terminals. The data acquisition system stores data and signals from the lift systems, the snow generators and the snow groomers in the system database. The processing station enables setting a mode of the display interface for alternatively displaying data relative to each lift system, to each snow generator or to each snow groomer, or to display, in an aggregated form, data relative to all the lift systems, all the snow generators and all the snow groomers.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

-20. (canceled)

### Claim 21

A management system for a ski resort comprising a plurality of ski runs, a plurality of lift systems, an artificial snowmaking system comprising a plurality of snow generators, and a plurality of snow groomers, the management system comprising:
an operator terminal comprising a display device and a display interface;
a mass storage unit comprising a system database;
a data acquisition system configured to:
receive data from a plurality of telemetry systems respectively associated with the plurality of lift systems, the artificial snowmaking system and the plurality of snow groomers, and
store in the system database: (i) first data from the plurality of lift systems, (ii) second data from the artificial snowmaking system, and (iii) third data from the plurality of snow groomers; and
a processing station comprising a selector configured to set a display mode of the display interface of the operator terminal between: (i) a first mode of alternatively displaying the first data relative to a selected one of the plurality of lift systems, the second data relative to a selected one of the plurality of snow generators, and the third data relative to a selected one of the plurality of snow groomers, (ii) a second mode of alternatively displaying, in an aggregated form, the first data relative to all of the plurality of lift systems, the second data relative to all of the plurality of snow generators, and the third data relative to all of the plurality of snow groomers, and (iii) a third mode of displaying, in an aggregated form, the first data, the second data and the third data.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The management system of claim 21, wherein:
the data acquisition system is configured to:
receive data from a plurality of telemetry systems respectively associated with a weather detection system comprising a plurality of weather stations and a plurality of non-snow groomer vehicles of the ski resort, and
store in the system database: (iv) fourth data from a plurality of traffic detection systems respectively along the plurality of ski runs and from the plurality of snow groomers, (v) fifth data from the weather detection system, and (vi) sixth data from the plurality of non-snow groomer vehicles, and
the display interface of the operator terminal is configured to:
alternatively display, in the first display mode, the fourth data relative to a selected one of the plurality of ski runs, the fifth data relative to a selected one of the plurality of weather stations, and the sixth data relative to a selected one of the plurality of non-snow groomer vehicles,
alternatively display, in the second display mode, in an aggregated form, the fourth data relative to all of the plurality of ski runs, the fifth data relative to all of the plurality of weather stations, and the sixth data relative to all of the plurality of non-snow groomer vehicles, and
display, in the third display mode and in an aggregated form, the fourth data, the fifth data and the sixth data with the first data, the second data and the third data.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The management system of claim 22, further comprising a management center in communication with a plurality of local control stations via at least one of a local communications network and a wide area communications network, wherein the plurality of local control stations are distributed among at least one of the plurality of lift systems, the artificial snowmaking system and at least one of the plurality of snow groomers.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The management system of claim 23, wherein the plurality of local control stations comprise a first local control station configured to supervise an operation of a first one of the plurality of lift systems, a second local control station configured to supervise an operation of a first one of the plurality of snow generators and a third local control station configured to supervise an operation of a first one of the plurality of snow groomers.

### Claim 25 (depends on 22)

The management system of claim 22, wherein:
the system database comprises a lift system database for the plurality of lift systems that stores the first data, and
the first data comprises, for each of the plurality of lift systems: an identifier of that lift system, state signals of that lift system and data representative of an operating condition of that lift system.

### Claim 26 (depends on 22)

The management system of claim 22, wherein:
the system database comprises:
a ski run database for the plurality of ski runs that stores the fourth data, and
a weather database that stores the fifth data,
the fourth data comprises, for each of the plurality of ski runs: an identifier for that ski run, data relative to a characteristic of that ski run, a thickness of a snow cover along that ski run, and a number of passages detected by the plurality of traffic detection systems, and
the fifth data comprises, for each of the plurality of weather stations: an identifier for a weather sensor of that weather station, meteorological data at an installation site of that weather sensor of that weather station, and measured precipitation.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The management system of claim 26, wherein the first data comprises solar radiation data and weather maps of a geographical area in which the ski resort is located.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The management system of claim 26, wherein the processing station comprises a snowmaking control module configured to carry out a plurality of snowmaking schedules for the artificial snowmaking system based on the thickness of the snow cover along the ski runs and the meteorological data, the snowmaking schedules being defined by tasks assigned to the plurality of snow generators of the artificial snowmaking system, each assigned task being defined by at least one of: a production time, a production volume target, and a water consumption target.

### Claim 29 (depends on 22)

The management system of claim 22, wherein:
the system database comprises an artificial snowmaking system database for the artificial snowmaking system that stores the second data, and
the second data comprises, for each artificial snowmaking system: an identifier for that artificial snowmaking system, state signals of that artificial snowmaking system, data representative of an operating condition of that artificial snowmaking system, and data relative to a weather condition.

### Claim 30 (depends on 22)

The management system of claim 22, wherein:
the system database comprises a snow groomer database for the plurality of snow groomers that stores the third data, and
the third data comprises, for each of the plurality of snow groomers: an identifier for that snow groomer, three-dimensional coordinates of that snow groomer, state signals of that snow groomer, and data representative of an operating condition of that snow groomer.

### Claim 31 (depends on 22)

The management system of claim 22, wherein:
the system database comprises a ski run database for the plurality of ski runs that stores the fourth data, and
the fourth data comprises, for each of the plurality of ski runs: an identifier for that ski run, data relative to a characteristic of that ski run, the characteristic being at least one of a starting height, a final height, a length, coordinates of a reference path, a technical difficulty, an average slope, homogenous sections of a slope, an exposure to the sun according to a season, an orientation, connections with other ski runs, an associated lift system of the plurality of lift systems, a thickness of a snow cover, and the number of passages detected by the traffic detection systems.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The management system of claim 31, wherein the processing station comprises a snow groomer activity scheduling module configured to: define a preparation schedule for at least one of the plurality of ski runs, assign a task to at least one of the plurality of snow groomers based on the preparation schedule of the at least one of the plurality of ski runs, and coordinate an execution of the task by the at least one of the plurality of snow groomers.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The management system of claim 32, wherein each preparation schedule comprises at least one of: a list of the plurality of ski runs and a portion of the ski run assigned to each snow groomer determined based on the fourth data and on information on at least one position of at least one of the snow groomers.

### Claim 34 (depends on 32)

The management system of claim 32, wherein the snow groomer activity scheduling module is configured to:
define a geographical distribution of activities to be carried out at the ski resort,
define the preparation schedule, and
define, based on the information on the at least one position of the at least one of the snow groomers and to minimize movement of the snow groomers, the tasks assigned to the snow groomers in operation.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The management system of claim 34, wherein:
the defined geographical distribution is represented by a connection matrix of the ski runs that defines at least direct connections between the ski runs, and
the snow groomer activity scheduling module is configured to determine a plurality of paths assigned to the snow groomers by a path minimization algorithm based on the connection matrix.

### Claim 36 (depends on 22)

The management system of claim 22, wherein the processing station comprises a plant management module configured to:
receive data relative to a water and electricity consumption from the plurality of lift systems and from at least one of: the artificial snowmaking system and the system database, and
cause a display, by the display device, of consumption information.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

The management system of claim 36, wherein the plant management module is configured to:
determine a maintenance program for the plurality of lift systems, the artificial snowmaking system and the plurality of snow groomers based on the data stored by the system database, and
activate a maintenance operation in response to an activation condition.

### Claim 38 (depends on 22)

The management system of claim 22, wherein the processing station comprises a snow thickness estimation module configured to estimate a thickness of a snow cover on the plurality of ski runs based on information stored by the system database and selected from: a thickness of a previously measured snow cover along a path of a ski run of the plurality of ski runs, a thickness of an estimated snow cover along the path of the ski run of the plurality of ski runs, a technical difficulty, an average slope, homogenous sections of a slope, an exposure to the sun according to a season, an orientation, an exposure to wind and a number of passages detected by the traffic detection systems, a temperature, a pressure, a humidity, a wind speed and direction, a duration and intensity of precipitation, hours of sunlight and a level of cloud cover.

### Claim 39 (depends on 38)

The management system of claim 38, wherein the snow thickness estimation module is configured to:
calculate an erosion rate of the snow cover based on: an exposure to the sun obtained by combining the exposure to the sun according to the season, hours of daily sunlight from at least one of a last estimate and a measurement of the snow cover thickness, weighted as a function of the level of cloud cover, the wind speed and direction and an orientation of the ski run in relation to the wind direction;
calculate a growth rate of snow cover based on the intensity of precipitation, and
update at least one of a previous estimate and the measurement of the snow cover thickness based on the calculated growth rate and erosion rate.

### Claim 40 (depends on 22)

The management system of claim 22, wherein:
the system database comprises a non-snow groomer vehicle database that stores sixth data, and
for each of the plurality of non-snow groomer vehicles, the sixth data comprises: an identifier for that non-snow groomer vehicle, three dimensional coordinates of that non-snow groomer vehicle, state signals of that non-snow groomer vehicle, and data relative to a programmed maintenance operation.

### Claim 41

A ski resort system for a ski resort comprising a plurality of ski runs, the ski resort system comprising:
a plurality of lift systems;
an artificial snowmaking system comprising a plurality of snow generators;
a plurality of snow groomers; and
a management system comprising:
an operator terminal comprising a display device and a display interface;
a mass storage unit comprising a system database;
a data acquisition system configured to:
receive data from a plurality of telemetry systems respectively associated with the plurality of lift systems, the artificial snowmaking system and the plurality of snow groomers, and
store in the system database: (i) first data from the plurality of lift systems, (ii) second data from the artificial snowmaking system, and (iii) third data from the plurality of snow groomers; and
a processing station comprising a selector configured to set a display mode of the display interface of the operator terminal between: (i) a first mode of alternatively displaying the first data relative to a selected one of the plurality of lift systems, the second data relative to a selected one of the plurality of snow generators, and the third data relative to a selected one of the plurality of snow groomers, (ii) a second mode of alternatively displaying, in an aggregated form, the first data relative to all of the plurality of lift systems, the second data relative to all of the plurality of snow generators, and the third data relative to all of the plurality of snow groomers, and (iii) a third mode of displaying, in an aggregated form, the first data, the second data and the third data.