Method and apparatus for remote control vehicle identification

• US 20060087427A1
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micheal Q. Le
• Original Assignee: Micheal Q. Le
• Inventors: Le, Micheal Q.
• Granted Patent: US 7,336,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.130
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 18/026 Start-finish mechanisms; Stop arrangements; Traffic lights; Barriers, or the like A63H18/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence

Abstract

An apparatus and method for automatically tracking each individual vehicle, of a plurality of vehicles, in a race around a track. The device employs RFID tags on each of the vehicles being tracked and at gates adapted to cause the RFID to energize and broadcast the vehicle'"'"'s identity when a pass through the gate is determined. Collisions of data transmission and resulting loss of identification data are reduced through commands to RFIDs responding and remedied with an inventory command based on most likely respondents. The device can be employed to both track the individual vehicle participants in a race and also to register the participants in the race. Races can be tracked on different courses in different geographic locations by placing the RFID tags on all participants and tracking their progress on the individual remote tracks from a central location.

Claims

1. A method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race wherein each participant has an RFID tag attached which broadcasts identifying information specific to that participant in response to an inventory request broadcast, received by the RFID at a monitoring point on a track, comprising the steps of:

assigning RFIDs which transmit identification information specific to individual participants in a race, subsequent to a first sequentially ordered inventory request received by said RFIDs;

storing said identification information for each of said individual participants in a data storage means;

broadcasting said inventory request to said individual participants in proximity to a monitored point on a race track, to thereby elicit a response broadcast of said identification information from any of said individual participants identified in said inventory request and within said proximity to said monitored point;

monitoring transmitted identification information contained in each said response broadcast to ascertain in order which of said plurality of participants has responded to said inventory request;

storing respective said identification information for each responding participant in a data storage means;

employing a first means to prevent data collisions caused by substantially simultaneous transmission of said identification information by said responding participants; and

continually updating said identification information stored in said data storage means to determine the most recent response identifying a most recent responding participant from said responding participants; and

employing computer software resident on a computing device to monitor said identification information in said data storage means to determine a leader in said race.

2. A method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 1 additionally comprising the steps of:

employing a second means to prevent data collisions caused by substantially simultaneous transmission of said identification information by said responding participants, should said data collision be detected.

3. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 1 wherein said employing a first means to prevent data collisions caused by substantially simultaneous transmission of said identification information by said responding participants includes the step of:

broadcasting a command to cease responding to at least one subsequent said inventory request broadcast to each specific participant responding to said inventory request with their said identification information.

4. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 2 wherein said employing a second means to prevent data collisions caused by substantially simultaneous transmission of said identification information by said responding participants includes the step of:

monitoring said response broadcasts to determine presence of a data collision;

sequentially ordering said inventory request, subsequent to said data collision, to elicit responses from said plurality of participants in a determined order forming a second sequentially ordered inventory request; and

placing said most recent responding participant last in said determined order.

5. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 3 wherein said employing a second means to prevent data collisions caused by substantially simultaneous transmission of said identification information by said responding participants includes the step of:

monitoring said response broadcasts to determine presence of a data collision;

sequentially ordering said inventory request, subsequent to said data collision, to elicit responses from said plurality of participants in a determined order forming a second sequentially ordered inventory request; and

placing said most recent responding participant, last, in said determined order.

6. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 4 comprising the additional steps of:

monitoring said response broadcasts to determine cessation of the presence of said data collision; and

returning to said first sequentially ordered inventory request.

7. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 5 comprising the additional steps of:

monitoring said response broadcasts to determine cessation of the presence of said data collision; and

returning to said first sequentially ordered inventory request.

8. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 5 wherein said monitoring said response broadcasts to determine presence of a data collision includes the steps of:

employing computer resident software to monitor said response broadcasts recieved during each response time period; and

including instructions in said computer resident software to determine a data collision when during any single time slot allotted for said response broadcasts, unintelligible data is received in said response broadcasts indicating a data collision.

9. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 1 additionally including the steps of:

instructing said individual participants in said race, in said inventory request, to respond in a single time period.

10. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 2 additionally including the steps of:

instructing said individual participants in said race, in said inventory request, to respond in a single time period.

11. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 3 additionally including the steps of:

instructing said individual participants in said race, in said inventory request, to respond in a single time period.

12. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 4 additionally including the steps of:

instructing said individual participants in said race, in said inventory request, to respond in a single time period.

13. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 5 additionally including the steps of:

instructing said individual participants in said race, in said inventory request, to respond in a single time period.

14. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 6 additionally including the steps of:

instructing said individual participants in said race, in said inventory request, to respond in a single time period.

15. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 7 additionally including the steps of:

instructing said individual participants in said race, in said inventory request, to respond in a single time period.

16. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 8 additionally including the steps of:

instructing said individual participants in said race, in said inventory request, to respond in a single time period.

17. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 1 additionally including the steps of:

employing said identification information from each of said individual participants, as a means to register said participants for said race thereby eliminating pre-registration.

18. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 2 additionally including the steps of:

employing said identification information from each of said individual participants, as a means to register said participants for said race thereby eliminating pre-registration.

19. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 3 additionally including the steps of:

employing said identification information from each of said individual participants, as a means to register said participants for said race thereby eliminating pre-registration.

20. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 4 additionally including the steps of:

employing said identification information from each of said individual participants, as a means to register said participants for said race thereby eliminating pre-registration.

21. The method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race of claim 5 additionally including the steps of:

employing said identification information from each of said individual participants, as a means to register said participants for said race thereby eliminating pre-registration.

24. The system for automatically tracking each individual participant of a plurality of participants in a race around a track of claim 20 additionally comprising:

said means for receipt of said information contained in said RF transmission from said responding participant also monitoring said RF transmission for unintelligible data thereby determining a data collision caused by RF transmission from a plurality of said responding participants;

said software resident in said computer continually updating said identification information and storing in a data storage means to the most recent response identifying a most recent responding participant, from said responding participants; and

said software resident in said computer reordering said first inventory request, subsequent to any said data collision, to elicit responses from said plurality of participants in a determined order of a second sequentially ordered inventory request; and

said software resident in said computer thereby placing said most recent responding participant, last, in said determined order.

22. A system for automatically tracking each individual participant of a plurality of participants in a race around a track, comprising:

means for electronic storage of information, said information associated with the identity of said participant, said means for electronic storage engaged on said participant;

means for RF transmission of said information engaged on said participant;

means for activation of said means for RF transmission by transmitting a first inventory request to thereby elicit a response in the form of said information identifying from any said responding participant;

means for receipt of said information contained in said RF transmission from said responding participant;

a computer communicating with said means for receipt of said information;

software resident in said computer, said software providing a means to track the progress of each of said individual participants in said plurality of participants in a race and determine a leader, based on said information received by said means for receipt of said information; and

first means to prevent data collisions caused by substantially simultaneous RF transmissions of said identification information by said responding participants.

23. The system for automatically tracking each individual participant of a plurality of participants in a race around a track, of claim 22 wherein said first means to prevent data collisions comprises:

said means for activation of said means for RF transmission broadcasting a command to cease responding to at least one subsequent said inventory request broadcast to each specific participant responding to said inventory request with their said identification information.

25. The system for automatically tracking each individual participant of a plurality of participants in a race around a track of claim 23 additionally comprising:

said means for receipt of said information contained in said RF transmission from said responding participant also monitoring said RF transmission for unintelligible data thereby determining a data collision caused by RF transmission from a plurality of said responding participants;

said software resident in said computer continually updating said identification information and storing in a data storage means to the most recent response identifying a most recent responding participant, from said responding participants; and

said software resident in said computer reordering said first inventory request, subsequent to any said data collision, to elicit responses from said plurality of participants in a determined order of a second sequentially ordered inventory request; and

said software resident in said computer thereby placing said most recent responding participant last, in said determined order.