Method and apparatus for remote control vehicle identification

• US 20060087454A1
• Filed: 02/07/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Q. Le
• Original Assignee: Michael Q. Le
• Inventors: Le, Michael Q.
• Granted Patent: US 7,339,478 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/22 in connection with sports or games
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

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. The device employs RFID tags and a gate to energize the tag to broadcast the vehicle'"'"'s identity when a pass through the gate is determined. The device can be employed to both track the individual vehicle participants in a race, and to register the participants before 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 system for automatically tracking each individual vehicle of a plurality of vehicles in a race around a track, comprising:

means for electronic storage of information, said information associated with the identity of said vehicle, said means for electronic storage mountable on said vehicle;

means for RF transmission of said information;

means for activation of said means for RF transmission;

means for receipt of said information contained in RF transmission;

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

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

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for electronic storage of information regarding the identity of said vehicle is an RFID tag having an electronic memory for storage of said information.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said means for activation of said means for RF transmission comprises:

a transmitter, said transmitter located adjacent to the track on which said vehicle is raced;

said transmitter emitting sufficient EMF to energize said RFID tag to an energized state; and

said RFID tags transmitting said information only when in said energized state.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said means for activation of said means for RF transmission comprises:

a means for determining passage of said vehicle past a determined position on said track;

a transmitter, said transmitter being adjacent to a track on which said vehicle is raced;

said transmitter activated to transmit said EMF by said means for determining passage of said vehicle only when said vehicle passes said determined point; and

said transmitter emitting sufficient EMF to energize said RFID tag to an energized state; and

said RFID tag, when in said energized state, transmitting said information.

5. The system for automatically tracking each individual vehicle of a plurality of vehicles in a race around a track, of claim 1 additionally comprising:

said race conducted concurrently at a plurality of tracks;

each of said tracks being substantially similar to the other;

a network communicating said information from each respective means for receipt of said information, to said computer; and

said software providing a means to track the progress of each of said individual vehicles in said plurality of vehicles on each of said plurality of tracks to thereby determine said leader, based on said information received by said computer over said network from each respective means for receipt of said information.

6. The system for automatically tracking each individual vehicle of a plurality of vehicles in a race around a track, of claim 2 additionally comprising:

said race conducted concurrently at a plurality of tracks;

each of said tracks being substantially similar to the other;

a network communicating said information from each respective means for receipt of said information, to said computer; and

said software providing a means to track the progress of each of said individual vehicles in said plurality of vehicles on each of said plurality of tracks to thereby determine said leader, based on said information received by said computer over said network from each respective means for receipt of said information.

7. The system for automatically tracking each individual vehicle of a plurality of vehicles in a race around a track, of claim 3 additionally comprising:

said race conducted concurrently at a plurality of tracks;

each of said tracks being substantially similar to the other;

a network communicating said information from each respective means for receipt of said information, to said computer; and

said software providing a means to track the progress of each of said individual vehicles in said plurality of vehicles on each of said plurality of tracks to thereby determine said leader, based on said information received by said computer over said network from each respective means for receipt of said information.

8. The system for automatically tracking each individual vehicle of a plurality of vehicles in a race around a track, of claim 4 additionally comprising:

said race conducted concurrently at a plurality of tracks; and

each of said tracks being substantially similar to the other;

a network communicating said information from each respective means for receipt of said information, to said computer; and

said software providing a means to track the progress of each of said individual vehicles in said plurality of vehicles on each of said plurality of tracks to thereby determine said leader, based on said information received by said computer over said network from each respective means for receipt of said information.

9. A method for registering and automatically tracking a plurality of vehicles in a race, comprising:

programming information relating to at least the identity of a vehicle into an RFID tag attachable to said vehicle;

attaching said RFID tag to said vehicle;

employing an RFID reader to read the programmed information at a race venue;

communicating the programmed information to a computer; and

employing software resident on said computer to compose a list of participants in a race.

10. The method of claim 9 additionally comprising the steps of:

employing an RFID reader adjacent to a reading point on a track on which said race is run;

reading said programmed information on individual RFID'"'"'s engaged upon each of a plurality of individual vehicles in a race as they pass said reading point;

communicating said programmed information to a computer; and

employing software on said computer to track the progress of said race and to determine a winner.

11. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising the steps of:

running said race on a plurality of different tracks having a substantially equal configuration;

employing an RFID reader adjacent to the same reading point on each of said plurality of tracks on which said race is run;

reading said programmed information on individual RFID'"'"'s engaged upon each of a plurality of individual vehicles on said plurality of different tracks engaged in a race, as they pass said respective reading point;

communicating said programmed information to a remote computer; and

employing software on said computer to track the progress of said race and to determine a winner from the plurality of vehicles on said plurality of tracks.

12. 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 each participant, said means for electronic storage mountable on said participant;

means for RF transmission of said information;

means for activation of said means for RF transmission;

means for receipt of said information contained in RF transmission; and

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

software resident in said computer, said software providing a means to track the progress of each said participant 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.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said means for electronic storage of information regarding the identity of said participant is an RFID tag having an electronic memory for storage of said information.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said means for activation of said means for RF transmission comprises:

a transmitter, said transmitter located adjacent to the track on which said vehicle is raced;

said transmitter emitting sufficient EMF to energize said RFID tag to an energized state; and

said RFID tags transmitting said information only when in said energized state.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said means for activation of said means for RF transmission comprises:

a means for determining passage of said participant past a determined position on said track;

a transmitter, said transmitter being adjacent to a track on which said participant is racing;

said transmitter activated to transmit said EMF by said means for determining passage of said participant only when said participant passes said determined point;

said transmitter emitting sufficient EMF to energize said RFID tag to an energized state; and

said RFID tag, when in said energized state, transmitting said information.

16. The system for automatically tracking each individual participant of a plurality of participants in a race around a track of claim 12, additionally comprising:

a plurality of said tracks.

17. The system for automatically tracking each individual participant of a plurality of participants in a race around a track of claim 13, additionally comprising:

a plurality of said tracks.

18. The system for automatically tracking each individual participant of a plurality of participants in a race around a track of claim 14, additionally comprising:

a plurality of said tracks.

19. The system for automatically tracking each individual participant of a plurality of participants in a race around a track of claim 15, additionally comprising:

a plurality of said tracks of substantially equal dimension;

a means for determining passage of said participant past a determined position on each of said plurality of tracks;

a transmitter, said transmitter being adjacent to each track on which each of said participants is racing;

said transmitter activated to transmit said EMF by said means for determining passage of said participant only when said participant passes said determined point;

said transmitter emitting sufficient EMF to energize said RFID tag to an energized state; and

said RFID tag, when in said energized state, transmitting said information to a remote computer having software to track said participants.