ROCKET-POWERED VEHICLE RACING INFORMATION SYSTEM

• US 20070194171A1
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rocket Racing, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rocket Racing, Inc.
• Inventors: Whitelaw, Granger, D'Angelo, Michael, Diamandis, Peter
• Application Number:
  US11/538,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20070194171A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/10
• CPC Class Codes: A63K 3/00 Equipment or accessories for racing or riding sports training equipment for animals A01K15/02
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/023 of rocket type, e.g. for assisting taking-off or braking
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/00 Cosmonautic vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/14 Space shuttles reusable launch rockets B64G1/006
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/36 using sensors, e.g. sun-sensors, horizon sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 3/00 Observing or tracking cosmonautic vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/04 from field pickup units [FPU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/07 characterised by processes or methods for the generation

Abstract

A rocket-powered race for entertaining spectators wherein computer-generated images are optionally provided to at-least partially define a race-course.

Claims

1. A system for providing information from a plurality of rocket-powered vehicles engaged in a race to at least one group of end users, comprising:

a plurality of sensors on board each of said vehicles in the race, each of said sensors gathering information from its respective vehicle;

at least one transmitter on each of said vehicles in communication with said sensors and operable to transmit said information from said sensors;

at least one ground-receiving station for receiving said transmission from said transmitters;

a processing capability operable to collect and process said information contained in said transmissions, said processing capability operable to display said collected and processed information as race information to at least one group of the end users of said race information.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said sensors comprise at least one sensor selected from the group and consisting of a GPS receiver, a GPS recorder, an inertial navigation system, at least one digital video recorder, a radio/com system, a RLG/GPS box, a Mission Data Recorder (MDR) #, a MDR Control and Display, and a CDU Control and Display.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said processing capability is located on board at least one of said rocket powered vehicles.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said processing capability is located at said ground receiving station.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said processing capability is located at said ground receiving station and on board of at least one of said vehicles.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said race information comprises virtual data comprising virtual depictions of the vehicles, and data containing information of position of the vehicles within the race.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said virtual data overlay further comprises vehicle performance information, predictive artificial intelligence for improving pilot performance.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said race information comprises at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of airborne geospatial parameters, performance parameters, video feeds, virtual tunnel data and safety bubble data.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said transmitter comprises a compress/encrypt package and a datalink antenna.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said vehicles comprises an in-cockpit or heads-up display (HUD).

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said processing capability comprises at least one hub/pod establishing a constant, two-way data link with said vehicles and with at least one ground team and with a race network.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said hub/pod manages aspects of the race, safety protocols, and serves as a broadcast and media center for creation and transmittal of official race broadcast streams to both spectators and at-home fans.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said at least one hub/pod is operable to allow spectators to connect wireless devices to said race network for access and interface customizations available to said spectators.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said end users comprises spectators of said race.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said end users comprise occupants of said vehicles.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said end users receive said race information via the Internet.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said end users comprise of race officials.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the end users interact with participants of the race.

19. A method for generating revenue from a race between rocket powered vehicles, comprising the steps of:

providing a system for gathering and processing information gathered from a plurality of rocket-powered vehicles engaged in a race;

rebroadcasting the processed information as race information to a plurality of end users of the race information;

identifying at least one revenue stream from the race information; and

charging at least some of the end users for the at least one revenue stream from the race information.

20. A method for providing a race course comprising providing a rocket-powered vehicle and providing computer-generated visual indicators to at least one pilot of the rocket-powered vehicle, wherein the computer-generated visual indicators comprise portions of the race course.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein providing computer-generated visual indicators comprises displaying the visual indicators to one or more of the pilots on a heads-up-display.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the visual indicators comprise racecourse obstacles.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the visual indicators comprise a race course path.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the visual indicators comprise symbolic indications of specific maneuvers which must be performed by the one or more pilots.

25. The method of claim 20 further comprising providing a symbolic representation of one or more rocket-powered vehicles to one or more of the pilots.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising displaying the race course to one or more spectators.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein displaying the race course to one or more spectators comprises displaying the race course with a symbolic representation of at least one rocket-powered vehicle.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein displaying the race course to one or more spectators comprises electronically transmitting an image of the race course.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein transmitting comprises transmitting an image of the race course via an element selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic waves, the Internet, a local area network, and combinations thereof.

30. A method for entertaining one or more persons comprising:

providing a plurality of rocket-powered vehicles;

providing a first race course, the race course comprising computer-generated visual indicators which at least partially define the race course in a predetermined physical space; and

racing the plurality of rocket-powered vehicles at least partially through the race course, wherein the plurality of rocket-powered vehicles physically travel within the predetermined space while racing.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising displaying a visual representation of the rocket-powered vehicles racing to at least one of the one or more persons.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising providing one or more of the persons with the ability to maneuver a computer-generated image at least partially through a second race course.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the first and second race courses are at least partially separated from one another.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein the first and second race courses comprise a single race course.