Timing system

• US 4,857,886 A
• Filed: 02/26/1988
• Issued: 08/15/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blodgett & Blodgett PC
• Original Assignee: Eric J. Crews
• Inventors: Crews, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Orsino, Joseph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Swaithout, Brent A.
• Application Number:
  US07/161,005
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 340/936, 340/941, 340/988, 340/992, 340/993, 340/323 R, 340/989, 273/86 R, 273/86 B, 342/44, 342/104, 364/410, 364/411, 364/424, 364/436, 364/460, 455/54, 455/56, 455/99
• US Class Current: 340/323.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/24 Race time-recorders
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station

Abstract

Timing system for use on a track involving a plurality of vehicles including a series of stationary transceivers located at selected locations along the track and a mobile transmitter located in each vehicle.

Claims

1. Timing system for use with a predetermined traffic course along which a plurality of vehicles travel in random sequence, comprising:

(a) stationary transceiver located at each of several selected locations along the course, each transceiver having a receiver portion with a short range, narrow receiving pattern directed across the course and a transmitter portion with a relatively long range, broad transmitting pattern, wherein the receiver portion associated with each transceiver stores data packets in a memory that include both vehicle code and arrival time for all vehicles that pass the transceiver,

(b) a mobile transmitter located on each vehicle and transmitting a distinctive coded transmission of short time duration, the transmitter having a short range, broad pattern of transmission, and

(c) a network controller located in the vicinity of the course for receiving transmissions from the transmitter portion of all the transceivers, whereby the controller receives all information of the time of arrival of each vehicle at each transceiver, irrespective of coincidental arrival of more than one vehicle at a given transceiver, wherein a main computer is provided to receive information from the network controller relative to all transceivers and all vehicles to generate reports on the individual vehicles, wherein said computer includes means for directing the network controller to cause the transmitter of each respective transceiver to transmit the data packets from each memory to the network controller, wherein a plurality of mobile receivers are provided to receive coded information from the network controller, each mobile receiver displaying only information on a selected vehicle by virtue of the coding of the information, and wherein at least one mobile receiver is located in a vehicle which receives coded information pertaining only to that vehicle.

2. Timing system as recited in claim 1 wherein the mobile receiver with a display means in the vehicle can receive coded information from a transmitter located in its own service pit and show it on the display means.

3. Timing system as recited in claim 2, wherein the pit transmitter transmits information that is coded to be displayed only by the receiver in its own vehicle.

4. Timing system as recited in claim 3, wherein the receiver portion associated with each transceiver stores data packets in a memory that include both vehicle code and arrival time for all vehicles that pass the transceiver.