Model train locomotive with doppler shifting of sound effects

• US 5,896,017 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frederick E Severson, Patrick A Quinn
• Original Assignee: Frederick E Severson, Patrick A Quinn
• Inventors: Severson, Frederick E., Quinn, Patrick A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US08/485,813
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 312/280-286, 312/16, 312/34, 312/51, 312/57, 312/59, 312/587, 388/807-815, 104/300-302, 104/DIG. 1, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.76, 246/187 A, 246/187 B
• US Class Current: 312/280
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 19/10 electrically driven
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 19/14 Arrangements for imitating locomotive features, e.g. whistling, signalling, puffing
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 19/24 Electric toy railways; Systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2019/246 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00009 using pulsed signals
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/0001 using modification of a parameter of the network power signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 104/01 Toy railroad

Abstract

Electronic circuits and methods are disclosed for remote control of a locomotive in a model railroad layout having an interruptible DC power supply coupled to the railroad track. The locomotive motor is isolated from the track so as to allow use of polarity reversals on the track power signal for controlling remote effects in the locomotive such as sound and visual effects. An on-board electronic state generator is provided in the locomotive for maintaining one at a time of a predetermined set of states, at least one of the states having a corresponding remote effect associated therewith. Remote control signals such as a pulsed reversal in polarity of the DC track power signal (PRP) or high voltage pulse (HVP) are used to clock the state generator to a desired state, thereby permitting control of a plurality of remote effects using only the traditional DC power supply interface. Further remote effects can be controlled by using the amount of DC voltage superimposed over the AC track signed to indicate, for instance, a desired pitch for the train horn. Alternately, the length in time at which a remote signal is applied to the track can itself serve as coded instructions to an on-board remote control selection memory.

Claims

1. A model train locomotive having a motor for use on a model railroad track that is coupled to a power supply for controllably applying a track power signal to the track, the locomotive comprising:

means for determining a present speed of the locomotive over the track;

special effects means for generating audible sound effects; and

means for shifting a pitch of the audible sound effects so as to simulate the Doppler effect as a substantially monotonic function of said speed of the locomotive.

2. A model train locomotive according to claim 1 wherein the sound effect means includes a digital sound system and the means for shifting the pitch of the audible sound effect includes means for shifting a rate at which digital sound samples are produced by the said digital sound system.

3. A model train locomotive according to claim 1 wherein the sound generating means includes means for emitting sound effects simulating steam exhaust pulses responsive to the speed of the locomotive;

and further comprising

a light source for simulating a burning firebox in the locomotive; and

means for adjusting the light source responsive to each steam exhaust pulse sound.

4. A model train locomotive according to claim 1 wherein the locomotive includes a DC motor and the means for determining a present speed of the locomotive includes:

a back-EMF detector coupled to the motor for measuring a voltage across the motor;

a zero-crossing detector circuit coupled to the track for detecting when the track power signal crosses zero voltage;

control means responsive to the zero-crossing detector circuit for providing an indication to the back-EMF detector as to when said track power signal zero-crossings occur; and

the back-EMF detector including means for measuring the voltage across the DC motor terminals substantially when a zero-crossing of the track power signal is indicated by the control means to provide an output signal indicative of the speed of rotation of the DC motor.

5. A model train locomotive according to claim 1 in which the special effects means includes a horn for producing a horn sound effect at a first audible frequency, the means for shifting being operative to Doppler-shift the horn sound effect to a second audible frequency by a frequency difference proportional to the speed.

6. A model train locomotive according to claim 1 in which the means for shifting is operative to Doppler-shift the pitch of audible sound effects for a time interval that is also a monotonic function of said speed.