Using location-influenced behavior to control model railroads
First Claim
1. A method for controlling a model railroad, said model railroad including at least one movable device disposed on tracks for movement along said tracks, at least one control device, and a communication network providing bi-directional bit communication between the at least one movable device and the at least one control device, said method comprising:
- transmitting an unsolicited identification data package from the movable device over the communication network, said identification data package including data identifying the movable device.
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Abstract
New methods and techniques are presented for utilizing digital information transmitted by a moving device (such as a model locomotive on a model railroad) to allow the moving device to itself influence the way it is controlled and allowing a moving device (such as model locomotive on a model railroad) to itself send specific instructions or cause others to send specific instructions to other devices on the model railroad for the purpose of controlling or influencing their behavior. These methods and techniques can be employed in the control, automation and operation of scale model railroad layouts to permit significant increases in the level of automation that can be utilized on a model railroad and with this increase the illusion of operating a real locomotive.
70 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for controlling a model railroad, said model railroad including at least one movable device disposed on tracks for movement along said tracks, at least one control device, and a communication network providing bi-directional bit communication between the at least one movable device and the at least one control device, said method comprising:
transmitting an unsolicited identification data package from the movable device over the communication network, said identification data package including data identifying the movable device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A control system for controlling a model railroad, said model railroad including at least one movable device disposed on tracks for movement along said tracks, at least one control device, and a communication network providing bi-directional bit communication between the at least one movable device and the at least one control device, said method comprising:
means for transmitting an unsolicited identification data package from the movable device over said communication network, said identification data package including data identifying the movable device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for controlling a model railroad, said model railroad including at least one movable device disposed on tracks for movement along said tracks, at least one control device, and a communication network providing bi-directional bit communication between the at least one movable device and the at least one control device, said method comprising:
transmitting an encoded identification data package in all communication packets transmitted by the movable device. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. A method for controlling a model railroad, said model railroad including at least one movable device disposed on tracks for movement along said tracks, at least one control device, and a communication network providing bi-directional bit communication between the at least one movable device and the at least one control device, said method comprising:
acknowledging a data packet transmitted by the control device to the moveable device by transmitting a data packet having first and second data byte start bits from the moveable device to the control device, wherein the first and second data byte start bits are used for the purpose of acknowledging receipt of the data packet transmitted by the control device.
Specification