Racing vehicle position indication system and method

• US 7,046,125 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2003
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leading Lights, LLC
• Original Assignee: David K. Fugit
• Inventors: Fugit, David K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W.
• Application Number:
  US10/703,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20040095228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 340/323.R, 340/441, 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/471, 340/466, 340/473, 340/485, 340/988, 340/425.5, 340/463, 340/468, 388/2, 362/459, 362/487, 362/493, 342/457
• US Class Current: 340/323.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/5035 electronic displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules

Abstract

A system for indicating race position to spectators of a race, includes lights on the race participants that are configured to provide visual displays to the spectators indicating the position of the respective racer. The race participants also carry a receiver and a controller for receiving a signal indicating race position and selecting the appropriate visual display based on the received signal. The visual display can be a series of lights, such as linear arrays of LEDs, where the color, number, pattern and/or position of the lights indicates race position. The system can also be used to highlight selected racers of interest, for example in conjunction with information being relayed over the public address system of the racetrack.

Claims

1. A system for indicating race position to spectators of a race comprising:

at least one light on each of a plurality of race participants, wherein the at least one light is constructed and arranged to be visible from the front of the respective race participant and to provide predetermined visual displays of different colors to indicate race positions to spectators of the race;

a receiver associated with each of the race participants for receiving a transmitted signal indicating race position; and

a controller operable to select one of the visual displays based on a signal from the receiver.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one light is a plurality of LEDs.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the at least one light comprises a plurality of linear arrays of similar colored LEDs.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one light is positioned on the camera pod of an open wheel racecar.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one light is mounted to a roll cage of a racecar.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the race participants are racecars with a roof having a front edge adjacent a front windshield, an opposing rear edge, and a pair of spaced side edges, wherein the at least one light is positioned on the roof substantially nearer the front and side edges than the rear edge.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the at least one light is within about 10 inches of both the front edge and a side edge of the roof.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one light is configured to direct light along an axis inclined at least about 5 degrees relative to the local surface of the racecourse adjacent the respective race participant.

28. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least on light is provided on an aerodynamic fin extending generally vertically from a surface of the racecar.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the fin extends between 4 and 8 inches from the surface.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the at least one light includes at least four parallel linear arrays of LEDs.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein each array of LEDs is a different color.

32. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one light is constructed and arranged to selectively provide at least four different predetermined visual displays to the spectators, wherein three of the displays indicate the top three race positions and the fourth selectively indicates a race participant of interest to the spectators.

9. A system for visual indication of race positions comprising:

a position indicating unit on each of a plurality of race participants, the position indicating units each including a visual indicator, a control unit and a receiver;

wherein the visual indicators are constructed and arranged to be visible from the front of the respective race participant and to display to spectators of the race one of a plurality of different colors to represent relative race position; and

wherein the control units are constructed and arranged to select a predetermined one of the plurality of colors for display based on a signal from the respective receiver.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the visual indicator is a plurality of LEDs.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the visual indicator comprises a plurality of linear arrays of similar colored LEDs.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the visual indicator is positioned within about 5 inches of the highest portion of the race participant.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the visual indicator is integrated into an aerodynamic fin mounted on the race participant.

33. The system of claim 9 wherein the visual indicators are constructed and arranged to indicate the top three race positions and to selectively indicate a fourth race participant of interest to the spectators.

14. An improvement to racing wherein spectators watch race participants navigate a racecourse while the relative position of the race participants is monitored, the improvement comprising:

providing each of a plurality of race participants with a receiver and an associated indicating unit, wherein the indicating unit is positioned to be visible from the front of the respective race participant during the race;

transmitting a signal to at least one of the receivers; and

in response to the transmitted signal, activating the associated indicating unit to visually indicate to the spectators the relative position of a race participant by displaying light of a preselected color.

15. The improvement of claim 14 wherein the race organizers transmit the relative position to the position indicating units substantially in real time.

16. The improvement of claim 14 further comprising shielding the light from the position indicating unit of one race participant from the view of another second race participant behind the first participant.

17. The improvement of claim 14 further comprising shielding the light from the position indicating unit of the first race participant from the view of a second race participant passing the first race participant.

18. The improvement of claim 14 wherein the indicating unit includes a plurality of LEDs.

19. The improvement of claim 18 wherein light from the indicating units is directed along an axis inclined at least about 10 degrees relative to the local surface of the racecourse.

20. A method for indicating race position to spectators during a race comprising:

monitoring race position of a plurality of race participants as spectators watch the race participants navigate a racecourse;

transmitting signals representing race position to the race participants, and

in response to the transmitted signal and with a position indicating unit carried by a race participant during the race, indicating the position of the race participant to the spectators by displaying light of a preselected color;

wherein the light is visible from the front of the respective race participant.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the position indicating unit includes a plurality of linear arrays of LEDs.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the linear arrays are generally horizontal.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising associating a selected race participant with information presented over a public address system of the racecourse by visually indicating the race participant to the spectators with the position indicating unit.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the position indicating units are configured for use on different race participants in different races, the method further comprising removing a position indicating unit from a race participant after the race and mounting the position indicating unit to a different race participant.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein the indicating is near the upper corners of a windshield of the race participants.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein the indicating is from a camera pod of a racecar.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein the indicating is from a roll bar of a racecar.