Control and motor arrangement for use in model train

• US 7,298,103 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lionel LLC
• Original Assignee: Lionel LLC
• Inventors: Grubba, Robert, Young, Neil P., Denen, Dennis J., Moreau, Gary L., Pierson, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Leykin; Rita
• Application Number:
  US11/430,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20060202645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 388809-824, 388/828, 388/831, 388/832, 318/10, 318/11, 318/282, 318/286, 318/430, 318/439, 446/410, 446/465, 446/467, 446/431, 446/280, 104/DIG.1
• US Class Current: 318/282
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 19/02 Locomotives; Motor coaches
• 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: H02K 21/12 with stationary armatures and rotating magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/08 Arrangements for controlling the speed or torque of a single motor H02P6/10, H02P6/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/17 and for generating speed information

Abstract

A control and motor arrangement in accordance with the present invention includes a motor configured to generate a locomotive force for propelling the model train. The control and motor arragement further includes a command control interface configured to receive commands from a command control unit wherein the commands correspond to a desired speed. The control and motor arrangement still further includes a plurality of detectors configured to detect speed information of the motor, and a process control arrangement configured to receive the speed information from the sensors. The process control arrangement is further configured and arranged to generate a plurality of motor control signals based on the speed information for controlling the speed of said motor. The control and motor arrangement yet still further includes a motor control arrangement configured to cause power to be applied to the motor at different times in response to the motor control signals.

Claims

1. A control and motor arrangement for a model toy train comprising:

a motor configured and arranged to generate a locomotive force for propelling a model train;

a transducer operative in providing rotational position information from the motor, the rotational position information being characteristic of rotational position of the train wheels upon which the motor is operating;

a control arrangement, coupled to the transducer to receive the rotational position information and configured and arranged to cause power to be applied to the motor in response to the rotational position information provided by the transducer, wherein the control arrangement is configured and arranged to simulate effects relative to inertia.

2. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control arrangement is configured and arranged to, in response to power being removed from the model train, supply power to the motor from an alternate power source.

3. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the alternate power source comprises a battery arrangement.

4. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control arrangement is configured and arranged to, in response to a train start command, gradually supply power to the motor.

5. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the transducer is further operative in providing rotational speed information from the motor, the control arrangement being further configured and arranged to cause power to be applied to the motor in response to at least one of the rotational position information and rotational speed information provided by the transducer.

6. control and motor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the rotational position information is further characteristic of a position within a rotational cycle of the motor.

7. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control arrangement is further configured and arranged to control a rate of acceleration of the train to simulate effects of inertia.

8. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control arrangement is further configured and arranged to control a rate of deceleration of the train to simulate effects of inertia.

9. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a sound information arrangement operatively coupled to the transducer to receive the rotational position information and to produce simulated railroad sounds corresponding to the rotational position information.

10. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the transducer is further operative in providing rotational speed information from the motor, the sound information arrangement operatively coupled to the transducer to receive the rotational speed information and to produce simulated railroad sounds corresponding to at least one of the rotational position information and the rotational speed information.

11. A control and motor arrangement for a model toy train comprising:

a motor configured and arranged to generate a locomotive force for propelling the model train along a model railroad track;

a power arrangement operatively coupled to the model railroad track and configured and arranged to receive power from the track and supply power to the control and motor arrangement;

a radio control interface configured to receive user commands from a radio controller unit;

a process control arrangement coupled to receive the user commands and at least one of rotational speed and positional information from the motor and configured and arranged to generate motor control signals based thereon;

a motor control arrangement coupled to receive power from the power arrangement and configured and arranged to supply power to the motor responsive to the motor control signals; and

a sound information arrangement, operatively coupled to receive at least one of rotational speed and positional information from the motor and to provide the at least one of rotational speed and positional information to a sound control arrangement for simulating railroad sounds in correspondence thereto.

12. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 11, further comprising a short circuit protection arrangement operatively coupled to the motor and configured and arranged to remove power from the motor in response to a current flow exceeding a defined threshold.

13. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 11, further comprising a memory responsive to the process control arrangement and configured and arranged to store user defined information and to provide the user defined information to the process control arrangement.

14. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the memory comprises a non-volatile memory.

15. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the user defined information includes a mapping of a motor rotational speed to a simulated speed of the train.

16. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 11, further comprising a memory coupled to the process control arrangement and configured and arranged to store data mapping motor rotational speed to simulated speed of the train.

17. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the process control arrangement is further configured to access the memory to select a speed corresponding to a particular user command.

18. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the user commands defines a desired speed for the train.

19. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the user commands defines a desired sound effect for the train.

20. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the motor control arrangement is further configured and arranged to supply power to the motor responsive to the motor control signals and the user commands to cause the train to maintain a substantially constant speed on the track.

21. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the process control arrangement is configured and arranged to generate motor control signals that simulate effects relative to inertia.

22. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the process control arrangement is further configured and arranged to control a rate of acceleration of the train to simulate effects of inertia.

23. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the control arrangement is further configured and arranged to control a rate of deceleration of the train to simulate effects of inertia.

24. A control and motor arrangement for a model toy train comprising:

a motor configured and arranged to generate a locomotive force for propelling a model train;

a transducer operative in providing rotational position information from the motor, the rotational position information being characteristic of rotational position of the train wheels;

a control arrangement coupled to the transducer to receive the rotational position information and configured and arranged to cause power to be applied to the motor in response to the rotational position information provided by the transducer;

wherein, the control arrangement being configured and arranged to simulate effects relative to inertia and the control arrangement is configured and arranged to, in response to a train start command, gradually supply power to the motor.

25. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 24, wherein the control arrangement is further configured and arranged to control a rate of acceleration of the train.

26. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 24, wherein the control arrangement is further configured and arranged to control a rate of deceleration of the train.

27. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 24, further comprising a control interface configured to receive user commands.

28. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 27, wherein the control arrangement is coupled to the control interface to receive the user commands and is further configured and arranged to cause power to be applied to the motor in response to the rotational position information and the user commands.

29. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 27, wherein the user commands define a desired speed for the train.

30. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 27, further comprising a memory coupled to the control arrangement and configured and arranged to store data mapping motor rotational speed to simulated speed of the train.

31. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 30, wherein the control arrangement is further configured to access the memory to select a speed corresponding to the user commands.

32. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 30, wherein the memory comprises a non-volatile memory.

33. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 24, further comprising a sound information arrangement operatively coupled to the transducer to receive the rotational position information and to produce simulated railroad sounds corresponding to the rotational position information.

34. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 24, wherein the transducer is further operative in providing rotational speed information from the motor, the sound information arrangement operatively coupled to the transducer to receive the rotational speed information and to produce simulated railroad sounds corresponding to at least one of the rotational position information and the rotational speed information.

35. A control and motor arrangement for a model toy train comprising:

a motor configured and arranged to generate a locomotive force for propelling the model train;

a power arrangement coupled to a model railroad track used by the model train and configured and arranged to supply power to the control and motor arrangement;

a remote control interface configured to receive user commands sent from a remote control unit;

a process control arrangement adapted to receive rotational speed information from the motor and configured and arranged to generate motor control signals based upon the rotational speed information and the user commands;

a motor control arrangement responsive to the motor control signals and coupled to receive power from the power arrangement and configured and arranged to supply power to the motor in accordance with the motor control signals; and

a sound control arrangement operative to receive the rotational speed information and produce simulated railroad sounds corresponding to the rotational speed.

36. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 35, further comprising a memory coupled to the process control arrangement and configured and arranged to store user defined information and to provide the user defined information to the process control arrangement.

37. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 36, wherein the memory comprises a non-volatile memory.

38. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 36, wherein the user defined information includes a mapping of motor rotational speed to simulated speed of the train.

39. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 35, further comprising a memory coupled to the process control arrangement and configured and arranged to store data mapping motor rotational speed to simulated speed of the train.

40. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 39, wherein the process control arrangement is further configured to access the memory to select a speed corresponding to the user commands.

41. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 35, wherein at least one of the user commands defines a desired speed for the train.

42. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 35, wherein at least one of the user commands defines a desired simulated railroad sound for the train.

43. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 35, wherein the motor control arrangement is further configured and arranged to supply power to the motor responsive to the motor control signals and the user commands to cause the train to maintain a substantially constant speed on the track.

44. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 35, wherein the process control arrangement is configured and arranged to generate motor control signals that simulate effects relative to inertia.

45. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 44, wherein the process control arrangement is further configured and arranged to control a rate of acceleration of the train to simulate effects of inertia.

46. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 44, wherein the control arrangement is further configured and arranged to control a rate of deceleration of the train to simulate effects of inertia.

47. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 35, further comprising a short circuit protection arrangement operatively coupled to the motor and configured and arranged to remove power from the motor in response to a current flow exceeding a defined threshold.

48. A control and motor arrangement for a model toy train comprising:

a motor configured and arranged to generate a locomotive force for propelling the model train;

a power arrangement coupled to a model railroad track used by the model train and configured and arranged to supply power to the control and motor arrangement;

a radio control interface configured to receive user commands from a radio controller unit;

a process control arrangement coupled to receive rotational speed information from the motor and configured and arranged to generate motor control signals based upon the rotational speed information and the user commands;

a motor control arrangement, including a nonvolatile memory responsive to the process control arrangement, the memory configured and arranged to store data values providing a mapping of motor rotational speed to simulated land speed of the model toy train, the motor control arrangement responsive to the motor control signals and coupled to receive power from the power arrangement and configured and arranged to supply power to the motor in response to the motor control signals; and

a sound information arrangement operatively coupled to receive rotational speed information from the motor and to produce simulated railroad sounds corresponding to the rotational speed.

49. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 48, wherein the memory is further configured and arranged to store user defined information and to provide the user defined information to the process control arrangement.

50. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 48, wherein the memory comprises a non-volatile memory.

51. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 48, wherein the process control arrangement is further configured to access the memory to select a speed corresponding to the user commands.

52. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 48, wherein the user commands define a desired speed for the train.

53. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 48, wherein the user commands define a desired simulated railroad sound for the train.

54. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 48, wherein the motor control arrangement is further configured and arranged to supply power to the motor responsive to the motor control signals and the user commands to cause the train to maintain a substantially constant speed on the track.

55. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 48, wherein the process control arrangement is configured and arranged to generate motor control signals that simulate effects relative to inertia.

56. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 48, wherein the process control arrangement is further configured and arranged to control a rate of acceleration of the train to simulate effects of inertia.

57. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 48, wherein the control arrangement is further configured and arranged to control a rate of deceleration of the train to simulate effects of inertia.

58. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 48, further comprising a short circuit protection arrangement operatively coupled to the motor and configured and arranged to remove power from the motor in response to a current flow exceeding a defined threshold.

59. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 48, wherein the control arrangement is configured and arranged to, in response to power being removed from the model train, supply power to the motor from an alternate power source.

60. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 59, wherein the alternate power source comprises a battery arrangement.

61. A control and motor arrangement according to claim 48, wherein the control arrangement is configured and arranged to, in response to a train start command, gradually supply power to the motor.