Method and apparatus for remote control vehicle identification
First Claim
1. A method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race wherein each participant has an RFID tag attached which broadcasts identifying information specific to that participant in response to an inventory request broadcast, received by the RFID at a monitoring point on a track, comprising the steps of:
- assigning RFIDs which transmit identification information specific to individual participants in a race, subsequent to a first sequentially ordered inventory request received by said RFIDs;
storing said identification information for each of said individual participants in a data storage means;
broadcasting said inventory request to said individual participants in proximity to a monitored point on a race track, to thereby elicit a response broadcast of said identification information from any of said individual participants identified in said inventory request and within said proximity to said monitored point;
monitoring transmitted identification information contained in each said response broadcast to ascertain in order which of said plurality of participants has responded to said inventory request;
storing respective said identification information for each responding participant in a data storage means;
employing a first means to prevent data collisions caused by substantially simultaneous transmission of said identification information by said responding participants; and
continually updating said identification information stored in said data storage means to determine the most recent response identifying a most recent responding participant from said responding participants; and
employing computer software resident on a computing device to monitor said identification information in said data storage means to determine a leader in said race.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for automatically tracking each individual vehicle, of a plurality of vehicles, in a race around a track. The device employs RFID tags on each of the vehicles being tracked and at gates adapted to cause the RFID to energize and broadcast the vehicle'"'"'s identity when a pass through the gate is determined. Collisions of data transmission and resulting loss of identification data are reduced through commands to RFIDs responding and remedied with an inventory command based on most likely respondents. The device can be employed to both track the individual vehicle participants in a race and also to register the participants in the race. Races can be tracked on different courses in different geographic locations by placing the RFID tags on all participants and tracking their progress on the individual remote tracks from a central location.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A method for tracking a plurality of participants in a race wherein each participant has an RFID tag attached which broadcasts identifying information specific to that participant in response to an inventory request broadcast, received by the RFID at a monitoring point on a track, comprising the steps of:
-
assigning RFIDs which transmit identification information specific to individual participants in a race, subsequent to a first sequentially ordered inventory request received by said RFIDs; storing said identification information for each of said individual participants in a data storage means; broadcasting said inventory request to said individual participants in proximity to a monitored point on a race track, to thereby elicit a response broadcast of said identification information from any of said individual participants identified in said inventory request and within said proximity to said monitored point; monitoring transmitted identification information contained in each said response broadcast to ascertain in order which of said plurality of participants has responded to said inventory request; storing respective said identification information for each responding participant in a data storage means; employing a first means to prevent data collisions caused by substantially simultaneous transmission of said identification information by said responding participants; and continually updating said identification information stored in said data storage means to determine the most recent response identifying a most recent responding participant from said responding participants; and employing computer software resident on a computing device to monitor said identification information in said data storage means to determine a leader in said race. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24)
-
-
22. A system for automatically tracking each individual participant of a plurality of participants in a race around a track, comprising:
-
means for electronic storage of information, said information associated with the identity of said participant, said means for electronic storage engaged on said participant; means for RF transmission of said information engaged on said participant; means for activation of said means for RF transmission by transmitting a first inventory request to thereby elicit a response in the form of said information identifying from any said responding participant; means for receipt of said information contained in said RF transmission from said responding participant; a computer communicating with said means for receipt of said information; software resident in said computer, said software providing a means to track the progress of each of said individual participants in said plurality of participants in a race and determine a leader, based on said information received by said means for receipt of said information; and first means to prevent data collisions caused by substantially simultaneous RF transmissions of said identification information by said responding participants. - View Dependent Claims (23, 25)
-
Specification