Method and apparatus for remote control vehicle identification

• US 7,339,478 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2005
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael Q. Le
• Original Assignee: Michael Q. Le
• Inventors: Le, Michael Q.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUGG, GEORGE A
• Application Number:
  US11/053,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20060087454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/22 in connection with sports or games
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

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. The device employs RFID tags and a gate to energize the tag to broadcast the vehicle'"'"'s identity when a pass through the gate is determined. The device can be employed to both track the individual vehicle participants in a race, and to register the participants before 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.

Claims

1. A system for automatically tracking each individual vehicle of a plurality of toy vehicles in a multiple lap race around a track, comprising:

said race conductible at a plurality of substantially similarly configured said tracks;

an RFID tag having an electronic memory for storage of the identity of said vehicle, said RFID tag mountable on said vehicle;

said RFID tag having means for RF transmission of said information;

at least one gate on each said track having a transmitter, said transmitter located adjacent to a toy race track on which said vehicle is raced;

said transmitter emitting sufficient EMF to energize said RFID tag to an energized state only when in close proximity to said gate;

said RFID tags emitting an RF transmission of said identity information only when in said energized state;

means for receipt of said information contained in said RF transmission from said RFID tags;

a computer communicating with said means for receipt of said information said computer communicating with a computer network; and

software resident in said computer, said software providing a means initially identify each said vehicle from said information, at each said track, to thereby compile a list of participants in each said multiple lap race at each said track and to track the progress of each of said individual vehicles in said plurality of vehicles in each said multiple lap race by adding an aggregate number of passes past said gate to thereby determine a leader, based on said information received by from each said means for receipt of said information.

2. The system of claim 1 additionally comprising:

means for determining passage of said vehicle past said gate on said track;

said transmitter activated to transmit said EMF by said means for determining passage of said vehicle only when said vehicle passes said gate.

3. The system for automatically tracking each individual vehicle of a plurality of vehicles in a race around a track, of claim 1 additionally comprising:

said race conducted concurrently at a plurality of tracks;

each of said tracks being substantially similar to the other;

a network communicating said information from each respective means for receipt of said information, to said computer; and

said software providing a means to initially identify each said toy vehicle from said information, to thereby compile a list of participants in each respective said multiple lap race and to remotely track the progress of each of said individual vehicles in said plurality of vehicles on each of said plurality of tracks to thereby determine said leader, based on said information received by said computer over said network from each respective means for receipt of said information.

4. The system for automatically tracking each individual vehicle of a plurality of vehicles in a race around a track, of claim 2 additionally comprising:

said race conducted concurrently at a plurality of tracks; and

each of said tracks being substantially similar to the other;

a network communicating said information from each respective means for receipt of said information, to said computer; and

said software providing a means to initially identify each said vehicle from said information, to thereby compile a list of participants in each respective said multiple lap race and to remotely track the progress of each of said individual vehicles in said plurality of vehicles on each of said plurality of tracks to thereby determine said leader, based on said information received by said computer over said network from each respective means for receipt of said information.

5. A method for registering and automatically tracking a plurality of vehicles in a race conductible at one or a plurality of similarly configured race venues having substantially similar tracks, comprising:

programming information relating to at least the identity of a vehicle into an RFID tag attachable to each said vehicle;

compiling a table of all said vehicles and their respective said identity associated with each said individual RFID tag;

attaching said RFID tag to said vehicle;

employing an RFID reader to read the programmed information at each race venue;

communicating the programmed information to a computer; and

employing software resident on said computer to look up said respective identity associated with said RFID tag and compose a list of participants in each race.

6. The method of claim 5 additionally comprising the steps of:

employing said RFID reader adjacent to a reading point on a track on which said race is run;

reading said programmed information on individual RFID'"'"'s engaged upon each of a plurality of individual vehicles in a multiple lap race as they pass said reading point;

communicating said programmed information to said computer; and

employing software on said computer to track the progress of said race by adding an aggregate number of passes past said reading point to thereby and to determine a winner.

7. The method of claim 6 additionally comprising the steps of:

running said race on a plurality of different tracks having a substantially equal configuration;

employing an RFID reader adjacent to the same reading point on each of said plurality of tracks on which said race is run;

reading said programmed information on individual RFID'"'"'s engaged upon each of a plurality of individual vehicles on said plurality of different tracks engaged in a race, as they pass said respective reading point;

communicating said programmed information to a remote computer; and

employing software on said computer to track the progress of said race and to determine a winner from the plurality of vehicles on said plurality of tracks.

8. A system for automatically tracking each individual participant of a plurality of participants in a multiple lap race of toy cars around a track, comprising:

said race conductible at one or a plurality of substantially similarly configured tracks;

an RFID tag having an electronic memory for storage of information, said information associated with the identity of each participant in said multiple lap race, said RFID tag mountable on said participant;

said RFID tag having onboard means for emitting an RF transmission of said information;

a transmitter located at a reading point on each said track, said transmitter located immediately adjacent to the track on which said vehicle is raced;

said transmitter emitting sufficient EMF to energize said RFID tag to an energized state only in an area immediately adjacent to said reading point;

said RFID tags transmitting a said RF transmission of said information only when in said energized state;

means for receipt of said information contained in said RF transmission;

a computer communicating with said means for receipt of said information; and

software resident in said computer, said software providing an initial identification of each said vehicle from said information, to compile a list of participants in each respective said multiple lap race and providing a means to track the progress of each said participant in said plurality of participants in each said multiple lap race, by adding an aggregate number of passes past said reading point to thereby determine a leader, based on said information received by said means for receipt of said information.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said means for activation of said means for RF transmission comprises:

a means for determining passage of said participant past said reading point on said track;

said transmitter activated to transmit said EMF by said means for determining passage of said participant only when said participant passes said reading point;

said transmitter emitting sufficient EMF to energize said RFID tag to an energized state; and

said RFID tag, when in said energized state, transmitting said information.

10. The system for automatically tracking each individual participant of a plurality of participants in a multiple lap race of toy cars around a track of claim 9, additionally comprising:

said plurality of said tracks of substantially equal dimension;

a said means for determining passage of said participant past a reading point located on each of said plurality of tracks;

said transmitter being adjacent to each said track on which each of said participants is racing;

each said transmitter activated to transmit said EMF by said means for determining passage of said participant only when said participant passes said reading point;

each said transmitter emitting sufficient EMF to energize a respective said RFID tag to an energized state; and

each respective said RFID tag, when in said energized state, transmitting said information to a remote computer having software to track said participants.