Method and device for controlling and/or monitoring racing vehicles on a racetrack

• US 9,283,472 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amusys Amusement Systems Electronics GmbH
• Original Assignee: Amusys Amusement Systems Electronics GmbH
• Inventors: Platzer, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Application Number:
  US13/816,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20130143631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 463/6, 463/38, 463/36
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 18/005 Accessories for indicating the winner of a race, e.g. lap counters, speed indicators
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 18/12 Electric current supply to toy vehicles through the track
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/22 in connection with sports or games

Abstract

A method and a device for controlling and/or monitoring a plurality of racing vehicles on a racetrack which are controlled by participants in a race is disclosed. Each racing vehicle provided with one vehicle memory in which vehicle data which are read out from a receiving/reading device assigned to the racetrack are stored in a database. Each participant in the race is provided with separate a participant memory in which participant data is stored, the participant data being read out from a receiving/reading device and stored in the database in which the vehicle data are also stored. The vehicle data and participant data which are stored in the database are assigned to one another. The vehicle data and participant data are read and the assignment of the vehicle data which are read with the participant data which are read is compared with the assignment which was previously assigned.

Claims

1. A method for controlling and/or monitoring a plurality of racing vehicles controlled by racing participants on a racetrack, wherein each racing vehicle is respectively provided with a vehicle memory, in which vehicle data are stored, which vehicle data are read out by a receiver/reader and stored in at least one database, wherein each racing participant is provided with a participant memory, which is separate from the vehicle memory and in which participant data are stored, and the participant data are read out by said receiver/reader and are stored in the at least one database, and wherein the vehicle data and participant data stored in the at least one database are assigned to one another with the aid of assignment means, and wherein a check of the assignment of the vehicle data and of the participant data to one another is performed by a monitoring means, during which each racing vehicle is assigned a controller for controlling the vehicle and each controller is in communication with a receiver/reader for reading out the participant data from the participant memory, wherein the respective receiver/reader reads out the participant data only of the participant memory of the participant situated at the controller and an activation device activates the controller and/or the respective racing vehicle only when the participant data read in at the respective controller corresponds to the assignment of the vehicle data and the participant data determined by the assignment means, and wherein an activation signal may or may not then be transmitted to the controller, depending on the result of the comparison.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when a plurality of lanes are present, each lane is provided with a receiver/reader for reading in the vehicle data from the vehicle memory, wherein the respective receiver/reader reads out the vehicle data only of the racing vehicle situated on the respective lane.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein one assignment of the vehicle data stored in the at least one database to the lanes is performed automatically by means of a random number generator and the assignment of the lanes to the vehicle data and/or to the participant data is displayed on a display before the beginning of a race.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the activation device activates the respective racing vehicle and/or the respective lane only when the vehicle data read in by the reader situated at a lane corresponds to the assignment of the lanes to the racing vehicles predetermined by the assignment means.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein detection means at the racetrack for detecting and/or monitoring the racing vehicles depending on the vehicle data read out from the vehicle memories are configured automatically, in particular set in terms of their response behavior and coordinated with the respective racing vehicles.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein RFID elements are respectively used as vehicle memories and/or as participant memories and an RFID reader is used as receiver/reader.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein barcode elements are respectively used as vehicle memories and/or as participant memories and a barcode reader is used as receiver/reader.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a racing start signal for indicating the beginning of racing is generated automatically by a start device wherein, on the basis of a comparison of the vehicle data read out from the vehicle memory and the participant data read out from the participant memory with the assignment generated by a computer of the vehicle data to the participant data and/or the assignment of the vehicle data to lanes of the racetrack, it has been ascertained that the actual positioning of the participant memory at the controllers of the racing vehicles and/or the actual disposition of the racing vehicles on the lanes corresponds to the respective computer-generated assignment.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assignment of the vehicle data and participant data to one another is performed automatically by means of a random number generator.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle data and participant data assigned to one another are displayed on a display before the beginning of a race.

11. A method for controlling and/or monitoring a plurality of racing vehicles controlled by racing participants on a racetrack, wherein each racing vehicle is respectively provided with a vehicle memory, in which vehicle data are stored, which vehicle data are read out by at least one receiver/reader and stored in at least one database, wherein each racing participant is provided with a participant memory, which is separate from the vehicle memory and in which participant data are stored, and the participant data are read out by the at least one receiver/reader and are stored in the at least one database, and wherein the vehicle data and participant data stored in the database are assigned to one another with the aid of assignment means, and wherein a check of the assignment of the wherein a track control device sets at least one operating parameter of the racetrack on the basis of the vehicle data read out from the vehicle memory of a racing vehicle, wherein an energy regulator that controls the energy supply of the racing vehicles on the racetrack is preferably set on the basis of the detected vehicle data, wherein during the check of the assignment of the vehicle data and of the participant data to one another, each racing vehicle is assigned a controller for controlling the vehicle and each controller is in communication with a receiver/reader for reading out the participant data from the participant memory, wherein the respective receiver/reader reads out the participant data only of the participant memory of the participant situated at the controller and an activation device activates the controller and/or the respective racing vehicle only when the participant data read in at the respective controller corresponds to the assignment of the vehicle data and the participant data determined by the assignment means, and wherein an activation signal may or may not then be transmitted to the controller, depending on the result of the comparison.

12. A method for controlling and/or monitoring a plurality of racing vehicles controlled by racing participants on a racetrack, wherein each racing vehicle is respectively provided with a vehicle memory, in which vehicle data are stored, which vehicle data are read out by at least one receiver/reader and stored in at least one database, wherein each racing participant is provided with a participant memory, which is separate from the vehicle memory and in which participant data are stored, and the participant data are read out by the at least one receiver/reader and are stored in the at least one database, and wherein the vehicle data and participant data stored in the database are assigned to one another with the aid of assignment means, and wherein a check of the assignment of the vehicle data and of the participant data to one another is performed by a monitoring means, wherein at least one vehicle parameter of a racing vehicle and/or a track parameter of the racetrack is set on the basis of the participant data read out from a participant memory and the assignment of said participant data to the vehicle data read out from the vehicle memory, said assignment being performed by the assignment means, wherein an energy regulator that controls the energy supply of the racing vehicles on the racetrack is set on the basis of said participant data and the assignment thereof and/or a power regulator that controls the power output of the racing vehicle is set on the basis of the participant data read out and the assignment thereof, wherein during the check of the assignment of the vehicle data and of the participant data to one another, each racing vehicle is assigned a controller for controlling the vehicle and each controller is in communication with a receiver/reader for reading out the participant data from the participant memory, wherein the respective receiver/reader reads out the participant data only of the participant memory of the participant situated at the controller and an activation device activates the controller and/or the respective racing vehicle only when the participant data read in at the respective controller corresponds to the assignment of the vehicle data and the participant data determined by the assignment means, and wherein an activation signal may or may not then be transmitted to the controller, depending on the result of the comparison.

13. A method for controlling and/or monitoring a plurality of racing vehicles controlled by racing participants on a racetrack, wherein each racing vehicle is respectively provided with a vehicle memory, in which vehicle data are stored, which vehicle data are read out by at least one receiver/reader and stored in at least one database, wherein each racing participant is provided with a participant memory, which is separate from the vehicle memory and in which participant data are stored, and the participant data are read out by the at least one receiver/reader and are stored in the at least one database, and wherein the vehicle data and participant data stored in the at least one database are assigned to one another with the aid of assignment means, and wherein a check of the assignment of the vehicle data and of the participant data to one another is performed by a monitoring means, wherein monitoring of the racetrack is controlled by at least one camera depending on the vehicle data read out from the vehicle memories and/or depending on the effected assignment of said vehicle data to the participant data read out from the participant memories, wherein during the check of the assignment of the vehicle data and of the participant data to one another, each racing vehicle is assigned a controller for controlling the vehicle and each controller is in communication with a receiver/reader for reading out the participant data from the participant memory, wherein the respective receiver/reader reads out the participant data only of the participant memory of the participant situated at the controller and an activation device activates the controller and/or the respective racing vehicle only when the participant data read in at the respective controller corresponds to the assignment of the vehicle data and the participant data determined by the assignment means, and wherein an activation signal may or may not then be transmitted to the controller, depending on the result of the comparison.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the racetrack is monitored by a plurality of cameras, wherein a changeover, in particular the changeover times, between the different cameras is controlled depending on the vehicle data read out from the vehicle memories.

15. A device for controlling and/or monitoring a plurality of racing vehicles controlled by racing participants on a racetrack, the device comprising:

vehicle memory assigned to each of the racing vehicles and configured to store vehicle data therein;

participant memory configured to store participant data therein, wherein the vehicle memory and the participant memory are separate memory elements;

at least one reader assigned to the racetrack and serving for reading out the vehicle data and the participant data;

at least one database for storing the vehicle data and the participant data read out by the reader;

assignment means for assigning the vehicle data and participant data stored in the database; and

monitoring means for monitoring the assigned vehicle data and participant data and designed such that, during monitoring, each racing vehicle is assigned a controller for controlling the vehicle and each controller is in communication with a receiver/reader for reading out the participant data from the participant memory, wherein the respective receiver/reader reads out the participant data only of the participant memory of the participant situated at the controller and an activation device activates the controller and/or the respective racing vehicle only when the participant data read in at the respective controller corresponds to the assignment of the vehicle data and the participant data determined by the assignment means, and wherein an activation signal may or may not then be transmitted to the controller, depending on the result of the comparison.

16. The device as claimed in claim 15, wherein at least one sensor unit is arranged beneath the raceway surface of the racetrack, said at least one sensor unit being mounted on a guide element, which can be slid transversely with respect to the raceway from the lateral raceway edge into a receptacle space beneath the raceway, wherein one of the guide element and the receptacle space have a sliding guide means for lateral guidance and positioning transversely with respect to the slide-in direction of the guide element into the receptacle space.

17. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein a plurality of sensor units are mounted at a predetermined distance from one another on the guide element, wherein said distance between the sensor units corresponds to the division of the raceway into lanes and/or the distance between sensor windows provided in the raceway, wherein the plurality of sensor units is preferably mounted on a common printed circuit board, which forms at least one part of the guide element and/or is rigidly fixed to the guide element.