Racing vehicle game

• US 9,597,606 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2014
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: China Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: China Industries Limited
• Inventors: Keating, David Alan, Wyatt, James Edward Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): KUHFUSS, ZACHARY L
• Application Number:
  US14/534,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20150129669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 180167-169, 238/10.F
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/143 electric
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/395 steered by program
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 18/02 Construction or arrangement of the trackway
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 18/16 Control of vehicle drives by interaction between vehicle and track; Control of track elements by vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0244 using reflecting strips
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00

Abstract

A track for a racing car game is described. The width of the track is formed so as to exhibit an optically graded lateral profile that is maintained along the length of the track. The optically graded profile thus provides a means for allocating each lateral position of the track with a unique level of reflectivity. In this way the level of light reflected onto a detector from a vehicle associated light source corresponds to a unique lateral position, and thus provides a diagnostic for determining the lateral position of the vehicle on the track and for maintaining this lateral position along the full length of the track. The track may therefore be considered to comprise a plurality of virtual slots for the vehicle between which the vehicle can easily move and the choice of which is determined by the vehicle'"'"'s operator.

Claims

1. A racing track suitable for racing one or more vehicles wherein the racing track comprises an optically graded lateral profile and the optically graded profile provides each lateral position of the track with a unique level of reflectivity.

2. A racing track as claimed in claim 1 wherein the optically graded lateral profile is maintained along a length of the track.

3. A racing track as claimed in claim 1 wherein the racing track comprises a closed loop track.

4. A racing track as claimed in claim 1 wherein the optically graded lateral profile moves from regions of low reflectivity on a first side of the track to regions of high reflectivity towards on a second side of the track.

5. A racing track as claimed in claim 1 wherein the optically graded lateral profile is greyscale, colored or formed from a non-visible reflecting material.

6. A racing track as claimed in claim 1 wherein the racing track comprise paper with the optically graded lateral profile printed thereon.

7. A racing track as claimed in claim 1 wherein the track comprises separate track sections adapted to be fitted together.

8. A racing track as claimed in claim 1 wherein the track further comprises one or more markings.

9. A racing track as claimed in claim 8 wherein the markings are designed to be read by an optical sensor, or to obscure the reading process of an optical sensor.

10. A racing track as claimed in claim 8 wherein the markings facilitate one or more additional information for the racing track from the set of additional information comprising lap times, oil slicks, track debris, gravel pits or changing handling conditions.