초록 ▼

Vehicle guidance and control systems that use the intensity of a field radiated from a source of radiation to define the track or lane for operation of the vehicles. The source of radiation used is a single source of radiation in the sense that vehicle position relative to the source of radiation is

Vehicle guidance and control systems that use the intensity of a field radiated from a source of radiation to define the track or lane for operation of the vehicles. The source of radiation used is a single source of radiation in the sense that vehicle position relative to the source of radiation is sensed by sensing intensity of the radiation at the vehicle, rather than the difference in field intensity sensed from two physically separated sources of radiation. Exemplary embodiments using a single magnetic field for navigational control are described, including a basic system for a single vehicle, a tethered system having steering and speed controls for creating a multiple vehicle racing environment, and a radio controlled system, also for creating a multiple vehicle racing environment and in the embodiment disclosed, also useable as a stand alone RC controlled vehicle.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A toy vehicle automatic navigation system comprising:a single wire loop having one or more turns of wire;a source of alternating electric current coupled to the wire loop, the wire loop providing an alternating magnetic field in response to the alternating electric current; and,a toy vehicle comp

1. A toy vehicle automatic navigation system comprising:a single wire loop having one or more turns of wire;a source of alternating electric current coupled to the wire loop, the wire loop providing an alternating magnetic field in response to the alternating electric current; and,a toy vehicle comprising;a propulsion system for propelling the toy vehicle along a surface;a pickup coil oriented on the vehicle to provide a pickup coil signal responsive to the strength of the alternating magnetic field through the pickup coil; and,a toy vehicle steering system responsive to the pickup coil signal to steer the toy vehicle along a lane separated from the wire loop by a distance providing a pickup coil signal responsive to a steering control signal. 2. The toy vehicle of claim 1 wherein the steering control signal is a fixed signal. 3. The toy vehicle of claim 1 further comprised of a manually operable switch, the switch being coupled to the source of alternating electric current to control the presence and absence of the alternating electric current in the wire loop, the propulsion system being responsive to the pickup coil signal to propel the toy vehicle when the pickup coil signal is present. 4. The toy vehicle of claim 1 wherein the steering control signal is manually controllable. 5. The toy vehicle of claim 4 wherein the steering control signal is a proportional control. 6. The toy vehicle of claim 4 wherein the manual control is a manual control for selecting between predetermined steering control signals, thereby providing for a multiplicity of lanes. 7. The toy vehicle of claim 4 wherein the steering control signal is communicated from a manual control to the toy vehicle by an RF link. 8. The toy vehicle of claim 7 further comprised of a mode switch on the toy vehicle switchable between steering using the automatic steering system responsive to the coil signal or steering using the steering control signal to steer front wheels of the toy vehicle directly while ignoring the coil signal. 9. The toy vehicle of claim 4 wherein the steering control signal is communicated from a manual control to the toy vehicle through conductors to the source of alternating electric current, the manual control controlling the magnitude of the alternating current. 10. The toy vehicle of claim 9 wherein the manual control is a proportional control. 11. The toy vehicle of claim 9 wherein the manual control is a manual control for selecting between predetermined magnitudes of the alternating current. 12. The toy vehicle of claim 4 wherein the speed of the propulsion system is responsive to a speed control signal, the manual control including a manual speed control providing the speed control signal, and wherein the speed control signal is communicated from the manual control to the toy vehicle by an RF link. 13. The toy vehicle of claim 12 wherein the manual speed control is a manual speed control for selecting between predetermined speed control signals. 14. The toy vehicle of claim 4 wherein the speed of the propulsion system is responsive to a speed control signal, the speed control signal being communicated to the toy vehicle by controlling the frequency of the alternating current. 15. The toy vehicle of claim 14 wherein the manual speed control is a proportional control. 16. The toy vehicle of claim 14 wherein the manual speed control is a manual speed control for selecting between predetermined steering signals. 17. A toy vehicle navigation system comprising:a single wire loop having one or more turns of wire;a source of alternating electric current coupled to the wire loop, the wire loop providing an alternating magnetic field in response to the alternating electric current;a plurality of toy vehicle manual controls coupled to the source of alternating current, each manual control having a manual steering control controlling the amplitude of the alternating current within a unique frequency band for the respective toy vehicle, and a manual speed control controlling the frequency of the alternating current within the unique frequency band for the respective toy vehicle;the plurality of toy vehicles each comprising;a pickup coil oriented on the vehicle to generate a coil signal responsive to the strength of the alternating magnetic field through the pickup coil;a propulsion system for propelling the toy vehicle along a surface at a speed responsive to the frequency of the coil signal within the unique frequency band associated with the respective toy vehicle; and,a toy vehicle steering system responsive to the amplitude of the coil signal within the unique frequency band associated with the respective toy vehicle to steer the toy vehicle along a path or lane, separated from the wire loop by a distance responsive to the amplitude of the coil signal within the unique frequency band associated with the respective toy vehicle. 18. The toy vehicle of claim 17 wherein the manual toy vehicle controls are proportional controls. 19. A toy vehicle automatic navigation system comprising:a single wire loop having one or more turns of wire;a source of alternating electric current coupled to the wire loop, the wire loop providing an alternating magnetic field in response to the alternating electric current;a plurality of toy vehicle manual controls coupled to the source of alternating current, each manual control having a manual steering control and a manual speed control;an encoder/modulator coupled to the plurality of toy vehicle manual controls for encoding the plurality of steering control signals and the plurality of speed control signals as a serial data stream modulating the alternating electric current coupled to the wire loop;the plurality of toy vehicles each comprising;a pickup coil oriented on the vehicle to receive a coil signal responsive to the strength of the alternating magnetic field through the pickup coil;a demodulator/decoder demodulating the coil signal and detecting the speed control signal and the steering control signal for the respective toy vehicle;a propulsion system for propelling the toy vehicle along a surface at a speed responsive to the speed control signal for the respective toy vehicle; and,a toy vehicle steering system responsive to the steering control signal for the respective toy vehicle to steer the respective toy vehicle along a lane separated from the wire loop by a distance providing a coil signal corresponding to the steering control signal. 20. The toy vehicle of claim 19 wherein the manual toy vehicle control signals are discrete control signals.