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An inductively powered toy vehicle and an associated track with inductive charging segment. The vehicle may include a secondary coil, a drive motor, an electrical power storage device connected between said secondary coil and said drive motor, and a wireless communications unit. The charging segment

An inductively powered toy vehicle and an associated track with inductive charging segment. The vehicle may include a secondary coil, a drive motor, an electrical power storage device connected between said secondary coil and said drive motor, and a wireless communications unit. The charging segment may include a primary coil, a sense circuit operable to detect the presence of the vehicle based on a change in the detected impedance of the primary coil, and a power control unit operable to provide a time-varying current to the primary coil when the vehicle traverses the charging segment. The primary coil is positioned within the race track adjacent the track upper surface. The vehicle drive motor may be operable at first and second speed settings, and a remote control device can provide operating instructions to the vehicle wireless communications unit.

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1. A toy vehicle system comprising: a track including a charging portion having a primary coil configured to generate an inductive field and a sensor coupled to the charging portion; anda vehicle configured to move along said track, said vehicle including a secondary coil and a load electrically con

1. A toy vehicle system comprising: a track including a charging portion having a primary coil configured to generate an inductive field and a sensor coupled to the charging portion; anda vehicle configured to move along said track, said vehicle including a secondary coil and a load electrically connected to said secondary coil, wherein said load receives electrical power from said secondary coil, and wherein said primary coil is configured to generate the inductive field in response to said sensor detecting when said vehicle is proximate said charging portion of said track, said primary coil being separate from said sensor. 2. The toy vehicle system of claim 1 wherein said charging portion includes a power control unit to provide a time-varying current to said primary coil when said vehicle is proximate said charging portion. 3. The toy vehicle system of claim 1 wherein: said track includes a plurality of interconnected track segments to form a closed circuit; andsaid charging portion is substantially included within one of said plurality of track segments. 4. The toy vehicle system of claim 1 wherein said track includes an upper surface to support said vehicle, said primary coil being positioned within said track adjacent said upper surface. 5. The toy vehicle system of claim 1 wherein said load includes an energy storage device, the vehicle system further including a charge condition indicator disposed on one of said vehicle and said track and operable to provide an indication based on the available charge remaining in said energy storage device. 6. The toy vehicle system of claim 1 wherein said track includes a status display unit to display a characteristic of said vehicle performance to a user, wherein said characteristic includes at least one of lap time and lap speed. 7. The toy vehicle system of claim 1 wherein said load includes a drive motor, said vehicle further including an electrical power storage device electrically connected between said secondary coil and said drive motor. 8. The toy vehicle system of claim 7 wherein said drive motor is operable at first and second speed settings based on a detected signal associated with said track. 9. The toy vehicle system of claim 8 wherein said vehicle includes a second sensor to detect said signal associated with said track, said second sensor being one of an electro-magnetic sensor, a mechanical sensor, and an optical sensor. 10. The toy vehicle system of claim 1 wherein: said vehicle further includes a microcontroller to regulate the operating parameters of said vehicle; andsaid operating parameters include at least one of said vehicle speed and said vehicle steering. 11. The toy vehicle system of claim 1 further including: a control unit operated by a user to provide operating instructions to said vehicle; anda wireless communications unit associated with said vehicle to receive operating instructions from said control unit. 12. A race track system comprising: first and second vehicles each including a secondary coil, an electrical power storage device, and a drive motor, wherein said electrical power storage device is connected between said secondary coil and said drive motor in each of said respective first and second vehicles;a track including a first charging segment along a first portion thereof and a sensor to detect the presence of one of the first and second vehicles, said first charging segment including a primary coil separate from said sensor and a power control unit to provide a time-varying current to said primary coil to generate a first inductive field in response to said sensor detecting at least one of said first and second vehicles as proximate said first charging segment, wherein said first and second vehicles receive power from said first inductive field when said first and second vehicles traverse said first portion of said track, respectively. 13. The race track system of claim 12 wherein said track is a closed circuit including an upper surface to support a vehicle, said primary coil being positioned adjacent said upper surface to provide inductive power to either of said first and second vehicles when proximate said first charging segment. 14. The race track system of claim 12 wherein said track further includes a second charging segment along a second portion thereof, said second charging segment including a primary coil and a power control unit to provide a time-varying current to said primary coil to generate a second inductive field, wherein said first and second vehicles receive power from said second inductive field when said first and second vehicles traverse said second portion of said track, respectively. 15. The race track system of claim 12 wherein said track includes a plurality of interconnected track segments, wherein one of said plurality of interconnected track segments includes said first charging segment. 16. The race track system of claim 15, wherein said plurality of interconnected track segments are configured to be repositioned by a user to form one of a plurality of shaped tracks. 17. The race track system of claim 12 wherein said sensor is configured to distinguish said first vehicle from said second vehicle. 18. The race track system of claim 12 wherein said sensor includes a Hall Effect sensor to detect the presence of said first vehicle as proximate said first portion of said track. 19. The race track system of claim 12 wherein said sensor includes one of an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver to detect the presence of said first vehicle as proximate said first portion of said track. 20. The race track system of claim 12 wherein said power control unit is configured to deactivate said drive motor of said first vehicle when said first vehicle is detected as proximate said charging portion of said track. 21. The race track system of claim 12 further including: a first controller to provide operating instructions to said first vehicle, said first vehicle including a wireless communications unit to receive operating instructions from said first controller; anda second controller to provide operating instructions to said second vehicle, said second vehicle including a wireless communications unit to receive operating instructions from said second controller. 22. The race track system of claim 21 wherein said operating instructions include at least one of vehicle speed and vehicle steering. 23. The race track system of claim 12, wherein said first charging segment is configured to provide wireless power to said first and second vehicles in increments corresponding to successive traversals of said first charging segment by said first and second vehicles. 24. An inductively powered toy vehicle system comprising: a vehicle including a secondary coil, an electrical power storage device, and a drive motor, wherein said electrical power storage device is connected between said secondary coil and said drive motor; andan inductive power station including a primary coil, a sense circuit and a power control unit, said sense circuit being operable to detect the presence of said vehicle based on a change in impedance of said primary coil and having an output corresponding to said detection, and said power control unit being configured to control a power status of said primary coil based on said sense circuit output. 25. The inductively powered toy vehicle system of claim 24 wherein said vehicle is at least one of a toy car, a toy train, a toy boat, a toy helicopter, and a toy airplane. 26. The inductively powered toy vehicle system of claim 24 further including a display unit to provide an indication of the charge level remaining in said electrical energy storage device. 27. The inductively powered toy vehicle system of claim 24 wherein said power control circuit is configured to deactivate said motor of said vehicle when said vehicle is detected as proximate said inductive power station. 28. The inductively powered toy vehicle system of claim 24 further including a track, wherein said inductive power station is substantially included within said track. 29. The inductively powered toy vehicle system of claim 28 wherein said track includes a plurality of interconnected track segments to form a closed circuit. 30. The inductively powered toy vehicle system of claim 24 further including a vehicle wireless communications unit and a remote control device to provide operating instructions to said vehicle wireless communications unit. 31. The inductively powered toy vehicle system of claim 30 wherein said remote control device includes a remote control secondary coil and a remote control energy storage device, said remote control energy storage device being configured to receive power from said remote control secondary coil when said remote control device is proximate said inductive power station. 32. The inductively powered toy vehicle system of claim 24 wherein controlling the power status of said primary coil includes providing a continuous time-varying current to said primary coil when said vehicle is detected. 33. The inductively powered toy vehicle system of claim 24 wherein said power control unit includes an inverter.