Control system for, and method of, operating toy vehicles

In combination,

• a first vehicle constructed to move only in first and second opposite directions and having first controls for providing a movement of the first vehicle in the first and second opposite directions and having second controls for performing functions other than the movement of the first vehicle in the first and second opposite directions,
• a support structure providing for the movement of the first vehicle in the first and second opposite directions,
• a plurality of pads each having switches controlling the addressing of any one of the first vehicle in the plurality and additional vehicles and controlling the movement of the first vehicle, when addressed, in the first and second opposite directions and controlling the operation of the second controls in the first vehicle, when addressed, in performing the functions in the first vehicle, and
• a central station responsive to the operations of the switches in each of the pads for addressing any one of the first vehicle and the additional vehicles not addressed by any of the other pads and for providing for movements of the first vehicle, when addressed, in accordance with the operation of the first controls in the first vehicle and for providing for the performance of the functions in the first vehicle, when addressed, in accordance with the operation of the second controls in the first vehicle.

A method of providing controlled operations, including the steps of:

• providing a first vehicle having an individual address and having first controls providing for a movement of the additional vehicle when addressed and second controls providing for individual operations of the vehicle, other than movements of the vehicle, when addressed,
• providing a structure on which the first vehicle is able to move in a pair of opposite directions,
• providing a plurality of pads each having controls operable to address any one of the first vehicle and additional vehicles and to provide for a movement of the addressed vehicle and for individual operations of the addressed vehicle,
• operating the controls in each of the pads to address any one of the first vehicle and the additional vehicles and to provide for movements of the addressed vehicle and individual operations of the addressed vehicle,
• providing for a periodic activation of each of the pads to determine the addressing by the pad of any one of the first vehicle and the additional vehicles and the movement and individual operations of the addressed vehicle,
• providing for a sequential transmission by the pads, upon the periodic activation of the pads, of signals addressing in each of the pads any one of the first vehicle and the additional vehicles and signals indicating the movements and individual operations to be provided in the addressed vehicle,
• providing for the reception by the first vehicle and the additional vehicles of the signals indicating the addresses of the vehicles and the signals indicating the movements and individual operations to be provided in the addressed vehicles, and
• providing movements and individual operations in each of the addressed vehicles in accordance with the operation of the first and second controls in the pad addressing the vehicle.

A method of providing a controlled operation of a plurality of toy vehicles and an additional vehicle, including the steps of:

• providing each of the toy vehicles in the plurality an address different from the addresses provided for the other toy vehicles,
• providing the additional toy vehicle with an address different from the addresses of the vehicles in the plurality,
• providing a support structure for the movement of the additional vehicle on the support structure in first and second opposite directions,
• providing a plurality of pads each having a first control operable to provide for an addressing of any one of the vehicles and each having second controls operable to provide for a movement, and operations other than a movement, of the addressed vehicle,
• providing a central station for sequentially communicating to all of the vehicles the addresses provided by the operation of the first controls in the pads in the plurality and the movement and other operations of the addressed vehicles as represented by the operations of the second controls in the pads,
• providing for an addressing by the central station of the vehicles in accordance with the addressing of the vehicles by the first controls in the pads, and
• providing in the central station for a movement and other operations of each of the addressed vehicles in accordance with the operation of the second controls in the pad addressing the vehicle.

A method of providing a controlled operation of a first toy vehicle, including the steps of:

• providing an address for the first toy vehicle, providing for the first toy vehicle characteristics for movement in a selective one of two opposite directions,
• providing for a first intercoupling of first individual ones of first elements and first individual ones of second elements to form a first structure for holding additional toy vehicles for movement in any desired direction,
• providing for an intercoupling of individual ones of the first elements and individual ones of second elements to form a structure for holding the first toy vehicle for movement at each instant in a selective one of the first and second opposite directions, and
• providing for the transmission to each of the first toy vehicle and the additional toy vehicles of signals indicating the address of the vehicle and indicating the desired movement of the addressed vehicle and indicating the performance of functions by the vehicle other than the movement of the vehicle.

A method of providing a controlled operation of a toy vehicle, including the steps of:

• providing for the toy vehicle an individual address,
• providing for the toy vehicle characteristics for movement in a selective one of two opposite directions,
• providing a structure for holding the toy vehicle for movement at each instant in a selective one of the first and second opposite directions,
• providing a pad constructed to address the vehicle,
• providing for an operation of the pad to produce, for transmission, first signals addressing the vehicle and second signals providing for a movement of the addressed vehicle in accordance with the characteristics of the second signals and the characteristics provided for the addressed vehicle and third signals for providing for an operation of the vehicle other than the movement of the vehicle, and
• providing for the reception of the transmitted signals by the vehicle and for the movement of the addressed vehicle in accordance with the characteristics of the second signals and the characteristics provided for the addressed vehicle and providing for the operation of the vehicle, other than the movement of the vehicle, in accordance with the characteristics of the third signal.

A method of providing a controlled operation of a toy vehicle, including the steps of:

• providing an address for the first toy vehicle,
• providing for the toy vehicle characteristics for movement in a selective one of two opposite directions,
• providing a structure for holding the toy vehicle for movement at each instant in a selective one of the first and second opposite directions,
• providing a key indicating an individual address,
• the vehicle being constructed to receive the key and to operate in conjunction with the key to provide the individual address indicated by the key, and
• providing for a disposition of the key in the vehicle to provide for the vehicle the address indicated by the key.