A model car racetrack with at least one model car which is guided along a lane, a roadway which defines the lane, wherein the roadway has at least one bus bar which extends in the direction of the lane, and a transformer arrangement comprising a primary element and a secondary element for contact-free energy transmission from the roadway to the model car, wherein the bus bar is the primary element of the transformer arrangement and the model car represents the secondary element of the transformer arrangement for coupling in the electromagnetic field which is produced by the primary element.

A model car racetrack with at least one model car which is guided along a lane, a roadway which defines the lane, wherein the roadway has at least one bus bar which extends in the direction of the lane, and a transformer arrangement comprising a primary element and a secondary element for contact-free energy transmission from the roadway to the model car, wherein the bus bar is the primary element of the transformer arrangement and the model car represents the secondary element of the transformer arrangement for coupling in the electromagnetic field which is produced by the primary element.

A circuit arrangement for a model car racing track, having at least two tracks for model cars, wherein a positive busbar and a negative busbar are in each case assigned to each track, and a first driving speed controller is connected between a positive supply terminal and the positive busbar of the first track and a second driving speed controller is connected between a negative supply terminal and the minus busbar of the second track.

A circuit arrangement for a model car racing track, having at least two tracks for model cars, wherein a positive busbar and a negative busbar are in each case assigned to each track, and a first driving speed controller is connected between a positive supply terminal and the positive busbar of the first track and a second driving speed controller is connected between a negative supply terminal and the minus busbar of the second track.

A drivable surface includes a plurality of segments that can be arranged according to any desired configuration. One or more mobile agents are configured to automatically explore the drivable surface so as to ascertain the positions, orientations, and/or configurations of the various segments, as well as how they are connected to one another. The information collected during such exploration can be transmitted to a host device or other location, where a virtual representation of the drivable surface can be constructed based on the collected information.

A drivable surface includes a plurality of segments that can be arranged according to any desired configuration. One or more mobile agents are configured to automatically explore the drivable surface so as to ascertain the positions, orientations, and/or configurations of the various segments, as well as how they are connected to one another. The information collected during such exploration can be transmitted to a host device or other location, where a virtual representation of the drivable surface can be constructed based on the collected information.

A model vehicle control device and method to realize section block control with high extensibility, which can flexibly support various layouts. A section determination unit determines whether a preceding vehicle exists in a section that a vehicle is about to enter. An entry condition determination unit determines, when the vehicle is about to enter a section with constraint, whether a current state in the section satisfies an entry condition. When the current state of the section with constraint does not satisfy the entry condition, a section control unit does not allow entry of a target vehicle to the section, regardless of a determination result of the section determination unit, until the section becomes a state that satisfies the entry condition.

A model vehicle control device and method to realize section block control with high extensibility, which can flexibly support various layouts. A section determination unit determines whether a preceding vehicle exists in a section that a vehicle is about to enter. An entry condition determination unit determines, when the vehicle is about to enter a section with constraint, whether a current state in the section satisfies an entry condition. When the current state of the section with constraint does not satisfy the entry condition, a section control unit does not allow entry of a target vehicle to the section, regardless of a determination result of the section determination unit, until the section becomes a state that satisfies the entry condition.

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.

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.