High-efficiency apparatus for measuring operational parameters and times of vehicles running around a racetrack

Claim 1

A high-efficiency apparatus (1) for real time measuring parameters and operational times of vehicles (2) running around a racetrack, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of detecting stations (10) arranged at selected locations along said racetrack and being set up to both receive and transmit radio frequency (RF) signals both to and from a transceiver unit (5) mounted on each said vehicle (2), said transceiver unit operative to both receive and transmit information both to and from each said station (10), said transmitting from said transceiver unit being in response to said transmitting from said detecting station, said station being provided with electronic radio frequency-converter means (16,20) for transmitting and modulating the received signals over a wide band coaxial cable (15); said apparatus further comprising; said wide band coaxial cable (15) forming a loop connection structure whereby said stations are interconnected with a central processing unit (12); and, said apparatus further comprising; each said station (10) comprises a transceiver antenna (8), an interface (11) associated with the antenna, a high frequency amplifier (14) connected downstream from the interface, a signal mixer (16) having one input connected to the amplifier (14) output and a second input to receive a signal generated by an oscillator (17), and a modulator (20) connected in said coaxial cable (15) and driven by the output from the mixer (16).