Method and apparatus for racing a plurality of competitors

Abstract

A method of racing a plurality of competitors includes controlling a plurality of race competitors. A plurality of sequential stages for the race are provided. An initial position is associated for each competitor for each stage, and an end position is associated for each competitor for each stage. The respective end positions for the competitors in each stage constitute the respective initial positions for each competitor for the subsequent stage. Each competitor is moved from its initial position to its end position in each stage.

1 . A method of racing a plurality of competitors comprising: controlling a plurality of race competitors; associating a start position with each competitor and associating a finish position with each competitor, moving each competitor from said start position to said finish position; wherein the progression of at least one competitor from the start position to the finish position is a non-linear progression.  
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the start position comprises a race-start position and the finish position comprises a race-finish position.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to claims  1  wherein the progression of a plurality of competitors from the start position to the finish position is a non-linear progression.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the method comprises providing a plurality of sequential stages fro the race; associating a position for each competitor with each of the plurality of stages; moving each competitor during a current stage from a stage-start position corresponding to the position associated with the stage prior to the current stage in the sequence of stages to a stage finish position corresponding to the position associated with the current stage.  
     
     
         5 . A method of the racing a plurality of competitors comprising: controlling a plurality of race competitors; providing a plurality of sequential stages for the race; associating a position for each competitor with each of the plurality of stages; moving each competitor during a current stage from a stage-start position corresponding to the position associated with the stage prior to the current stage in the sequence of stages to a stage-end position corresponding to the position associated with the current stage.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein each stage is a simulated stage, and the competitors are simulated competitors.  
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein the method includes associating an initial position for each competitor for each stage and associating an end position for each competitor for each stage.  
     
     
         8 . A method of racing a plurality of competitors comprising: controlling a plurality of race competitors; providing a plurality of stages for a race; associating an initial position for each competitor for each stage and associating an end position for each competitor for each stage, wherein the respective end positions of the competitors in each stage constitute the respective initial positions of the competitors for the subsequent stage; and moving each competitor from said initial position to said end position for each stage.  
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein the race competitors are simulated and the step of controlling said competitors comprises displaying said competitors.  
     
     
         10 . A method according to claims  8 , wherein the method includes providing a final stage for the race, the end position of each competitor in said final stage constituting the final position of each competitor in the race.  
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the method includes providing a finish position in said final stage and the end position of one competitor in said final stage is said finish position, the race finishing when said one competitor reaches said finish position whereby said one competitor is designated the winner of the race.  
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein the method further includes providing a background for said race to be displayed during said race, and translating said background during said race, in the opposite direction to the direction of movement of said competitors.  
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 12 , wherein the background is moved at a greater speed across the display means than the speed at which the competitors are moved.  
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 12 , wherein the background is continuously moved across the display means during the race at a predetermined speed.  
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 12 , wherein the background comprises a first plurality of background sections, each section comprising a second plurality of sections, wherein the aggregate of the second plurality of section for all the stages comprises said first plurality.  
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein each stage comprises the same number of section as to other stages.  
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the number of sections of each stage vary from each other.  
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein at the start of the race, the plurality of competitors are arranged in line generally transverse to their direction of movement, and each competitor reaches its respective end position for each stage at the same time as each other competitor.  
     
     
         19 . Apparatus for racing a plurality of competitors comprising: a control arrangement for controlling a plurality of race competitors; a memory for storing first data indicative of a start position for each competitors and for storing second data indicative of an end position for each competitor; wherein the control arrangement moves each competitor from the start position to the end position; and the progression of at least one competitor from the start position to the end position is a non-linear progression.  
     
     
         20 . Apparatus according to  claim 19  wherein the first data is indicative of a position for each competitor, and the second data is indicative of a race-finish for each competitor.  
     
     
         21 . Apparatus according to  claim 19  wherein the control arrangement moves a plurality of competitors in a non-linear progression from the start position to the end position.  
     
     
         22 . Apparatus according to  claim 19  wherein the control arrangement provides a plurality of sequential stages for the race by controlling movement of each competitor during a current stage from a stage-start position corresponding to the position of the competitor at the stage prior to the current stage in the sequence of stages to a stage-end position corresponding to the position of the competitor at the current stage.  
     
     
         23 . An apparatus for controlling the racing of a plurality of competitors in a race comprising: control means arranged to provide control signals indicative of the position of each competitor at the end of each one of a plurality of race stages.  
     
     
         24 . Apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the control means is arranged to provide said signals by transmission of said signals to further apparatus.  
     
     
         25 . Apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein the control means provides said signals by transmission where a plurality of computers are linked in a network, such as the internet.  
     
     
         26 . Apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the control means is arranged to provide said signals by generation, where the control means is in the form of a processor for a computer or a games apparatus, or where the control means is in the form of a computer readable means, such as an optically readable disc.  
     
     
         27 . An apparatus for racing a plurality of competitors comprising: a memory for storing data indicative of the position of each competitor at each one of a plurality of race stages; control means arranged to provide a plurality of sequential stages of the race by controlling the movement of each competitor during a current stage from a stage-start position corresponding to the position of the competitor at the stage prior to the current stage in the sequence of stages to a stagewend position corresponding to the position of the competitor at the current stage.  
     
     
         28 . Apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the stages are simulated stages, and the race is a simulated race.  
     
     
         29 . Apparatus according to claims  27 , wherein the data is provided from a source external to the apparatus, for example a computer network such as the internet.  
     
     
         30 . Apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the data is generated by the control means or in the form of a computer readable medium, such as an optically readable disc.  
     
     
         31 . Apparatus for racing a plurality comprising: control means for controlling said plurality of race competitors; display means for displaying said competitors; means for providing a plurality of stages for the race; means for designating an end position for each competitor for each stage, wherein the respective positions of the competitor in each stage constitutes the respective initial positions of the competitors for the subsequent stage; and means for moving each competitor from said initial position to said end position for each stage.  
     
     
         32 . Apparatus according to  claim 31 , wherein the stage providing means provides a final stage for the race, and the apparatus further includes means for providing a finish position in said final stage whereby the end position of one competitor in said final stage is said finish position, and means for finishing the race when said one competitor reaches said finish position, said one competitor being preferably designated as the winner of the race.  
     
     
         33 . Apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the designation means designates the end position for each competitor for each stage at the beginning of the respective stage.  
     
     
         34 . Apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the designation means designates the end position for each competitor for each stage at the beginning of the race.  
     
     
         35 . Apparatus according to  claim 31 , including transmission means to transmit to the display means details of the winner of the race on finishing of the race, to display said details on the display means.  
     
     
         36 . Apparatus according to  claim 31  including background providing means for providing a background for said race to be displayed on the display means during said race, and translation means for translating said background across the display means during said race, in the opposite direction to the movement of said competitors.  
     
     
         37 . Apparatus according to  claim 36 , wherein the translation means translating the background at a greater speed across the display means than the speed at which the competitors are moved.  
     
     
         38 . Apparatus according to  claim 36 , wherein the translation means moves the background continuously across the display means during the race at a predetermined speed.  
     
     
         39 . Apparatus according to  claim 36 , wherein the background may comprise a first plurality of background sections, and a predetermined second plurality of background sections are moved across the display means during each of said stages of said race.  
     
     
         40 . Apparatus according to  claim 39 , wherein the aggregate of the second plurality of sections of all the stages comprises said first plurality of sections.  
     
     
         41 . Apparatus according to  claim 39 , wherein the number of sections in each stage are the same.  
     
     
         42 . Apparatus according to  claim 39 , wherein each of the stages has a different number of sections.  
     
     
         43 . Apparatus according to  claim 31  including means for selecting simulated conditions for the race, for example weather conditions and firmness of the ground upon which the competitors race.  
     
     
         44 . Apparatus according to  claim 31 , including means for storing the results of each of a plurality of races thereby storing the results for each competitor, the storage means collating the results for each competitor and the conditions for each race and further displaying the collated result and conditions on the display means to be viewed by a user.