Abstract: A decorative light flashing apparatus employs a mass-damped dynamic microphone which preferentially responds to impulse-type sounds to trigger a timing circuit. The timing circuit produces pulses in response to the impulse-type sounds which drive a commutating circuit for sequentially illuminating a plurality of light sources in time to the impulse-type sounds.

Abstract: A radio control system for a multi-controller, multi-vehicle, independently controlled toy vehicle system provides proportional steering and speed control without mutual interference. Each of a plurality of control sets repetitively transmits low-duty-cycle command bursts containing an identity code and steering and speed commands. The control sets transmit their command bursts asynchronously and, due to the low duty cycle of all transmissions, a high probability exists for non-inteference even when four or more control sets are simultaneously operated to control four or more toy vehicles. Each toy vehicle attempts to match any incoming command burst with a standard including an identity code unique to that vehicle. When a command burst is received which is correct in every respect, including the identity code, the steering and speed commands contained therein are stored and are executed until a new decodeable command burst is received.

Abstract: An engine-sound accessory for an electric toy vehicle produces a sound output which varies its characteristics in proportion to an electric input to the toy vehicle. The apparatus measures the total electric current fed to the toy vehicle to produce a sound control signal proportional thereto. When two or more vehicles are fed from a common power source, the apparatus is responsive to the sum of the electric current fed to the two or more vehicles whereby variation in the electric current fed to one or both of the vehicles produces a corresponding variation in the sound characteristic.

Abstract: A toy vehicle game includes an endless track defining two generally parallel lanes along which toy vehicles including reversible rotary drive motors responsive to current polarity reversal are driven while being biased against one or the other of the side walls of the track depending upon the polarity of current supplied to the vehicle motor. Current is supplied to the track through contact strips and a control system which permits the operators to separately and independently control current to the contact strips. When the polarity of the current to one of the toy vehicles is reversed a boost in available average electrical power is made available to that toy vehicle for a first limited duration maximum period. After using the boosted average power the selected toy vehicle must return to its original lane to be operated there at a normal power level for a mimimum of a second limited fixed duration period before power boost is again available.