Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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REMOTE CONTROL TOY VEHICLE ASSEMBLY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[00011 The present invention relates to a remote control assembly including a
control unit and
a toy vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[00021 Children are fascinated with the use of remote control devices. Various
types of play
systems exist in which vehicles are moved on a remotely controlled basis.
Examples of these
systems include an automobile, an airplane, a truck, or a construction vehicle
that moves
along a floor, along a track, on water, or in the air. Most remote control
devices, however,
are geared toward older children that understand cause and effect and how it
relates to the
operation of the system.
[00031 It would be desirable to provide a system including a remotely
controlled vehicle and a
handheld controller that is easily utilized by a younger child such that the
child readily learns
the operation of the controller and can associate indicia on the controller
with related
responses of an associated vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[00041 The present invention relates to a remote control assembly including a
control unit and
a toy vehicle. The control unit includes an input device configured to receive
directional
input from a user, and a signal transmitter for transmitting control signals
corresponding to
the received directional input. The input device includes a forward direction
indicium, a
reverse direction indicium, a left direction indicium, and a right direction
indicium.
[00051 The toy vehicle is a vehicle including a signal receiver for receiving
the control signals
from the control unit. The toy vehicle moves in response to receiving a
control signal received
from the input device of the control unit. For example, the toy vehicle may be
configured to
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move in one or more of a forward direction, a reverse direction, a left
direction, and a right
direction in response to a corresponding control signal received from the
input device. The toy
vehicle includes a series of indicia disposed at predetermined positions
relative to each other.
Specifically, the toy vehicle includes a forward direction indicium located
forward relative to the
other indicia, a reverse direction indicium located rearward relative to the
other indicia, a left
direction indicium located proximate one side of the toy vehicle, and a right
direction indicium
located proximate a side of the toy vehicle opposite the left direction
indicium. Each indicium
corresponds to an indicium on the control unit such that a pair of indicia -
one on the control unit
and one on the toy vehicle - relate to each other. In this manner, the forward
direction indicia
correspond to each other, the left direction indicia correspond to each other,
the right direction
indicia correspond to each other, and the reverse direction indicia correspond
to each other.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a remote control assembly in
accordance with
an embodiment of the present invention.
[0007] FIG. 2A illustrates a schematic diagram for the control unit of the
assembly in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0008] FIG. 2B illustrates a schematic diagram for the toy vehicle of the
assembly in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 3A illustrates a perspective view of the control unit in
accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 3B illustrates a perspective view of the toy vehicle in accordance
with an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0011] FIG. 3 C illustrates an exploded perspective view of a light generating
device and a cover
associated therewith in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention.
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[0012] Like reference numerals have been used to identify like elements
throughout this
disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates a remote control assembly in accordance with an
embodiment of the
present invention. As shown, the remote control assembly 10 includes a control
unit or
controller 100 and one or more toy vehicles 110. The control unit 100 and the
toy vehicle 110
are configured to wirelessly communicate. In an embodiment of the invention,
the control unit
100 transmits wireless commands to the toy vehicle 110 to engage one or more
features of the
vehicle (discussed in greater detail below). In another embodiment, both the
control unit 100
and the toy vehicle 110 are configured to transmit command signals to and
receive command
signals from each other.
[0014] The control unit 100 is configured to receive directional input from a
user and to
transmit control signals corresponding to the received directional input. FIG.
2A illustrates a
schematic view of the control unit 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention.
As shown, the control unit 100 includes a processor 210 and an associated
memory 215. The
processor 210 and memory 215 can be any conventional processor and memory in
which
programmed logic and/or audible outputs can be stored (e.g., an EM55000 series
voice
synthesizer IC, available from Elan Microelectronics, Hsinchu, Taiwan). By way
of
example, audible output includes sound effects associated with particular
vehicles (engine
noise, honking noise, other sound effects, etc.).
[00151 The control unit 100 further includes an output device 220 in
electrical communication
with the processor 210. The output device 220 can be any device capable of
generating
output such as signals. By way of example, the output device 220 is an
infrared (IR)
transmitter that transmits IR signals to the vehicle 110 (e.g., a Waitrony IR
LED IE-0545HP,
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available from Waitrony Optoelectronics Ltd., Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong). In one
embodiment, the IR transmitter is one or more LEDs. In other embodiments, the
output
device 220 is a transmitter configured to transmit radio frequency (RF)
signals,
electromagnetic signals, ultrasonic signals, Bluetooth signals, etc. The
transmitter 220 may
send signals via (and/or be housed within) an optional antenna 225.
[00161 The controller 100 may further include a power source 230 electrically
coupled to the
processor 210. By way of example, the power source 230 may include a battery
pack formed
of one or more batteries. It should be understood, however, that any AC or DC
power sources
may be utilized. The controller 100 also includes an input device 240 that
receives an
external signal or that can be manipulated to generate a signal to be sent to
the processor 210.
In one embodiment of the invention, the input device 240 is a switch. By way
of specific
example, the input device 240 is a plurality of switches, each of which is in
communication
with the processor 210 such that when a switch is engaged, a signal is sent to
the processor
210.
[00171 The input device 240, furthermore, is in communication with an actuator
245. The
actuator 245 is configured to engage the input device 240 such that an
appropriate signal is
generated and sent to the processor 210. The actuator 245 may be coupled to
the control unit
100 for movement relative thereto. By way of specific example, the actuator
245 includes one
or more depressible buttons. In operation, engaging the actuator 245 engages
the input
device 240, sending a signal to the processor 210. The processor 210, in turn,
instructs the
output device 220 to generate a command/control signal and send it via the
antenna 225.
100181 The toy vehicle 110 is configured to move along a surface (e.g., a
floor, water) or move
above a surface (e.g., fly) in accordance with command signals received from
the control unit
100. FIG. 2B illustrates a schematic view of the toy vehicle 110 in accordance
with an
embodiment of the invention. As shown, the toy vehicle 110 includes a
processor 260 in
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communication with an input or receiver device 265. The processor 260 may be
any
conventional processor (e.g., a GPC11A CMOS microprocessor, available from
General Plus
Technology, Inc., Hsinchu City, Taiwan). The receiver device 265 may be a
device that is
operable to receive a signal. In one embodiment, the receiver device 265
receives command
signals generated by the output device 220 of the control unit 100. By way of
specific
example, the receiver is an IR receiver (e.g., a Mason IR Receiver MS-
T2XN81NL, available
from Shenzhen Mason Technologies Co., Ltd, Shenzhen City, China).
100191 The toy vehicle 110 may further include a power source 270 electrically
coupled to the
processor 260. By way of example, the power source 270 may include a battery
pack
including one or more batteries. It should be understood, however, that other
AC or DC
power sources may be utilized. The processor 260, furthermore, is in
communication with a
drive motor assembly 275. The drive motor assembly 275 includes one or more
drive motors
operable to drive the features of the toy vehicle and/or drive the movement of
the vehicle. The
drive motors may be any suitable motor for its described purpose. In one
embodiment, the toy
vehicle 110 includes two drive motors, one of which engages the forward wheels
of the toy
vehicle, and another that engages the rear wheels of the toy vehicle. With
this configuration, the
drive motors move the toy vehicle in forward, reverse, and lateral (e.g.,
left/right rotational)
directions. The processor 260 may further include memory to store, e.g.,
programmed logic
and/or audible outputs. In an alternative embodiment, the toy vehicle 110
includes a speaker
277 that can be used to generate audible outputs.
[00201 FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate perspective views of the control unit 100a
and the toy vehicle
11 Oa, respectively, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
The control unit
100a includes a housing 305 that contains the processor 210, output device
220, and input device
240 as described above. As shown, a plurality of actuators (e.g., depressible
buttons) is coupled
to the housing 305. Specifically, the housing 305 includes a plurality of
directional actuators
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245a, 245b, 245c, 245d in communication with the input device 240. The
directional actuators
245a, 245b, 245c, 245d are angularly spaced about housing 305 along an axis
oriented generally
perpendicularly to the axis of the antenna 225. The actuators 245a, 245b,
245c, and 245d are
spaced apart about a central region.
[0021] In an embodiment, engaging the first actuator 245a generates a command
signal to
initiate forward motion in the toy vehicle, engaging the second actuator 245b
generates a
command signal to initiate a first lateral (e.g., left rotational) motion in
the toy vehicle, engaging
the third actuator 245c generates a command signal to initiate rearward motion
in the vehicle,
and engaging the fourth actuator 245d generates a command signal to initiate a
second lateral
(e.g., right rotational) motion in the toy vehicle. The command signals,
generated by output
device 220, are sent via the antenna 225, which extends outward from the
housing 305. The
control unit 100 may further include one or more light emitters such as a
light emitting diode
(LED) that selectively illuminate when a command is generated (i.e., when the
control unit
generates an instruction for the toy vehicle to move).
[0022] Referring to FIG. 3B, the toy vehicle 11 Oa includes a body or chassis
310 having a
front portion 315, a rear portion 320, a first lateral/side portion 325, and a
second lateral/side
portion 330. In addition, the toy vehicle 110a includes one or more wheels
rotatably coupled
to the body 310. In an embodiment, the toy vehicle 110a includes a pair of
front wheels 335a
(only one is shown) rotatably coupled to the front portion 315 of the body 310
and a pair of
rear wheels 335b (only one is shown) rotatably coupled to the rear portion
320. While
illustrated as a dump truck having a cab 340 and an articulating, open box bed
345 defined by
a forward wall 350a, a first side wall 350b, a rearward wall 350c, and a
second side wall
350d, the toy vehicle I I Oa may be stylized as any suitable toy vehicle,
including, but not
limited to trains, cars, trucks, airplanes, helicopters, boats, space ships,
etc.
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[00231 The body 310 of the toy vehicle 1 l Oa houses the drive motor assembly
275 and the
signal receiver 265 that receives control signals from the control unit 100a
(explained above).
The toy vehicle 110a may further include one or more light emitters such as a
light emitting
diode (LED) that selectively illuminates when a command is received from the
control unit
(e.g., when the toy vehicle receives instructions to move).
[00241 With the above described configuration, the toy vehicle 11 Oa is
movable in a forward
direction, a reverse direction, a left direction, and a right direction in
response to a corresponding
control signal received from the input device. Specifically, by selectively
engaging the
directional actuators 245a, 245b, 245c, 245d on the control unit 100a, a child
can direct the
motion of the toy vehicle 11 Oa in forward, reverse, and lateral directions.
[00251 In order to teach cause and effect to the child, as well as to assist
in the child's
understanding of the effect engaging a directional actuator 245a, 245b, 245c,
245d on the control
unit 100 will have on the travel action of the vehicle, the remote control
assembly 10 further
includes a coordinate indicator system. That is, the control unit 100a and the
toy vehicle 11Oa
each includes a coordinating directional indicator that enables the child to
understand which
actuator 245a, 245b, 245c, 245d must be engaged to move the toy vehicle 11 Oa
in a given
direction and, conversely, in which direction the toy vehicle 1 I Oa will
travel when a particular
directional actuator is engaged.
[00261 In an embodiment, each of the directional actuators 245a, 245b, 245c,
245d possesses a
distinct visual appearance easily ascertainable by a child. Referring back to
FIG. 3A, each
directional actuator 245a, 245b, 245c, 245d possesses an arrow shape that
points in a direction
that is unique relative to the other actuators (e.g., when the control unit
100 is held in its normal
position). Alternatively or in addition, the actuators 245a, 245b, 245c, 245d
may be visually
coded. By way of example, each directional actuator 245a, 245b, 245c, 245d may
be color
coded, with each button possessing a color that differs from that of the other
buttons (indicated
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by shading in the figure). By way of specific example, the first actuator 245a
is green, the
second actuator 245b is yellow, the third actuator 245c is red, and the fourth
actuator 245d is
blue.
[0027] The directional indicator utilized on the control unit 100a may be any
suitable for their
described purpose. In other embodiments, the control unit directional
indicators may be in the
form of indicia disposed on the housing 305 oriented proximate an associated
actuator 245a,
245b, 245c, 245d, colored labels or stickers, a series of differently shaped
buttons (square,
triangle, circle, hexagon), a series of colored lights (e.g., LEDs), varied
patterns of printing, etc.
Referring to FIG. 3C, some components of an actuator 245c from housing 305. In
particular, the
actuator 245c includes a plastic cover 247, which may be textured or tinted a
certain color, and a
light source 249, such as an LED, disposed beneath the cover 247. The cover
247 is transparent
or translucent and the light from light source 249 can pass therethrough.
[0028] Each control unit directional indicator coordinates with a
corresponding directional
indicator disposed on the toy vehicle 11 Oa. That is, the toy vehicle 11 Oa
includes a series of
directional indicators configured to indicate to the user the direction in
which the toy vehicle
will travel when an actuator 245a, 245b, 245c, 245d associated with a control
unit directional
indicator is engaged. Referring back to FIG. 3B, the toy vehicle 11 Oa
includes a first vehicle
directional indicator 3 80a, a second vehicle directional indicator 3 80b, a
third vehicle
directional indicator 380c, and a fourth vehicle directional indicator 380d.
The first vehicle
direction indicator 380a is configured as a forward direction indicator, being
located at a
position forward relative to the other vehicle directional indicators 380b,
380c, 380d. By way
of specific example, the first vehicle directional indicator 3 80a is disposed
on the vehicle
body 310 along its front portion 315, e.g., on the forward wall 350a of truck
bed 345. The
second vehicle directional indicator 380b is configured as a left or
counterclockwise
rotational direction indicator, being located proximate one side of the toy
vehicle 110a
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compared to the other vehicle directional indicators. By way of specific
example, the second
vehicle directional indicator 3 80b is disposed on the vehicle body 310 along
its first lateral
side 325, e.g., on the first sidewall 350b of truck bed 345. The third vehicle
directional
indicator 3 80c is configured as a reverse vehicle direction indicator, being
located at a
position rearward relative to other vehicle directional indicators 380a, 380b,
380d. By way of
specific example, the third vehicle directional indicator 380c is disposed on
the vehicle body
310 along its rear portion 320, e.g., on the rearward wall 350c of truck bed
345. Finally, the
fourth vehicle directional indicator 380d is configured as a right or
clockwise rotational
direction indicator, being located proximate a side of the toy vehicle 11 Oa
opposite the
second vehicle directional indicator 380b. By way of specific example, the
fourth vehicle
directional indicator 3 80d is disposed on vehicle body 310 along its second
lateral side 330,
e.g., on second sidewall 350d of truck bed 345.
[0029] As noted above, each of the control unit directional indicators 380a,
380b, 380c, 380d is
coded such that it corresponds to a vehicle directional indicator associated
with an actuator 245a,
245b, 245c, 245d. Thus, the forward vehicle directional indicator 380a
corresponds to the
forward control unit directional indicator associated with the forward
actuator 245a, the left
vehicle directional indicator 380b corresponds to the control unit directional
indicator associated
with the left actuator 245b, the right vehicle directional indicator 380d
corresponds to the control
unit directional indicator associated with the right actuator 245d, and the
reverse vehicle
directional indicator 380c corresponds to the control unit directional
indicator associated with
the reverse actuator 245c.
[0030] The vehicle directional indicators 380a, 380b, 380c, 380d may take any
form suitable for
their described purposes. By way of example, when the actuators 245a, 245b,
245c, 245d are
color coded, each vehicle directional indicator 380a, 380b, 380c, 380d may be
a color coded to
match the coloring of its corresponding actuator. By way of specific example,
the first vehicle
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directional indicator 380a is green to match the green color of first actuator
245a, the second
vehicle directional indicator 380b is yellow to match the yellow color of the
second actuator
245b, the third vehicle directional indicator 380c is red to match the red
color of the third
actuator 245c, and the fourth vehicle directional indicator 380d is blue to
match the blue color of
the fourth actuator 245d. In other embodiments, the vehicle directional
indicators 380a, 380b,
380c, 380d may be in the form of indicia disposed on the vehicle body 310,
colored labels, a
series of differently shaped labels (square, triangle, circle, hexagon), a
series of colored lights
(e.g., LEDs), pattern printing (e.g., shapes, hash marks), etc., noting that
the vehicle
directional indicator and the actuator match.
[0031] In operation, should a child desire the toy vehicle 110 travel in a
forward direction, the
child sees the vehicle directional indicator 280a corresponding to forward
motion. The child
can then match the forward actuator 245a with the vehicle directional
indicator 280a since it
corresponds to the control unit forward directional indicator. By way of
further example, to
move the toy vehicle 110 in the direction indicated by the green indicium, the
child engages
the green actuator button on the control unit. In this manner, a child can
associate the control
unit directional indicator disposed on the control unit 110 (e.g., the colored
actuator) with its
coordinating vehicle directional indicator 380a, 380b, 380c, 380d (e.g., the
indicia) disposed
on the vehicle 110, thereby associating the direction in which the vehicle
will travel.
[0032] The above described system then teaches the child association and cause
and effect,
assisting a child to understand the relationship between the indicia, and the
direction
associated with the indicia.
[0033] In one embodiment, instead of the actuator being an indicator, there
may be an
indicator proximate to or associated with each of the actuators.
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[00341 The remote control assembly 10 may be utilized in combination with
various vehicle
playsets. Such playsets may include a track having any number of individual
track sections
that can be coupled together in various combinations to form a continuous path
on which a
toy vehicle can travel. The playset may further include several objects
related to the
environment of the playset. For example, the playset can include one or more
warning light
structure, a gate crossing, and a ramp, a bridge, vehicle elevators, a
construction crane, office
buildings, etc.
[00351 While the present invention has been described in detail and with
reference to specific
embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that
various changes and
modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope
thereof. For
example, the type of indicators utilized on the control unit and the toy
vehicle may be any
suitable for its described purpose. By way of example, each indicator may be
an indicium
disposed on each of the control unit and the vehicle to form a generally
matching indicia pair.
By way of further example, the forward directional indicia pair is a first
color (e.g., green),
the reverse directional indicia pair is a second color (e.g., red), the left
directional indicia pair
is a third color (e.g., yellow), and the right directional indicia pair is a
fourth color (e.g.,
blue). In another embodiment the remote control unit and/or the toy vehicle
include a series of
light generating devices, each light generating device associated with each of
the first, second,
third, and fourth colors. In another embodiment, the vehicle directional
indictors are colored
labels, each of the colored labels being coupled to the toy vehicle and
corresponding to one of
the first, second, third, and fourth colors.
[00361 Although the disclosed inventions are illustrated and described herein
as embodied in
one or more specific examples, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited
to the details
shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein
without
departing from the scope of the inventions and within the scope and range of
equivalents of
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the claims. In addition, various features from one of the embodiments may be
incorporated
into another of the embodiments. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the
appended claims be
construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the disclosure
as set forth in
the following claims.
100371 It is to be understood that terms such as "left," "right," "top,"
"bottom," "front,"
"rear," "side," "height," "length," "width," "upper," "lower," "interior,"
"exterior," "inner,"
"outer" and the like as may be used herein, merely describe points or portions
of reference
and do not limit the present invention to any particular orientation or
configuration. Further,
terms such as "first," "second," "third," etc., merely identify one of a
number of portions,
components and/or points of reference as disclosed herein, and do not limit
the present
invention to any particular configuration or orientation.
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