Keying toy vehicle accessories

• US 20030207648A1
• Filed: 05/03/2002
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hasbro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hasbro Inc.
• Inventors: Avila, Raphael, Lewinski, David, Valerio, Francis
• Application Number:
  US10/137,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20030207648A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/484
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 29/24 Details or accessories for drive mechanisms, e.g. means for winding-up or starting toy engines

Abstract

A toy vehicle includes a plug to recognize a keyed accessory of the toy vehicle, circuitry connected to the plug and operable to select a functional feature in response to recognition of the keyed accessory, and a feature generator to produce the selected functional feature.

Claims

1. A toy vehicle comprising:

a plug to recognize a keyed accessory attached to the toy vehicle;

circuitry connected to the plug and operable to select a functional feature in response to recognition of the keyed accessory; and

a feature generator to produce the selected functional feature.

2. The toy vehicle of claim 1 wherein:

the feature generator comprises a speaker; and

the functional feature is a sound.

3. The toy vehicle of claim 1 wherein the selected functional feature generally resembles a functional feature of a real accessory of a real vehicle.

4. The toy vehicle of claim 1 wherein the plug comprises an electronic switch.

5. The toy vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a mount to mount the keyed accessory to the toy vehicle.

6. The toy vehicle of claim 5 wherein the mount is shaped to establish an interference fit with the keyed accessory.

7. The toy vehicle of claim 5 wherein the mount comprises an alignment guide to ensure alignment of the keyed accessory.

8. The toy vehicle of claim 7 wherein the alignment guide comprises an asymmetric opening in the mount.

9. The toy vehicle of claim 1 wherein:

the toy vehicle comprise a toy combat vehicle; and

the keyed accessory comprises a keyed weapon.

10. The toy vehicle of claim 1 wherein the keyed accessory is interchangeable with a second keyed accessory for recognition by the plug.

11. The toy vehicle of claim 1 wherein the plug comprises a pressure responsive surface.

12. The toy vehicle of claim 11 wherein the plug comprises multiple pressure responsive surfaces.

13. The toy vehicle of claim 1 further comprising the keyed accessory.

14. A combat toy comprising:

a plug to recognize a keyed weapon;

circuitry connected to the plug and operable to select a functional feature in response to recognition of the keyed weapon; and

a feature generator to produce the selected functional feature.

15. The combat toy of claim 14 wherein the combat toy comprises a toy combat vehicle.

16. The combat toy of claim 15 wherein the toy combat vehicle comprises a toy combat helicopter.

17. The combat toy of claim 14 further comprising the keyed weapon.

18. The combat toy of claim 14 wherein:

the feature generator comprises a speaker; and

the functional feature is a sound.

19. The combat toy of claim 14 wherein the selected functional feature generally resembles a functional feature of a real weapon.

20. The combat toy of claim 14 wherein the circuitry is operable to select a unique functional feature in response to recognition of each keyed weapon.

21. The combat toy of claim 14 further comprising a mount to mount the keyed weapon.

22. The toy vehicle of claim 14 wherein the keyed weapon is interchangeable with a second keyed weapon for recognition by the plug.

23. A method for entertaining a child comprising:

recognizing a keyed accessory of a toy vehicle;

selecting a finctional feature in response to the recognition of the keyed accessory; and

producing the selected functional feature.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein producing the selected functional feature comprising emitting a sound feature.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein selecting the functional feature comprises selecting a unique functional feature in response to recognition of each keyed accessory.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein recognizing the keyed accessory comprises closing an electrical switch.

27. The method of claim 23 further comprising mounting the keyed accessory to the toy vehicle.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein mounting the keyed accessory comprises guiding the keyed accessory into a mount on the toy vehicle.

29. The method of claim 23 further comprising interchangeably recognizing a second keyed accessory of the toy vehicle.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein recognizing the keyed accessory comprises recognizing a keyed weapon of a toy combat vehicle.