Lighting and other perceivable effects for toys and other consumer products

• US 20040141321A1
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Color Kinetics Incorporated (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Color Kinetics Incorporated (Signify N.V.)
• Inventors: Dowling, Kevin J., McCormick, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US10/717,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20040141321A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/276
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/006 provided with electrical lighting electrical lighting F21
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/22 Optical, colour, or shadow toys puzzles with optical elements A63F9/0613; kaleidoscopes G02B27/08
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 5/00 Musical or noise- producing devices for additional toy effects other than acoustical musical tops A63H1/28; sound-producing dolls A63H3/28; musical toy vehicles A63H17/268; acoustical vehicle-signalling devices A63H17/32; whistling toy locomotive arrangements A63H19/14; music, sound or noise production in general G10

Abstract

Toys and consumer products may be configured to provide one or more perceivable output modalities/conditions that may be sensed by a human (e.g., light and/or sound), in response to one or more monitored (input) conditions, to facilitate some form of interactivity between the toy/product and one or more users/observers of the toy/product. In one example, a toy/product is configured with one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) that are controlled to provide one or more colors and/or patterns of light as a function of a sensed condition relating to motion and/or impact of the toy/product (e.g., velocity, acceleration, centrifugal force, impact or other measured response). More generally, a toy/product can be thrown, rotated, made to whirl or otherwise move, touched or otherwise impacted, and the toy/product can be configured to react as a function of velocity, acceleration, centrifugal force, impact or other measured response by producing one or more perceivable conditions.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one sensor to monitor at least one detectable condition;

at least one output device to provide at least one perceivable condition; and

at least one controller configured to control the at least one output device based at least in part on the at least one detectable condition.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured as a toy.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one detectable condition is related to one of a motion and an impact associated with the apparatus, and wherein the at least one sensor is configured to monitor at least one parameter associated with the at least one of the motion and the impact.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one perceivable condition is related to one of a lighting effect and a sound effect, and wherein the at least one output device includes at least one of at least one light source and at least one sound generator.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one output device includes the at least one light source and the at least one sound generator.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one light source includes at least one LED-based light source.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the apparatus is configured as a toy.

8. A method for enhancing interactivity with a toy or consumer product, comprising acts of:

A) monitoring at least one detectable condition associated with the toy or consumer product;

B) providing at least one perceivable condition from the toy or consumer product; and

C) controlling the at least one perceivable condition based at least in part on the at least one detectable condition.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one detectable condition is related to one of a motion and an impact associated with the toy or consumer product, and wherein the act A) includes an act of:

monitoring at least one parameter associated with the at least one of the motion and the impact.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one perceivable condition is related to one of a lighting effect and a sound effect, and wherein the act C) includes an act of:

controlling at least one of the lighting effect and the sound effect based at least in part on the at least one detectable condition.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the act C) includes an act of:

controlling both the lighting effect and the sound effect based at least in part on the at least one detectable condition.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the act B) includes an act of generating at least one lighting effect using at least one LED-based light source.

13. A toy, comprising:

at least one LED-based light source configured to provide multicolored illumination;

at least one sound generating device; and

at least one controller configured to control the at least one LED-based light source and the at least one sound generating device to provide at least one coordinated sound and lighting effect.

14. The toy of claim 13, further comprising at least one sensor to monitor at least one detectable condition, wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the at least one LED-based light source and the at least one sound generating device based at least in part on the at least one detectable condition.