Interactive play sets

• US 20070293119A1
• Filed: 11/02/2005
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Sosnovskiy, Vladimir
• Granted Patent: US 7,744,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/175
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to interactive play sets that include play companions and play companion bases, and methods of guiding play companions to those play companion bases.

Claims

1. A play companion base for a play companion, comprising:

a base area; and

a positioning system configured to guide the play companion, the positioning system including;

a first navigation beacon configured to guide the play companion when the play companion is in a first coverage area;

a second navigation beacon configured to guide the play companion when the play companion is in a second coverage area; and

a third navigation beacon configured to guide the play companion when the play companion is in a third coverage area,

wherein at least a portion of the base area is within the third coverage area, and at least a substantial portion of the third coverage area is within the first coverage area.

2. The base of claim 1, wherein the positioning system is configured to guide the play companion to the base area.

3. The base of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third navigation beacons includes a light emitter.

4. The base of claim 3, wherein the light emitter is configured to emit at least one of an infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light beam.

5. The base of claim 3, wherein the light emitter includes a light emitting diode.

6. The base of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third navigation beacons includes a coverage regulator configured to regulate size of at least one of the first, second, and third coverage areas.

7. The base of claim 6, wherein the coverage regulator includes a collimator.

8. The base of claim 1, wherein the first coverage area is larger than at least one of the second and third coverage areas.

9. The base of claim 8, wherein the first coverage area is larger than the second and third coverage areas.

10. The base of claim 1, wherein at least a substantial portion of the second coverage area is within the first coverage area.

11. The base of claim 1, wherein the second coverage area is adjacent a front portion of the play companion base.

12. The base of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third navigation beacons is configured to control the play companion.

13. The base of claim 12, wherein the at least one of the first, second, and third navigation beacons is configured instruct the play companion to stop moving.

14. The base of claim 13, wherein the at least one of the first, second, and third navigation beacons is configured to instruct the play companion to stop moving when at least a portion of the play companion is within the base area.

15. An interactive play set, comprising:

a play companion configured to interact with a user; and

a play companion base configured to at least partially contain the play companion, the play companion base including a positioning system configured to guide the play companion to the play companion base, wherein the positioning system includes;

a first light emitter configured to guide the play companion when the play companion is in a first coverage area;

a second light emitter configured to guide the play companion when the play companion is in a second coverage area; and

a third light emitter configured to guide the play companion when the play companion is in a third coverage area,

wherein at least a substantial portion of the second coverage area is within the first coverage area.

16. The set of claim 15, wherein the third light emitter is configured to instruct the play companion to stop moving when at least a portion of the play companion is adjacent the play companion base.

17. The set of claim 16, wherein the third light emitter is configured to instruct the play companion to stop moving when at least a portion of the play companion is in the play companion base.

18. The set of claim 15, wherein the first, second, and third light emitters are configured to emit at least one of an infrared, a visible, and an ultraviolet light beam.

19. A method of guiding a play companion to a base area, comprising:

emitting a first light beam in a first coverage area;

emitting a second light beam in a second coverage area, wherein the second coverage area is adjacent the base area;

emitting a third light beam in a third coverage area, wherein at least a portion of the base area is within the third coverage area; and

transmitting instructions to the play companion when at least a portion of the play companion is within at least one of the first, second, and third coverage areas,

wherein at least a substantial portion of the third coverage area is within the first coverage area.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein transmitting instructions to the play companion includes transmitting instructions to the play companion to move forward when at least a portion of the play companion is within at least one of the first, second, and third coverage areas.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein transmitting instructions to the play companion includes transmitting stop instructions to the play companion when at least a portion of the play companion is within at least one of the first, second, and third coverage areas.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein transmitting stop instructions to the play companion includes transmitting stop instructions when at least a portion of the play companion is within the base area.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein emitting a first light beam includes regulating coverage of the first light beam to the first coverage area.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein emitting a second light beam includes regulating coverage of the second light beam to the second coverage area.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein emitting a third light beam includes regulating coverage of the third light beam to the third coverage area.