METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING A REMOTE CONTROLLED VEHICLE USING TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION

• US 20070293124A1
• Filed: 06/14/2006
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: HAYES, DAVID J., SCHULTZ, CHARLES P., MOCK, VON A., SMITH, SYBREN D., BOZZONE, STEPHEN O.
• Application Number:
  US11/424,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20070293124A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/454
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/02 convertible into other forms under the action of impact or shock, e.g. arrangements for imitating accidents
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/00 Remote-control arrangements specially adapted for toys, e.g. for toy vehicles steering mechanisms for toy vehicles A63H17/36; for model railways A63H19/24, A63H19/28
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

A method (700) and system (100) for remotely controlling a remote controlled vehicle (150) can include a wireless transceiver (154), at least one impact sensor (158, 160, 162, 164, 166 or 168) on the remote-controlled vehicle, and a processor (156) or processor (106) in a remote controller (102) operatively coupled to at least one impact sensor and the wireless transceiver. The processor can be programmed to sense (702) impacts to at least a portion of the remote-controlled vehicle, modify (704) operation of the remote-controlled vehicle in response to the at least one impact sensed, and transmit (706) information to a remote controller with respect to the at least one impact sensed. The system can further include another wireless transceiver (104) in the remote controller for controlling the remote-controlled vehicle and receiving communication from or originating from the remote-controlled vehicle or another remote-controlled vehicle in competition with the remote-controlled vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a remote-controlled vehicle, comprising the steps of:

sensing impacts to portions of the remote-controlled vehicle;

selectively modifying operation of the remote-controlled vehicle based on the impact to the portions of the remote-controlled vehicle; and

providing feedback relating to the impacts to a remote controller.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selectively modifying is based on a number of impacts to a specified portion of the remote-controlled vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of hits required for modifying an operation of the remote-controlled vehicle is different for different portions of the remote-controlled vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the effect of impacts continues for a duration of a contest or a session and is re-enabled or reset at a conclusion of the contest or the session or by using a purchased or downloaded digital asset to provide a partial or a full repair.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of presenting an indication of the impact to the remote-controlled vehicle on a remote controller.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of presenting comprises modifying lights, a temperature, an odor, light emitting diodes, a display, a vibrating device, or a sound generating device on a remote controller or the remote-controlled vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of presenting an indication of the impact given to another remote-controlled vehicle in competition with the remote-controlled vehicle on a remote controller.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of transferring digital rights management media items from one remote controller to another as a result of a competition.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of presenting an indication of imparting an impact to a predetermined portion of another remote-controlled vehicle on a remote controller.

10. A remote controlled vehicle system, comprising:

a wireless transceiver in a remote-controlled vehicle;

at least one impact sensor on the remote-controlled vehicle; and

a processor operatively coupled to the at least one impact sensor and the wireless transceiver, wherein the processor is programmed to;

sense impacts to at least a portion of the remote-controlled vehicle using the at least one impact sensor;

modify operation of the remote-controlled vehicle in response to the at least one impact sensed; and

transmit information to a remote controller with respect to the at least one impact sensed.

11. The remote-controlled vehicle system of claim 10, wherein the system further comprises another wireless transceiver in the remote controller for controlling the remote-controlled vehicle and receiving communication from or originating from the remote-controlled vehicle or another remote-controlled vehicle in competition with the remote-controlled vehicle.

12. The remote-controlled vehicle system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further programmed to modify operation of the remote-controlled vehicle based on a number of impacts to a specified portion of the remote-controlled vehicle.

13. The remote-controlled vehicle system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further programmed to continue the effect of impacts on the remote-controlled vehicle for a duration of a contest or a session and re-enable or reset at a conclusion of the contest or the session.

14. The remote-controlled vehicle system of claim 10, wherein the system further comprises a presentation device among a light, a temperature, an odor, a light emitting diode, a display, a vibrating device, or a sound generating device wherein the processor is further programmed to present an indication of the impact on the presentation device.

15. The remote-controlled vehicle system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further programmed to present an indication of an impact given to another remote-controlled vehicle in competition with the remote-controlled vehicle on a remote controller.

16. A remote controller for a remote-controlled vehicle having at least one impact sensor, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a presentation device; and

a processor coupled to the wireless transceiver and the presentation device, wherein the processor is programmed to;

control the remote-controlled vehicle; and

present on the presentation device a representation of an impact sensed at the at least one impact sensor.

17. The remote controller of claim 16, wherein the presentation device is a light, a temperature, an odor, a light emitting diode, a display, a vibrating device or a sound generating device.

18. The remote controller of claim 16, wherein the processor is further programmed to enable the transfer of digital rights management media items from one remote controller to another as a result of a competition.

19. The remote controller of claim 16, wherein the processor is further programmed to present an indication of imparting an impact to a predetermined portion of another remote-controlled vehicle on a remote controller.

20. The remote controller of claim 16, wherein the remote controller is a portion of a cellular phone, two-way radio, palm computer, handheld game console or media player with wireless capability.