Sensing ball

• US 20090128367A1
• Filed: 02/05/2008
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ringsun (Shenzhen) Industrial Limited
• Original Assignee: Ringsun (Shenzhen) Industrial Limited
• Inventors: Li, Zheming, Zhang, Guoqi, Song, Xianbin
• Application Number:
  US12/068,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20090128367A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/20
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/005 Motorised rolling toys

Abstract

The present invention provides a sensing ball comprising a ball body on which several sensors are mounted, and in the ball body are mounted motors, an eccentric device driven by the motor and a controller for controlling rotation of the eccentric device, in which the sensors are connected to the controller. When a moving object approaches the sensing ball, the sensors generate sensing signals and input the sensing signals into the controller, and the controller controls rotation of the eccentric device and drives the ball body to roll back and forth in a specified direction or keeps it static based on the sensing signals. The sensing ball according to the present invention can realize a relatively strong interaction with a moving object, for example, when a child approaches the sensing ball, the sensing ball can move toward the direction far from the child, therefore stimulating his/her curiosity and attracting him/her to go ahead or creep so that the child may learn to walk and creep in this way.

Claims

1. A sensing ball, comprising a ball body, characterized in that several sensors are mounted on ball body, wherein motors, an eccentric device driven by the motor and a controller for controlling rotation of the eccentric device are mounted in the ball body, and wherein the sensors are connected to the controller;

when a moving object approaches the sensing ball, the sensors generate sensing signals and input the sensing signals into the controller;

the controller controls rotation of the eccentric device and drives the ball body to roll in a specified direction or keeps it static based on the sensing signals.

2. The sensing ball according to claim 1, characterized in that the eccentric device comprises a first rotary mechanism rotationally mounted in the ball body, a second rotary mechanism rotationally mounted on the first rotary mechanism and an eccentric counterweight mounted on the second rotary mechanism, wherein the first rotary mechanism drives the ball body to roll back and forth in a first direction and the second rotary mechanism drives the ball body to roll back and forth in a second direction.

3. The sensing ball according to claim 2, characterized in that the sensing ball adopts four sets of sensors which correspond to four directions of rolling of the ball body respectively, wherein the sensors are distributed on outer surface of the ball body.

4. The sensing ball according to claim 2, characterized in that the specified direction means the direction opposite to the direction of approach of a moving object sensed by the sensors or a third direction when the sensors sense approach of the moving objects from opposite sides, and when the sensors sense approach of the moving objects from four directions, the ball body is kept static.

5. The sensing ball according to claims 2, characterized in that there are provided gravity switches on the ball body, which are used to judge validity of the sensing signals from the sensors, wherein the gravity switches are connected with the electronic signal to the controller, the said gravity switches are installed on the bottom of lower housing when the sensing ball locates in the balanced estate, the gravity switches is turned on when the sensing ball locates in the balanced estate, the sensors can receive the validity of signal.

6. The sensing ball according to claims 3, characterized in that there are provided gravity switches on the ball body, which are used to judge validity of the sensing signals from the sensors, wherein the gravity switches are connected with the electronic signal to the controller, the said gravity switches are installed on the bottom of lower housing when the sensing ball locates in the balanced estate, the gravity switches is turned on when the sensing ball locates in the balanced estate, the sensors can receive the validity of signal.

7. The sensing ball according to claims 4, characterized in that there are provided gravity switches on the ball body, which are used to judge validity of the sensing signals from the sensors, wherein the gravity switches are connected with the electronic signal to the controller, the said gravity switches are installed on the bottom of lower housing when the sensing ball locates in the balanced estate, the gravity switches is turned on when the sensing ball locates in the balanced estate, the sensors can receive the validity of signal.

8. The sensing ball according to claim 5, characterized in that the sensing ball comprises a loudspeaker for playing music, which is connected to the controller.

9. The sensing ball according to claim 2, characterized in that the first rotary mechanism comprises a first motor connected to a power supply,—

a first set of gears driven by the first motor, a first gear shaft fixed on inner wall of the ball body and a first frame which is driven by the first set of gears and rotates about the first gear shaft, wherein the second rotary mechanism mounted in the first rotary mechanism comprises a second gear shaft mounted on the first frame, a second motor, a second set of gears driven by the second motor and a second frame which is driven by the second set of gears and rotates about the second gear shaft, in which a counterweight for producing eccentric centre is mounted on the second frame.

10. The sensing ball according to claim 3, characterized in that the first rotary mechanism comprises a first motor corrected to a power supply,—

a first set of gears driven by the first motor, a first gear shaft fixed on inner wall of the ball body and a first frame which is driven by the first set of gears and rotates about the first gear shaft, wherein the second rotary mechanism mounted in the first rotary mechanism comprises a second gear shaft mounted on the first frame, a second motor, a second set of gears driven by the second motor and a second frame which is driven by the second set of gears and rotates about the second gear shaft, in which a counterweight for producing eccentric centre is mounted on the second frame.

11. The sensing ball according to claim 4, characterized in that the first rotary mechanism comprises a first motor corrected to a power supply,—

a first set of gears driven by the first motor, a first gear shaft fixed on inner wall of the ball body and a first frame which is driven by the first set of gears and rotates about the first gear shaft, wherein the second rotary mechanism mounted in the first rotary mechanism comprises a second gear shaft mounted on the first frame, a second motor, a second set of gears driven by the second motor and a second frame which is driven by the second set of gears and rotates about the second gear shaft, in which a counterweight for producing eccentric centre is mounted on the second frame.

12. The sensing ball according to claim 5, characterized in that the first rotary mechanism comprises a first motor corrected to a power supply,—

a first set of gears driven by the first motor, a first gear shaft fixed on inner wall of the ball body and a first frame which is driven by the first set of gears and rotates about the first gear shaft, wherein the second rotary mechanism mounted in the first rotary mechanism comprises a second gear shaft mounted on the first frame, a second motor, a second set of gears driven by the second motor and a second frame which is driven by the second set of gears and rotates about the second gear shaft, in which a counterweight for producing eccentric centre is mounted on the second frame.

13. The sensing ball according to claim 6, characterized in that the first rotary mechanism comprises a first motor corrected to a power supply,—

a first set of gears driven by the first motor, a first gear shaft fixed on inner wall of the ball body and a first frame which is driven by the first set of gears and rotates about the first gear shaft, wherein the second rotary mechanism mounted in the first rotary mechanism comprises a second gear shaft mounted on the first frame, a second motor, a second set of gears driven by the second motor and a second frame which is driven by the second set of gears and rotates about the second gear shaft, in which a counterweight for producing eccentric centre is mounted on the second frame.

14. A method for controlling a sensing ball, characterized in that the method comprises steps of:

providing the sensing ball on which several sensors are mounted, wherein motors, an eccentric device driven by the motor and a controller for controlling rotation of the eccentric device are mounted, and wherein the sensors are connected to the controller;

generating sensing signals and inputting the sensing signals into the controller when the sensors sense approach of a moving object;

controlling rotation of the eccentric device and driving the sensing ball to roll in a specified direction or keeping it static based on the sensing signals by the controller.

15. The method for controlling a sensing ball according to claim 14, characterized in that there are four sets of sensors mounted on the sensing ball, wherein the specified direction means the direction opposite to the direction of approach of a moving object sensed by the sensors or a third direction when the sensors sense approach of the moving objects from opposite sides, and when the sensors sense approach of the moving objects from four directions, the ball body is kept static.

16. The method for controlling a sensing ball according to claim 15, characterized in that the eccentric device comprises a first rotary mechanism rotationally mounted in the ball body, a second rotary mechanism rotationally mounted on the first rotary mechanism and an eccentric counterweight mounted on the second rotary mechanism, wherein the first rotary mechanism drives the ball body to roll back and forth in a first direction and the second rotary mechanism drives the ball body to roll back and forth in a second direction.