TOY BUILDING SYSTEM WITH FUNCTION BRICKS

• US 20110151743A1
• Filed: 08/04/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lego A/S (Kirkbi A/S)
• Original Assignee: Lego A/S (Kirkbi A/S)
• Inventors: Hansen, Erik, Munch, Gaute
• Granted Patent: US 9,144,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/91
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/042 Mechanical, electrical, optical, pneumatic or hydraulic arrangements; Motors
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/086 with primary projections fitting by friction in complementary spaces between secondary projections, e.g. sidewalls

Abstract

A toy building system comprising building elements with coupling means for releasably interconnecting building elements, the toy building system comprising function building elements with such coupling means and each having a function device adapted to perform a controllable function and an energy source for providing energy to the function device for performing the controllable function, each function building element comprising a light sensor for receiving visible light encoding a control signal; and a control circuit connected to the light sensor and to the function device and adapted to decode the received control signal and to control the controllable function responsive to the decoded control signal.

Claims

1. A toy building system comprising building elements with coupling means for releasably interconnecting building elements, the toy building system comprising function building elements with such coupling means, each function building element comprising

a function device adapted to perform a controllable function;

an energy source for providing energy to the function device for performing the controllable function;

a light sensor for receiving visible light encoding a control signal; and

a control circuit connected to the light sensor and to the function device and adapted to decode the received control signal and to control the controllable function responsive to the decoded control signal.

2. A toy building system according to claim 1, wherein each function is chosen from a motion, a generation of an audible sound signal, a generation of an inaudible sound signal, a generation of an electrical signal, a generation of a visible light signal, a generation of an invisible light signal, a generation of a radio frequency signal.

3. A toy building system according to claim 1 or 2 further comprising a control building element with such coupling means, the control building element comprising a sensor responsive to a predetermined input, and a light emitter for emitting visible light;

the control building element being adapted, in response to the predetermined input, to output, via the light emitter, visible light encoding a control signal corresponding to the predetermined input.

4. A toy building system according to claim 3 comprising a plurality of control building elements responsive to different predetermined inputs.

5. A toy building system according to claim 3 or 4 wherein each predetermined input is chosen from a mechanical force, a push action, a pull action, a rotation, a human manipulation, a touch, a proximity of an object, an electrical signal, a radio frequency signal, an optical signal, a visible light signal, an infrared signal, a magnetic signal, a temperature, a humidity, a radiation.

6. A toy building system according to any one of claims 1 through 5 further comprising a relay building element with such coupling means and comprising at least one light sensor for receiving visible light encoding a control signal and a light emitter for emitting visible light;

the relay building element being adapted in response to the received control signal to determine an output control signal as a function of the received control signal; and

to output, via the light emitter, visible light encoding the determined output control signal.

7. A toy building system according to claim 6 comprising a plurality of relay building elements adapted to determine output control signals as respective functions of the received control signal.

8. A toy building system according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein at least one function building element comprises a light emitter for emitting visible light;

the function building element being adapted in response to the received control signal to determine an output control signal as a function of the received control signal; and

to output, via the light emitter, visible light encoding the determined output control signal.

9. A toy building system according to any one of claims 6-8 wherein the function of the received control signal is chosen from an identity function, a delay of the output control signal relative to the received control signal, a repetition of the received control signal a predetermined number of times, an output of an output control signal only if the received control signal meets a predetermined condition.

10. A toy building system according to any one of claims 1-9, further comprising at least one light guide for transmitting visible light;

and wherein each light sensor and each light emitter comprises a connector for connecting the light guide to the corresponding sensor or emitter in optical communication.

11. A toy building system according to claim 10, wherein the light guide has a circumferential surface and two end faces for receiving and/or emitting light, and wherein the circumferential surface is adapted to emit a portion of the light received at one of the end faces.

12. A toy building system according to any one of claims 1-11 comprising a plurality of function building elements whose function devices are adapted to perform different functions.

13. A toy building system according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein the coupling means are adapted to define a direction of connection and to allow interconnection of each building element with another building element in a discrete number of predetermined orientations relative to the building element;

and wherein each light sensor is arranged to receive light from a predetermined direction relative to the defined direction of connection.

14. A toy building system according to claim 13, wherein the coupling means are arranged in one or more regular planar grid defining the direction of connection;

and wherein each light sensor is arranged to receive light from a predetermined direction tangential to at least one of the planar grids.

15. A toy building system according to any one of claims 13-14, wherein each of the function building elements has a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one side surface;

wherein said coupling means are placed on at least one of the top and the bottom surface; and

wherein each light sensor is arranged on said side surface.

16. A toy building system according to any one of claims 13-15, further comprising a control building element with such coupling means, the control building element comprising a sensor responsive to a predetermined input, and a light emitter for emitting visible light;

the control building element being adapted, in response to the predetermined input, to output, via the light emitter, visible light encoding a control signal corresponding to the predetermined input; and

wherein the light emitter is arranged to emit light in a predetermined direction relative to the defined direction of connection.

17. A toy building system according to any one of claims 1-16 wherein the coupling means comprise one or more protrusions and one or more cavities, each cavity adapted to receive at least one of the protrusions in a frictional engagement.