TOY WITH LOCATING FEATURE

• US 20120052765A1
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Cannon, Bruce James
• Granted Patent: US 9,144,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/397
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/003 specially adapted for a particular function not connected with dolls as electric lighting devices A63H3/006
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/006 provided with electrical lighting electrical lighting F21
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds

Abstract

A toy set is disclosed herein the toy set including: a first object configured to transmit a plurality of codes wirelessly, each of the plurality of codes being transmitted at a different predetermined power level; a second object configured to detect the plurality of codes, the second object providing one of a plurality of audio outputs when at least one of the plurality of codes is detected by the second object; and wherein the one of the plurality of audio outputs is selected by determining which of the plurality of codes detected by the second object has a weakest predetermined power level.

Claims

1. A toy set, comprising:

a first object configured to transmit a plurality of codes wirelessly, each of the plurality of codes being transmitted at a different predetermined power level;

a second object configured to detect the plurality of codes, the second object providing one of a plurality of audio outputs when at least one of the plurality of codes is detected by the second object; and

wherein the one of the plurality of audio outputs is selected by determining which of the plurality of codes detected by the second object has a weakest predetermined power level.

2. The toy set as in claim 1, wherein the first object further comprises a pair of wide angle infrared (IR) leds for generating each of the plurality of codes.

3. The toy set as in claim 1, wherein the first object further comprises a release mechanism for launching an item from the first object when a target of the first object is moved from a first position to a second position.

4. The toy set as in claim 3, wherein the target is capable of being moved from the first position to the second position by a projectile launched by the second object.

5. The toy set as in claim 1, wherein each one of the plurality of audio outputs corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of codes and wherein the plurality of audio outputs is a series of audible beeps.

6. The toy set as in claim 1, wherein the first object has a switch that is closed when the first object is placed on a surface and the switch, when closed, causes the plurality of codes to be generated.

7. The toy set as in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of codes is generated sequentially as a series of codes and the series of codes is repeated.

8. The toy set as in claim 1, wherein the first object further comprises a release mechanism for launching an item from the first object when a target of the first object is moved from a first position to a second position and wherein the target is capable of being moved from the first position to the second position by a projectile launched by the second object and wherein the first object provides one of the plurality of codes when the target is moved from the first position to the second position by the projectile launched by the second object.

9. The toy set as in claim 1, wherein the first object cannot receive any transmitted signals external to the first object and the second object cannot transmit any signals from the second object.

10. A toy set, comprising:

a first object configured to transmit a plurality of signals wirelessly in a predetermined repeating sequence, each of the plurality of signals having unique code associated therewith indicating a strength of the signal being transmitted, wherein each of the plurality of signals are transmitted at a different predetermined signal strength such that they are only detectable at predetermined distances from the first object;

a second object configured to detect the plurality of signals, the second object providing one of a plurality of audio outputs when at least one of the plurality of signals is detected by the second object; and

wherein the one of the plurality of audio outputs is selected by the second object by determining which one of the detected plurality of signals is generated at a weakest predetermined signal strength.

11. The toy set as in claim 10, wherein the first object further comprises a pair of infrared (IR) leds for generating each of the plurality of signals and wherein the first object further comprises a release mechanism for launching an item from the first object when a target of the first object is moved from a first position to a second position and wherein the target is capable of being moved from the first position to the second position by a projectile launched by the second object and wherein the first object provides one of the plurality of signals when the target is moved from the first position to the second position by the projectile launched by the second object.

12. The toy set as in claim 11, wherein each one of the plurality of audio outputs corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of signals;

wherein the plurality of audio outputs are prerecorded messages;

wherein the second object further comprises a two stage switch which when pushed to a first stage couples a power supply to a microprocessor of the second object and when the two stage switch is pushed to a second stage, a launcher of the second object launches the projectile from the second object; and

wherein one of the plurality of audio outputs corresponding to the one of the plurality of signals provided by movement of the target from the first position to the second position will not be played by the second object unless the two stage switch is in the second stage.

13. The toy set as in claim 11, wherein the first object cannot receive any transmitted signals external to the first object and the second object cannot transmit any signals from the second object.

14. A method of providing audio feedback corresponding to the proximity of a first object and a second object of a toy set, comprising:

transmitting a plurality of codes wirelessly from the first object, each of the plurality of codes being transmitted at a different predetermined power level, wherein each of the codes is indicative of the power level of the code being transmitted;

detecting the plurality of codes by the second object;

selecting one of a plurality of audio outputs from the second object when one of the plurality of codes is detected by the second object; and

wherein the one of the plurality of audio outputs is selected by determining which of the plurality of codes detected by the second object has the weakest predetermined power level.

15. The method as in claim 14, wherein the first object further comprises a pair of infrared (IR) leds for generating each of the plurality of codes and wherein the first object further comprises a release mechanism for launching an item from the first object when a target of the first object is moved from a first position to a second position.

16. The method as in claim 15, wherein the target is moved from the first position to the second position by a projectile launched by the second object.

17. The method as in claim 15, wherein the first object generates a unique code when the target is moved from the first position to the second position and wherein the second object provides a unique audio output corresponding to the unique code when the unique code is detected by the second object.

18. The method as in claim 14, wherein the first object has a switch that is closed when the first object is placed on a surface and the switch, when closed, causes the plurality of codes to be generated by the first object.

19. The method as in claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of codes are transmitted sequentially as a series of codes and the transmission of the series of codes is repeated.

20. The method as in claim 19, wherein the first object further comprises a pair of infrared (IR) leds for generating each of the plurality of codes and wherein the first object further comprises a release mechanism for launching an item from the first object when a target of the first object is moved from a first position to a second position, wherein the target is moved from the first position to the second position by a projectile launched by the second object and wherein the first object generates a unique code when the target is moved from the first position to the second position and wherein the second object provides a unique audio output corresponding to the unique code when the unique code is detected by the second object.