MAGNETICALLY COUPLED ACCESSORY FOR A SELF-PROPELLED DEVICE

• US 20160090133A1
• Filed: 12/14/2015
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sphero Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sphero Inc.
• Inventors: Bernstein, Ian H., Wilson, Adam, Kong, Chun
• Granted Patent: US 9,481,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 23/04 Self-propelled boats, ships or submarines
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/02 Model aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/10 Balloons connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; other than toy aspects B64B1/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/005 Motorised rolling toys
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/26 Magnetic or electric toys electric drives A63H29/22 ; indoor games played with small balls using magnetic power A63F7/0088, A63F7/068
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/00 Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/007 using magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 11/003 Electric or electronic control systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 39/00 Vehicle bodies not otherwise provided for , e.g. safety vehicles safety equipment B60R21/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/00 Motor vehicles or trailers, characterised by the arrangement or number of wheels, not otherwise provided for, e.g. four wheels in diamond pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A system comprising a self-propelled device and an accessory device. The self-propelled device includes a spherical housing, and a drive system provided within the spherical housing to cause the self-propelled device to roll. When the self-propelled device rolls, the self-propelled device and the accessory device magnetically interact to maintain the accessory device in contact with a top position of the spherical housing relative to an underlying surface on which the spherical housing is rolling on.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a controller device;

a self-propelled device comprising a spherical housing, a drive system provided within the spherical housing, one or more magnetic components, and an internal component that extends from the drive system to position the one or more magnetic components within an interior of the spherical housing, so as to be diametrically opposed to a point of contact between the spherical housing and an underlying surface;

an accessory device comprising one or more magnetic components and a contact surface having a radius of curvature that conforms to an exterior surface of the spherical housing, the contact surface of the accessory device being positionable along the exterior surface of the spherical housing to cause a magnetic interaction between the one or more magnetic components within the spherical housing and the one or more magnetic components of the accessory device;

wherein the drive system is operable under control of the controller device to cause the spherical housing to maneuver, including to roll on the underlying surface, the magnetic interaction causing the accessory device to maintain contact with the exterior surface of the spherical housing as the spherical housing rolls;

wherein the drive system, in maneuvering the spherical housing, causes the internal component to angularly displace relative to a vertical axis of the spherical housing, the magnetic interaction causing the accessory device to maintain continuous contact with the exterior surface of the spherical housing when the internal component is angularly displaced.