COLOR RESPONSIVE TOY

• US 3,675,925 A
• Filed: 02/08/1971
• Issued: 07/11/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John G. Tomkinson, John W. Ryan, Paul R. Wieman
• Original Assignee: John G. Tomkinson, John W. Ryan, Paul R. Wieman
• Inventors: Ryan, John W., Wieman, Paul R., Tomkinson, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stolwein, Walter
• Application Number:
  US05/113,478
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 250/203,202,215,226 46/244R,244C 273/101.1,101.2 356/152
• US Class Current: 463/52
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0291 with a simulated projectile, e.g. an image on a screen
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 5/02 Photo-electric hit-detector systems comprising a light-emitting device for simulating the firing of a gun F41G3/2622; detecting by optical means G01V8/10

Abstract

A toy which senses the color of a target area to select an appropriate output, one of such toys being a rifle which can be aimed at a target device to register whether a hit has been made. The rifle includes a lens which focuses light from the precise direction in which the rifle is aimed onto two identical photocells. A red filter is placed in front of a first of the cells while a neutral density filter is placed in front of a second cell, so that when the rifle is aimed at a red target the red-filtered cell generates a larger output than the other. A detecting circuit determines when the output from the redfiltered cell is greater than that from the other to ring a bell in the gun that indicates a hit. The detecting circuit is activated only at the instant when a child first depresses a trigger on the gun.

Claims

1. A light responsive toy comprising:

at least first and second photodetectors for generating output signals of an amplitude dependent upon the amplitude of light incident thereon;

objects of predetermined color positionable at selected locations relative to said toy;

light directing means for directing light reflected from said objects when an object is at only a predetermined direction fixed relative to said toy, onto each of said photodetectors;

color filter means for blocking the passage of light directed towards said first photodetector means, to pass substantially only light of a predetermined color thereto;

detector circuit means coupled to said first and second photodetectors, for detecting a predetermined relationship in their outputs; and

toy output means responsive to said detector circuit means for initiating an output activity, whereby to provide a preselected output activity upon the presence of an object of said predetermined color at said predetermined direction, for a wide range of ambient light levels.

2. The toy described in claim 1 including:

a housing in the form of a gun containing said light directing means, to direct onto said photodetectors only light received from the direction in which said gun is pointing; and

wherein said toy output means includes manually depressable trigger means mounted on said housing and means coupled to said trigger means for providing an indication of a hit only at the moment when said trigger initially reaches a predetermined state of depression.

3. The toy described in claim 1 including;

a substantially neutral density filter positionEd in front of said second photodetector means.

4. The toy described in claim 1 including:

a vehicle housing containing said light directing means, said photodetectors, said color filter, and said detector circuit means; and

wheels rotatably mounted on said vehicle to support it, at least one of said wheels mounted to steer in a plurality of directions; and

wherein said toy output means comprises means for steering said at least one wheel.

5. The toy described in claim 1 including:

second toy output means;

a third photodetector;

second color filter means for selectively blocking the passage of light directed towards said third photodetector by said light directing means to pass substantially only light of a second predetermined color thereto; and

said detector circuit being is constructed to operate said second toy output means when it detects a predetermined relationship in the relative magnitudes of outputs from said second and third photodetectors.

6. In combination with a toy target device having a target area of a predetermined color surrounded by an area of different color, a toy gun for firing at said target device comprising:

an aimable gun housing;

first and second photodetector cells mounted in said housing for producing output signals of a magnitude dependent upon the intensity of light incident thereon;

lens means mounted in said housing for directing light received only from the direction in which said gun housing is aimed onto said first and second photodetector cells;

color filter means for blocking the passage of light to said first photodetector cell except for light of substantially the predetermined color of said target area;

manually operable trigger means mounted on said gun housing;

means for indicating a hit; and

detector circuit means coupled to said first and second cells for detecting a predetermined relationship in their outputs and for operating said hit-indicating means only when light directed thereto from said target device produces an output from said first cell which exceeds a predetermined multiple of the output of said second cell.

7. The toy gun described in claim 6 wherein:

said means for indicating a hit comprises apparatus mounted on said housing for producing a predetermined sound.