Toy including motion-detecting means for activating same

• US 4,479,329 A
• Filed: 09/30/1981
• Issued: 10/30/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fraden, Jacob
• Original Assignee: Fraden, Jacob
• Inventors: Fraden, Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Shay, F. Barry
• Application Number:
  US06/307,235
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 46/45, 46/226, 46/227, 46/228, 46/232, 46/233, 46/264, 46/265, 46/266
• US Class Current: 446/175
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 13/00 Toy figures with self-moving parts, with or without movement of the toy as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/00 Dolls puppets or marionettes for shows or theatres A63J19/006
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/00 Remote-control arrangements specially adapted for toys, e.g. for toy vehicles steering mechanisms for toy vehicles A63H17/36; for model railways A63H19/24, A63H19/28
• 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

Abstract

A toy has a base member, a motion-detecting element mounted on the base member and detecting the presence of a motion of an object in the vicinity of the toy and the absence of a moving object in the vicinity of the toy, an action-performing element mounted on the base member for cooperating with the motion-detecting element, and electrical elements connecting the motion-detecting element and the action-performing element whereby the latter is operated in response to the detection by the motion-detecting element, wherein the motion-detecting element includes an objective arranged to transmit light to establish an image of an object in the vicinity of the toy, an image-distorting element located after the objective as considered in direction of light passage and arranged to distort the image, and a photosensing element arranged to sense the distorted image and produce a signal for operation of the action-performing element.

Claims

1. A toy, comprising

a base member;

motion-detecting means mounted on said base member, said motion-detecting means being constructed and arranged to detect at least one of the presence of a motion of an object in the vicinity of the toy and the absence of a moving object in the vicinity of the toy;

action-performing means mounted on said base member for cooperating with said motion-detecting means; and

electrical means connecting said motion-detecting means and said action-producing means whereby the latter is operated in response to the detection by said motion-detecting means, said motion-detecting means including an objective arranged to transmit light to establish an image of an object in the vicinity of said toy, image-distorting means located after said objective as considered in direction of light passage and arranged to distort the image, and photosensing means arranged to sense the distorted image and produce a signal for operation of said action-performing means.

2. A toy as defined in claim 1, wherein said action-performing means is arranged to operate in response to the detection of the presence of motion by said motion-detecting means.

3. A toy as defined in claim 1, wherein said action-performing means is arranged to operate in response to the detection of the absence of motion by said motion-detecting means.

4. A toy as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising timing means arranged to provide for the operation of said action-performing means during a predetermined period of time.

5. A toy as defined in claim 1, wherein said image-distorting means is means separate from said photosensing means and includes a plurality of alternating transparent and opaque bands.

6. A toy as defined in claim 1, wherein said photosensing means includes a non-uniform photosensing surface forming said image-distorting means combined with said photosensing means.

7. A toy as defined in claim 1, wherein said objective includes at least one optical lens.

8. A toy as defined in claim 1, wherein said objective includes at least one pinhole aperture.

9. A toy as defined in claim 1, wherein said action-performing means is means for performing a mechanical motion in response to the detection by said motion-detecting means.

10. A toy as defined in claim 1, wherein said action-performing means is means for producing a sound in response to the detection by said motion-detecting means.

11. A toy as defined in claim 1, wherein said action-performing means is means for producing a light in response to the detection by said motion-detecting means.

12. A toy as defined in claim 1, wherein said action-performing means is means for performing a mechanical motion and simultaneously producing a sound in responce to the detection by said motion-detecting means.

13. A toy as defined in claim 1, wherein said action-performing means is means for producing a sound and a light in response to the detection by said motion-detecting means.

14. A toy as defined in claim 1, wherein said action-performing means is means for producing a light and performing a mechanical action in response to the detection by said motion-detecting means.

15. A toy as defined in claim 4;

and further comprising a feedback circuit from the output of said timing means to at least one input of said motion-detecting means to disable the latter during said predetermined period of time.