Interactive light-operated toy shooting game

• US 5,741,185 A
• Filed: 02/05/1997
• Issued: 04/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accasvek LLC (The Medici Portfolio LLC)
• Original Assignee: Toymax, Inc. (Jakks Pacific, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kwong, Ng Wing, Russo, Carmine, Lebensfeld, Steven, Kwan, David Chu Ki, Landi, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/795,895
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 463/2, 463/5, 463/50-52, 463/56, 463/30-31, 463/36, 463/39, 446/175, 446/397, 446/401, 446/404, 446/405, 446/406, 446/473, 446/436, 446/437, 446/441, 446/442, 446/443, 446/465, 434/20-22, 434/24, 434/307 R, 364/410, 364/411
• US Class Current: 463/51
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0291 with a simulated projectile, e.g. an image on a screen
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 33/02 Light- or radiation-emitting guns ; Light- or radiation-sensitive guns; Cartridges carrying light emitting sources, e.g. laser
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/2655 in which the light beam is sent from the weapon to the target
• 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

The invention provides a toy light projector or light gun and player-worn and self-propelled toy targets which detect light emitted by a toy light gun, and a toy shooting game which includes at least one toy light gun, and at least one toy target. The game is played by a player attempting to "hit" a target which provides audio/visual effects upon detecting light projected by the gun. A main target contains a light detector and all of the circuitry and audio/visual components needed to play a game, and an auxiliary target may contain a light detector and only some of the components needed to play a game and be coupled to a main target to share components therein. A self-propelled target includes circuitry which provides pseudorandom (or other pre-programmed or random) motion to the target. The light gun emits a sound while it is on and ready to be fired, which can serve as a warning to an opposing player. Squeezing a trigger causes the gun to emit light with a first code, and pressing a reset button causes the gun to emit light with a second code. The circuitry in a target decodes the codes and registers and counts hits for light detected with the first code, ending the game when a given number of hits is counted. In response to light detected with the second code, the circuitry in a target resets the count of hits and starts a new game. The gun can thus remotely reset the target. The gun has a reload feature which requires that a player "reload" the gun (press a reload button) after a given number of shots. A target may be provided with an adjustable optical system which affects the reception and/or detection of light projected from a light gun and thereby change the difficulty level of the game.

Claims

1. A toy light projector used in a toy shooting game, comprising:

a housing;

a light source carried by said housing positioned to project light therefrom;

an electrical circuit carried by said housing coupled to said light source which controls energization of said light source according to a selectable code and thereby causes said light source to emit light with the selected code;

a first manually actuatable trigger control carried by said housing coupled to said electrical circuit;

a second manually actuatable control carried by said housing coupled to said electrical circuit;

said electrical circuit controlling energization of said light source according to a first code representing a firing of said toy light projector in response to activation of said first control to cause said light source to emit light with said first code, and controlling energization of said light source according to a second code in response to activation of said second control to cause said light source to emit light with said second code;

said electrical circuit comprising a modulating circuit which modulates energization of said light source during a first time period corresponding to said first code in response to activation of said first control and during a second time period corresponding to said second code in response to activation of said second control.

2. The toy light projector of claim 1 wherein said first trigger control when activated without activation of said second control causes said toy light projector to project light with said first code, and wherein said second control when activated without activation of said first control causes said toy light projector to project light with said second code.

9. The toy light projector of claim 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 or 8 wherein said light source emits infrared light when energized by said electrical circuit.

10. The toy light projector of claim 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 or 8 comprising structure associated with said housing defining a light-transmitting aperture positioned to project light emitted by said light source from said toy light projector.

11. The toy light projector of claim 10 comprising an optical system having a lens positioned between said light transmitting aperture and said light source.

12. The toy light projector of claim 2, 6 or 7 wherein said electrical circuit comprises a sound synthesizer which supplies said first and second electrical sound signals.

13. The toy light projector of claim 2, 6, 7 or 8 wherein said electrical circuit comprises a modulating circuit which modulates energization of said light source during a first time period corresponding to said first code in response to activation of said first control and during a second time period corresponding to said second code in response to activation of said second control.

14. The toy light projector of claim 13 wherein said modulating circuit modulates energization of said light source at a fixed frequency.

15. The toy light projector of claim 13 wherein said electrical circuit comprises a control circuit coupled to said first and second controls and to said modulation circuit, said control circuit causing said modulating circuit to modulate energization of said light source for the first and second time periods.

16. The toy light projector of claim 15 wherein said control circuit causes said modulating circuit to modulate energization of said light source during the first time period for up to a preset number of activations of said first control and thereafter to not modulate energization of said light source during the first time period, said toy light projector comprising a third control coupled to said control circuit, said control circuit causing said modulation circuit to modulate energization of said light source during the first time period for up to the preset number of first control activations in response to activation of said third control.

3. A toy light projector used in a toy shooting game, comprising:

a housing;

a light source carried by said housing positioned to project light therefrom;

an electrical circuit carried by said housing coupled to said light source which controls energization of said light source according to a selectable code and thereby causes said light source to emit light with the selected code;

a sound generating device carried by said housing to emit sound therefrom responsive to electrical sound signals supplied thereto;

first and second manually actuatable controls carried by said housing coupled to said electrical circuit;

said electrical circuit controlling energization of said light source according to first and second codes selected by and in response to activation of said first and second controls, respectively, and providing first and second electrical sound signals representing first and second sounds or sequence of sounds to said sound generating device in response to activation of said first and second controls, respectively.

4. A toy light projector used in a toy shooting game, comprising:

a housing;

a light source carried by said housing positioned to project light therefrom;

first and second manually actuatable controls carried by said housing;

a sound generating device carried by said housing to emit sound therefrom responsive to electrical sound signals supplied thereto;

an electrical circuit carried by said housing coupled to said light source and to said first and second controls which controls energization of said light source in response to activation of said first and second controls, said electrical circuit being responsive to activation of said first control up to a preset number of times causing said light source for each activation to emit light having a predetermined characteristic or characteristics up to said preset number of times, said electrical circuit not energizing said light source to emit light in response to further activations of said first control, said electrical circuit in response to activation of said second control allowing said light source to be energized and emit light in response to activations of said first control up to said preset number;

said electrical circuit providing first and second electrical sounds signals representing first and second sounds or sequences of sounds to said sound generating device in response to activation of said first and second controls, respectively.

5. The light projector of claim 4, wherein said second signal causes said sound generating device to emit a gun reloading sound.

6. A toy light projector for projecting coded light used in a toy shooting game which includes a toy target that detects and decodes coded light received from said light projector to register hits and to reset the target, comprising:

a housing;

a light source carried by said housing positioned to project light therefrom;

an electrical circuit carried by said housing coupled to said light source which controls energization of said light source according to a selectable code, and thereby causes said light source to emit light according to the selected code;

a sound generating device carried by said housing to emit sound therefrom responsive to electrical sound signals supplied thereto;

first and second manually actuatable controls carried by said housing coupled to said electrical circuit;

said electrical circuit (a) controlling energization of said light source according to a first code adapted to identify a firing of said light projector which when processed by the toy target can be registered as a hit in response to activation of said first control, and controlling energization of said light source according to a second code adapted when processed by the toy target to remotely reset the toy target in response to activation of said second control, and (b) providing first and second electrical sound signals representing first and second sounds or sequence of sounds to said sound generating device in response to activation of said first and second controls, respectively.

7. A toy light projector for projecting coded light used in a toy shooting game with a toy target that detects and decodes coded light received from said light projector to register hits and perform at least one other game function, comprising:

a housing;

a light source carried by said housing positioned to project light therefrom;

an electrical circuit carried by said housing coupled to said light source which controls energization of said light source according to a selectable code and thereby causes said light source to emit light according to the selected code;

a sound generating device carried by said housing to emit sound therefrom responsive to electrical sound signals supplied thereto;

first and second manually actuatable controls carried by said housing coupled to said electrical circuit;

said electrical circuit (a) controlling energization of said light source according to a first code adapted to identify a firing of said light projector which when processed by the toy target can be registered as a hit in response to activation of said first control, and controlling energization of said light source according to a second code adapted when processed by the toy target to cause the toy target to perform the at least one other game function in response to activation of said second control, and (b) providing first and second electrical sound signals representing first and second sounds or sequence of sounds to said sound generating device in response to activation of said first and second controls, respectively.

8. A toy light projector for projecting coded light used in a toy shooting game which includes a toy target that detects and decodes coded light received from said light projector to register hits and to reset the target for the start of another game or competition, comprising:

a housing;

a light source carried by said housing positioned to project light therefrom;

an electrical circuit carried by said housing coupled to said light source which controls energization of said light source according to a first selectable code adapted to identify a firing of said light projector which when processed by the toy target can be registered as a hit, and a second selectable code adapted when processed by the toy target to remotely reset the toy target for the start of another game or competition, and which causes said light source to emit light according to the selected code;

first and second manually actuatable controls carried by said housing coupled to said electrical circuit;

said electrical circuit controlling energization of said light source according to said first and second codes selected by and in response to activation of said first and second controls, respectively.

17. A self-propelled light detecting toy comprising:

a housing;

a light detector carried by said housing positioned to receive coded pulses of light projected at said light detecting toy, said light detector detecting said coded light pulses and providing electrical signals in response thereto;

at least one indicator coupled to be responsive to said electrical signals to indicate detection of light pulses by said light detector;

a reversible electric motor and at least one wheel coupled thereto on which said housing rides mounted to rotate in opposite directions, said at least one wheel being driven in opposite directions by said motor to propel said light detecting toy; and

an electrical circuit including a programmed processor and a drive circuit, said programmed processor providing control signals to said drive circuit in accordance with a programmed sequence of direction reversals, and said drive circuit being coupled to said motor to energize said motor to selectively rotate said at least one wheel in opposite directions in accordance with said control signals.

18. The light detecting toy of claim 17 comprising a non-driven wheel on which said housing rides, said non-driven wheel being mounted to an axle, said housing having a track along which at least one end of said axle is free to translate, whereby said non-driven wheel non-linearly translates in response to translation of said axle in said track and thereby affects the path of motion of said light detecting toy in response to one or more of the terrain on which say light detecting toy rides, obstacles encountered by said light detecting toy and direction reversals of said at least one driven wheel.

19. A light detecting toy comprising:

a housing;

a light detector carried by said housing positioned to receive light projected at said light detecting toy, said light detector detecting first and second coded pulses of light received thereby and providing first and second electrical signals, respectively, in response thereto;

an electrical circuit coupled to receive said first and second electrical signals provided by said light detector and count said first electrical signals, and in response to a second electrical signal provided by said light detector reset a count of said first electrical signals.

20. The light detecting toy of claim 19 wherein said electrical circuit counts first electrical signals up to a preset number and thereafter does not count further first electrical signals until said count is reset in response to a second electrical signal.

21. The light detecting toy of claim 20 comprising a sound generating device carried by said housing to emit sound therefrom responsive to first and second electrical sound signals supplied thereto, said electrical circuit generating said first electrical sound signals representing a first sound or sequence of sounds with each count of a first electrical signal, and generating said second sound electrical signal representing a second sound or sequence of sounds with each reset of said count responsive to a second electrical signal.

22. The light detecting toy of claim 21 wherein said electrical circuit comprises a sound synthesizer and said sound generating device comprises a speaker.

24. The light detecting toy of claim 19 or 23 wherein said light detector comprises an infrared light detector.

25. The light detecting toy of claim 19 or 33 wherein said light detector detects pulses of light that are amplitude modulated at a given frequency.

26. The light detecting toy of claim 25 wherein said first and second coded light pulses have different pulse widths by which said first and second light pulses are coded, said light detector providing a first electrical pulse signal in response to a detected first coded light pulse and a second electrical pulse signal in response to a detected second coded light pulse, said first and second electrical pulse signals having different pulse widths related to the pulse widths of said first and second light pulses, respectively.

27. The light detecting toy of claim 19 or 23 comprising an electric motor and at least one wheel carried by said housing on which said housing rides, said at least one wheel being driven by said motor to propel said light detecting toy, and wherein said electrical circuit includes a drive circuit coupled to said motor to energize said motor.

28. The light detecting toy of claim 27 wherein said electrical motor is reversible and said drive circuit is configured and coupled to said motor to cause said motor to reverse direction in accordance with a sequence controlled by said electrical circuit.

29. The light detecting toy of claim 20 wherein said electrical circuit includes a programmed processor which provides signals to said drive circuit in accordance with a programmed sequence.

30. The light detecting toy of claim 19 or 23 comprising structure associated with said housing defining a light-transmitting aperture positioned to transmit to said light detector light projected at said light detecting toy.

23. A light detecting toy used in a toy shooting game, comprising:

a housing;

a light detector carried by said housing positioned to receive light projected at said light detecting toy from a light projecting toy used in the toy shooting game, said light detector detecting first and second coded pulses of light received thereby and providing first and second electrical signals, respectively, in response thereto;

an electrical circuit coupled to receive said first and second electrical signals provided by said light detector and count said first electrical signals, and in response to a second electrical signal provided by said light detector cause at least one other game function to be performed.

31. A toy shooting game comprising a toy light projector and a light detecting toy, said toy light projector comprising:

a housing;

a light source carried by said housing positioned to project light therefrom;

an electrical circuit carried by said housing coupled to said light source which energizes said light source to emit coded pulses of light which are projected from said housing;

first and second manually actuatable controls carried by said housing coupled to said electrical circuit;

said electrical circuit energizing said light source according to first and second codes in response to activation of said first and second controls, respectively, and in response thereto said light source emits first and second coded pulses of light, respectively;

said light detecting toy comprising;

a housing;

a light detector carried by said housing positioned to receive first and second coded pulses of light emitted by said toy light projector and projected at said light detecting toy, said light detector detecting said first and second coded pulses of light and providing first and second electrical signals, respectively, in response thereto;

an electrical circuit coupled to receive said first and second electrical signals provided by said light detector and count said first electrical signals, and in response to said second electrical signals provided by said light detector reset a count of said first electrical signals.

32. The combination of claim 31 wherein said light detector provides a first electrical signal in response to a first coded light pulse and a second electrical signal in response to a second coded light pulse, and wherein said electrical circuit of said light detector counts first electrical signals up to a preset number and thereafter does not count further first electrical signals until said count is reset in response to a second electrical signal.

33. The light detecting toy of claim 31 comprising a sound generating device carried by said housing to emit sound therefrom responsive to first and second electrical sound signals supplied thereto, said electrical circuit of said toy light detector generating said first electrical sound signals representing a first sound or sequence of sounds with each count of a first electrical signal, and generating said second sound electrical signal representing a second sound or sequence of sounds with each reset of said count responsive to a second electrical signal.

34. The combination of claim 33 wherein said light detector detects pulses of light that are amplitude modulated at a given frequency.

37. The combination of claim 31 or 35 wherein said electrical circuit of said toy light projector comprises a modulating circuit which modulates energization of said light source during a first time period in response to activation of said first control and during a second time period in response to activation of said second control.

38. The combination of claim 37 wherein said modulating circuit modulates energization of said light source at a fixed frequency.

39. The combination of claim 37 wherein said electrical circuit of said toy light projector comprises a control circuit coupled to said first and second controls and to said modulation circuit, said control circuit causing said modulating circuit to modulate energization of said light source for the first and second time periods.

35. A toy shooting game comprising a toy light projector and a light detecting toy, said toy light projector comprising:

a housing;

a light source carried by said housing positioned to project light therefrom;

an electrical circuit carried by said housing coupled to said light source which energizes said light source to emit coded pulses of light which are projected from said housing;

first and second manually actuatable controls carried by said housing coupled to said electrical circuit;

said electrical circuit energizing said light source according to first and second codes in response to activation of said first and second controls, respectively, and in response thereto said light source emits first and second coded pulses of light, respectively;

said light detecting toy comprising;

a housing;

a light detector carried by said housing positioned to receive first and second coded pulses of light emitted by said toy light projector which are projected at said light detecting toy, said light detector detecting said first and second coded pulses of light and providing first and second electrical signals, respectively, in response thereto;

an electrical circuit coupled to receive said first and second electrical signals provided by said light detector and count said first electrical signals, and in response to said second electrical signals provided by said light detector cause at least one other game function to be performed.

36. The combination of claim 35 wherein said light source emits infrared light when energized by said electrical circuit.