Remotely controlled toy and wireless remote operable in a point of sale package

• US 6,011,489 A
• Filed: 01/12/1998
• Issued: 01/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jakks Pacific, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Toymax, Inc. (Jakks Pacific, Inc.)
• Inventors: Russo, Carmine, Javors, Russell, Lebensfeld, Steven, Ki Kwan, David Chu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/006,026
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.72, 340/825.69, 348/734, 446/454-6
• US Class Current: 340/12.3
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1141 One-way transmission

Abstract

A "try me" feature for remotely controlled devices such as remotely controlled toys for point of sale demonstration or sampling. A secondary link is provided between the remote control device and the remotely controlled device. When the secondary link is selected or present, activation of a control on the remote control device will cause the remotely control device to react the same or similar to the way it reacts under wireless remote control, but via the secondary link. In the preferred embodiment, the secondary link includes a disconnectable wired coupling. The remotely controlled device and the remote control device may be contained in a point of sale package or configured in a point of sale display. In one embodiment, the remotely controlled device has a switch by which the secondary coupling and "try me" operation, or normal wireless remote control operation is selected. When the devices are provided in a point of sale package, the switch is factory set to "try me" operation, which precludes solely wireless operation in the package via the primary link.

Claims

1. In the combination comprising a remotely controlled device having at least one controllable feature and a remote control device having at least one manually actuable control, in which the remote control device and the remotely controlled device are coupled in a primary wireless link operative to wirelessly control the at least one feature in response to actuation of the at least one control, the improvement comprising a package holding the remotely controlled device and the remote control device such that the at least one manually actuable control is accessible for manual actuation from outside the package and the at least one feature when activated is discernible from outside the package, a secondary link which couples the remotely controlled device and the remote control device at least in the package, and a selector which conditions the remotely controlled device to operate via the primary link alone or using the secondary link, the remotely controlled device and the remote control device being operative using the secondary link to also control the at least one feature in response to the selector and activation of the at least one control, the remotely controlled device not responding to another similar remote control device solely wirelessly in response to actuation of the at least one control of the another remote control device when the selector is configured to condition the remotely controlled device to operate using the secondary link.

11. The combination of claim 1 or 5 wherein the selector comprises a switch.

12. The combination of claim 1 or 5 wherein the secondary link comprises a disconnectable wired coupling between the remotely controlled device and the remote control device, and the selector comprises the absence or presence of the wired coupling which conditions the remotely controlled device to operate via the primary link alone or using the secondary link, respectively.

13. The combination of claim 1 or 11 wherein the package is a point of sale package.

28. The combination of claim 1 or 5 wherein the secondary link includes the primary wireless link and another link.

2. In the combination comprising a remotely controlled device having at least one controllable feature and a remote control device having at least one manually actuable control, in which the remote control device and the remotely controlled device are wirelessly coupled and operative to wirelessly control the at least one feature in response to actuation of the at least one control, the improvement comprising a package holding the remotely controlled device and the remote control device such that the at least one manually actuable control is accessible for manual actuation from outside the package and the at least one feature when activated is discernible from outside the package, a disconnectable wired coupling which couples the remotely controlled device and the remote control device at least in the package, the at least one controllable feature of the remotely controlled device being operable by the remote control device when the at least one control is actuated with the disconnectable wired coupling connected to also control the at least one feature, the disconnectable wired coupling conditioning the remotely controlled device not to respond to another similar remote control device solely wirelessly in response to actuation of the at least one control of the another remote control device.

14. The combination of claim 2 comprising a switch coupled to enable the combination to selectively control the at least one feature solely wirelessly or using the disconnectable wired coupling.

15. The combination of claim 2 wherein the combination is operative to control the at least one feature solely wirelessly only when the disconnectable wired coupling is disconnected.

16. The combination of claim 2 or 6 wherein the combination is operative to not control the at least one feature solely wirelessly when the disconnectable wired coupling is connected.

3. A combination comprising a remotely controlled device, a remote control therefor, and package holding the remotely controlled device and the remote control device, the remote control being coupled to the remotely controlled device wirelessly and, at least in the package, by a disconnectable wired coupling,

the remotely controlled device comprising:

a receiver which provides an output signal in response to a signal received by the receiver that was wirelessly transmitted by the remote control device;

a controller which controls operation of at least one feature of the remotely controlled device, the controller being coupled to be responsive to the output signal from the receiver and a signal from the wired coupling to control the at least one feature; and

a selector coupled to the controller which causes the controller to operate responsive only to the output signal from the receiver or responsive to the output signal from the receiver only when a signal is received from the wired coupling;

the remote control device comprising;

a transmitter; and

at least one manually actuated control;

the package holding the remotely controlled device and the remote control device such that the at least one manually actuable control is accessible for manual actuation from outside the package and the at least one feature when activated is discernible from outside the package, the transmitter wirelessly transmitting the signal to be received by the receiver of the remotely controlled device and the signal to the wired coupling in response to activation of the at least one control.

17. The combination of claim 3 wherein the package is a point of sale package.

19. The combination of claim 3 or 7 wherein the selector comprises a manually actuable switch.

20. The combination of claim 3 or 4 wherein the combination is operative to control the at least one feature solely wirelessly only when the disconnectable wired coupling is disconnected.

21. The combination of claim 3 or 7 wherein the combination is operative to not control the at least one feature solely wirelessly when the disconnectable wired coupling is connected.

22. The combination of claim 3 or 7 wherein the disconnectable wired coupling comprises a wire, a first connector connected to a first end of the wire and removably connected to the remote control device, and a second connector connected to a second end of the wire and removably connected to the remotely controlled device.

4. The combination comprising a remotely controlled device having at least one controllable feature, a remote control device having at least one manually actuable control, a package containing the remotely controlled device and the remote control device such that the at least one control is accessible for manual activation from outside the package and such that the at least one feature when activated is discernible outside the package, a disconnectable wired coupling which couples the remotely controlled device and the remote control device in the package, the remotely controlled device, the remote control device and the disconnectable wired coupling being operative to control the at least one feature in the package in response to activation of the at least one control when the disconnectable wired coupling is connected while the remotely controlled device is not operative to respond solely wirelessly to another similar remote control device in response to actuation of the at least one control of the another remote control device, the remote control device and the remotely controlled device being wirelessly coupled and operative to wirelessly control the at least one feature upon actuation of the at least one control at least when the disconnectable wired coupling is disconnected.

23. The combination of claim 4 or 8 comprising a switch coupled to enable the combination to selectively control the at least one feature wirelessly or using the disconnectable wired coupling.

24. The combination of claim 4 or 8 wherein the combination is operative to control the at least one feature solely wirelessly only when the disconnectable wired coupling is disconnected.

25. The combination of claim 4 or 8 wherein the combination is operative to not control the at least one feature solely wirelessly when the disconnectable wired coupling is connected.

5. In the combination comprising a remotely controlled toy device having at least one controllable feature and a remote control device having at least one manually actuable control, in which the remote control device and the remotely controlled device are coupled in a primary wireless link operative to wirelessly control the at least one feature in response to actuation of the at least one control, the improvement comprising a package holding the remotely controlled device and the remote control device such that the at least one manually actuable control is accessible for manual actuation from outside the package and the at least one feature when activated is discernable from outside the package, a secondary link which couples the remotely controlled device and the remote control device at least in the package, and a selector which conditions the remotely controlled device to operate via the primary link alone or using the secondary link, the remotely controlled device and the remote control device being operative using the secondary link to also control the at least one feature in response to the selector and activation of the at least one control, the remotely controlled device not responding to another similar remote control device solely wirelessly in response to actuation of the at least one control of the another remote control device when the selector is configured to condition the remotely controlled device to operate using the secondary link.

6. In the combination comprising a remotely controlled toy device having at least one controllable feature and a remote control device having at least one manually actuable control, in which the remote control device and the remotely controlled device are wirelessly coupled and operative to wirelessly control the at least one feature in response to actuation of the at least one control, the improvement comprising a package holding the remotely controlled device and the remote control device such that the at least one manually actuable control is accessible for manual actuation from outside the package and the at least one feature when activated is discernible from outside the package, a disconnectable wired coupling which couples the remotely controlled device and the remote control device at least in the package, the at least one controllable feature of the remotely controlled device being operable by the remote control device when the at least one control is actuated with the disconnectable wired coupling connected to also control the at least one feature, the disconnectable wired coupling conditioning the remotely controlled device not to respond to another similar remote control device in response to actuation of the at least one control of the another remote control device.

7. A combination comprising a remotely controlled toy device, a remote control therefor, and package holding the remotely controlled device and the remote control device, the remote control being coupled to the remotely controlled device wirelessly and, at least in the package, by a disconnectable wired coupling,

the remotely controlled device comprising:

a receiver which provides an output signal in response to a signal received by the receiver that was wirelessly transmitted by the remote control device;

a controller which controls operation of at least one feature of the remotely controlled device, the controller being coupled to be responsive to the output signal from the receiver and a signal from the wired coupling to control the at least one feature; and

a selector coupled to the controller which causes the controller to operate responsive only to the output signal from the receiver or responsive to the output signal from the receiver only when a signal is received from the wired coupling;

the remote control device comprising;

a transmitter; and

at least one manually actuated control;

the package holding the remotely controlled device and the remote control device such that the at least one manually actuable control is accessible for manual actuation from outside the package and the at least one feature when activated is discernible from outside the package, the transmitter wirelessly transmitting the signal to be received by the receiver of the remotely controlled device and the signal to the wired coupling in response to activation of the at least one control.

8. A combination comprising a remotely controlled toy device having at least one controllable feature, a remote control device having at least one manually actuable control, a package containing the remotely controlled device and the remote control device such that the at least one control is accessible for manual activation from outside the package and such that the at least one feature when activated is discernible outside the package, a disconnectable wired coupling which couples the remotely controlled device and the remote control device in the package, the remotely controlled device, the remote control device and the disconnectable wired coupling being operative to control the at least one feature in the package in response to activation of the at least one control when the disconnectable wired coupling is connected while the remotely controlled device is not operative to respond solely wirelessly to another similar remote control device upon actuation of the at least one control of the another remote control device, the remote control device and the remotely controlled device being wirelessly coupled and operative to wirelessly control the at least one feature upon actuation of the at least one control at least when the disconnectable wired coupling is disconnected.

18. The combination of claim 8 wherein the another link comprises a wired link.

9. A method for activating at least one controllable feature of a remotely controlled device, which is normally operated with a wireless remote control device, while the remotely controlled device and the remote control device are in a package, the at least one feature in normal operation outside the package being operated by the remote control device via a primary wireless coupling, the method comprising the steps of providing a secondary coupling to the remotely controlled device at least in the package, conditioning the remotely controlled device, or the remote control device or both to selectively operate (a) solely via the primary wireless coupling or (b) using the secondary coupling while not responding solely wirelessly to another similar wireless remote control device.

26. The method of claim 9 wherein the conditioning step comprises actuating a switch.

27. The method of claim 9 wherein the secondary coupling comprises a disconnectable wired coupling between the remotely controlled device and the remote control device, and the conditioning step comprises connecting or disconnecting the wired coupling.

10. In the combination comprising a remotely controlled device having at least one controllable feature and a remote control device having at least one manually actuable control, in which the remote control device and the remotely controlled device are coupled in a primary wireless link operative to wirelessly control the at least one feature in response to actuation of the at least one control, the improvement comprising a package holding the remotely controlled device and the remote control device such that the at least one manually actuable control is accessible for manual actuation from outside the package and the at least one feature when activated is discernible from outside the package, a secondary link which couples the remotely controlled device and the remote control device at least in the package, and means for conditioning the remotely controlled device to operate via the primary link alone or using the secondary link, the remotely controlled device and the remote control device being operative using the secondary link to also control the at least one feature in response to the means for conditioning and activation of the at least one control, the remotely controlled device not responding to another similar remote control device solely wirelessly in response to actuation of the at least one control of the another remote control device when the conditioning means is configured to condition the remotely controlled device to operate using the secondary link.