Light shooting and detecting toy figures

• US 6,071,166 A
• Filed: 04/21/1998
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accasvek LLC (The Medici Portfolio LLC)
• Original Assignee: Toymax, Inc. (Jakks Pacific, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kwan, David Chu Ki, Goldberg, Harvey, Russo, Carmine, Lebensfeld, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): MUIR, DAVID N
• Application Number:
  US09/063,816
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 446/175, 446/268, 446/297, 446/405, 446/406, 446/473, 446/485, 434/11, 434/21, 434/22, 434/24, 413/5, 413/50, 413/51, 413/52
• US Class Current: 446/175
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0291 with a simulated projectile, e.g. an image on a screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 13/10 shooting arrows or other missiles
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 5/04 Pistols or machine guns operated without detonators; Crackers cracker bonbons A63H37/00

Abstract

The invention disclosed herein provides toy objects such as action figures, robots, vehicles, creatures, etc., with apparatus for playing a shooting game controlled by one or more human players. Each toy object includes either a energy emitter, a energy sensor, or both. The toy objects are manipulatable by the players to face the emitters and the sensors in directions to hit other objects with radiated energy or avoid being hit with radiated energy from other objects. In the preferred embodiment, the emitter radiates infrared light and the sensor detects infrared light, and are operated from a backpack movably attached to an action figure. Control of radiating and detecting infrared light is similar to the control in a currently popular "laser" shooting games available from Toymax Inc. under the trademark "Laser Challenge".

Claims

1. A toy action figure comprising an energy source that radiates energy, a first circuit coupled to said energy source to cause said energy source to selectively radiate energy in response to a signal supplied to said first circuit, an energy sensor responsive to compatible energy radiated by another energy source which is compatible with the energy radiated by said energy source, a second circuit coupled to said sensor which cooperates with said sensor to make a determination that a hit has occurred when said sensor receives compatible energy, and a hit indicator device coupled to said second circuit which is responsive to said second circuit to provide an audible or visual output when said second circuit determines that a hit has occurred.

2. The toy action figure of claim 1 comprising a toy weapon carried by said action figure, said energy source being mounted to radiate energy from said weapon.

3. The toy action figure of claim 2 comprising a backpack attached to said action figure, said first circuit being located in said backpack, and said energy source in said weapon being coupled to said first circuit in said backpack.

4. The toy action figure of claim 3 wherein said backpack is removably attached to said action figure.

5. The toy action figure of claim 1 comprising a backpack attached to said action figure, said second circuit being located in said backpack and said sensor being positioned on a front of the action figure and coupled to said second circuit in said backpack.

6. The toy action figure of claim 1 comprising a manually-operable control coupled to said first circuit which selectively radiates energy in response to manual activation of said control.

7. The toy action figure of claim 1 wherein said action figure is adapted to be manually movable during play by a human player to direct energy therefrom in a desired direction.

8. The toy action figure of claim 5 wherein said hit indicator comprises a visual device positioned on a front of said action figure and coupled to said second circuit in said backpack.

9. A toy action figure comprising an energy source that radiates energy, a first circuit coupled to said energy source to cause said energy source to selectively radiate energy in response to a signal supplied to said first circuit, an energy sensor responsive to compatible energy radiated by another energy source which is compatible with the energy radiated by said energy source, a second circuit coupled to said sensor which cooperates with said sensor to make a determination that a hit has occurred when said sensor receives compatible energy, and a hit indicator device coupled to said second circuit which is responsive to said second circuit to provide an audible or visual output when said second circuit determines that a hit has occurred, a backpack attached to said action figure, said first and second circuits being located in said backpack, said energy source and said sensor being separated from said backpack and being coupled to said first and second circuits, respectively, in said backpack.

10. The toy action figure of claim 9 comprising a toy weapon carried by said action figure, said energy source being mounted to radiate energy from said weapon.

11. The toy action figure of claim 9 wherein said sensor is positioned on a front of the action figure.

12. The toy action figure of claim 9 wherein said hit indicator device comprises a visual device positioned on a front of said action figure and coupled to said second circuit in said backpack.

13. The toy action figure of claim 9 comprising a manually-operable control coupled to said first circuit which selectively radiates energy in response to manual activation of said control.

14. The toy action figure of claim 9 wherein said action figure is adapted to manually movable during play by a human player to direct energy therefrom in a desired direction.

15. The toy action figure of claim 9 comprising a front section attached to said backpack extending over a front of said action figure, said sensor being carried by said front section.

16. The toy action figure of claim 15 wherein said hit indicator device comprises a visual device carried by said front section and is coupled to said second circuit in said backpack.

17. The toy action figure of claim 9 wherein said backpack is removably attached to said action figure.

18. A toy backpack for a toy action figure comprising an energy source that radiates energy spaced from said backpack, a first circuit located inside said backpack electrically coupled to said energy source to cause said energy source to selectively radiate energy in response to a signal supplied to said first circuit, a manually operable switch coupled to said first circuit and providing said signal upon a change of state of said switch, an energy sensor spaced from said backpack responsive to compatible energy radiated by another energy source which is compatible with the energy radiated by said energy source, a second circuit located in said backpack coupled to said sensor which cooperates with said sensor to make a determination that a hit has occurred when said sensor receives compatible energy, and a hit indicator device coupled to said second circuit which is responsive to said second circuit to provide an audible or visual output when said second circuit determines that a hit has occurred.

19. The toy backpack of claim 18 comprising a toy weapon coupled to said backpack, said energy source being mounted to radiate energy from said weapon.

20. The toy backpack of claim 19 comprising an arm mechanically coupling said weapon to said backpack.

21. The toy backpack of claim 18 comprising a front section attached to said backpack adapted to extend over a front of the action figure when said backpack is mounted thereto, said sensor being carried by said front section.

22. The toy backpack of claim 18 wherein said hit indicator device comprises a visual device carried by said front section and is coupled to said second circuit in said backpack.