Computer programmable interactive toy for a shooting game

• US 6,261,180 B1
• Filed: 02/06/1998
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accasvek LLC (The Medici Portfolio LLC)
• Original Assignee: Toymax, Inc. (Jakks Pacific, Inc.)
• Inventors: Landi, Frank, To, Sammy, Rivette, Deni, Lebensfeld, Steven, Kwan, David Chu Ki
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/019,747
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/2, 463/5, 463/30-31, 463/50-56, 463/36, 463/39, 446/175, 446/397, 446/401, 446/404, 446/405, 446/406, 446/436, 446/437, 446/441, 446/442, 446/443, 446/465, 446/473, 434/20-22, 434/24, 434/307.R, 340/323.R, 900/91-92
• US Class Current: 463/49
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2011/0076 with means for changing the level of difficulty
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0291 with a simulated projectile, e.g. an image on a screen

Abstract

The invention disclosed herein relates to a portable, programmable, interactive toy for a shooting game played by radiating and appropriately detecting infrared light (or other radiated energy). A player set includes an IR light projector (gun), an IR light detector (target) and a detachable, programmable data (or program) module which controls operation of the toy in accordance with data programmed therein. The data module may be detached, and the toy will operate in a default mode which is downwardly compatible with other toys that do not include the programmable data module. The toy also includes a base unit which programs the data modules to provide each player with a unique firing code. The data modules may also include circuitry which recognizes the different codes. The data modules may accumulate game and player information such as the number of shots fired by the associated gun, the number of hits registered by the associated target, and the source (player identification) of each hit registered. The base unit is a computer which programs the data module, uploads and downloads information, and processes information uploaded from the data module and provides the results of processing thereon, including computation results. The detachable data module provides for modularity by which game functions and features implemented by modules may be added to and removed from a particular toy.

Claims

1. A toy for a shooting game comprising:

a wave energy projector comprising a wave energy source with projects wave energy from said projector;

at least one circuit coupled to said energy source which controls operation of said energy source and causes said energy source to project wave energy coded according to any one of a plurality of codes in response to an input;

a player programmable device coupled to said at least one circuit to provide coded information thereto;

said at least one circuit being responsive to coded information provided by said programmable device to cause said energy source to project energy with a code of the plurality of codes corresponding to said coded information in response to the input.

2. The toy of claim 1 wherein said toy is operable in a plurality of game modes, said at least one circuit operating said toy in a first game mode in the absence of coded information from said programmable device and in a second game mode in response to coded information from said programmable device.

3. The toy of claim 1 wherein said programmable device and said at least one circuit are detachably coupled, said at least one circuit operating said toy in a first game mode when said programmable device is not coupled to said at least one circuit, and in a second game mode when said programmable device is coupled to said at least one circuit.

4. The toy of claim 3 comprising a switch permanently coupled to said programmable device or said at least one circuit which disconnects at least a portion of said at least one circuit when said programmable device is coupled to said at least one circuit.

5. The toy of claim 1 wherein said programmable device comprises a memory device storing a computer program and data, and circuitry which executes the program stored in said memory device, said programmable device providing the coded information to said at least one circuit in response to the computer program.

6. The toy of claim 5 wherein said programmable device comprises programmable circuitry configured to provide said coded information.

7. The toy of claim 2 comprising a programming device and a transmission link couplable by a player to said programmable device and said programming device cooperating to program said programmable device via said transmission link.

8. A. The toy of claim 7 wherein said transmission link is wired.

9. The toy of claim 8 wherein said programmable device and said programmed device each include connectors by means of which said transmission link is established, at least one of said connectors being releasably coupled in said transmission link.

10. The toy of claim 9 wherein said connectors mate and electrically connect to each other.

11. The toy of claim 7 wherein said programming device comprises an input device coupled thereto having at least one manually actuated control by which information can be input to said programming device, said programming device being responsive to the input information and supplying selected information to said programmable device in dependence upon the input information.

12. The toy of claim 11 wherein said programming device comprises a display which displays information thereon in accordance with the computer program, said programming device relating information input by said input device with information displayed by said display.

13. The toy of claim 12 wherein said programming device causes said display to scroll in response to information input by said input device.

14. The toy of claim 12 wherein said input device comprises a first control in response to which said programming device receives input information and a second control in response to which said programming device causes said display to scroll.

15. The toy of claim 1 wherein said programmable device is coupled to said circuit by a transmission link.

16. The toy of claim 15 wherein said programmable device and said circuit include connectors by means of which said transmission link is established, at least one of said connectors being releasably coupled in said transmission link.

17. The toy of claim 15 wherein said connectors mate and electrically connect to each other.

18. A modular toy for a shooting game comprising:

a wave energy projector comprising a wave energy source which projects wave energy from said projector;

a first circuit permanently coupled to said energy source and which controlling operation of said energy source;

one or more housings in which said first circuit and said wave energy source are mounted;

a circuit module removably coupled in one of said housings to said first circuit, said circuit module when coupled to said first circuit altering operation of said energy source as compared to operation of said energy source by said first circuit when said module is not coupled to said first circuit.

19. A modular toy for a shooting game comprising:

a wave energy sensor which detects wave energy with predetermined characteristics impinging thereon and provides corresponding output signals;

a first circuit permanently coupled to said wave energy sensor to receive said output signals and process said output signals;

one or more housings in which said first circuit and said wave energy sensor are mounted;

a circuit module removably coupled in one of said housings to said first circuit, said circuit module when coupled to said first circuit altering processing of said output signals as compared to processing by said first circuit when said module is not coupled to said first circuit.

20. The combination of a portable toy for use in a toy shooting game and a computer, said toy comprising at least one wave energy source, and a programmable circuit for operating said wave energy source, said toy and said computer having a communication link therebetween, said toy being capable of wireless operation with respect to said computer, said toy and said computer cooperating via said communication link to program said circuit from said computer, said programmable circuit being detachably electrically and mechanically coupled to said energy source, said toy comprising another circuit permanently coupled to said energy source to operate said energy source when said programmable circuit is not coupled thereto.

21. The combination of claim 20 comprising a printer coupled to said computer, said computer including a memory device in which said computer stores information relating to operation of said energy source, said computer causing said printer to print stored information relating to the operation of said energy source.

22. The combination of claim 21 comprising a display coupled to and controlled by said computer, said computer including a memory device in which said computer stores information relating to operation of said energy source, said computer causing said display to display stored information relating to the operation of said energy source.

23. The combination of claim 20 wherein said computer and said programmable circuit cooperate to program said programmable circuit to operate said energy source to cause it to emit wave energy with a given code.

24. The combination of claim 20 wherein said computer and said programmable circuit cooperate to program said programmable circuit to operate said energy source to cause it to emit wave energy only a given number of times and thereafter disable energization of said energy source.

25. The combination of claim 24 wherein said computer and said programmable circuit cooperate to program said programmable circuit in response to a given condition to again operate said energy source to cause it to emit wave energy for only a given number of times again, and thereafter again disable energization of said energy source.

26. The combination of claim 25 wherein said condition is reprogramming of said programmable circuit by said computer.

27. A toy for a shooting game having a plurality of player sets, each comprising:

a wave energy projector comprising a wave energy source which projects wave energy from said projector in response to an input signal;

a wave energy sensor providing signals responsive to wave energy received by said sensor emitted by another energy projector having another energy source compatible with said energy source;

a transmission circuit which energizes said energy source;

a programmable controller which causes said transmission circuit to energize said energy source according to a given code which is different for each player set or teams of player sets, processes said signals provided by said energy sensor, makes a determination that a hit has occurred when energy received by said energy sensor has been emitted by an energy source of another player set of said plurality of player sets and detects the code of the energy received from another player set; and

a programmable device removably couplable to a player set for programming the programmable controller thereof to cause said transmission circuit to energize said energy source according to a given code.

28. The toy of claim 27 comprising a programmed device removably coupled to a player set for receiving information from said controller relating to energization of said energy source and signals received from said energy sensor.

29. The toy of claim 28 wherein said programmed device process said information and provides statistics on at least one of the following:

the number of energizations of said energy source, and the number of hits determined;

another energy projector, said at least one circuit including a transmission being programmable to cause;

an input device coupled to said at least one circuit;

said at least one circuit being responsive to coded information provided by said input device to cause said toy to change its status or operation.