Toy car camera system and rear vision mirrors

• US 6,497,608 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sambo Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sambo Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Ho, Heng-Chun, Liu, Shu-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Ackun, Jacob K.
• Application Number:
  US09/803,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20020111117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 446/454, 446/456, 446/431, 446/457, 446/460, 446/462, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 348/114
• US Class Current: 446/456
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/00 Toy vehicles, e.g. with self-drive; convertible into other toys A63H33/003; Cranes, winches or the like; Accessories therefor traffic games with figures moved by players A63F9/14
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/32 Acoustical or optical signalling devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

A remote control toy car set comprising a toy car with a housing having a driving device, a camera system, and a first radio module. The camera system is fixed on the housing for taking images of the toy car in motion and generating corresponding image signals, and the first radio module is fixed on the housing and electrically connects with both the driving device and the camera system. The first radio module transfers the image signals from the camera system and receives radio control signals in order to control the operations of the driving device. The remote control toy car set also includes a remote control device for controlling the toy car. The remote control device includes a display for displaying images, a remote control interface for generating control signals, and a second radio module for transferring both the image signals from the toy car to the display and the control signals from the remote control interface to the toy car.

Claims

1. A remote-controlled toy car set comprising:

a toy car comprising;

a housing with a driving device;

a camera system for taking images and generating corresponding image signals, the camera system mounted on a camera driving device that is attached to the housing for controlling the direction of the camera system;

at least one rear vision mirror attached to the camera system for reflecting images behind the camera system to the camera system so as to allow the camera system to take images from behind the housing; and

a first radio module fixed on the housing and electrically connecting with the driving device, the camera system, and the camera driving device, for transferring of the image signals from the camera system and receiving radio control signals in order to control the operations of the driving device and the camera driving device; and

a remote control device for controlling the toy car comprising;

a display for displaying images;

a remote control interface for generating control signals; and

a second radio module, electrically connected with the display and the remote control interface, for transferring both the image signals from the toy car to the display and the control signals from the remote control interface to the toy car;

wherein the camera system shows self-taken images on the display of the remote control device, and a user uses the remote control device to control the toy car according to the images on the display and to control the direction of the camera system.

2. The remote-controlled toy car set of claim 1 wherein the camera system comprises two cameras of different positioning for generating parallax images that are then displayed as 3-D images on the display of the remote control device.

3. A remote-controlled toy car set comprising;

a toy car comprising;

a housing;

a camera system for taking images and generating corresponding image signals, the camera system mounted on a camera driving device that is attached to the housing for controlling the direction of the camera system;

at least one rear vision mirror attached to the camera system for reflecting images behind the camera system to the camera system so as to allow the camera system to simultaneously take images both ahead of the toy car and behind the housing;

a first radio module, fixed on the housing and electrically connecting with the camera system, for transferring the image signals from the camera system;

a driving system with a driving device within the housing for driving the toy car; and

a second radio module fixed on the toy car and electrically connecting with the driving device and the camera driving device for receiving control signals to control the operations of the driving device and the camera driving device; and

a remote control device for controlling the toy car comprising;

a remote control interface for generating control signals; and

a third radio module, electrically connected with the remote control interface, for transferring the control signals from the remote control interface to the second radio module of the toy car; and

a display system comprising;

a display for displaying images, and

a fourth radio module, electrically connected with the display, for receiving images signals from the first radio module of the toy car and transferring them to the display;

wherein the camera system shows self-taken images on the display of the display system, and a user uses the remote control device to control the toy car according to the images on the display and to control the direction of the camera system.

4. The remote-controlled toy car set of claim 3 wherein the camera system comprises two cameras of different positioning for generating parallax images, and the display comprises a pair of head up display (HUD) glasses for displaying 3-D images to the user.