System, method, and apparatus for bi-directional infrared communication

• US 6,893,346 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2002
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spin Master Incorporated (Spin Master Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Shoot The Moon Products II LLC
• Inventors: Small, David, Hair, James M. III
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US10/170,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20030153387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 463 40- 42, 463 49- 57, 446405-407, 446/473, 42 54- 58, 124/3, 342 52- 58, 455/73, 455/90.2, 398/140, 379/56.1, 379/56.3
• US Class Current: 463/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/40 Transceivers

Abstract

An infrared (IR) communication device for audible sound communication over an infrared beam. The IR communication device includes an IR receiver, an IR transmitter, a speaker, and a microphone 210. The IR receiver receives the incoming IR beam. The IR transmitter 206 generates the IR output beam. A pair of IR communication devices form an IR communication system with a pair of IR communication channels. Simplex and full duplex IR communication may be provided over one or a pair of IR communication channels.

Claims

1. A toy for voice communication comprising:

a housing having a first end and a second end;

an infrared transceiver coupled to the housing at the first end, the infrared transceiver to transmit a transmit voice signal over a first infrared beam and to receive a received voice signal over a second infrared beam;

a microphone coupled to the housing at the second end, the microphone to receive a sound and generate the transmit voice signal for transmission on the first infrared beam, and

a speaker coupled to the housing between the first end and the second end, the speaker to transduce the received voice signal received from the second infrared beam into a reproduced sound.

2. The toy of claim 1, further comprising:

a talk switch coupled to the housing, the talk switch to enable transmission of the transmit voice signal over the first infrared beam.

3. The toy of claim 2, wherein

the talk switch further disables the transduction of the received voice signal into the reproduced sound.

4. The toy of claim 1, wherein

the infrared transceiver includes an infrared light emitting diode and an infrared photodiode, the infrared light emitting diode to transmit the transmit voice signal over the first infrared beam and the photodiode to receive the received voice signal over the second infrared beam.

5. The toy of claim 4, wherein

the infrared light emitting diode is electrically coupled to the microphone when the talk switch is enabled to transmit the transmit voice signal over the first infrared beam,

and the photodiode to receive the received voice signal over the second infrared beam.

6. The toy of claim 4, wherein

the photodiode electrically coupled to the speaker to receive the received voice signal over the second infrared beam and to transduce the received voice signal into the reproduced sound.

7. A method for communication over an infrared channel, the method comprising:

aligning a first infrared transceiver at a first end with a second infrared transceiver at a second end to form an infrared channel;

and,

at the first end of the infrared channel,

receiving audible input sounds;

converting the audible input sounds into a transmit electrical signal, the transmit electrical signal responsive to a spectrum of the audible input sounds;

converting the transmit electrical signal into an infrared signal, the infrared signal responsive to the spectrum of audible input sounds; and

transmitting the infrared signal over the infrared channel.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

prior to converting the transmit electrical signal,

amplifying the magnitude of the transmit electrical signal.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

at the second end of the infrared channel,

receiving the infrared signal over the infrared channel;

converting the infrared signal into a received electrical signal, and

converting the received electrical signal into audible output sounds, the audible output sounds representing the audible input sounds.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

prior to converting the received electrical signal into audible output sounds,

amplifying the magnitude of the received electrical signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein

the amplifying of the magnitude of the received electrical signal is variable to vary the amplitude of the audible output sounds.

12. A toy set for bi-directional voice communication by children, the toy set comprising:

a first toy infrared (IR) communication device and a second toy IR communication device for voice communication therebetween over one or more infrared communication channels, each of the IR communication devices including

a microphone to receive and transduce voice sounds into voice transmit signals;

an infrared transmitter coupled to the microphone, the infrared transmitter to transduce the voice transmit signals into infrared signals of an infrared output light beam,

an infrared receiver to receive an infrared input light beam and to transduce infrared signals therein into received voice signals; and

,

a speaker coupled to the infrared receiver, the speaker to transduce the received voice signals into audible voice sounds.

13. The toy set of claim 12, wherein, each toy IR communication device, further includes

a housing to hold components together as a unit.

14. The toy set of claim 12, wherein, each toy IR communication device further includes

a talk switch to enable transmission of the voice transmit signals and disable the speaker.

15. The toy set of claim 14, wherein, each toy IR communication device further includes

a volume to control the amplitude of the audible voice sounds.

16. The toy set of claim 15, wherein, each toy IR communication device further includes

an on/off switch to switch power on and off to the toy IR communication device.

17. The toy set of claim 16, wherein, each toy IR communication device further includes

a battery to provide the power.

18. The toy set of claim 17 wherein, each toy IR communication device further includes

one or more lenses to focus the infrared input light beam into the infrared receiver and to collimate the infrared radiation from the infrared transmitter into the infrared output light beam.

19. The toy set of claim 18, wherein, the one or more lenses are fresnel lenses.

20. The toy set of claim 18, wherein, each toy IR communication device further includes

a sight to assist in pointing the toy IR communication device.

21. The toy set of claim 20, wherein,

the sight includes a lens and an eye cup at one end.

22. The toy set of claim 20, wherein, each toy IR communication device further includes

a housing to hold components together as a unit.

23. A method of bi-directional voice communication between children, the method comprising:

pointing a first toy IR communicator towards a second toy IR communicator;

pointing the second toy IR communicator towards the first toy IR communicator;

receiving a first audible voice at the first toy IR communicator;

transducing the first audible voice into a first electrical transmit voice signal;

transducing and transmitting the first electrical transmit voice signal into infrared voice signals of a first infrared light beam;

receiving the first infrared light beam at the second toy IR communicator;

transducing the infrared signals of the first infrared light beam into a first electrical received voice signal,

coupling the first electrical received voice signal to a first speaker;

and,

transducing the first electrical received voice signal into a reproduced first audible voice at the second toy IR communicator.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a second audible voice at the second toy IR communicator;

transducing the second audible voice into a second electrical transmit voice signal;

transducing and transmitting the second electrical transmit voice signal into infrared voice signals of a second infrared light beam;

receiving the second infrared light beam at the first toy IR communicator;

transducing the infrared signals of the second infrared light beam into a second electrical received voice signal;

coupling the second electrical received voice signal to a second speaker;

and,

transducing the second electrical received voice signal into a reproduced second audible voice at the first toy IR communicator.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein, the first toy IR communicator and the second toy IR communicator each include

an IR transmitter and an IR receiver to transduce between infrared signals and electrical signals.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein,

the first toy IR communicator and the second toy IR communicator each include

a microphone and a speaker to transduce between electrical signals and audible sounds.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

the transmitting of the infrared voice signals of the first infrared light beam includes

collimating the infrared voice signals into the first infrared light beam;

and,

the receiving of the first infrared light beam includes

focusing the first infrared light beam.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

the transmitting of the infrared voice signals of the second infrared light beam includes

collimating the infrared voice signals into the second infrared light beam;

and,

the receiving of the second infrared light beam includes

focusing the second infrared light beam.

29. A toy IR communicator comprising:

a battery;

an on/off switch having a first pole and second pole, the first pole coupled to the battery and the second pole coupled to a power supply node to provide power thereto;

a microphone to receive an audible voice sound and generate a transmit electrical voice signal;

first operational amplifier coupled to power supply node and having an input coupled to the microphone, the first operational amplifier to generate an amplified transmit electrical voice signal at an output in response to the transmit electrical voice signal;

a first talk switch having a first pole and a second pole, the first pole coupled to first operational amplifier to receive the amplified transmit electrical voice signal;

an infrared transmitter coupled to the second pole of the first talk switch and the power supply node, the infrared transmitter to transduce the amplified transmit electrical voice signal into an infrared voice signal of an infrared output light beam in response to the first talk switch being closed;

an infrared receiver to receive an infrared input light beam and to transduce infrared signals therein into a received electrical voice signal;

a second talk switch having a first pole and a second pole, the first pole of the second talk switch coupled to the infrared receiver, the second pole of the second talk switch coupled to the power supply node through a resistor;

an audio amplifier having an input and an output, the input of the audio amplifier coupled to the second pole of the second talk switch, the audio amplifier to receive the received electrical voice signal in response to the second talk switch being closed and to variably amplify the received electrical voice signal into an amplified received electrical voice signal on its output;

and,

a speaker coupled to the output of the audio amplifier, the speaker to transduce the amplified received electrical voice signal into an reproduced audible voice sound.

30. The toy IR communicator of claim 29, wherein

a volume control to control the gain of the audio amplifier to variably amplify the received electrical voice signal.

31. The toy IR communicator of claim 29, wherein

the first talk switch is normally open and the second talk switch is normally closed, and

the toy IR communicator further includes

a talk button to close the first talk switch and open the second talk switch.

32. The toy IR communicator of claim 29, wherein

the infrared transmitter includes

a infrared light emitting diode (LED) having a first terminal coupled to the power supply node and a second terminal coupled to a collector of a bipolar junction transistor, and

the bipolar junction transistor having a base coupled to the second pole of the first switch and an emitter coupled to ground through a resistor.

33. The toy IR communicator of claim 29, wherein

the infrared receiver includes

a photo diode (LED) having a first terminal coupled to ground and a second terminal coupled to and input of a second operational amplifier, and

the second operational amplifier having an output coupled to the first pole of the second talk switch.

34. The toy IR communicator of claim 29, wherein

the audio amplifier includes

a variable resistor having a first terminal coupled to the second pole of the second talk switch and a second terminal coupled to an input of a third operational amplifier,

the variable resistor to control the gain of the audio amplifier to variably amplify the received electrical voice signal, and

the third operational amplifier having an output coupled to the speaker.

35. The toy IR communicator of claim 29 further comprising:

one or more lenses to focus the infrared input light beam into the infrared receiver and to collimate the infrared radiation from the infrared transmitter into the infrared output light beam.

36. The toy IR communicator of claim 35, wherein,

the one or more lenses are fresnel lenses.

37. The toy IR communicator of claim 29 further comprising:

a housing to hold components together as a unit.

38. The toy IR communicator of claim 37, wherein,

the housing includes

a sight to assist in pointing the toy IR communicator.

39. The toy IR communicator of claim 38, wherein,

the sight includes a lens and an eye cup at one end.