Remote control game system with selective component disablement

• US 7,704,119 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Different Dimensions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Janet E. Evans
• Inventors: Evans, Janet E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): RADA, ALEX P
• Application Number:
  US11/061,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20050186884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• Field of Search: 446454-456, 434/22, 434/23
• US Class Current: 446/454
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/14 Endless-track automobiles or trucks
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

A remote control game system comprises two or more game sets, each game set having one or more remote control vehicles and an associated control console. Each of the remote control vehicles comprises: a vehicle body; one or more offensive components mounted with the vehicle body; each of the offensive components operable to communicate at least one offensive signal; one or more sensors mounted with the vehicle body, each of the sensors operable to detect the offensive signal, and in response, to generate a hit signal; and one or more drive components. The drive components are (a) responsive to commands from the control console, to move the vehicle body and operate the offensive components, and (b) responsive to the hit signal to degrade operation of one or both of the vehicle body and offensive components.

Claims

1. A remote control game system, comprising two or more game sets, each game set having one or more remote control vehicles and an associated control console, each of the remote control vehicles having:

a vehicle body;

one or more offensive components mounted with the vehicle body, each of the offensive components operable to communicate at least one offensive signal;

a plurality of sensors mounted with the vehicle body, each of the sensors located at a different area of the vehicle body and operable to detect an offensive signal thereupon and, in response thereto, generate a hit signal received from an offensive signal from a second source separate from the vehicle; and

one or more drive components (a) responsive to commands from the control console, to move the vehicle body and operate the offensive components and (b) responsive to the hit signal,

wherein the hit signal will degrade operation one of a particular one of the drive components and the offensive components while leaving operation of another one of the drive components and offensive components unaffected, based upon the location of the sensor generating the hit signal.

2. The system of claim 1, each set of remote control vehicles and associated control console being in wireless communication.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the offensive signal comprises a light beam, and wherein at least one of the sensors comprises a detector that detects the light beam.

4. The system of claim 3, the light beam being modulated with encoded information, wherein at least one of the sensors is capable of decoding the information.

5. The system of claim 1, one or more of the remote control vehicles or control consoles being operable to interface with a network.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein software for one or more of the remote control vehicles or control consoles is downloaded from the network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the remote control vehicles simulates a tank, a boat, an airplane, a blimp, a helicopter, a glider, a spaceship, a car, a train, or an amphibious vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, at least one of the remote control vehicles comprising one or more vehicle displays, each vehicle display operable to visually simulate one or more of light, sound, and smoke.

9. The system of claim 8, at least one of the vehicle displays being mounted adjacent to one of the sensors.

10. The system of claim 9, the at least one vehicle display being configured to indicate an injury state.

11. The system of claim 1, at least one of the control consoles being operable to calculate and display at least one game related quantity, the game related quantity comprising one or more of a score, time, shots fired, type of shot, hits, misses, injuries, kills, fuel and ammunition.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a game area, wherein the game area, the vehicles and the control consoles cooperate to determine a position of at least one of the vehicles in the game area, the position being communicated to at least one control console.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the control console utilizes the position to generate a game area map display.

14. The system of claim 12, comprising at least one of a practice weapon and a practice target.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one digital camera, wherein at least one of the remote control vehicles being configured to transmit image data generated by the camera, wherein at least one control console is configured to display an image corresponding to the image data.

16. The system of claim 15, the control console configured to recognize images of opponent vehicles and overlay game related quantities adjacent to opponent vehicle images.

17. A computer readable medium storing a software product comprising instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, perform steps for selectively disabling components of a first of at least two remote control vehicles, each of the vehicles having movement capability and firing capability comprising:

instructions for determining when one of a plurality of sensors on the first vehicle receives a hit from an offensive signal from a second vehicle; and

instructions for degrading one of the first vehicle movement capability and the firing capability, based upon a location on the first vehicle of one of the plurality of sensors receiving the hit, while leaving the other of the first vehicle movement and firing capability unaffected.

18. The software product of claim 17, further comprising instructions for uploading software to the vehicle, wherein the software reconfigures game characteristics for the vehicle.

19. The software product of claim 17, further comprising instructions for responding to user input in a control console to command one or both of movement capability of and firing capability from the first vehicle.

20. The software product of claim 17, further comprising instructions for generating a laser beam, as the offensive signal, from a laser mounted with the second source, the second source being the second remote control vehicle.

21. The software product of claim 17, further comprising instructions for uploading software to a control console that controls the first vehicle, wherein the software configures game characteristics for the first vehicle.