Methods and apparatus for leveraging a mobile phone or mobile computing device for use in controlling model vehicles
First Claim
1. A wireless transmitter device for use with a mobile computing device to control a radio-enabled model vehicle, the wireless transmitter device comprising:
- a housing to physically affix the wireless transmitter device to the mobile computing device;
a communications interface to receive an electrical control signal from the mobile computing device; and
a radio transmitter module to receive the electrical control signal, translate the electrical control signal into a radio control signal, and broadcast the radio control signal to a receiver residing within the radio-enabled model vehicle.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for utilizing a mobile computing device (e.g., such as a mobile phone) for use in controlling a model vehicle are described. Consistent with some embodiments, a mobile computing device provides various user controls for generating signals that are communicated to a radio transmitter device coupled with the mobile computing device, and ultimately broadcast to a receiver residing at a model vehicle. With some embodiments, the mobile computing device may be integrated with a controller housing which provides separate user controls, such that a combination of user controls present on the mobile computing device and the controller housing can be used to control a model vehicle.
-
Citations
37 Claims
-
1. A wireless transmitter device for use with a mobile computing device to control a radio-enabled model vehicle, the wireless transmitter device comprising:
-
a housing to physically affix the wireless transmitter device to the mobile computing device; a communications interface to receive an electrical control signal from the mobile computing device; and a radio transmitter module to receive the electrical control signal, translate the electrical control signal into a radio control signal, and broadcast the radio control signal to a receiver residing within the radio-enabled model vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A machine-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor of a mobile computing device, cause the mobile computing device to perform operations including:
-
generate an electrical control signal for transmission to a receiver of a model vehicle, the electrical control signal including individual control signals for controlling different control mechanisms of the radio-enabled model vehicle; and communicate the electrical control signal to a wireless transmitter device over a communications interface of the mobile computing device, thereby enabling the wireless transmitter device to translate the electrical control signal into a radio control signal for broadcast to the receiver of the model vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
-
31. A controller housing configured to receive and communicate with a mobile computing device, the controller housing, when coupled with the mobile computing device, operable as a controller for a radio-enabled model vehicle, the controller housing comprising:
-
one or more user controls, each user control for generating an individual control signal for controlling a control mechanism of a model vehicle; a communications interface to communicate the individual control signals generated by the one or more user controls to the mobile computing device that is attached to the controller housing via the communications interface, and to receive from the mobile computing device an electrical control signal that includes one or more individual control signals for controlling individual control mechanisms of the model vehicle; and a radio transmitter module interface to communicate the electrical control signal received from the mobile computing device to a radio transmitter module so as to enable the radio transmitter module to translate the electrical control signal to a radio control signal for transmission to a receiver of the model vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
-
Specification