Electronic pet and pet interaction system thereof

• US 8,649,922 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Shu, Ching-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Shelley
• Application Number:
  US13/929,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20130289869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 228 Days
• Field of Search: 700/248
• US Class Current: 701/21
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/14 Control of attitude or depth of torpedoes F42B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/24 Automatic depth adjustment; Safety equipment for increasing buoyancy, e.g. detachable ballast, floating bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/18 Water
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 3/02 Anti-collision systems

Abstract

A electronic pet contains a diving device which includes a sealed main body with at least one flexible portion disposed on at least one part of the main body wherein the sealed main body is sealed from water external to the sealed main body by the at least one flexible portion together with the main body, and an actuator, directly connected to the flexible portion through a transmission shaft, wherein the actuator is adapted for controlling the air density of the diving device by pulling or pushing the flexible portion inwards or outwards through the transmission shaft respectively. The electronic pet also includes a driving device, a sensing device used to sense light, sound and contact/non-contact stimulations from an external environment, a signal transceiver device used to transceive signals to and from devices other than the electronic pet, and a processor.

Claims

1. An electronic pet, comprising:

a diving device which comprises;

a sealed main body with at least one flexible portion disposed on at least one part of the main body wherein the sealed main body is sealed from water external to the sealed main body by the at least one flexible portion together with the main body; and

an actuator, directly connected to the flexible portion through a transmission shaft, wherein the actuator is adapted for controlling the air density of the diving device by pulling or pushing the flexible portion inwards or outwards through the transmission shaft respectively;

a driving device, used to propel the electronic pet for movement;

a sensing device, sensing light and sound of an external environment and generating a sensing signal;

a signal communicating device, receiving signals to and from devices other than the electronic pet and generating an external device signal; and

a processor, wherein the sensing device transmits the sensing signal to the processor, the signal communicating device transmits the external device signal to the processor, and the processor processes the sensing signal and the external device signal and controls the driving device, the sensing device and the signal communicating device.

2. The electronic pet of claim 1, further comprising a non-contact charging device, wherein the processor controls the driving device to make the charging device of electronic pet approach a non-contact charging dock for charging.

3. The electronic pet of claim 1, further comprising at least a side plate, wherein the processor controls the side plate.

4. The electronic pet of claim 1, further comprising at least a front plate, wherein the processor controls the front plate.

5. The electronic pet of claim 1, further comprising at least a light source, wherein the processor controls the light source.

6. The electronic pet of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of light-emitting devices, wherein the processor controls the light emitting devices, and when the front plate moves, the light-emitting devices are exposed.

7. The electronic pet of claim 1, wherein the sensing device includes a light sensor, a sound sensor, an ultra-wide band sensor, at least a set of pressure sensors, a motion sensor or any combination thereof.

8. The electronic pet of claim 1, wherein the signal communicating device includes an infrared transceiver, a radio transceiver or a combination thereof.

9. The electronic pet of claim 1, further comprising a leakage detecting device, the leakage detecting device comprising:

a transparent chamber;

a water absorbing element, wherein the water absorbing element is disposed in the transparent chamber.

10. The electronic pet of claim 9, wherein when the water absorbing element absorbs water, the water absorbing element expands and changes color.

11. The electronic pet of claim 1, further comprising a waterproof device disposed in a penetrating hole of the electronic pet, wherein the waterproof device is penetrated by an axis of the penetrating hole, and the waterproof device and a sidewall of the penetrating hole are in close contact, so as to achieve bidirectional waterproof and pressure-resistant functions.

12. The electronic pet of claim 11, wherein the waterproof device is formed by stacking two sets of bear rings, a waterproof material layer and two sets of oil seals, one of the sets of bear rings is disposed on each of two sides of the waterproof material layer, and an external side of each of the set of bear rings has one of the oil seals, the two oil seals facing opposite direction, the sets of bear rings and the waterproof material layer are connected to the axis and are in close contact with the sidewall of the penetrating hole, so as to achieve bidirectional waterproof and pressure-resistant abilities.

13. The electronic pet of claim 11, wherein the waterproof device is penetrated by an axis of the driving device.

14. The electronic pet of claim 11, wherein the axis of the penetrating hole moves in a linear direction and the waterproof device comprises a copper sleeve bear ring.

15. The electronic pet of claim 1, further comprising a dummy, wherein the dummy provides a dummy signal to the electronic pet.

16. The electronic pet of claim 15, further comprising a dummy, wherein dummy performs a reacting action according to the dummy signal.

17. The electronic pet of claim 15, wherein the dummy comprises a temperature sensor, a motion sensor, a light sensor, a sound sensor, a pressure sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope or any combination thereof, so as to generate the dummy signal according to the external environment or actions of a user.

18. The electronic pet of claim 1, wherein the air density of the diving device of the electronic pet is sufficiently close to the density of material encompassing the electronic pet in an environment, which makes the electronic pet being able to be floating in any position of the environment by controlling the volume of the diving device.

19. The electronic pet of claim 1, further comprising a collision avoidance system comprising one or a plurality of sensors.

20. The electronic pet of claim 1, wherein the driving device comprising a left driving assembly and a right driving assembly, symmetrically disposed on the electronic pet, for respectively providing power to drive the electronic pet moving forward, backward, leftward or rightward.

21. The electronic pet of claim 20, wherein in the left driving assembly and right driving assembly, each of which includes a motor and a propeller driven by the motor.