Toy construction system
First Claim
1. A toy construction system comprising:
- a plurality of releasably interconnectable construction elements including one or more function construction elements each for performing a corresponding function, each function construction element including control connection means for communicating with one or more other construction elements of the toy construction system;
a data processing system having stored thereon computer program code configured to cause, when the computer program code is executed by the data processing system, the data processing system to provide a programming environment for generating one or more logic commands for controlling the one or more function elements;
an interface construction element comprising;
first connection means for providing a data-flow connection with the data processing system and for receiving said logic command from the data processing system,a processing unit configured to convert said logic command into a control signal for controlling a function of said at least one function construction element, andsecond connection means for providing a control connection with the at least one function construction element via the control connection means of the function construction element, and for outputting the control signal;
wherein the interface construction element is configured to detect at least a presence of the function construction element releasably connected to the interface construction element; and
to send information indicative of at least the presence of the connected function construction element to the data processing system; and
wherein the computer program code is configured to cause the data processing system to provide an adapted programming environment responsive to the received information about at least the presence of the connected function construction element.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A toy construction system comprising a plurality of construction elements including one or more function construction elements for performing corresponding functions and including control connection means for communicating with one or more other construction elements; a data processing system providing a programming environment for generating one or more logic commands for controlling the one or more function elements; and an interface construction element comprising first connection means for providing a data-flow connection with the data processing system and for receiving said logic command from the data processing system, a processing unit adapted to convert said logic command into a control signal for controlling a function of said at least one function construction element, and second connection means for providing a control connection with the at least one function construction element via the control connection means of the function construction element, and for outputting the control signal.
-
Citations
75 Claims
-
1. A toy construction system comprising:
-
a plurality of releasably interconnectable construction elements including one or more function construction elements each for performing a corresponding function, each function construction element including control connection means for communicating with one or more other construction elements of the toy construction system; a data processing system having stored thereon computer program code configured to cause, when the computer program code is executed by the data processing system, the data processing system to provide a programming environment for generating one or more logic commands for controlling the one or more function elements; an interface construction element comprising; first connection means for providing a data-flow connection with the data processing system and for receiving said logic command from the data processing system, a processing unit configured to convert said logic command into a control signal for controlling a function of said at least one function construction element, and second connection means for providing a control connection with the at least one function construction element via the control connection means of the function construction element, and for outputting the control signal; wherein the interface construction element is configured to detect at least a presence of the function construction element releasably connected to the interface construction element; and
to send information indicative of at least the presence of the connected function construction element to the data processing system; and
wherein the computer program code is configured to cause the data processing system to provide an adapted programming environment responsive to the received information about at least the presence of the connected function construction element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. A toy construction product comprising:
-
a plurality of releasably interconnectable construction elements including one or more function construction elements each for performing a corresponding function, each function construction element including control connection means for communicating with one or more other construction elements of the toy construction product; a computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer program code configured to cause, when the computer program code is executed by a data processing system, the data processing system to provide a programming environment for generating one or more logic commands for controlling the one or more function elements; an interface construction element comprising first connection means for providing a data-flow connection with the data processing system and for receiving said logic command from the data processing system, a processing unit configured to convert said logic command into a control signal for controlling a function of said at least one function construction element, and second connection means for providing a control connection with the at least one function construction element via the control connection means of the function construction element, and for outputting the control signal; wherein the interface construction element is configured to detect at least a presence of the function construction element releasably connected to the interface construction element; and
to send information indicative of at least the presence of the connected function construction element to the data processing system; and
wherein the computer program code is configured to cause the data processing system to provide an adapted programming environment responsive to the received information about at least the presence of the connected function construction element.
-
-
30. An interface construction element for a toy construction system, the toy construction system comprising a plurality of construction elements including one or more function construction elements each for performing a corresponding function, each function construction element including at least one connector for electrically connecting the function construction element with another construction element of the toy construction system via a corresponding connector of the other construction element;
- the interface construction element comprising;
a first connector for electrically connecting the interface construction element with a data processing system and for receiving a logic command from the data processing for controlling one or more function construction elements of the toy construction system; a processing unit configured to convert said logic command into a control signal for controlling a function of said at least one function construction element, and a second connector for electrically connecting the interface construction element with one of the at least one connectors of the at least one function construction element and for outputting the control signal; wherein the first connector is further configured to receive electrical power from the data processing system for driving the function of the function construction element;
wherein the second connector is further configured to output the received electrical power; and
wherein the interface construction element comprises a power control circuit for controlling the electrical power output by the interface construction element.- View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
- the interface construction element comprising;
-
45. A toy construction system comprising:
-
a plurality of construction elements including one or more function construction elements each for performing a corresponding function; one or more output construction elements each for generating an output signal; and one or more control construction elements each for controlling one or more function construction elements, each construction element including at least one control connector for electrically connecting the construction element with another construction element via a corresponding connector of the other construction element; wherein each function construction element includes an input control connector for receiving a control signal and is configured to perform a function responsive to the received control signal;
wherein each output construction element includes an output control connector for outputting the output signal; and
wherein each control construction element includes a configurable connector configured to selectively output a control signal for controlling at least one function construction element and to receive an output signal from the at least one output construction elements; and
wherein the control construction element comprises circuitry for detecting at least the type of a construction element connected to the control construction element via the configurable connector; and
wherein the control construction element is configured to configure the configurable connector responsive to the detected type. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
-
-
74. A control construction element for a toy construction system, the toy construction system including (i) a plurality of construction elements having one or more function construction elements, each for performing a corresponding function (ii) one or more output construction elements each for generating an output signal, and (iii) said control construction elements, each control construction element including at least one control connector for electrically connecting the construction element with another construction element via a corresponding connector of the other construction element;
- each function construction element including an input control connector for receiving a control signal and being configured to perform a function responsive to the received control signal, each output construction element including an output control connector for outputting the output signal;
wherein said control construction element is configured to control one or more function construction elements and includes a configurable connector for electrically connecting the control construction element with another construction element via a corresponding connector of the other construction element wherein the configurable connector is operable to selectively output a control signal for controlling at least one function construction element and to receive an output signal from the at least one output construction element;
wherein each control construction element comprises circuitry for detecting at least the type of a construction element connected to the control construction element via the configurable connector; and
wherein each control construction element configures the configurable connector responsive to the detected type.
- each function construction element including an input control connector for receiving a control signal and being configured to perform a function responsive to the received control signal, each output construction element including an output control connector for outputting the output signal;
-
75. An interface construction element for a toy construction system, the toy construction system comprising a plurality of releasably interconnectable construction elements including one or more function construction elements each for performing a corresponding function, each function construction element including control connection means for communicating with one or more other construction elements of the toy construction system;
- the interface construction element comprising;
first connection means for providing a data-flow connection with a data processing system having stored thereon computer program code configured to cause, when the computer program code is executed by the data processing system, the data processing system to provide a programming environment for generating one or more logic commands for controlling the one or more function elements, and wherein the first connection means is configured to receive said logic command from the data processing system; a processing unit configured to convert said logic command into a control signal for controlling a function of said at least one function construction element, and second connection means for providing a control connection with the at least one function construction element via the control connection means of the function construction element, and for outputting the control signal; wherein the interface construction element is configured to detect at least a presence of the function construction element releasably connected to the interface construction element; and
to send information indicative of at least the presence of the connected function construction element to the data processing system thereby enabling the computer program code to cause the data processing system to provide an adapted programming environment responsive to the received information about at least the presence of the connected function construction element.
- the interface construction element comprising;
Specification