Toy projectile launching system

• US 9,364,741 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2015
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eyespy Toys Limited
• Original Assignee: Eyespy Toys Limited
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Fernstrom, Kurt
• Application Number:
  US14/658,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20150238851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 458 Days
• Field of Search: 446/175, 446/429, 446/435, 446/473, 443/11, 443/14, 443/15, 443/16, 434/11, 434/14, 434/15, 434/16
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/0286 Discs
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2489 by radio transmitters, e.g. using RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/02 Shooting or hurling games throwing-implements for sports or recreational use A63B65/00; throwing or projecting toys per se A63H33/18; gun simulators F41A33/00, e.g. light- or radiation-emitting guns F41A33/02; practice apparatus for gun-aiming F41G3/26, e.g. using a light-emitting device F41G3/2616; targets, target ranges, bullet catchers F41J, photo-electric hit-detector systems F41J5/02
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0204 Targets therefor for ball games A63B63/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0252 Shooting devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0278 Projectiles A63F9/0208, A63F9/0247 and A63F9/0252 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 33/00 Adaptations for training adaptations of barrels for recoil reinforcement F41A21/26; Gun simulators teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26 ; shooting games A63F9/02; military simulation G09B9/003

Abstract

A toy projectile launching system including at least one toy projectile, and at least one toy launcher, each including a receptacle into which a projectile is loaded, a launching mechanism for physically launching a projectile after it is loaded into the receptacle, a target area sensitive to being hit by a projectile, and a display for presenting a message when a projectile, launched by another launcher, hits the target area.

Claims

1. A toy projectile launching system comprising:

at least one toy projectile; and

at least one toy launcher, each comprising;

a receptacle into which a projectile is loaded;

a launching mechanism for physically launching a projectile after it is loaded into said receptacle;

a target area sensitive to being hit by a projectile;

a display for presenting a message when a projectile, launched by another launcher, hits said target area; and

a wireless communications module, operable to transmit a message to the other launcher that launched the projectile, when that projectile hits said target area.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each projectile comprises an RFID tag, the system further comprising at least one RFID reader, operative to read the RFID tag of the projectile that hits said target area of a launcher.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the message presented by said display is based on the RFID tag of the projectile that hits said target area of the launcher.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each launcher comprises a dock for a smartphone, and wherein said wireless communications module comprises a smartphone that is docked in the launcher.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said display comprises a screen on the smartphone that is docked in the launcher.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said target area is located on the opposite face of said display.

7. A method for operating a toy projectile launching system comprising:

identifying a hit by a toy projectile on a target area of a toy launcher, the toy projectile having an RFID tag embedded therein;

reading the RFID tag when the projectile hits the target area of the launcher;

displaying a message, based on the RFID tag, subsequent to said reading; and

wirelessly transmitting a message to the launcher that launched the projectile, subsequent to said reading.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said wirelessly transmitting is performed via a smartphone that is docked in the launcher that is hit by the projectile.