Throw-and-catch based toy with free fall sensing, impact sensing, and speaker output

• US 9,839,859 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2016
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skwrl Design, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Skwrl Design, Inc.
• Inventors: Miller, John Hunter, McMorrow, Brenden Taylor
• Primary Examiner(s): Liddle, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): RADA, ALEX P
• Application Number:
  US15/258,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20170065898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/002 Games using balls, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/18 Throwing or slinging toys, e.g. flying disc toys discs used in athletics A63B65/10as part of a game A63F9/02; sling weapons F41B3/00; spring toy guns F41B7/08
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 5/00 Musical or noise- producing devices for additional toy effects other than acoustical musical tops A63H1/28; sound-producing dolls A63H3/28; musical toy vehicles A63H17/268; acoustical vehicle-signalling devices A63H17/32; whistling toy locomotive arrangements A63H19/14; music, sound or noise production in general G10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A throw-and-catch based toy with free fall sensing, impact sensing, and speaker output which includes a system, method and device for detecting a pre-determined motion from an accelerometer, comparing a sensed accelerometer information to a pre-determined accelerometer signature information, producing a sound based on the comparison of sensed accelerometer information to a pre-determined accelerometer signature information.

Claims

1. A device including:

a processor;

a speaker coupled to the processor;

an accelerometer coupled to the processor;

a non-transitory memory coupled to the processor, said memory including processor instructions directing the processor to perform a method comprising;

detecting at least one of the following sensed accelerometer informations from the accelerometer;

a shake sensed accelerometer information wherein the accelerometer detects one or more push accelerations of approximately two Gs over a duration of one second;

a hit sensed accelerometer information wherein the accelerometer detects a strike acceleration of greater than two Gs and a rebound deceleration, wherein both strike acceleration and rebound deceleration occur within a duration of less than one second;

or,

an airborne sensed accelerometer information in which the accelerometer detects an aerial acceleration of one-fifth of one G for a duration of at least one-tenth of one second,

comparing the sensed accelerometer information to a pre-determined accelerometer signature information,

producing a sound output from the speaker based on the comparison of sensed accelerometer information to a pre-determined accelerometer signature information.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the predetermined accelerometer signature information is one of the following predetermined accelerometer signatures:

a shake predetermined accelerometer signature wherein the accelerometer detects one or more push accelerations of approximately two Gs over a duration of one second;

a hit predetermined accelerometer signature wherein the accelerometer detects a strike acceleration of greater than two Gs and a rebound deceleration, wherein both strike acceleration and rebound deceleration occur over a duration of less than one second;

or,

an airborne predetermined accelerometer signature in which the accelerometer detects an aerial acceleration of one-fifth of one G for a duration of at least one-tenth of one second.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the sound produced is one of the following:

a shake sound;

a hit sound;

or,

an airborne sound.

4. The method of claim 1 further including an electronic input, the electronic input operable to cause the processor to execute code related to a game.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the processor executes a timer function with a pre-determined amount of time, and if the predetermined amount of time expires before the sensed accelerometer information has been detected, the processor causes the device to enter into a low-power mode.

6. A method comprising:

detecting a first sensed accelerometer information from an accelerometer connected to a device;

comparing the first sensed accelerometer information to an in-air accelerometer signature information,

wherein the in-air sensed accelerometer signature information indicates an airborne status of the device,

wherein the in-air sensed accelerometer signature information includes an aerial acceleration of one-fifth of one G for a duration of at least one-tenth of one second;

detecting an impact sensed accelerometer information from the accelerometer,

wherein the impact sensed accelerometer information is one of;

a light impact sensed accelerometer information or a medium impact sensed accelerometer information;

comparing the impact sensed accelerometer information to a impact accelerometer signature information,

wherein the impact accelerometer signature information is one of;

a light impact accelerometer signature information or a medium impact accelerometer signature information;

upon determining if both the first sensed accelerometer information approximates the in-air accelerometer signature information and the impact sensed accelerometer information approximates the impact accelerometer signature information,

producing a sound output from the speaker based on the comparison of the impact sensed accelerometer information with the impact accelerometer signature information.

7. The method of claim 6,

wherein the light impact sensed accelerometer information comprises a light impact acceleration of at least two Gs with a jerk greater than or equal to two Gs, and wherein the light impact acceleration is less than or equal to fourteen Gs,

wherein the medium impact sensed accelerometer information comprises a medium impact acceleration of greater than fourteen Gs.

8. The method of claim 7,

wherein the sound output produced is either a congratulatory sound, an evocative sound or a vanquishment sound,

further including the steps of:

upon determining that the impact sensed accelerometer information detected approximates a light impact motion;

producing the congratulatory sound; and

upon determining that the impact sensed accelerometer information detected approximates a medium impact motion;

producing the vanquishment sound.

9. The method of claim 6, further including the steps of:

producing an evocative sound from the speaker wherein the evocative sound encourages a user to toss of the device;

initializing an in-air countdown timer to the first predetermined amount time;

detecting the in-air sensed accelerometer information from the accelerometer;

executing a premature comparison of the in-air sensed accelerometer information to the in-air accelerometer signature information before the expiration of the first predetermined amount of time on the in-air countdown timer has elapsed,

wherein the premature comparison can result in a success or failure;

executing a contemporaneous comparison of the in-air sensed accelerometer information to the in-air accelerometer signature information approximately upon the expiration of the first predetermined amount of time on the in-air countdown timer has elapsed

wherein the contemporaneous comparison can result in a success or failure; and

,

executing a mature comparison of the in-air sensed accelerometer information to the in-air accelerometer signature information after the expiration of the first predetermined amount of time on the in-air countdown timer has elapsed,

wherein the mature comparison can result in success or failure.

10. The method of claim 9, further including the steps of

determining whether the contemporaneous comparison or the mature comparison results in success;

upon determining that either the contemporaneous comparison or the mature comparison results in success;

producing a congratulatory sound output from the speaker.

11. The method of claim 9, further including the steps of:

determining whether the contemporaneous comparison or the mature comparison results in failure; and

,

upon determining that either the contemporaneous comparison or the mature comparison results in failure;

producing a vanquishment sound output from the speaker.

12. The method of claim 9, further including the steps of:

determining whether the premature comparison results in success; and

,

upon determining that the premature comparison results in success;

producing the evocative sound output from the speaker.

13. A method comprising:

preparing a first command on a device connected to an accelerometer, wherein the first command is related to one of the following;

a twirling motion, a tossing motion, a catching motion, a hitting motion, a sustained movement, an impact motion, a shaking motion or a motion of rest,

wherein the twirling motion is a twirling movement of a device around a user as the device is held by the user rotating approximately in place,

wherein the twirling motion includes an twirl positive jerk, a twirl acceleration, and a twirl negative jerk,

wherein the sustained movement includes a jerk of one-fifth of one G for a duration of one quarter of one second;

pushing the first command onto a stack;

producing a first sound output from a speaker encouraging a user to perform the first command;

detecting a first sensed accelerometer information from the accelerometer based on a first predetermined motion,

wherein the first sensed accelerometer information is related to twirling, tossing, catching, hitting, sustained movement, impact, shaking or resting,

wherein the first predetermined motion is related to one of the following;

the twirling motion, the tossing motion, the catching motion, the hitting motion, the sustained movement, the impact motion, the shaking motion or the motion of rest;

comparing the first sensed accelerometer information to a first accelerometer signature information,

wherein the accelerometer signature information is related to one of the following;

the twirling motion, the tossing motion, the catching motion, the hitting motion, the sustained movement, the impact motion, the shaking motion or the motion of rest; and

upon determining if the first sensed accelerometer information approximates the first accelerometer signature information,

preparing a second command, wherein the second command is be related to one of the following;

the twirling motion, the tossing motion, the catching motion, the hitting motion, the sustained movement, the impact motion, the shaking motion or the motion of rest;

pushing the second command onto a stack;

producing a second sound output from the speaker encouraging a user to perform the first command.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein preparation of the first command is user-selectable.