Magnetically coupled accessory for a self-propelled device

• US 10,022,643 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sphero Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sphero Inc.
• Inventors: Bernstein, Ian H., Wilson, Adam, Kong, Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US15/281,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20170080352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 180 71, 180 74, 180210, 180212, 701 99
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 23/04 Self-propelled boats, ships or submarines
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/02 Model aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/10 Balloons connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; other than toy aspects B64B1/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/005 Motorised rolling toys
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/26 Magnetic or electric toys electric drives A63H29/22 ; indoor games played with small balls using magnetic power A63F7/0088, A63F7/068
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/00 Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/007 using magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 11/003 Electric or electronic control systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 39/00 Vehicle bodies not otherwise provided for , e.g. safety vehicles safety equipment B60R21/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/00 Motor vehicles or trailers, characterised by the arrangement or number of wheels, not otherwise provided for, e.g. four wheels in diamond pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A system comprising a self-propelled device and an accessory device. The self-propelled device includes a spherical housing, and a drive system provided within the spherical housing to cause the self-propelled device to roll. When the self-propelled device rolls, the self-propelled device and the accessory device magnetically interact to maintain the accessory device in contact with a top position of the spherical housing relative to an underlying surface on which the spherical housing is rolling on.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a controller device;

a self-propelled device comprising a spherical housing, a drive system provided within the spherical housing, one or more magnetic components, and an internal component that extends from the drive system to position the one or more magnetic components within an interior of the spherical housing, so as to be opposed to a point of contact between the spherical housing and an underlying surface; and

a hardware component to control at least the drive system based on user interaction with the controller device;

wherein the drive system, in maneuvering the spherical housing, causes the internal component to angularly displace relative to a vertical axis of the spherical housing, and wherein the controller device performs a feedback action in response to an event or condition.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive system includes a pair of wheels which are operable to enable the spherical housing to spin on the underlying surface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more magnetic components of the self-propelled device include at least two magnets that are dispersed within the spherical housing to stabilize an accessory device.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the accessory device, comprising one or more magnetic components and a contact surface having a radius of curvature that conforms to an exterior surface of the spherical housing, the contact surface of the accessory device being positionable along the exterior surface of the spherical housing to cause a magnetic interaction between the one or more magnetic components within the spherical housing and the one or more magnetic components of the accessory device;

wherein the drive system is operable under control of the controller device to cause the spherical housing to maneuver, including to roll on the underlying surface, the magnetic interaction causing the accessory device to maintain contact with the exterior surface of the spherical housing both as the spherical housing rolls and when the internal component is angularly displaced.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more magnetic components of the self-propelled device includes an electromagnet.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal component forces the drive system against the interior of the spherical housing.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive system maneuvers the spherical housing in any direction on the underlying surface when causing the internal component to displace.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware component receives user input from the controller device that is in wireless communication with the self-propelled device, the hardware component implementing the user input to control the drive system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the hardware component receives the user input directly from the user, and wherein the user input causes the drive system to maneuver the spherical housing in a particular manner that is determined from the user input by the hardware component.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the user input corresponds to a voice command, and wherein the hardware component comprises a processor to interpret the voice command as a directional command to cause the drive system to maneuver the spherical housing in a particular direction.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal component includes a biasing mechanism with a spring end that actively engages the interior of the spherical housing.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of actuators which cause the spherical housing to perform an emotive action.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the emotive action includes one or more of a head nod, a shake, a tremble, or a spin.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor to control at least one or more illumination sources to illuminate at least a portion of the spherical housing.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor illuminates each of the one or more illumination sources as a feedback response to a user interaction.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the spherical housing includes two hemispherical shells which are structured to open and allow access to internal electrical components of the self-propelled device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the internal electrical components of the self-propelled device include an energy storage.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive system is operable to accelerate or decelerate the self-propelled device to make the internal component angularly displace by a variable tilt angle that is more than 10 degrees with respect to the vertical axis, while the accessory device maintains continuous contact with the exterior surface of the spherical housing.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the variable tilt angle is more than 45 degrees with respect to the vertical axis.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal component that positions the one or more magnetic components includes a carrier.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal component is angularly displaced so as to maintain a constant angular range relative to the vertical axis of the spherical housing.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the constant angular range of the internal component includes an angular range of at least 10 degrees relative to the vertical axis of the spherical housing.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the constant angular range of the internal component includes an angular range of at least 45 degrees relative to the vertical axis of the spherical housing.

24. A system comprising:

a controller device;

a self-propelled device comprising a spherical housing, a drive system provided within the spherical housing, one or more magnetic components, and an internal component that extends from the drive system to position the one or more magnetic components within an interior of the spherical housing, so as to be opposed to a point of contact between the spherical housing and an underlying surface, wherein the drive system, in maneuvering the spherical housing, causes the internal component to angularly displace relative to a vertical axis of the spherical housing; and

a processor to control at least one or more illumination sources to illuminate at least a portion of the spherical housing as a feedback response to a user interaction.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

an accessory device comprising one or more magnetic components and a contact surface having a radius of curvature that conforms to an exterior surface of the spherical housing, the contact surface of the accessory device being positionable along the exterior surface of the spherical housing to cause a magnetic interaction between the one or more magnetic components within the spherical housing and the one or more magnetic components of the accessory device;

wherein the drive system is operable under control of the controller device to cause the spherical housing to maneuver, including to roll on the underlying surface, the magnetic interaction causing the accessory device to maintain contact with the exterior surface of the spherical housing both as the spherical housing rolls and when the internal component is angularly displaced.