Mobile device controllable with user hand gestures

• US 10,055,023 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2017
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Degtyarev, Konstantin, Juliano, Corey Lynn, Lentini, Matthew, Voorhees, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin
• Application Number:
  US15/589,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20170308175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 340 551
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/36 Steering-mechanisms for toy vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/00 Remote-control arrangements specially adapted for toys, e.g. for toy vehicles steering mechanisms for toy vehicles A63H17/36; for model railways A63H19/24, A63H19/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

A mobile device includes a body, at least one drive wheel coupled with the body, a control structure configured to automatically control rotational movements of the at least one drive wheel so as to selectively control movement of the body, and a motion detection system coupled with the control structure and configured to detect a plurality of different movements of a user. The control structure controls rotational movements of the at least one drive wheel to effect different movements of the body based upon different detected movements of the user.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a body;

at least one drive wheel coupled with the body;

a control structure configured to automatically control rotational movements of the at least one drive wheel so as to selectively control movement of the body; and

a motion detection system coupled with the control structure and configured to detect a plurality of different movements of a user, the motion detection system including;

a plurality of sensor elements, wherein each sensor element is positioned on a different portion of the body; and

a detector configured to detect different movements of the user based upon a detected characteristic of the sensor elements with respect to the movements of the user,

wherein different movements of the user detected by the motion detection system comprise hand or body part gestures by the user in which the user moves a hand or body part in one or more directions at a selected distance from a selected portion of the body of the mobile device and in a selected sequence over at least two sensor elements, and wherein the control structure controls rotational movements of the at least one drive wheel to effect different movements of the body of the mobile device based upon different detected movements of the user.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor elements is a plurality of IR (infrared) emitters, wherein each IR emitter emits an IR signal of light that is different from an IR signal of light emitted by every other IR emitter;

and

wherein the detector is an IR detector configured to detect different IR signals emitted by the IR emitters and that are reflected from a travel path of emission of the IR signals by the IR emitters.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the control structure comprises:

memory including control instructions; and

a processor configured to utilize the control instructions stored within memory and electric signals provided by the IR detector to control rotational movements of the at least one drive wheel and corresponding movements of the body of the mobile device, wherein the electric signals provided by the IR detector correspond with detection of different reflected IR signals.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the control structure comprises:

memory including control instructions; and

a processor configured to utilize the control instructions stored within memory and electric signals provided by the detector to control rotational movements of the at least one drive wheel and corresponding movements of the body of the mobile device, wherein the electric signals provided by the detector correspond with detection of different movements of the user.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the different movements of the user result in the control structure effecting different movements of the body of the mobile device that comprise at least two of:

forward movement of the body, reverse movement of the body, combined forward and left movement of the body, combined forward and right movement of the body, combined reverse and left movement of the body, and combined reverse and right movement of the body.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising one or more proximity sensors disposed at least one of on a front end of the body of the mobile device and on a rear end of body of the mobile device, wherein the one or more proximity sensors effect a change of movement of the body of the mobile device via control of the at least one drive wheel in response to detection of an obstacle at a selected distance from the one or more proximity sensors.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising one or more output devices comprising at least one of an audio output device, a video output device and a light emission output device, wherein the control structure is further configured to control the one or more output devices to provide different outputs based upon different controlled movements imparted to the body of the mobile device.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising at least one input device that is operable by the user to change operation of the mobile device, via control of rotational movements of the at least one drive wheel by the control structure and based upon detected movements of the user, from one mode of operation to another mode of operation.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel, wherein the control structure is configured to control rotational movements of the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel such that, in a first mode of operation, the first and second drive wheel are rotated together in a same direction and, in a second mode of operation, the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel are rotated together in different directions.

10. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a toy vehicle including four wheels coupled with the toy vehicle, and at least one of the four wheels is configured as a drive wheel automatically controlled by the control structure.

11. A method of controlling movements of a mobile device, the mobile device including a body, at least one drive wheel coupled with the body, a control structure configured to automatically control rotational movements of the at least one drive wheel, and a motion detection system coupled with the control structure, the method comprising:

detecting movements of a user via the motion detection system, the motion detection system including;

a plurality of sensor elements, wherein each sensor element is positioned on a different portion of the body; and

a detector configured to detect different movements of the user based upon a detected characteristic of the sensor elements with respect to the movements of the user,

wherein different movements of the user detected by the motion detection system comprise hand or body part gestures by the user in which the user moves a hand or body part in one or more directions at a selected distance from a selected portion of the body of the mobile device and in a selected sequence over at least two sensor elements, and

via the control structure, controlling rotational movements of the at least one drive wheel to effect different movements of the body of the mobile device based upon different detected movements of the user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensor elements is a plurality of IR (infrared) emitters and the detector is an IR detection sensor, and the detecting movements of the user comprises:

emitting from each IR emitter an IR signal of light that is different from an IR signal of light emitted by every other IR emitter; and

detecting at the IR detection sensor different IR signals emitted by the IR emitters and that are reflected from the travel path of emission of the IR signals by the IR emitters.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the control structure comprises memory including control instructions and a processor, and controlling rotational movements of the at least one drive wheel comprises:

providing electric signals by the IR detection sensor that correspond with detection of different reflected IR signals; and

via the processor, utilizing the control instructions stored within memory and electric signals provided by the IR detection sensor to control rotational movements of the at least one drive wheel and corresponding movements of the body of the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the control structure comprises memory including control instructions and a processor, and controlling rotational movements of the at least one drive wheel comprises:

providing electric signals by the detector that correspond with detection of different movements of the user; and

via the processor, utilizing the control instructions stored within memory and electric signals provided by the detector to control rotational movements of the at least one drive wheel and corresponding movements of the body of the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the movements of the user result in the control structure effecting different movements of the body of the mobile device that comprise at least two of:

forward movement of the body, reverse movement of the body, combined forward and left movement of the body, combined forward and right movement of the body, combined reverse and left movement of the body, and combined reverse and right movement of the body.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the mobile device further comprises one or more proximity sensors disposed at least one of on a front end of the body of the mobile device and on a rear end of body of the mobile device, and the controlling rotational movements of the at least one drive wheel further comprises:

changing movement of the body of the mobile device via control of the at least one drive wheel in response to detection of an obstacle at a selected distance from the one or more proximity sensors.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the mobile device further comprises one or more output devices comprising at least one of an audio output device, a video output device and a light emission output device, wherein the method further comprises:

controlling, via the control structure, the one or more output devices to provide different outputs based upon different controlled movements imparted to the body of the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the mobile device further comprises at least one input device, and the method further comprises:

in response to operation of the input device by the user, changing an operation of the mobile device, by controlling rotational movements of the at least one drive wheel by the control structure and based upon detected movements of the user, from one mode of operation to another mode of operation.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the mobile device further comprises a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel, and the method further comprises:

via the control structure, controlling rotational movements of the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel such that, in a first mode of operation, the first and second drive wheel are rotated together in a same direction and, in a second mode of operation, the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel are rotated together in different directions.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the mobile device comprises a toy vehicle including four wheels coupled with the body of the mobile device, and at least one of the four wheels is configured as a drive wheel automatically controlled by the control structure.