TOUCH SCREEN REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE FOR USE WITH A TOY

• US 20090256822A1
• Filed: 04/15/2009
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Sosnovskiy, Vladimir, Amireh, Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 8,564,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

A remote control device having a touch screen for remotely directing a toy, such as a remote control vehicle or airplane, is provided.

Claims

1. A remote control device for controlling a remote control vehicle comprising:

a touch surface including one or more capacitive touch sensors, each touch sensor corresponding to one or more of a direction and a speed;

a control circuit connected to each of the one or more touch sensors, the control circuit being configured to energize the touch sensors and to detect variance in capacitance of the touch sensors; and

a transmitter connected to the control circuit and configured to transmit control signals;

wherein upon detection of variance in the capacitance of the one or more sensing elements the transmitter transmits control signals corresponding to the direction and speed represented by the sensing element in which a variance in capacitance was detected.

2. The remote control device of claim 1 wherein the control circuit energizes the one or more touch sensors by a pulse.

3. The remote control device of claim 2 wherein the control circuit monitors the one or more touch sensors for decay in the pulse to determine when an object has contacted one or more of the touch sensors.

4. The remote control device of claim 1 wherein the control circuit detects reduced capacitance in the touch sensors by discharging the capacitance of the sensors then measuring the charge time.

5. The remote control device of claim 4 wherein the control circuit includes a single set of I/O lines to discharge the one or more touch sensors and to measure the charge time.

6. The remote control device of claim 1 wherein the control circuit detects reduced capacitance in the one or more touch sensors by charging the capacitance in the one or more touch sensors then measures discharge time.

7. The remote control device of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is a resistor-capacitor radio control.

8. The remote control device of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is an infrared transmission circuit.

9. A touch-controlled transmitter for use with a remote-controlled toy, comprising:

a touch surface having a plurality of capacitive touch sensors, the touch surface divided into;

a central region having a plurality of speed-designating sensors and

at least two side regions each having at least one direction-designating sensor; and

an electronic controller configured to;

change an output speed as a different one of the speed-designating sensors is activated,

maintain an output speed at a current setting as a different one of the direction-designating sensors is activated, and

change an output direction as a different one of the direction-designating sensors is activated.

10. The touch controlled transmitter of claim 9 wherein the one or more speed-designating and direction-designating sensors are activated when the electronic controller senses a variance in the capacitance of the sensor.

11. The touch-controlled transmitter of claim 10 wherein the electronic controller energizes the touch sensors by a pulse.

12. The touch-controlled transmitter of claim 11 wherein the electronic controller monitors the touch sensors for decay in the pulse to determine when an object has contacted one or more of the touch sensors.

13. The touch-controlled transmitter of claim 10 wherein the electronic controller senses reduced capacitance in the one or more touch sensors by discharging the capacitance of the sensors then measuring the charge time.

14. The touch-controlled transmitter of claim 13 wherein the electronic controller includes a single set of I/O lines to discharge the touch sensors and to measure the charge time.

15. The touch-controlled transmitter of claim 10 wherein the electronic controller detects reduced capacitance in the touch sensors by charging the capacitance in the sensors then measuring the discharge time.

16. A remote control vehicle controller comprising:

a capacitive touch surface comprising one or more touch sensors arranged in a grid, the touch sensors being energized by a pulse; and

electronics that perceive a human finger contacting the touch surface by monitoring variation in the rate of decay and creating one or more of a directional control signal and a speed control signal for controlling a remote control vehicle based on the perceived location of the finger on the grid of touch sensors.

17. The remote control vehicle controller of claim 16 wherein the electronics energize the one or more touch sensors by a pulse.

18. The remote control vehicle controller of claim 17 wherein the electronics monitor the touch sensors for decay in the pulse to determine when an object has contacted one or more of the touch sensors.

19. The remote control vehicle controller of claim 16 wherein the electronics detect reduced capacitance in the touch sensors by discharging the capacitance of the sensors then measure the charge time.

20. The remote control vehicle controller of claim 19 wherein the electronics include a single set of I/O lines to discharge the touch sensors and to measure the charge time.

21. The remote control vehicle controller of claim 16 wherein the electronics detect reduced capacitance in the touch sensors by charging the capacitance in the one or more touch sensors then measuring discharge time.

22. The remote control vehicle controller of claim 16 wherein the control signals are transmitted by a resistor-capacitor radio control.

23. The remote control vehicle controller of claim 16 wherein the control signals are transmitted by an infrared transmission circuit.

24. A method of controlling a toy comprising the steps of:

energizing one or more capacitive touch sensors;

detecting a variance in capacitance on a capacitive touch sensor;

determining the direction and speed represented by the touch sensor in which a variance in capacitance is detected; and

transmitting a control signal corresponding to the direction and speed represented by the touch sensor in which a variance in capacitance is detected.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of energizing one or more capacitive touch sensors includes energizing by a pulse.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the step of detecting a variance in capacitance includes monitoring a touch sensor for decay in the pulse.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein detecting a variance in capacitance further comprises:

discharging the capacitance of the sensors; and

measuring the period of time to charge the sensors.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein detecting a variance in capacitance further comprises:

charging the capacitance of the sensors; and

measuring the period of time to discharge the sensors.