Master and slave toy vehicle pair

• US 6,780,077 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2002
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Nungester, Gregory, Bloch, Nathan, Gilbert, Truman J., Baumgartner, Chris T., Moll, Joseph T., Weiss, Stephen N., Helmlinger, David V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks, Derris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Francis, Faye
• Application Number:
  US10/282,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20030082987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 446/175, 446/454, 446/456, 318/675, 463/62, 463/63, 273/46
• US Class Current: 446/175
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

A toy vehicle combination includes a master toy vehicle and a slave toy vehicle. The master toy vehicle includes a transmitter configured to broadcast an IR tracking signal. The slave toy vehicle includes at least first and second directional IR receivers configured to receive the tracking signal from different directions around the slave toy vehicle and is configured to follow or evade the master toy vehicle, which is conventionally remotely controlled.

Claims

1. A toy vehicle combination comprising:

a master toy vehicle and a slave toy vehicle, each toy vehicle including;

a chassis with a plurality of supporting road wheels;

a motive system drivingly coupled to at least one of the plurality of road wheels so as to propel the chassis; and

a steering system operably coupled to at least one of the plurality of road wheels so as to steer the chassis; and

wherein the master toy vehicle includes a transmitter configured to broadcast a tracking signal, a radio frequency (RF) receiver configured to receive signals from an RF remote control, a master toy vehicle control circuit having a first output connected to the motive system of the master toy vehicle and a second output connected to the steering system of the master toy vehicle, the master toy vehicle control circuit being configured to control the first and second outputs of the master toy vehicle control circuit based upon signals received by the RF receiver, and

wherein the slave toy vehicle includes at least first and second directional receivers configured to receive the tracking signal from the transmitter from different directions around the slave toy vehicle, a slave toy vehicle control circuit coupled to the first and second directional receivers, a first output connected to the motive system of the slave toy vehicle, and a second output connected to the steering system of the slave toy vehicle, the slave toy vehicle control circuit being configured to control at least one of the first and second outputs of the slave toy vehicle control circuit based upon signals received by the first and second directional receivers so as to either chase or move so as to avoid the master toy vehicle.

2. The toy vehicle combination according to claim 1, wherein the steering system of at least one of the master and slave toy vehicles includes steering arm movably coupled to the chassis and to at least one of the plurality of road wheels and configured to pivot the at least one of the plurality of road wheels to steer the at least one toy vehicle.

3. The toy vehicle combination according to claim 1, wherein the motive system of at least one of the master and slave toy vehicles is drivingly coupled to one or more road wheels on only a first lateral side of the chassis of the at least one toy vehicle and wherein the steering system of the at least one toy vehicle is a second motive system operable independently of the motive system of the at least one toy vehicle and operably coupled to at least one of the plurality of road wheels on only a second lateral side of the at least one toy vehicle chassis opposite the first lateral side.

4. The toy vehicle combination according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter includes at least one light emitting diode and the directional receiver includes at least one directional light detecting sensor.

5. The toy vehicle combination according to claim 1, wherein the slave toy vehicle control circuit is configured to control the first and second outputs further based upon internal control programming in conjunction with the signals received by the at least first and second directional receivers.

6. A method of using the toy vehicle combination of claim 1 as a chase game, the method comprising the steps of:

controlling the master toy vehicle using the remote control; and

automatically following the master toy vehicle with the slave toy vehicle using the tracking signals being emitted from the master toy vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 6 further comprising the steps of counting in the master toy vehicle a number of times the slave toy vehicle collides with the master toy vehicle and maintaining a collision count in the master toy vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 7 further comprising the step of at least temporarily disabling the master toy vehicle electronically when the collision count reaches a predetermined limit thereby indicating that a contest is over.

9. The method according to claim 7 further comprising the step of flipping the master toy vehicle over using an at least partially internally mounted toy vehicle flipping mechanism when the collision count reaches a predetermined limit thereby indicating that a contest is over.

10. A method of using the toy vehicle combination of claim 1 as a chase game, the method comprising the steps of:

operating the slave toy vehicle into an evasive mode wherein the slave toy vehicle automatically avoids the master toy vehicle using the tracking signals being emitted from the master toy vehicle; and

controlling the master toy vehicle using the remote control to chase the slave toy vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of disabling the slave toy vehicle after being struck by the master toy vehicle.

12. The toy vehicle combination according to claim 1, wherein the slave toy vehicle control circuit is configurable to direct the slave toy vehicle towards the master toy vehicle using the tracking signals being emitted from the master toy vehicle.

13. The toy vehicle combination according to claim 12, wherein the master toy vehicle includes at least one switch operably coupled with the master toy vehicle control circuit and mounted to be activated by collision with the slave toy vehicle and wherein the master toy vehicle control circuit is configured to count a number of times the switch is activated and to maintain a collision count of switch activations.

14. The toy vehicle combination according to claim 13, wherein the master toy vehicle control circuit is configured to temporarily disable the master toy vehicle when the collision count reaches a predetermined limit thereby indicating that a contest is over.

15. The toy vehicle combination according to claim 13, wherein the master toy vehicle further comprises an at least partially internally mounted toy vehicle flipping mechanism operated by the master toy vehicle control circuit.

16. The toy vehicle combination according to claim 1, wherein the slave toy vehicle control circuit is configurable to direct the slave toy vehicle to evade the master toy vehicle using the tracking signals being emitted from the master toy vehicle.

17. The toy vehicle combination according to claim 16, wherein the slave toy vehicle control circuit is configured to disable the slave toy vehicle after being struck by the master toy vehicle to end a contest.