Selection and control of motion data

• US 6,879,862 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2001
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ROY-G-BIV Corporation
• Original Assignee: ROY-G-BIV Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, David W., Clark, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr., Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US09/796,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20010034559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/83, 700/264, 345/700, 345/764, 345/810, 345/704, 345/771
• US Class Current: 700/17
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23261 Use control template library
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2666 Toy

Abstract

A motion system comprising a processing device, a media source, a motion device, a display, and a software program. The media source, motion device, and display are all in communication with the controller. The software program runs on the processing device and generates an interface comprising a play list and a play button. The play list contains a list of script items, where each script item contains motion data for operating the motion device to perform a desired movement sequence. The play button causes the software program to transfer a selected script item from the play list to the motion device to cause the motion device to perform the desired movement sequence.

Claims

1. A motion system comprising:

a motion device, where the motion device operates under control of motion data to perform movement sequences;

a display;

a motion system for converting machine independent motion instructions and data into machine specific motion instructions and data; and

a processing device in communication with the motion device and the display,

where

the processing device stores at least one script item,

the at least one script item stored by the processing device is associated with machine independent motion instructions and data, and

the processing device generates an interface on the display comprising

a play list containing at least one script item and

at least one content play control for transferring the machine independent motion instructions and data associated with the at least one script item of the play list to the motion system;

whereby

the motion system converts the machine independent motion instructions and data associated with the at least one script item of the play list into machine specific motion instructions and data for the motion device; and

the machine specific motion instructions and data associated with the at least one script item of the play list is transferred to the motion device to cause the motion device to perform the movement sequence associated with the at least one script item in the play list.

2. A motion system as recited in claim 1, which:

the play list comprises a plurality of script items; and

the at least one content play control causes the motion device to perform the movement sequences associated with each of the plurality of script items in the play list.

3. A motion system as recited in claim 1, in which the interface further comprises a selection list containing at least one script item, where the play list script items are a subset of the selection list script items.

4. A motion system as recited in claim 1, in which the interface further comprises a selection list containing at least one script item, where the play list script items are selected from the selection list script items.

5. A motion system as recited in claim 4, in which the interface further comprises at least one edit control for allowing a user to select the selected script items from the selection list and place the selected script items on the play list.

6. A motion system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a media source in communication with the processing device, where the media source contains at least one script item having machine independent motion instructions and data associated therewith; and

a download system for allowing a user to download the at least one script item and the machine independent motion instructions and data associated therewith from the media source to the processing device.

7. A motion system as recited in claim 1, in which the at least one content play control causes the processing device to transfer to the motion device the machine specific motion instructions and data associated with the at least one script item in the play list.

8. A motion system as recited in claim 1, in which:

the play list contains a plurality of script items; and

the at least one content play control causes the processing device to transfer to the motion device the machine specific motion instructions and data associated with the plurality of script items in the play list to cause the motion device to perform the movement sequences associated with the plurality of script items in the play list.

9. A motion system as recited in claim 8, in which the at least one content play control causes the motion device to perform a plurality of desired movement sequences in a random order.

10. A motion system as recited in claim 8, in which the at least one content play control causes the motion device to perform a plurality of desired movement sequences in a predetermined order.

11. A motion system as recited in claim 1, in which:

the play list comprises a plurality of script items; and

the interface further comprises current play indicator means for indicating which of the script items in the play list is currently being played.

12. A motion system as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one attribute control that allows a user to change at least one motion related property associated with the machine independent motion instructions and data of the at least one script item in the play list.

13. A motion system as recited in claim 12, in which activating the content play control further causes the machine specific motion instructions and data associated with the at least one script item in the play list to be transferred from the processing device to the motion device.

14. A method of causing physical motion, comprising the steps of:

providing a motion device;

providing a display;

providing a motion system for converting machine independent motion instructions and data into machine specific motion instructions and data;

storing machine independent motion instructions and data for controlling the motion device;

associating the machine independent motion instructions and data with at least one script item, where the machine independent motion instructions and data associated with the at least one script item defines a movement sequence to be performed by the motion device;

generating an interface on the display comprising

a play list containing at least one script item and

at least one content play control; and

activating the content play control to cause the motion system to convert the machine independent motion instructions and data associated with the at least one script item of the play list into machine specific motion instructions and data for the motion device; and

transferring the machine specific motion instructions and data associated with the at least one script item of the play list to the motion device to cause the motion device to perform the movement sequence associated with the at least one script item in the play list.

15. A motion system as recited in claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

generating a selection list on the display containing at least one script item; and

selecting the at least one play list script item from the at least one selection list script item.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

generating at least one edit control on the display; and

actuating the at least one edit control to move at least one script item from the selection list to the play list.

17. A method as recited in claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

providing a media source in communication with the processing device, where the media source stores at least one script item and machine independent motion instructions and data associated with the at least one script item; and

downloading at least one script item and the machine independent motion instructions and data associated therewith from the media source to the processing device.

18. A motion system comprising:

a motion device;

a display;

a motion system for converting machine independent motion instructions and data into machine specific motion instructions and data; and

a processing device in communication with the motion device and the display,

where the processing device

stores a plurality of script items, where each script item is associated with machine independent motion instructions and data that causes the motion device to perform a movement sequence, and

runs a software program that generates an interface on the display comprising

a selection list containing at least one script item,

a play list,

at least one edit control for allowing a user to select at least one script item from the selection list and place the selected script item in the play list, and

at least one content play control for transferring the machine independent motion instructions and data associated with the at least one script item of the play list to the motion system;

whereby

the motion system converts the machine independent motion instructions and data associated with the at least one script item of the play list into machine specific motion instructions and data for the motion device; and

the machine specific motion instructions and data associated with the at least one script item of the play list is transferred to the motion device to cause the motion device to perform the movement sequence associated with the script item in the play list.

19. A motion system as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

a media source in communication with the processing device, where the media source contains at least script item having machine dependent motion instructions and data associated therewith; and

a download system for allowing a user to download from the media source to the processing device machine specific motion data associated with the at least one script item in the playlist.

20. A motion system as recited in claim 18, in which:

the play list comprises a plurality of script items; and

the interface further comprises current play indicator means for indicating which of the script items in the play list is currently being played.

21. A motion system as recited in claim 18, in which the interface further comprises at least one attribute control that allows a user to change at least one motion related property associated with the machine independent motion instructions and data of the at least one script item in the play list.

22. A motion system as recited in claim 18, in which the at least one content play control causes the machine independent motion instructions and data associated with the script item in the play list to be transferred from the processing device to the motion device.