Touch screen remote control device for use with a toy

• US 8,564,547 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2009
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Amireh, Nicholas, Sosnovskiy, Vladimir
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolotin, Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US12/424,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20090256822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-178, 178 1801- 2004, 446/454, 446/456
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 of the remote control vehicle;

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, wherein the control circuit energizes the one or more touch sensors by a pulse and 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.

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

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

4. The remote control device of claim 1 wherein the touch surface further includes a display having animated images.

5. The remote control device of claim 4 wherein the display is configured to change the animated images based upon a perceived contact with the touch surface.

6. 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 of the remote-controlled toy as a different one of the speed-designating sensors is activated,

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

change an output direction of the remote-controlled toy as a different one of the direction-designating sensors is activated,

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, wherein the electronic controller (1) energizes the touch sensors by a pulse and (2) monitors the touch sensors for decay in the pulse to determine when an object has contacted one or more of the touch sensors.

7. 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 a 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, wherein the electronics (1) energize the one or more touch sensors by a pulse and (2) monitor the touch sensors for decay in the pulse to determine when an object has contacted one or more of the touch sensors.

8. The remote control vehicle controller of claim 7 wherein the control signals are transmitted by a resistor-capacitor radio control.

9. The remote control vehicle controller of claim 7 wherein the control signals are transmitted by an infrared transmission circuit.

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

energizing one or more capacitive touch sensors, wherein the step of energizing one or more capacitive touch sensors includes energizing by a pulse;

detecting a variance in capacitance on a capacitive touch sensor, wherein the step of detecting a variance in capacitance includes monitoring the touch sensor for decay in the pulse;

determining a direction and speed of the toy 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.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising displaying animated images.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of displaying animated images includes changing the animated images based upon a detected variance in capacitance on the touch sensor.