Self propelled device with magnetic coupling

• US 9,457,730 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2015
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sphero Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sphero Inc.
• Inventors: Bernstein, Ian H., Wilson, Adam, Kong, Chun, MacGregor, Ross
• Primary Examiner(s): Walters, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNS, HILARY LYNN
• Application Number:
  US14/975,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20160101741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/005 Motorised rolling toys
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/26 Magnetic or electric toys electric drives A63H29/22 ; indoor games played with small balls using magnetic power A63F7/0088, A63F7/068
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/00 Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/007 using magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 39/00 Vehicle bodies not otherwise provided for , e.g. safety vehicles safety equipment B60R21/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/00 Motor vehicles or trailers, characterised by the arrangement or number of wheels, not otherwise provided for, e.g. four wheels in diamond pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A self-propelled device includes a spherical housing and an internal drive system including one or more motors. The internal drive system acts to provide power to an interior surface of the spherical housing, thereby causing the self-propelled device to move. A biasing assembly can be included to enable the internal drive system to continuously engage an inner surface of the spherical housing. An external accessory magnetically interacts with interior magnetic components through the spherical housing such that as the self-propelled device rotates and maneuvers, the accessory component maintains a positional relationship to a top portion of the self-propelled device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a self-propelled device; and

a controller device to receive multiple types of inputs from a user to control the self-propelled device, the multiple types of inputs comprising at least a voice input by the user;

wherein the self-propelled device comprises;

a spherical housing;

an internal drive system enclosed within the spherical housing and operable to accelerate and maneuver the self-propelled device;

an internal structure coupled to the internal drive system and comprising a magnet holder, the magnet holder including a first set of one or more magnetically interactive elements;

an external accessory comprising a second set of one or more magnetically interactive elements to magnetically interact, through the spherical housing, with the first set of magnetically interactive elements as the self-propelled device accelerates and maneuvers;

a wireless communication interface to receive the multiple types of inputs from the controller device; and

a control mechanism to (i) interpret the multiple types of inputs, including the voice input, as a set of control commands, and (ii) implement the set of control commands on the internal drive system to accelerate and maneuver the self-propelled device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control mechanism executes a partially autonomous mode or a full autonomous mode in response to receiving a specified one of the multiple types of inputs from the controller device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the self-propelled device outputs infrared light.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first set of one or more magnetically interactive elements comprises a first pair of magnets, and the second set of one or more magnetically interactive elements comprises a second pair of magnets.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first pair of magnets includes a first magnet having a first orientation on the magnet holder and a second magnet having an opposite orientation on the magnet holder in relation to the first magnet, and wherein the second pair of magnets correspondingly magnetically interact with the first pair of magnets through the spherical housing.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the self-propelled device comprises one or more output devices that output sound from the self-propelled device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the external accessory is dome-shaped or hemispherical and includes an underlying contact surface that corresponds to a curvature of the spherical housing.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal structure comprises a biasing mechanism that applies a continuous force on an interior surface of the spherical housing in order to actively force the internal drive system against the interior surface.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the biasing mechanism comprises a plurality of biasing elements, each of the plurality of biasing elements comprising a bias spring.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal drive system comprises a pair of independent motors that control a corresponding pair of wheels.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first set of one or more magnetically interactive elements comprises a magnetic array of three or more magnets.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein a contact portion of the external accessory comprises one or more wheels.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein a contact portion of the external accessory comprises a slider bearing.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the self-propelled device further comprises:

a program library storing multiple sets of programming instructions executable by the control mechanism to alter a manner in which the self-propelled device interprets the multiple types of inputs from the controller device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the self-propelled device further comprises:

a set of sensors to enable the control mechanism to maintain awareness of an orientation of the self-propelled device relative to an initial frame of reference.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the set of sensors comprises a gyroscope and an accelerometer.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the self-propelled device further comprises:

a state memory to store orientation information in relation to the initial frame of reference.