Patent Application
20070284391
The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of components, system configurations, and variations of the use and appearance of the invention in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that these specific details need not be employed to practice the present invention. In other instances, well known components or methods have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention.
It should be noted, however, that this description of the water propelling system 100 is only for illustrative purposes and is not meant to be limited to this configuration. In an alternative embodiment, the water reservoir 130 may not be a separate component and may be incorporated on or in the device housing 110, or there may be no water reservoir used in the system and the water hose 120 may carry water from another water source, such as a faucet, tub, pool, etc. In another alternative embodiment, there may be no water hose 120 or water nozzle 140, and water may be propelled directly out of the water pump. In another alternative embodiment, the sensor 150 may not be mounted to the device housing 100 and may be connected to the housing via a connecting wire, or may not be connected to the device housing at all and communicate with the system wirelessly using technologies such as, but not limited to, RF, infrared, or other electromagnetic signals known in the art. In another alternative embodiment, the water nozzle 140 may not be connected directly to the device housing 110 and may have an external connecting hose whereby the direction and intensity of the water propulsion may be directed either manually or via electronic means. In another alternative embodiment, the device housing 110 may enable the system to be mobile, and may be connected to wheels for land-base mobility functionality, or may be connected to a hull to and enable the unit to float in water, or be connected to wings and/or propellers and enable the unit to fly in the air.
It should be noted, however, that this illustration of remote control 220 is only for illustrative purposes and is not meant to be limited to this configuration. In alternative embodiments, the remote control may have more or less buttons, or may be of a different shape, etc. It should also be noted, however, that this illustration and description of antenna 210 is only for illustrative purposes and is not meant to be limited to this configuration. In alternative embodiments, the entire antenna 210 may be mounted onto the surface of, or inside, the device housing 110.
The water pump 320 is connected to the controller 310. When the controller 310 receives a signal from the sensor 150, the controller 310 sends an electronic signal to the water pump 320, which then draws water from the water reservoir 130 through water hose 120, and pumps the water through water hose 330 to water nozzle 140, which then propels the water from the system.
The ON/OFF switch 160 allows the user to power the system on and off, and the display 170 provides information about the status of the system. The display 170 may utilize a variety of technologies including, but not limited to, simple LED indicators, LCD or LED alpha-numeric text displays, etc. Conventional buttons and displays are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
It should be noted, however, that this description of the water propelling system 300 is only for illustrative purposes and is not meant to be limited to this configuration. In an alternative embodiment, the sensor 150 may not be connected directly to the controller 310, and may communicate to the controller 310 wirelessly using technologies such as, but not limited to, radio frequency (RF), infrared, or other electromagnetic signals known in the art.
It should also be noted that the components of electronic water propelling toy system 300 may be coupled in other configurations known in the art.
The antenna 210 receives electronic signals from external systems including, but not limited to, remote control 220, other remote controls, or other computing devices such as, but not limited to, a personal desktop computer, a portable computer system, (i.e. a laptop or notebook style computer), a storage device or system, a video game console or system, a hand-held device, email account, or other service or system. The electronic signals received may utilize technologies including, but not limited to, radio frequency (RF), infrared, or other electromagnetic signals known in the art. The antenna 210 may receive signals that control various functions of the system including, but not limited to, powering the system on and off, turning the sensor 150 on and off, controlling the motion of the device housing should it be mobile (on wheels or floating on water), controlling the direction and function of the water nozzle 140, etc.
The receiver 410 is connected to antenna 210 and receives signals from the antenna 210. Receiver 410 is connected to controller 310 and send an electronic signal to the controller 310 when it receives a signal from antenna 210. When the controller 310 receives a signal from the receiver 410, the controller 310 sends an electronic signal to the water pump 320, which then draws water from the water reservoir 130 through water hose 120, and pumps the water through water hose 330 to water nozzle 140, which then propels the water from the system.
It should be noted that the components of electronic water propelling toy system 400 may be coupled in other configurations known in the art.
In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense.
