Patent Application
20070060018
1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the field of toys. More particularly, the invention pertains to a remote control toy tank capable of inter-action with similar toy tanks or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known to produce model vehicles such as cars, tanks, etc. Model vehicles are produced to look virtually the same as the actual vehicles themselves. For example, when a type of car is rolled out of the assembly line, a virtually identical model car to the same type may very well be produced correspondingly to meeting the demands of the collectors.
Remote control toys are known. U.S. Published patent applicant No. 20010045898 discloses a remote control toy for interacting with and responding to its environment. The remote control toy includes at least two wireless transmitters for generating unique control signals, wherein each of the transmitters is positioned in a different room or location in a child's environment. The transmitters each generate a unique infra-red control signal by means of a light-emitting diode. A remote control device in the shape of a doll or other appealing configuration includes a battery-powered photodiode for receiving said control signals. The remote control device identifies the specific wireless transmitter that generated said control signal and generates a message or sound effect in response to the control signal appropriate for the specific location of the transmitter that generated the signal.
Inter-actions among toy vehicles are also known. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 6,672,937 discloses a miniature toy vehicle, preferably of the wireless control self-propelled type equipped to flip or upset another similar toy vehicle or object upon forward impact therewith. The preferred toy vehicle includes a molded toy car body supporting front and rear wheels, steering, a control circuit board, a drive motor and a battery. A front flipping member is supported by the car body having a forwardly distal portion at a height, when the flipping member is armed, for engagement beneath a lower side or end margin of another toy vehicle or an object. The flipping member will upwardly flip or upset the other toy car or object when a trigger member thereof strikes the other toy car or an object.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 6,780,077 discloses a toy vehicle combination that 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.
Toy vehicle having coordinated sound effects is known. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 5,195,920 discloses a self-contained sound effects system for a model radio controlled toy vehicle. The conventional internal control signals of the vehicle are detected by the present invention and are utilized to generate realistic sound effects on board the vehicle. The sound data and programming necessary to coordinate the realistic sound effects with the conventional on-board control signals are entirely contained on the vehicle. A microprocessor is used to provide the coordination of the sound data with the programming and the microprocessor modifies the sound effects with any changes in the on-board control signals by varying the pitch, timbre, amplitude, and the like of the sound effects. A communications port is also provided on the vehicle so that when connected with a remote computer, the sound data and programming can be selectively modified by the operator to add new sound effects or to change current sound effects and operating software.
Users such as collectors of authentic miniature vehicles prefer to have the miniature vehicle to look as much alike as possible to the real sized vehicle. For example, a toy tank would have at least one gun attached like the real sized tank, and the gun to fire somewhat real projectiles. However, there exists a need for interaction among toy vehicles such as mimicking a real battle environment and at the same time be save in that humans or other animals standing by may be hurt.
A remote controlled toy vehicle system is provided in which the vehicles can engage each other in a make believe gun fight using wireless signals such as infrared signals as a means of engagement.
A remote controlled toy vehicle is provided. The vehicle comprises: a vehicle body; at least two conveyers disposed laterally on opposite sides of the vehicle body used for conveying as well as turning the vehicle; a receiver adapted to receive a first signal and a second signal each originated remotely; and a group of electrically actuated actuators (electric motors) that act according to the first signal, having at least two actuators each acting upon the two conveyers.
A remote controlled toy vehicle system is provided, which includes: a remote controller adapted to generate a first signal; and at least two remote controlled toy vehicles adapted to control each other via a second signal, and each remote controlled toy vehicle adapted to receive the first signal from the remote controller. Each remote controlled toy vehicle comprises: a vehicle body; at least two conveyers disposed laterally on opposite sides of the vehicle body used for conveying as well as turning the vehicle; a receiver adapted to receive the first signal and the second signal each originated remotely; and a group of electrically actuated actuators (electric motors) that act according to the first signal, having at least two actuators each acting upon the two conveyers.
It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
Referring to
Interface board 10 is controllably coupled to an infrared transmitter infrared transmitter 16 for transmitting signals such as infrared signals mimicking the firing of a tank gun. Board 10 further receives received signals from receiver 18 mimicking being hit by another tank gun position on some other toy vehicle. Interface board 10 also is controllably coupled to a speaker 20 and controllably activates the same. Interface board 10 further is controllably coupled to a set of lights 22a 22b 22c 22d and controllably activates them as well.
A set of electric motors is coupled to interface board 10. The motors include a left motor 24 for controlling the leftward motion of the vehicle; a right motor 26 for controlling the rightward motion of the vehicle; a turret control motor turret control motor 28 for controlling an oscillatory movement of the turret 34; and a gun control motor 30 for controlling an oscillatory movement of the gun 38. A backup motor 32 may also be included for future controlling purposes.
A pair of antennae 42 is positioned on the back portion of the vehicle and extend toward a space above the vehicle. The antenna used by transmitter 16 and receiver 18 may be one of the pair of antennae 42 instead of having a separate physical device as shown. However, to give the transceiving action directional orientation, the positions of transmitter 16 and receiver 18 is preferred. Interface board 10 is adapted to generate or transmit signals for causing the toy tank to shake or move 44 by means of activating the set of motors.
A power source (not shown) preferable portable power source is used for supplying power to the toy vehicle. Some of the functionalities of interface board 10 is performed by interface board 10 alone and some performed in conjunction with micro-controller 12.
The toy vehicle system may include a set of 1/24 scale tanks, with each tank having a controller with antenna (not shown) remote to the each tank. The turret 34 may turn left/right for 330 degrees and the gun 38 can move vertically at an angle. The tank may have 6 channels with 3 forward speeds.
Referring to
Accordingly, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention herein described are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Reference herein to details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which themselves recite those features regarded as essential to the invention.
