GB2219873A

GB2219873A - Controller for a radio-controlled car provided with a speed display device

Info

Publication number: GB2219873A
Application number: GB8814309A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shiro Kobayashi
Original assignee: SENOC CORP
Current assignee: SENOC CORP
Priority date: 1988-06-16
Filing date: 1988-06-16
Publication date: 1989-12-20
Also published as: DE3821249A1; GB8814309D0

Description

C11 7 3 2 Cont.roller for a radio-controlled car provided with a speed

display device F]EILD OF THE INVENTION I'his invention relates to a controller for a radioconLrolLed car and in particular to a controller, which can display the running speed of the radio controlled car driven by electromagnetic wave emitted by it. BACK(MUND OF THF MENTION Heretofore a controller used for driving a radiocoul.ro.Lled car provided with a meter indicating the output of Lhe Ooctromagnetic wave emitted by it has been propose(]. However no controller has been proposed, which can display the running spend of he radio-controlled car itself driven by the elecl-romRgnetic wave emitted by it. 013.Jl,-l(,'I OF THE "INVENTION A radj o-con trolled car is a toy car, which runs and stops, conducted by electromagnetic wave emitted by a controlJer sorving as a transmitter and which can be further driverl and controlled so as to be accelerated, decelerated, chaiiged if) dirnO11011, etc. In a game of the drive by means of '-he controller players compete in superiority in the drive Lechniqun,,, running speed, etc. while making radio-control-led cars run off a predetermined course including S-shaped courses, unovonnoss. et.c. Since it is not known with what speed the radio-controllod cars run in reality, even if the players de.-s-irn Lo Rnow the, speed, it is not possible for them to know il,. AlLhough it is a matter of primary concern for the playri-s what highest speed has been achieved, it is not at all possible for them to know it. Further, since the speed of the 2 r,ict.ici-cor)lrolled car is lower than that of a real car, it is

not possible to know to what running speed of the real car the running speed of the radio-controlled car corresponds. Therefort, it had a problem that no satisfactory ambience of field coul.d be obtained. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of this invention is to provide a controller for a radiocontrolled car provided with a speed display device capable of resolving this problem of the prior art techniques. SUMMARY CIF THE INVENT1ON

In order to achieve the above object, a controller for a radio-controlled car provided with a speed display devire according t,o this invention comprises speed detecting means disposed within the radio-controlled car and generating a (let.(3c.t-ion signal corresponding to the speed of the car; transmitting means generating electromagnetic wave responding to the delection signal; receiving antenna disposed within the controller receiving the electromagnetic wave; means for generalAng an electric signal corresponding to the received elect;romagnetic wave; and speed display means disposed within the controller and displaying the detected speed, responding to the electric signal. BR1EF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the controller according to this invention; and Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the construction of the controller described above and a radiocontroAJed car. DETAILED DESCR1PTION Iferpinbelow this invention will be explained more in detail, referring to the figures. where reference numeral 1 represents a controller. As indicated in Fig. 1, it is formed approximately in a rectangular solid made of hard synthetic resin. [it its bottom portion there is disposed a portion 2 for receiving batteries as a power source and on its upper surface there are disposed a transmitting antenna 3 and a receiving antenna 4. 5 indicates a speed displaying device, which is formed in the upper portion of the front surface of the controller 1, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The speed displaying device 5 includes a digital display 5a, as indicated in Fig. 1. On this digital display 5a there are disposed a numeral display portion 6 at its cenIral portion, a letter display portion 7 illustrating 14 SPE1E1) " at. its upper left corner portion, and a letter disp.lay portion 8 illustrating " KM/H " at its lower right cornet. portion. 9 is a speed control stick and 10 is a steering stick. The speed control stick 9 controls the acceleration/deceleration of the radio- controlled car 20 driven by the electromagnetic wave emitted by the transmitting antenna 3.

Fig. 2 shows an example of the control system of the radio-controlled car according to this invention, in which reference numeral 11 represents a well-known a control section of the radio-controlled car. A control circuit 12 generates a speed control signal St and a steering control signal S2, responding to the operation of a speed control stick 9 and a steei-ii)g stick 10 and transmits the signals S, and S, from the 0 transmitting antenna 3 by means of a transmitter 13.

Reference numeral 20 represents the radio-controlled - 4 car. 2t is a well-known motor and steering control. section. The speed control signal S, and the steering control signal S2, wHch are received by the receiving antenna 22, are given to a st.eering and speed control circuit 23, which circuit conti - ols the speed of the radio- controlled car driven by a motor 24 by driving it, responding to the speed control signal S,. Further the circuit 23 described above drives a steering section 26 of the radio-controlled car and controls the runniiig direction, responding to the steering control signal S,. Reference numeral 25 indicates a reduction gear mechanism eitgagod with the output shaft and the motor of the radiocontrolled car.

According to this invention, in the control system of Uie prior art radiocontrolled car, the following circuits are disposed in the controller 1 and the radio-controlled car 20 [n order to increase the ambience of a racing field by displaying the real. running speed of the radiocontrolled car -in tbo controller 1.

That is, reference numeral 30 represents a speed detecting section disposed within the radio-controlled car 20 according to this invention, which consists of a speed detector 31, a modulator 32 and a transmitter 33.

The speed detector 31 generates a pulse train with a frequencycorresponding to the rotational speed of the motor 24 and various wellknown devices such as a tachometer, an optical rotating pulse generator, etc. may be used therefor. The oul.put pulse of the speed detector 31 is given to the _modulator 32, which modulates a suitable high frequency carrier by any well-known method. The modulated signal thus obtained is transmitted to the controller side by the transmitter 33 through the transmitting antenna 34.

Within the controller I there is disposed a speed display section 40, which consists of a demodulator 41, a counter 42, a multiplier 43, a digital display device 44, a D-A converter 45, an analogue display device ( e-.g. speed meter) 46, and switches 47 and 48.

The modulated signal stated above coming from the radio-controlled car and received by the receiving antenna 49 is given to the modulator 41 and a pulse train corresponding to the speed detected from the signal thus modulated is obt.a.ined by demodulation and outputted to the counter 42.

The counter 24 counts the pulse train described abovo and applies the counter output through the multiplier 43 to the digital display devige 44 in order to display the detecl,ed speed with numerals. In addition, this counter outpuL is transformed into an analogue signal by the D-A converter 45 and applied to the analogue display device 46 in order to display the relevant speed in an analogue manner.

Furthermore, since the speed of the radio-conLrolled car is usually about one-tenth of the real car, it is more suil,able to display the count value e.g. after having multiplied it by a factor of about 10 by means of the mult.iplier 43 than to display it as it is from the point of view of the ambience of the racing field. When the digital display device 44 and the analogue display device 46 are beforehand so constructed that they display values ten times as gro-at as the real values, the multiplier is unnecessary. It is a matter of course that the detected speed may be displayed as it is. Further only either one of the digital dispJay device 44 and the analogue display device 46 may be - 6 (I.i s 1) () % e d. In order to obtain a more prominent ambience, it is sulLable to dispose an effect sound generating section 50.

The effect sound generating section 50 consisi.s e.g. or ati effect sound generator 51, a variable gain amplifier 52, a speaker 53 and a switch 54.

The effect sound generator 51 can be constructed by using a sound generating IC sold in a market and generates a sc outid s.igni.f corresponding to the gas exhaust sound of the car, 1.911!c- tl is applied to the variable gain amplifier 52.],he g,-1,itt of' Ibe amplifier 52 is controlled, corresponding to the signal coming from the D- A converter 45 and Lo the delected speed. The volume of the gas exhaust sound emitted by the speaker 53 is made greater with speed go that a more prominent ambience can be 01) La i fled.

Furthermore the speed display section 40 or Lite effeel sound generating section 50 may be put selectively in a woj-iivig state by turning on or off appropriately the switelies 47, 48 and 54.

It is also possible to use two halves of one antenna for Ibe transmitting and the receiving antennas in the controller 1. The transmitting and the receiving anterittas in the radio-controlled car also may be constructed similarly.

Although a stick type controller is used in lite embodimciif, indicated in Fig. 1, wheel type one may be used as well.

As explained above, according to this invention, in aeoulrol system for a radio-controlled car, since the speed of the radio-con trolled car is displayed on the controller in real time, it is possible for the operator of the controller to drive the radio-controlled car with a suitable ambience.

Further this ambience may be increased by disposing the effect sound generating section described above.

1 0 8

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A controller'for controlling a radio-conlrolled car, comprising; speed detecting means disposed within said radio controlled car and generating a detection signal corresponding to 11m speed of said car; transmitting means generating electromagnetic wave responding to said detection signal; receiving antenna disposed within said controller receiving said electromagnetic wave; means for generating an electric signal corresponding to said received electromagnetic wave; and speed display means disposed within said controller and displaying the detected speed, responding to said electric S.i g 11,1 1.

2. A controller for controlling a radiocontrolled car according to Claim 1, wherein said speed display means consisl's of a digital display device.

3. A controller for controlling a radio-controlled car according to Claim 1, wherein said speed display means consists or a analogue display device.

4. A controller for controlling a radio-controlled car according to Claim 1, further comprising effect sound generating means disposed within said controller, said effect sound generating means being so constructed that the volume of effeel. sound is controlled, depending on said electric signal.

5. A controller for controlling a radio-controlled 9 eni- according Lo Claim 1, wherein said speed display mealls displays said detected speed after having multiplied it by a 1)rf-tl(.,(.ermineo factor.

0 Published 1989 at The Patent Office,State House, 66!71 High Holbor.n. London WClR4TP- Further copies niay be obtained from The Pat,' mtOfflce.

Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3RD, Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Mary Cray, Kent. Con. 1/87