GB2426409A

GB2426409A - Method for activating a sex toy

Info

Publication number: GB2426409A
Application number: GB0510457A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kjartan Oern Sigurdsson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-05-21
Filing date: 2005-05-21
Publication date: 2006-11-22
Also published as: GB0510457D0

Abstract

A sex toy linkable to a mobile telephone and adapted to respond to a signal received from the mobile telephone. The signal may be, for example, bluetooth. The sex toy preferably requires entry of a code in order to synchronise with the mobile telephone and synchronisation of the mobile telephone and sex toy in order for the sex toy to be activated by the mobile telephone.

Description

METHOD FOR ACTIVATING A SEX TOY

This invention relates to a sex toy and a method of activating a sex toy.

The market for sex toys has expanded over the last few decades and there has been a corresponding expansion in the variety of sex toys available. One way of controlling a sex toy uses a signal, for example a signal used to transmit a telephone call or a text message, to activate the sex toy. A receiver attached to the sex toy detects the presence of a mobile telephone signal within a certain radius and activates the sex toy, causing the sex toy to vibrate for a predetermined period of time.

However, the mobile telephone signal detected by the receiver is a generic signal and is not specific to a particular telephone. The signal could be caused by any one of a text message being sent or received, a telephone call being made or received or a mobile telephone checking for network status. This means that, depending on the environment, the sex toy may be activated by a large number of mobile phones. In order to try to overcome this the radius within which the mobile phone has to be to activate the sex toy is small, less than a metre. This means that when the user's mobile phone is placed more than a metre away from the device, for example it may be left on a table, then the device is not activated when the user is called. On the other hand, if there is more than one phone in the vicinity, an example given is when a user is sitting on a bus, then another person's mobile phone may still activate the device.

I

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a sex toy comprising a receiver and a first device, the receiver adapted to activate the first device on receipt of a signal from another predetermined second device. This prevents unwanted activation of the device by any other device within a certain radius of the receiver.

Preferably the other device is a mobile telephone and more preferably the signal activating the device is a bluetooth signal. Preferably the first device is adapted to be switched on and off manually and is also capable of operating at multiple speeds. Alternatively the first device may be activated for a predetermined amount of time when a signal received.

The first device is preferably adapted to only be activated when a predetermined telephone contacts the other device.

Preferably the sex toy is a vibrator. The sex toy may be made from supersoft jelly, silicone rubber or artificial skin.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided method of activating a sex toy comprising the steps of receiving a signal from a predetermined source at a receiver and activating a device on receipt of the signal.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, and with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a sex toy in accordance with the present invention Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram of a protocol stack for a mobile phone and a protocol stack for a device in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 3 illustrates the steps required to set up a mobile phone to recognise the device.

In an embodiment of the present invention there is provided a sex toy and a mobile telephone. The mobile telephone is set up to recognise the presence of and activate the sex toy and the sex toy is adapted to only be activated by mobile telephones to which it has been linked.

Illustrated in Figure 1 is a unit 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The unit 10 is adapted to be either insertable or integral to any conventional sex toy for example a vibrator. Preferably the sex toy is made from supersoft jelly, silicone rubber or artificial skin, which may be of variable shape and made from a selection of materials. A device 12, for example a vibrating mechanism, for activation within the sex toy is internal to the unit 10. This device 12 is connected to a receiver 14 which may be external or internal to the unit 10 and the sex toy. If the receiver 14 is external to the sex toy 10 then it may be connected to the sex toy 10 either by a wire or a wireless connection. A battery 16 is also provided in connection with the device 12 in order to provide power to the device 12.

When the receiver 14 receives a signal from a mobile telephone it is adapted to activate the device 12. The receiver 14 may activate the device 12 either directly on receipt of a signal or via a processor (not shown) also present in the unit 10.

Preferably the signal sent by the mobile telephone is a bluetooth signal and the mobile telephone incorporates a bluetooth protocol stack 18 as shown in Figure 2. The unit also incorporates a bluetooth protocol stack 20 as shown in Figure 2. The baseband layer 24 of the protocol stacks 18 and 20 enables the physical radio frequency link 22 between the mobile telephone and the device. The Link Controller 26 and Link Manager 28 are protocols handling link establishment between the mobile telephone and the device including authentication of the devices and encryption of the signal. The Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol (L2CAP) 30 implements multiplexing and the Service Discovery Protocol (SDP 32) handles the discovery of services running on tope of the Bluetooth stacks 18 and 20.

Returning to Figure 1, the device may have multiple methods of operating. For example, if there is no processor in the unit 10 different signals may cause the device 12 to react in certain ways, for example one type of signal may cause the device 12 to be activated until a second signal is sent, alternatively a different signal may cause the device 12 to be activated for a predetermined period of time, for example 20 seconds. Alternatively, the device may be configured to have separate operating speeds. Preferably, the different methods of operating are selected using one or more menus that can be found on a mobile telephone causing it to send different signals to the device 12.

When the processor is present in the unit 10 the mobile phone may be adapted to send a signal to the unit 10 when an operating mode is selected. The processor may then store the selected operating mode and on receipt of a signal activate the device 10 accordingly. This means that only one type of signal needs to be sent from the mobile telephone to the unit 10 regardless of the device's operating mode.

The mobile telephone may also be provided with a menu allowing the device to be switched off using the mobile telephone. Preferably the unit 10 is also provided with a switch which can be accessed from outside the toy allowing the unit 10 to be turned on and off manually by the user. Additionally, the device may have an automatic timer which causes the device and receiver to turn off after a predetermined period of time.

In order to be able to specifically activate the device 10 the receiver 14 must be synchronised with the mobile telephone using the steps shown in Figure 3. Firstly the user switches the unit 10 on as shown in step 34 and then searches for the unit 10 using the mobile telephone as shown in step 36. For example, if the signals being used are bluetooth signals then the user may ask their phone to search for any bluetooth devices nearby.

Preferably a list of suitable devices is shown on the screen of the mobile telephone. The user can then select the desired device and from the list as shown in step 38.

Once the unit 10 has been selected, the identity of the unit 10 is stored within the mobile telephone's memory as shown in step 40. Preferably, on selecting the device the user is required to overcome a security barrier. For example, the user may be asked to enter a PIN specific to the unit 10. Once the unit 10 has been selected for the first time the mobile telephone will automatically detect when the unit 10 is on and send signals to the unit's receiver 14 on receipt of a text message or a telephone call.

Preferably the mobile telephone is further set up in order that telephone calls or texts sent from a particular number, or selection of numbers, activate the device 12. In order to achieve this the unit 10 must also be synchronised with the other telephone. This can be done using the same steps as described above. In this way the unit 10 can recognise when the mobile telephone is being called by the other mobile telephone and be activated only when this happens.

Claims

1. A sex toy comprising: (a) a receiver; and (b) a first device the receiver adapted to activate the first device on receipt of a signal from another predetermined device.

2. A sex toy as claimed in Claim I wherein the other device is a mobile telephone.

3. A sex toy as claimed in Claim I or Claim 2 wherein the signal is a bluetooth signal.

4. A sex toy as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the first device is adapted to be switched on and off manually.

5. A sex toy as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the first device operates at multiple speeds.

6. A sex toy as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the first device is activated for a predetermined amount of time when a signal received.

7. A sex toy as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the device is adapted to only be activated when a predetermined telephone contacts the other device.

8. A sex toy as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the sex toy is a vibrator.

9. A sex toy as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the sex toy is made from supersoft jelly, silicone rubber or artificial skin.

10. A method of activating a sex toy comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a signal from a predetermined source at a receiver (b) activating a device on receipt of the signal.

II. A sex toy substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in any combination of the accompanying drawings.

12. A method for controlling a sex toy substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in any combination of the accompanying drawings.