JP6154524B1 - Modular toys - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a modular toy capable of reliably transmitting a control signal and intuitively understanding that such communication / control is performed. An input block 11 that outputs a control signal based on input information acquired from the device and an output block 12 that controls the operation of the output device 33 based on the received control signal are provided. The input block includes a prismatic housing 20, and at least one surface of the housing serves as a control signal transmission surface, and the output block includes a prismatic housing, and at least one surface of the housing receives a control signal. It becomes a surface. The transmission / reception of the control signal is performed between the infrared transmitter 27 provided in the input block and the infrared receiver 34 provided in the output block. The input block includes an LED 28 that emits visible light L1, and emits visible light in accordance with transmission of a control signal using infrared rays. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a modular toy, and more specifically to a toy that links and assembles a plurality of assembly elements such as blocks and assembly blocks.

  An example of a toy assembly system including an assembly block having a coupling portion for interconnecting the assembly blocks in a separable manner is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The basic configuration of the toy assembly system disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been known for several decades. That is, for example, the upper surface of the main body such as a cube or a rectangular parallelepiped is provided with a connecting convex portion, and the lower surface of the main body is provided with a concave portion matching the convex portion. When another assembly block is stacked on the assembly block, the two assembly blocks are connected by fitting the convex portion and the concave portion. By repeating these operations as appropriate, various works can be created using a plurality of assembly blocks.

  In conventional toy assembly systems, the main focus is on simply connecting assembly blocks to produce works. The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 is based on the basic toy assembly system described above, and constitutes a functional assembly block in which a predetermined functional device or the like is mounted in the main body, or a control assembly block, thereby adding value. Enhanced products have been proposed. The control assembly block includes a sensor that responds to a predetermined input and a light emitter for emitting visible light in the main body, and controls corresponding to the predetermined input via the light emitter in accordance with the predetermined input. Visible light that encodes the signal is output. The functional assembly block is output from a functional device configured to perform a controllable function in the main body of the assembly block, an energy source for providing energy to the functional device, or a light emitter of the control assembly block. An optical sensor for receiving visible light encoded with a control signal to control the operation of the functional device based on the received control signal. Functional devices include, for example, motors, switches, and lamps.

  Thereby, a control interface based on visible light is provided between the control assembly block and the functional assembly block, so that a visual instruction that provides control of the controllable function can be provided to the user of this causal chain. Accordingly, the control mechanism can be intuitively understood and a toy assembly system that can be easily handled by a small child can be provided.

Japanese Patent No. 5484465

  However, since the above-described conventional toy assembly system transmits information using a visible light signal, there is a problem that accuracy is reduced due to noise caused by external light. On the other hand, for such a problem, for example, by improving the luminance of visible light used for a signal, the influence of external light can be relatively lowered and noise can be reduced. However, in such a method, there is a concern about the influence on the eyes, and it is desirable to set the luminance as low as possible particularly in a toy intended for a small child as a user, so that the solution is difficult to take.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides (1) an input block that has an input device and outputs a control signal based on input information acquired from the input device, and an output device based on the received control signal. The output block includes a prismatic casing, at least one surface of the casing serves as a transmission surface for the control signal, and the output block includes a prismatic casing. At least one surface of the housing serves as a reception surface for the control signal, and the transmission / reception of the control signal is performed between an infrared transmitter provided in the input block and an infrared receiver provided in the output block. The input block includes a light emitter that emits visible light, and causes the light emitter to emit light in accordance with transmission of the control signal by the infrared transmitter.

  According to the present invention, since infrared rays are used for information transmission between the input block and the output block, information transmission is possible without being affected by external light noise. The flow of information can be visualized with visible light that shines simultaneously with the control signal, and an intuitive understanding is achieved. Further, since the visible light itself is not related to signal transmission, the light brightness and the blinking pattern can be set freely.

  (2) The light emission of the light emitter may be in accordance with the content of the control signal. This is preferable because the contents of the control signal can be visualized and intuitively understood.

  (3) The visible light may be emitted from the transmission surface. This is preferable because visible light is emitted from the same surface as the control signal (infrared rays), and it is possible to create a feeling that the control signal is actually output from the transmission surface.

  (4) The light emitter may be arranged around the infrared transmitter. This is more preferable because it makes it possible to create a feeling that the control signal is transmitted from the portion of the infrared transmitter that transmits the invisible infrared rays.

  (5) The input block and the output block may include a mechanism for holding the transmitting surface and the receiving surface facing each other. If it does in this way, the state which two blocks connected can be maintained, and infrared communication can be performed stably. The holding mechanism uses a magnet in the embodiment, but other connection mechanisms may be used.

  (6) An auxiliary block is arranged between the input block and the output block, and the control signal output from the input block is received by the output block via the auxiliary block. Instead of directly connecting the input block and the output block, it is sufficient to increase the number of devices to be manufactured by interposing an auxiliary block.

  (7) The output block may have a function of emitting visible light from the receiving surface. In the output block, a situation occurs in which one or more reception surfaces and non-reception are mixed. Both the input block and the output block are prismatic housings. For example, if the direction is loose and the surfaces can be connected to each other by facing and contacting each other, the signal transmission surface and the reception surface are not necessarily used. Cannot be combined properly, and the target control signal cannot be transmitted and received, and the target device cannot be constructed.

  In such a case, the receiving surface may be indicated by some marking, and may be distinguished from the non-receiving surface, but the normal marking is less noticeable than the visible light on the transmitting surface. There is a problem that it is not effective for young children who cannot understand the rule of “enter”. On the other hand, as in the conventional toy assembly system disclosed in Patent Document 1, there may be a means for providing a physical restriction (unevenness etc.) that is not coupled except by a combination of a signal transmission surface and a reception surface. As a result, the shape construction is hindered, and the range of play as an assembled toy is narrowed, reducing the value.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the visible light is emitted from the receiving surface of the output block so that the receiving surface is conspicuous to achieve attention acquisition equivalent to that of the transmitting surface, and visible from both the transmitting surface and the receiving surface. By allowing light to be emitted, it is possible to intuitively understand the combination of the reception surface and the transmission surface, and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a combination error as much as possible. Thus, it may be possible to provide a new toy assembly system that can allow small children, e.g., preschoolers, to build and understand simple control systems and increase educational value and play value. .

  (8) A plurality of the reception surfaces may be provided, and the emission state of visible light emitted from the reception surface may be changed according to the state of the infrared receiver provided on the reception surface. The state of the infrared receiver includes, for example, whether or not a control signal can be input. There are various types of changes in the discharge state, such as switching ON / OFF, changing the light emission pattern, light emission color, and brightness. In addition to the above, the state of the infrared receiver includes, for example, whether or not it is properly connected and can be received.

  (9) The visible light emission mode provided in the input block may be different from the visible light emission mode provided in the output block. Examples of different emission modes include emission color, emission pattern, and luminance. Those that change the state of light emission, or those that emit visible light with different appearances such as changing the shape of the light emitting part (circle and ring) like the first light emitting part 21 and the second light emitting part 22 of the embodiment There are various things. By changing the emission mode, it is possible to easily recognize the difference in function between the transmission surface and the reception surface, and to assist in appropriately combining the transmission surface and the reception surface.

(10) It is preferable to provide a function of informing when the transmission surface and the reception surface are correctly combined. The notification function is, for example, a function that feeds back and notifies that a correct combination has been made, and can be realized by a function that provides dynamic change of light, vibration, or the like. In this way, it may be possible to give a purpose to the search for an appropriate connection site itself (the search itself is also fun), and even a small child can construct a control system composed of a plurality of elements naturally.
(11) A state in which a light guide plate is provided on a surface that emits visible light in at least one of the input block and the output block having the surface that emits visible light, and the input block and the output block are connected to each other However, it is preferable that the light emission state of the visible light can be confirmed from the side surface of the light guide plate. In this way, even if the surface that emits visible light comes into contact with the surface of another block, the visible light is emitted to the outside by the light guide plate. Flow can be visualized.

  In the present invention, it is possible to reliably transmit a control signal by using infrared communication and to emit visible light in accordance with the transmission of the control signal, so that it is intuitive that communication and control are performed. Can be understood.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows suitable one Embodiment of the modular toy concerning this invention. (A) is AA sectional drawing in FIG. 1, (b) is BB sectional drawing in FIG. 1, (c) is sectional drawing which shows the state which connected the input block 11 and the output block 12. In FIG. is there. It is a figure explaining an example of use. It is a figure explaining an example of use. It is a figure explaining an example of use. It is a figure explaining an example of use.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not construed as being limited thereto, and various changes, modifications, and improvements can be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  1 and 2 show a preferred embodiment of a modular toy according to the present invention. A modular toy is one of educational toys that increase the creativity of users, such as children, by creating devices with various forms by appropriately combining blocks with a prismatic shape or other external shape as a building block. . A device composed of a plurality of blocks serves as hardware used for a predetermined application, and the input block 11 and the output block 12 are modules obtained by disassembling the hardware into functional units.

  The modular toy 10 includes an input block 11 that outputs a control signal based on the acquired input information, an output block 12 that performs a predetermined operation based on the control signal, and the like. Transmission and reception of control signals between the input block 11 and the output block 12 are performed using infrared communication. By using the infrared ray S1 for information transmission, it is possible to transmit information without being affected by external light noise. Further, the input block 11 has a function of emitting visible light L1. When the input block 11 transmits a control signal using the infrared ray S1, the input block 11 emits visible light L1 corresponding to the content to be transmitted simultaneously. In this way, an intuitive understanding of communication and control is achieved by visualizing the flow and contents of information by the visible light L1 that is emitted simultaneously with the transmission of the control signal. In addition, since the visible light L1 itself is irrelevant to signal transmission, the light brightness and blinking pattern can be freely set.

  Further, the first light emitting unit 21 to which the visible light L1 is output is the same surface as the transmission surface of the infrared ray S1. Thereby, it is possible to create a feeling that the control signal invisible by the infrared ray S1 is being output from the transmission surface when the visible light L1 is seen.

  The output block 12 includes a second light emitting unit 22 on the same surface as the receiving surface that receives the control signal. The second light emitting unit 22 emits light so that the reception surface can be easily understood. Thereby, the transmission surface of the input block 11 and the reception surface of the output block 12 can be made to face each other without making a mistake.

  A specific configuration for realizing these functions is as follows. The input block 11 has a cubic housing 20. An input device 23 such as a device that accepts a user input operation such as a switch or various sensors is mounted on the top side of the housing 20 in FIGS. In the example shown in the figure, the input device 23 is a push button switch, and a part of the input device 23 is exposed in a state of protruding to the outside of the housing 20. There are various types such as a state exposed on the surface of the housing 20 without being exposed, and a state in which the housing 20 is mounted inside the housing 20 and not exposed to the outside, such as a vibration sensor.

  A control board 24 and a battery 25 are built in the housing 20 of the input block 11. In the illustrated example, the input device 23 is mounted on the control board 24, and an input signal from the input device 23 is given to the control unit on the control board 24. The control unit creates and outputs a control signal based on the input signal.

  One or a plurality of surfaces of the housing 20 of the input block 11 is provided with a first opening 20a penetrating inward and outward at the center thereof. The first opening 20a has a circular shape, and is provided on three surfaces of the front surface, the right side surface, and the bottom surface in the examples shown in FIGS. An infrared transmitter 27 is disposed inside the housing 20 near the center of the first opening 20 a, and an LED 28 for emitting visible light L <b> 1 is disposed around the infrared transmitter 27. Infrared light S1 output from the infrared transmitter 27 passes through the first opening 20a and is transmitted to the outside of the housing 20. The control unit controls the infrared transmitter 27 and outputs the created control signal using the infrared ray S1.

  The LED 28 is also located in the first opening 20a. Therefore, the visible light L1 output from the LED 28 passes through the first opening 20a and is emitted to the outside of the housing 20. That is, the first opening 20 a and the LED 28 constitute the first light emitting unit 21. A light guide plate 29 is attached to the surface of the housing 20 provided with at least the first opening 20a. The light guide plate 29 has a rectangular sheet shape, and has a size and shape that is slightly smaller than the size and shape of each surface of the housing 20. The light guide plate 29 is attached to the surface of the housing 20 with, for example, an adhesive. In the state where the light guide plate 29 is attached, the first opening 20a is closed, and external dust or the like is prevented from entering the inside of the housing 20 through the first opening 20a. Then, the infrared ray S <b> 1 output from the infrared transmitter 27 advances straight through the light guide plate 29 and reaches the outside of the housing 20. The visible light L1 emitted from the LED 28 is routed to the outside through the light guide plate 29 in the thickness direction and along the direction parallel to the plane of the light guide plate 29, and is output from the end 29a. There is something. With the light output from the end portion 29a, the state of information transmission can be confirmed by the light leaking from the side surface even when the blocks are connected to each other. The three surfaces provided with the first opening 20a basically have the same configuration as described above.

  In addition, a hole 20b is provided at each corner of each surface of the housing 20 where the first opening 20a is provided, and the magnet 30 is disposed in the hole 20b. The magnet 30 has a spherical shape, and the hemisphere is an N pole, and the remaining hemisphere is an S pole. The outer surface side of the hole 20 b is covered and closed by the light guide plate 29, and the inner surface side of the hole 20 b is closed by the inner wall 26. Therefore, it stays in the magnet 30 and the hole 20b, and detachment is suppressed. Further, the magnet 30 can rotate in the hole 20b. That is, when, for example, an N-pole magnet is brought close to the outside of the hole 20b of the housing 20, the magnet 30 is appropriately rotated so that the S-pole side is positioned on the outside. For example, when the S-pole magnet is brought closer, The magnet 30 rotates appropriately and takes a posture in which the N-pole side is located outside, and attracts each other with the outside magnet.

  The holes 20b are basically provided at the four corners of each surface. The four holes 20b have the same relative position from each vertex of each surface. As will be described later, the casing 20 of the output block 12 is also provided with holes 20b at four corners of a predetermined surface. The positions of these four holes 20b are also the same as those of the input block 11 in the relative positions from the vertices of each surface. As a result, when the surfaces of the input block 11 and the output block 12 where the holes 20b are formed are brought together, as shown in FIG. 2B, the holes 20b face each other, and the magnets in the holes 20b 30 also opposes. Therefore, the magnets 30 mounted on the input block 11 and the output block 12 facing each other are appropriately rotated and attracted to each other. Therefore, when predetermined surfaces of the input block 11 and the output block 12 are aligned and brought into contact with each other, the contact state is maintained using the magnetic attraction force of the magnet 30 mounted on both blocks.

  Furthermore, since the light guide plate 29 is translucent, the magnet 30 can be seen through from the outside. Therefore, the user can recognize the presence of the magnet 30, can understand that it is better to intuitively match the magnets 30 of the two blocks, and can make correct faces face each other. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the input device 23 does not protrude outward, and the input device 23 is built in the housing 20 and has a flat surface, or an infrared communication function. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of a mistake that mistakenly faces a non-mounted surface to another block.

  The power from the battery 25 is used for the operation of the input device 23, the infrared transmitter 27, the LED 28, and the like. In this embodiment, a power switch 31 is provided to suppress power consumption. In this embodiment, the power switch 31 is disposed on the bottom surface side of the housing 20 in FIGS. 1 and 2 and is mounted so as to penetrate the hole 20b using the hole 20b that houses the magnet 30. . The power switch 31 is a push type, and when the operation unit 31a of the power switch 31 in the off state is pushed into the inside, the contact is turned on and the operation unit 31a is held in a slightly recessed position. When the operation unit 31a of the power switch 31 in the ON state is further pushed into the inside, the holding of the operation unit 31a is released, and when the push-in is released, the operation unit 31a returns to the original state and the contact is cut off to turn off. become. In this example, the tip of the operation unit 31a does not protrude outward from the surface of the housing 20 in either the on state or the off state, but may protrude in the off state, for example.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the charging terminal 32 is provided in the vicinity of the power switch 31. That is, the battery 25 is a rechargeable battery, and an external power source is connected to the charging terminal 32 and the battery 25 is charged via a charging circuit (not shown). By using the battery 25 as a rechargeable battery, it is not necessary to provide the casing 20 with a cover for replacing the battery 25, and it is possible to prevent the cover from being damaged or lost and being unusable. In the present embodiment, the power switch 31 and the charging terminal 32 are provided on the surface on which the infrared transmitter 27 and the like are installed. However, the present invention is not limited to this and may be provided on other surfaces.

  On the other hand, the output block 12 has a cubic housing 20. An output device 33 such as a speaker or a motor is mounted on the top surface side of the housing 20 in FIGS. In the illustrated example, the output device 33 is a speaker.

  A control board 24 and a battery 25 are built in the housing 20 of the output block 12. In the illustrated example, the output device 33 is mounted on the control board 24, and the operation of the output device 33 is controlled by the control unit / driver on the control board 24.

  One or more surfaces of the housing 20 of the output block 12 are provided with a second opening 20c penetrating inward and outward at the center thereof. The 2nd opening part 20c is circular, and is provided in three surfaces, the front surface in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, the left side surface, and the bottom face. The second opening 20c is made smaller than the diameter of the first opening 20a provided in the housing 20 of the input block 11. An infrared receiver 34 is disposed inside the housing 20 near the center of the second opening 20c. When receiving the infrared ray S1, the infrared receiver 34 sends a control signal indicated by the received infrared ray S1 to the control unit on the control board 24. The control unit operates the output device 33 based on the acquired control signal.

  On the outer periphery of the second opening 20c of the housing 20, a ring-shaped third opening 20d is provided concentrically at a predetermined distance. An LED 36 for emitting visible light L2 is disposed inside the housing 20 on the back side of the third opening 20d. A control unit provided on the control board 24 controls the light emission of the LED 36. When the LED 36 emits light, it passes through the third opening 20d and is emitted to the outside of the housing 20. That is, the third opening 20 d and the LED 36 constitute the second light emitting unit 22. Furthermore, a light guide plate 29 is attached to the surface of the housing 20 on which at least the second opening 20c and the third opening 20d are provided. The light guide plate 29 has a rectangular sheet shape, and has a size and shape that is slightly smaller than the size and shape of each surface of the housing 20. The light guide plate 29 is attached to the surface of the housing 20 with, for example, an adhesive. In the state where the light guide plate 29 is attached, the second opening 20c and the third opening 20d are closed, and external dust and the like are prevented from entering the inside of the housing 20.

  The visible light L <b> 2 output from the LED 36 also travels from the third opening 20 d into the light guide plate 29 and reaches the outside of the housing 20. There are two routes leading to the outside, ie, one that advances through the light guide plate 29 in the thickness direction and one that goes inside along the direction parallel to the plane of the light guide plate 29 and is output from the end portion 29a. With the light output from the end portion 29a, the state of information transmission can be confirmed by the light leaking from the side surface even when the blocks are connected to each other. The three surfaces provided with the second opening 20c and the third opening 20d basically have the same configuration as described above.

  Further, holes 20b are provided at predetermined positions at the four corners on each surface of the housing 20 where the second opening 20c and the third opening 20d are provided, and the magnets 30 are disposed in the holes 20b. The predetermined position is the same as that provided in the input block 11. The magnet 30 has a spherical shape, and the hemisphere is an N pole, and the remaining hemisphere is an S pole. The outer surface side of the hole 20 b is covered and closed by the light guide plate 29, and the inner surface side of the hole 20 b is closed by the inner wall 26. Therefore, it stays in the magnet 30 and the hole 20b, and detachment is suppressed. Further, the magnet 30 can rotate in the hole 20b.

  The power from the battery 25 is used for the operation of the output device 33, the infrared receiver 34, the LED 36, and the like. Similar to the input block 11, the output block 12 is also provided with a power switch 31 and a charging terminal 32. The installation positions of the power switch 31 and the charging terminal 32 are provided on the surface on which the infrared receiver 34 and the like are installed. However, the present invention is not limited to this and may be provided on another surface.

  Further, as described above, in the present embodiment, the first light emitting unit 21 on the infrared transmission side collects and arranges the LEDs 28 around the infrared transmitter 27, and makes the entire first opening 20a shine as strongly as possible. I did it. And since LED28 was light-emitted according to transmission of the control signal by the infrared rays S1 from the infrared transmitter 27, it feels like the control signal is transmitted from the part to which the infrared rays S1 which are not visible are transmitted. It can be brewed.

  On the other hand, the second light emitting unit 22 on the infrared receiving side is not a part of the central circular second opening 20c serving as the infrared receiving region, but the LED 36 is arranged slightly apart from the infrared receiver 34, and the second Only the ring-shaped third opening 20d outside the opening 20c is made to emit light.

  Thus, by giving the difference in appearance between the first light emitting unit 21 and the second light emitting unit 22, the roles of the transmitting side and the receiving side can be distinguished, and the transmitting side and the receiving side can be definitely combined. In addition, when adding a difference in appearance, the transmitting side, as described above, strongly emits light at the central circular portion (first light emitting portion 21), and understands that the control signal is output from that portion. On the other hand, on the receiving side, the portion of the ring-shaped third opening 20d having a relatively large diameter is caused to emit light, thereby making it conspicuous and making it easy to understand the receiving surface.

  Furthermore, instead of simply marking with a paint or the like to notify the receiving surface, in the present embodiment, the lighting of the LED 36 is controlled by using the second light emitting unit 22. The receiving surface becomes easier to understand by emitting light by itself. Further, by controlling the lighting of the LED 36, for example, a function of notifying the operation state of the infrared receiver 34 and the like is provided. The lighting control may be, for example, switching ON / OFF of lighting, or changing a light emission pattern or a light emission color. For example, the LED 36 is turned on / off depending on whether the infrared receiver 34 is in operation. That is, for example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when there are three reception surfaces, when the output device 33 is operated, in the case of a function that only one of the reception surfaces operates, initially, All the LEDs 36 on the three receiving surfaces capable of receiving light are turned on. On the other hand, if there is an input on any one of the surfaces, the input to the other surface is not accepted. Therefore, the LED 36 arranged on the other surface is turned off and the visible light L2 is not emitted.

  In addition, as described above, the notification using the light emission of the second light emitting unit 22 is not limited to the notification of the state on the reception side, and for example, notification of various states such as a connection state of infrared communication is performed. Anyway. For example, when the transmission surface and the reception surface are properly connected, notification is made by changing the lighting state of the LED 36. There are various types of changes in the lighting state, such as increasing the light emission amount / luminance, changing the lighting pattern such as blinking, and emitting red light in red in a steady state.

  While explaining the operation of the modular toy 10 using the input block 11 and the output block 12 described above, the function of each block will be further explained. First, the input block 11 and the output block 12 to be used are turned on. Along with this, the control unit of the input block 11 drives the input device 23 so that the input can be received from the outside. The control unit periodically transmits a predetermined basic signal from the infrared transmitter 27, and emits the LED 28 in synchronization with the transmission of the basic signal. On the other hand, the control unit of the output block 12 activates the infrared receiver 34 so as to be able to receive infrared rays, and emits the LED 36. For example, both the LED 28 and the LED 36 emit red light.

  The user selects an input block 11 and an output block 12 that have a function of configuring a device that the user wants to create, and faces each of the transmission surface and the reception surface while bringing the surfaces into contact with each other (see FIG. 2B). In this way, the visible light L1 from the LED 28 and the visible light L2 from the LED 36 both travel inside the light guide plate 29 along the direction parallel to the plane and are emitted from the end 29a. Therefore, the side surface of the light guide plate 29 shines brightly. Further, when the surfaces are brought into surface contact with each other in this way, the magnets 30 mounted on the blocks are magnetically attracted to each other, and the state where the transmitting surface and the receiving surface are in contact with each other is maintained. Therefore, when the input block 11 and the output block 12 are in contact with each other, for example, when the input block 11 is lifted while only the input block 11 is gripped, the output block 12 is lifted together.

  When the surfaces are brought into contact with each other at a correct position, the basic signal output from the infrared transmitter 27 is received by the infrared receiver 34 of the opposing output block 12. The control unit of the output block 12 performs control so as to change the light emission state of the LED 36 with the reception of the basic signal. Then, since the light emission state of the visible light L2 emitted from the end portion 29a of the light guide plate 29 changes, the user understands that the two blocks can be correctly connected based on the change in the light emission state, and infrared communication is established. it can.

  By connecting the input block 11 and the output block 12, one device is completed. In the example shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the input device 23 mounted on the input block 11 is a push button switch. For example, while the push button switch is being pressed, the contact is closed and turned on. When the hand is released and the pressing force is released, the contact opens and turns off. The output device 33 mounted on the output block 12 is a speaker. The completed device becomes a device that sounds a buzzer when a push button switch is pressed.

  The control unit of the input block 11 generates a control signal indicating the ON / OFF state of the push button switch that is the input device 23, and outputs the control signal from the infrared transmitter 27 using the infrared ray S1. At the same time as the output of the control signal, the control unit controls the light emission state of the LED 28 by blinking the LED 28 in a predetermined pattern or changing the luminance. Thereby, during transmission of the control signal, the visible light L1 is emitted from the end portion 29a of the light guide plate 29 in a predetermined light emission state. Therefore, since the light emission state is different from the steady light emission state of the visible light L1, it is possible to understand that the control signal is being communicated and the content of the communication.

  Then, the infrared ray S1 transmitted from the infrared transmitter 27 is received by the infrared receiver 34 and given to the control unit of the output block 12. The control unit of the output block 12 performs control to sound a buzzer from a speaker which is the output device 33 based on the given control signal. For example, a control is performed to sound a buzzer when the contact is in the ON state and not sound when the contact is in the OFF state.

  In the above-described embodiment, the LED 36 on the output block 12 side is provided in order to realize the function of emitting visible light L2 representing the reception surface. However, another function may be added. For example, after the basic signal is received by the infrared receiver 34 and communication is established between the input block 11 and the output block 12, it is used to notify the reception state. For example, the light emission state is changed when the control signal (infrared ray S1) is received and when it is not received. Then, the user can understand that the control signal is received from the visible light L2. At this time, for example, by changing the emission colors of the visible light L1 and the visible light L2, it is possible to transmit and receive the control signal correctly, whether the control signal is transmitted but not received, etc. It is good because you can understand the communication situation. By doing in this way, it can respond to the user's comprehension ability according to the age group, can be interested even if the age is increased, and the range of the target age group can be expanded.

  Moreover, when not providing the function which alert | reports the receiving state mentioned above in the light emission control of the 2nd light emission part 22, it is good to make it light-extinguish with establishment of communication. In this way, at the time of communication of the control signal, only the first light emitting unit 21 on the input block 11 side emits light and emits visible light L1, which is easy to understand.

  In the embodiment described above, the infrared transmitter 27 is mounted on the input block 11 and the infrared receiver 34 is mounted on the output block 12, but the present invention is not limited to this, and an infrared transmitter / receiver is included in each block. May be implemented to enable two-way communication. In this way, for example, the input block 11 can receive an answer back from the output block 12 side, and for example, control can be performed on the input block 11 side by such answer back. For example, when the transmission surface and the reception surface are correctly connected and the infrared receiver 34 receives the basic signal, an answer back is returned from the output block 12 side. When receiving the answerback, the control unit on the input block 11 side stops, for example, transmission of a basic signal or stops light emission of the LED 28. Thereby, power consumption can be suppressed. In addition, by stopping the light emission of the LED 28, the visible light L1 is turned off at the steady time when the control signal is not output, and the visible light L1 is emitted only when the control signal is transmitted, so that the sharpness is increased. good. In this case, it is more preferable that the LED 36 is turned off and the emission of the visible light L2 from the output block 12 is stopped along with the establishment of communication.

  In addition, the communication establishment notification or the like does not use the above-mentioned visible light, or in addition to that, a vibrator is incorporated in each block, and feedback is made by vibration when properly connected. Good.

  FIG. 3 and subsequent figures show an example of a device that is created by combining the input block 11 and the output block 12 that implement various functions. The functions of the input block 11 and the output block 12 will be described while explaining each device. 3 and the subsequent drawings, illustration of various members such as the first light emitting unit 21, the second light emitting unit 22, and the magnet 30 is omitted for convenience of illustration.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of a communication system for performing wireless communication to convey a voice to a person who is far away or to notify a situation based on a sound far away. In the illustrated example, since voice transmission is one-way, it can be used as, for example, a system for calling a person in another room in the house, a child's cry sensor, or the like. This communication system is configured by combining a first element 13 on the transmission side and a second element 14 on the reception side in order to perform communication at a distant place. Both the first element 13 and the second element 14 are a device in which a plurality of modular toys 10 are combined, and the entire system is configured by a combination of the plurality of devices.

  The first element 13 includes a microphone block as the input block 11 and a radio block (transmission side) as the output block 12. In the microphone block, a microphone as the input device 23 is disposed on the top surface of the housing 20 in FIG. 3, and a transmission surface is provided on at least the left side surface. The control unit of the microphone block converts the input signal acquired by the microphone into digital data and transmits it from an infrared transmitter incorporated as a control signal. Further, a mark M1 imitating a picture of a microphone is provided on the front surface in FIG. With this mark M1, the function (microphone) of the input block can be easily understood. In the wireless block (transmission side), the left and right side surfaces and the bottom surface in FIG. 3 are reception surfaces, and in the illustrated example, an infrared receiver mounted on the right side surface functions. Further, the wireless block (transmission side) incorporates a wireless transmitter as the output device 33. Further, three inward arrows and a mark M2 representing wireless communication are provided on the front surface in FIG. From the direction of the arrow, it can be understood that the position of the surface capable of infrared communication and that surface is the receiving surface, and this mark M2 facilitates the function of the wireless block (transmitting side) that wirelessly transmits the received signal Can understand.

  The second element 14 includes a wireless block (receiving side) as the input block 11 and a speaker block as the output block 12. In the wireless block (reception side), the left and right side surfaces and the bottom surface in FIG. 3 are transmission surfaces, and in the illustrated example, an infrared transmitter mounted on the right side surface functions. Further, the wireless block (receiving side) incorporates a wireless receiver as the input device 23. In addition, three outward arrows and a mark M3 representing wireless communication are provided on the front surface in FIG. From the direction of the arrow, it can be understood that the position of the surface capable of infrared communication and that surface is the receiving surface. With this mark M3, the wireless block (receiving side) that outputs a signal received by wireless transmission as a control signal. The function can be easily understood. In the speaker block, a speaker as the output device 33 is disposed on the top surface of the housing 20 in FIG. 3, and a receiving surface is provided on at least the left side surface. The speaker lock control unit outputs sound from the speaker based on the control signal acquired through the wireless block (reception side). Further, a mark M4 imitating a picture of a musical note is provided on the front surface in FIG. With this mark M4, the function of the output block (sound / speaker) can be easily understood.

  By comparing the mark M2 and the mark M3, it is possible to identify a radio block (transmission side) and a radio block (reception side) that are similar in appearance. Further, by comparing the mark M1 and the mark M4, the microphone block and the speaker block that are similar in appearance can be identified.

  The device including the first element 13 and the second element 14 has a function of transmitting the output from the microphone block to the speaker block at a location separated by the wireless block. The speaker block, for example, transmits the surrounding sound information acquired by the microphone block as a control signal and reproduces the sound information, or alarms when a predetermined notification condition is met based on the control signal of the sound information. And so on. Thereby, for example, it is possible to realize a system that notifies a parent in another room that a child cried.

  The device shown in FIG. 4 includes an acceleration sensor block as the input block 11 and a speaker block as the output block 12. In the acceleration sensor block, the top surface in FIG. 4 is a transmission surface, and an acceleration sensor is incorporated as the input device 23. The control unit of the acceleration sensor block outputs the acceleration level detected by the acceleration sensor as a control signal. The speaker block includes a receiving surface on at least the bottom surface of FIG. The speaker block outputs a sound corresponding to the received acceleration level from the speaker. Thus, this device constitutes a rattle-like toy that makes a sound when shaken.

  The car-type toy device shown in FIG. 5 includes two distance sensor blocks as the input block 11 and two DC motor blocks as the output block 12. Infrared communication is performed by combining one distance sensor block and one DC motor block. The distance sensor block includes a distance sensor such as an ultrasonic sensor as the input device 23, and outputs the distance to the object obtained by the distance sensor as a control signal. The DC motor block includes a DC motor as the output device 33 and connects the tire component 41 to the output shaft of the DC motor. The control unit of the DC motor block controls the number of rotations of the DC motor based on the received control signal (distance to the object). For example, the rotation speed is controlled so that the rotation speed increases as the distance approaches. Thereby, for example, when the hand is held close to the distance sensor of the input device 23, the distance to the object detected by the distance sensor is shortened, so the number of rotations is increased, and the vehicle escapes from the hand held up, The movement speed decreases when the distance from the hand increases, and stops when the distance exceeds a certain distance.

  In this example, the input block 11 side is the rear side of the vehicle and moves forward to the output block 12 side. However, for example, when the input block 11 side is the front side of the vehicle and the distance to the object approaches, the motor speed If the control is performed so that the number of rotations of the motor is reduced to 0 when the distance is more than a certain distance, a toy vehicle device having a collision prevention function can be configured.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of a radio-controlled car system that performs wireless communication and controls the movement of the vehicle. The third element 15 is a remote control device, and includes two switch blocks as the input block 11 and a radio block (transmission side) as the output block 12. When the push button switch that is the input device 23 of the switch block is pressed, the control unit of the input block 11 outputs an ON signal as a control signal. The wireless block (transmission side) determines the ON signal from either the left or right switch block based on the receiving surface that has received the ON signal, and wirelessly transmits the ON signal together with the left and right distinction.

  The fourth element 16 is a vehicle toy device, and includes a radio block (receiving side) as the input block 11 and two DC motor blocks as the output block 12. A tire part 41 is attached to the output shaft of a DC motor as the output device 33 of the DC block. Furthermore, a connection block 17 and optional part parts (tires) 18 are provided as auxiliary function blocks. The connection block 17 does not have a spontaneous light emission function, but has a function of transmitting input information in a specific direction by having a light transmission path using an optical fiber inside. In this example, one transmission surface of the wireless block (reception side) is connected to the reception surface of one DC motor block, and the other transmission surface of the wireless block (reception side) is connected to the input surface of the connection block 17. Connecting. The output surface of the connection block 17 is connected to the reception surface of another DC motor block.

  By adopting such a configuration, when the user presses the push button switch of one of the switch blocks, the accompanying ON signal is transmitted to the wireless block (receiving side) using wireless communication, and the corresponding DC motor rotates, When the push button switches of both switch blocks are pressed simultaneously, the DC motors of the two DC motor blocks rotate together. Therefore, the vehicle toy device can be advanced from a remote location, stopped, or turned right or left in accordance with the switch operation of the user's remote control.

  The connection block 17 does not use an optical fiber as described above, but includes, for example, an infrared receiver 34 on one surface of the housing 20 and an infrared transmitter 27 on another surface. And you may use what has a light emission function spontaneously like the repeater which transmits the control signal received with the infrared receiver 34 from the infrared transmitter 27. FIG.

  Furthermore, tire auxiliary parts that do not contain devices are used as optional parts, and the toy vehicle device becomes a tricycle and can run stably. Such optional parts can be used to assist in functions and to expand the range of play as a toy.

  Moreover, in embodiment mentioned above, although the magnet 30 was arrange | positioned in the surface which can be connected like a transmission surface and a receiving surface, this invention is not limited to this, The magnet 30 is also on surfaces other than a transmission surface and a receiving surface. May be arranged. By making it possible to connect surfaces other than the transmitting surface and receiving surface that perform infrared communication in this way, for example, devices with different external shapes can be obtained by connecting another block to a device used for a predetermined application. It is useful for assembling or connecting multiple blocks like ordinary building blocks regardless of infrared communication, and making arbitrary shaped objects, increasing the degree of freedom of the shape of the work / device to be manufactured be able to.

  The above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate. Moreover, when combining, it is good to take a part of structure and combine with another form. Furthermore, you may comprise another invention which made the one part structure shown to each embodiment and a modification essential.

  As described above, various aspects of the present invention have been described using the embodiments and the modifications. However, these embodiments and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, and are for understanding the present invention. It is added that it was provided to contribute. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations and manufacturing methods explicitly described in the specification, and includes combinations of various aspects of the present invention disclosed in the present specification. Among the present inventions, the configuration for which a patent is sought is specified in the appended claims, but the present invention is disclosed in this specification even if the configuration is not specified in the claims. I would like to remind you that there is a possibility of claiming this configuration in the future.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Input block 12 Output block 20 Case 21 1st light emission part 22 2nd light emission part 23 Input device 27 Infrared transmitter 28 LED
30 Magnet 33 Output device 34 Infrared receiver 36 LED

Claims (11)

An input block having an input device and outputting a control signal based on input information acquired from the input device;
An output block for controlling the operation of the output device based on the received control signal;
The input block includes a prismatic housing, and at least one surface of the housing serves as a transmission surface of the control signal,
The output block includes a prismatic housing, and at least one surface of the housing serves as a receiving surface for the control signal,
The transmission / reception of the control signal is performed between an infrared transmitter provided in the input block and an infrared receiver provided in the output block,
The modular toy according to claim 1, wherein the input block includes a light emitter that emits visible light, and the light emitter emits light in accordance with transmission of the control signal by the infrared transmitter.   2. The modular toy according to claim 1, wherein light emission of the light emitter is in accordance with a content of the control signal.   3. The modular toy according to claim 1, wherein the visible light is emitted from the transmission surface.   The modular toy according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the light emitter is disposed around the infrared transmitter.   5. The modular toy according to claim 1, wherein the input block and the output block include a mechanism that holds the transmitting surface and the receiving surface facing each other. An auxiliary block is arranged between the input block and the output block,
6. The modular toy according to claim 1, wherein the control signal output from the input block is received by the output block via the auxiliary block. 7. .   The modular toy according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the output block has a function of emitting visible light from the receiving surface. A plurality of receiving surfaces;
8. The modular toy according to claim 7, wherein the emission state of visible light emitted from the reception surface is changed in accordance with the state of the infrared receiver provided on the reception surface.   The modular toy according to claim 7 or 8, wherein a visible light emission mode provided in the input block is different from a visible light emission mode provided in the output block.   The modular toy according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a function of notifying when a correct combination of the transmission surface and the reception surface is made.   A light guide plate is provided on the surface that emits visible light in at least one of the input block and the output block having the surface that emits the visible light, and the light guide plate is connected even when the input block and the output block are connected. The modular toy according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the visible light emission state can be confirmed from a side surface of the light plate.

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