JP7547529B2 - Action responsive toys - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a motion-responsive toy and toy body, and more specifically to a motion-responsive toy that outputs effects in response to the motions performed by the user, and a toy body used therein.

Conventionally, combination toys that output sounds and the like when two figurative toys are brought close to each other are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

The combination toy described in Patent Document 1 consists of two figurative toys that are related to each other. One figurative toy stores predetermined information in advance and has a response means for transmitting the stored information. The other figurative toy has a reading means for causing the response means to transmit the information stored in the one figurative toy and for reading the transmitted information, and a sound output means for outputting a predetermined sound based on the information read by the reading means.

With this combination toy, not only does it output sound when two figurative toys are brought close to each other, but one figurative toy can read information that the other figurative toy already has, and the other figurative toy can react according to the information that it has read, allowing play.

By the way, the actions of a user using a motion-responsive toy include not only bringing an object closer to the user, but also bringing the object closer and then moving it away. Being able to respond to such actions of moving the object away is required as a function of a motion-responsive toy, and this is consistent with the original purpose of a motion-responsive toy.

JP 2000-93664 A

However, the combination toy described in Patent Document 1 only functions (makes sound) when the figurative toys are brought close to each other, making it low in functionality and uninteresting.

The present invention can be realized by the following configuration.
The motion-responsive toy of the present invention has a main toy body and a secondary toy body, each of which can be worn on the body of a user or held by the user, and which is configured to be able to move closer to or farther away from each other in response to the motion of the user wearing or holding the main toy body. The main toy body has a main control unit, a main output unit that outputs effects using at least one of light emission and sound production, and an effect storage unit that stores first effect information and second effect information, and the main control unit is capable of determining whether the secondary toy body is close to or far away from the main toy body. The present invention is characterized in that the main control unit has a state determination means such as a state determination means for determining that the sub-toy objects are close to each other, and while the state determination means determines that the sub-toy objects are close to each other, the main control unit reads the first performance information from the performance memory unit and controls the main output unit to output a first performance based on the read first performance information, and when the state determination means determines that the sub-toy objects are separated by the user's action while the first performance is being output, the main control unit reads the second performance information from the performance memory unit and controls the main output unit to output a second performance based on the read second performance information. The action-responsive toy of the present invention has a main toy body and a secondary toy body, each of which can be worn on the body of a user or held by the user, and can move toward or away from each other in response to the action of the user wearing or holding the toy. The main toy body has a main control unit, a main output unit which outputs effects using at least one of light emission and sound, an effect memory unit which stores first effect information and second effect information, and a memory device. The secondary toy body has a secondary control unit, a transceiver unit which can send and receive signals to and from the outside, and an identification information memory unit which stores identification information for identifying the type of the secondary toy body. The main toy body detects and responds to secondary toy bodies within a predetermined range. the sub-controller reads out the identification information from the identification information storage unit in response to receiving the inquiry signal at the transceiver unit and transmits the read identification information from the transceiver unit to the identification information receiver; the main toy body is reversibly changeable between a first form and a second form and has a form detection unit that detects whether the main toy body is in the first form or the second form; and the main control unit determines whether the identification information received by the identification information receiver unit is information belonging to a first group or information belonging to a second group. and when the form detection unit detects that the main toy object is in the first form, and when the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is determined by the identification information determining means to belong to the first group, the main control unit reads out the first performance information from the performance storage unit, controls the main output unit to perform the first performance based on the read first performance information, and stores the received identification information in the storage unit. Furthermore, when the form detection unit detects that the main toy object is in the second form, the main control unit controls the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit to belong to the second group by the identification information determining means. When it is determined that the information belongs to a loop, the second performance information is read from the performance memory unit, and the main output unit is controlled to perform the second performance based on the read second performance information. When controlling the main output unit to perform the second performance, the main control unit determines whether or not identification information is stored in the memory unit, and if identification information is stored, determines whether the stored identification information and the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit and determined by the identification information determination means to be information belonging to the second group are a specific combination, and if it is determined that they are a specific combination, controls the main output unit to perform a second performance corresponding to the specific combination. In addition, in the action-responsive toy of the present invention, the first performance information and the second performance information include information for causing the main output unit to perform a light-emitting performance, and the performance memory unit stores a plurality of the first performance information and the second performance information, each of which has a different light emission color during the light-emitting performance by the main output unit, in correspondence with each identification information, and the sub-performance includes a light-emitting performance, and the light emission color during the light-emitting performance in the sub-performance may be of the same color family as the light emission color in the first performance and the second performance associated with each identification information. Furthermore, the performance output toy of the present invention is a motion-responsive toy having a main toy body and a sub toy body, each of which can be worn on a user's body or held by the user, and which is configured to be able to approach or move away from each other in response to the motion of the user wearing or holding the main toy body. The main toy body has a main control unit, a main output unit that outputs a performance by at least one of light emission and sound production, a performance memory unit that stores first performance information, second performance information, and third performance information, and a memory device. The sub toy body has a sub control unit, a transmission/reception unit that can transmit and receive signals to and from the outside, and an identification information memory unit that stores identification information for identifying the type of the sub toy body. The main toy body is configured to receive signals from the main toy body and the sub toy body within a predetermined range. the sub-controller reads out the identification information from the identification information storage unit in response to receiving the inquiry signal at the transceiver unit and transmits the read identification information from the transceiver unit to the identification information receiver; the main toy body is reversibly changeable between a first form and a second form and has a form detection unit that detects whether the main toy body is in the first form or the second form; and the main control unit has an identification information determination means that determines whether the identification information received by the identification information receiver is information belonging to a first group or information belonging to a second group. When the form detection unit detects that the main toy object is in the first form, and when the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is determined by the identification information determining means to be information belonging to the first group, the main control unit reads out the first performance information from the performance storage unit, controls the main output unit to perform a first performance based on the read first performance information, and stores the received identification information in the storage device. Furthermore, when the form detection unit detects that the main toy object is in the second form, and when the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is determined by the identification information determining means to be information belonging to the second group, the main control unit controls the performance storage unit and controls the main output unit to perform the second performance based on the read second performance information, and when controlling the main output unit to perform the second performance, the main control unit determines whether or not identification information is stored in the storage device, and if identification information is stored, determines whether or not the stored identification information and the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit and determined by the identification information determination means to be information belonging to the second group are a specific combination, and if it is determined that they are a specific combination, reads out third performance information corresponding to the specific combination instead of the second performance information, and controls the main output unit to perform the third performance based on the read third performance information. In addition, in the performance output toy of the present invention, the first performance information and the second performance information include information for causing the main output unit to perform a light-emitting performance, and the performance memory unit stores a plurality of the first performance information and the second performance information, each of which has a different light emission color during a light-emitting performance based on the information for causing the main output unit to perform the light-emitting performance, in correspondence with each of the identification information, and the sub-performance includes a light-emitting performance, and the light emission color during the light-emitting performance in the sub-performance may be of the same color system as the light emission color in the first performance and the second performance associated with each of the identification information.

In the above-mentioned motion-responsive toy of the invention, the secondary toy object has a secondary control unit, a transceiver unit capable of transmitting and receiving signals to and from the outside, and an identification information storage unit that stores identification information for identifying the type of the secondary toy object, and the main toy object has a question signal transmission unit capable of transmitting a question signal to the transceiver unit to inquire about the identification information of the secondary toy object within a predetermined range, and an identification information receiving unit capable of receiving the identification information transmitted from the transceiver unit, the secondary control unit reads the identification information from the identification information storage unit in response to receiving the question signal at the transceiver unit, and transmits the read identification information from the transceiver unit to the identification information receiving unit, and the state determination means determines that the secondary toy object is approaching within the predetermined range when the identification information is received at the identification information receiving unit, and determines that the secondary toy object has moved away from the predetermined range when the identification information that was received at the identification information receiving unit is no longer received.

In the motion-responsive toy of the above invention, the sub-toy body has a sub-output unit that outputs a sub-effect by at least one of light emission and sound production, and the sub-control unit controls the sub-output unit to output a sub-effect in response to the question signal being received by the transceiver unit.

The motion-responsive toy of the above invention is characterized in that the first performance information includes information for causing the main output unit to perform a light-emitting performance, the performance memory unit stores a plurality of the first performance information with different light emission colors during the light-emitting performance by the main output unit in association with each of the identification information, the sub-performance includes a light-emitting performance, and the light emission color during the light-emitting performance in the sub-performance is a color of the same family as the light emission color in the first performance associated with each of the identification information.

The motion-responsive toy of the above invention is characterized in that the main toy body has a belt part for wrapping around the user's body, and the secondary toy body has an attachment part for attaching to the user's finger.

The motion-responsive toy of the above invention is characterized in that the main toy body is a gun-type toy that can be held by the user, and the secondary toy body has an attachment part for attaching to the user's finger.

The motion-responsive toy of the above invention is characterized in that the main toy body is a sword-shaped toy that can be held by the user, and the secondary toy body has an attachment part for attaching to the user's finger.

In the motion-responsive toy of the above invention, the main toy body is reversibly changeable between a first form and a second form, and has a form detection unit that detects whether the main toy body is in the first form or the second form. The performance memory unit stores first form change instruction information for outputting from the main output unit a first form change instruction that prompts the user to change the form of the main toy body from the first form to the second form, and second form change instruction information for outputting from the main output unit a second form change instruction that prompts the user to change the form of the main toy body from the second form to the first form. The main control unit has an identification information determination means that determines whether the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is information belonging to a first group or information belonging to a second group. When the form detection unit detects that the main toy body is in the first form, and when the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is determined by the identification information determination means to be information belonging to the first group, the main control unit performs a state where the secondary toy body is approaching. The main control unit controls the main output unit to perform the first performance while the state determination means determines that the main toy object is in the approaching state, and when the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is determined by the identification information determination means to belong to the second group, the main control unit controls the main output unit to read the first form change instruction information from the performance storage unit and output the first form change instruction when the identification information determination means determines that the main toy object is in the second form and the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is determined to be information belonging to the second group, the main control unit controls the main output unit to perform the first performance while the state determination means determines that the sub toy object is in the approaching state, and when the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is determined to be information belonging to the first group by the identification information determination means, the main control unit controls the main output unit to read the second form change instruction information from the performance storage unit and output the second form change instruction when the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is determined to be information belonging to the first group.

It is also a toy object that can be used as a secondary toy object in a motion-responsive toy.

The toy is also characterized by being in the shape of a ring, with a decorative part and a fitting part for wearing on the user's finger.

The toy body is also characterized in that the attachment parts are available in a number of different sizes and can be attached and detached interchangeably to the decorative part.

1 is a diagram showing a motion responsive toy according to an embodiment of the present invention and how it is used; FIG. 1A and 1B are front views of the buckle, in which FIG. 1A shows a relief in the transformation form, and FIG. 1B shows a relief in the special move form. 3(b) is a diagram for explaining a power transmission mechanism for changing the shape of the relief, and is a diagram showing the buckle shown in FIG. 3(a) with the relief main body, the disk portion, etc. removed. FIG. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating the configuration of a transformation ring, in which (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a side view. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating the configuration of a ring for use in a special move, where (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a side view. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the buckle and the ring. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of a motion responsive toy. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a continuation of FIG. 8 . 4A is a front view of the buckle in a relief of the transformation form, and FIG. 4B is a front view of the buckle in a relief of the special move form. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a case where the main toy object is a gun-type toy. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a case where the main toy object is a sword-shaped toy.

Below, a detailed description of a form for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiment") will be given with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the same elements are given the same numbers throughout the description of the embodiment. The drawings should be viewed in the direction of the reference symbols. Furthermore, "left" and "right" indicate the directions as seen from the user wearing the motion-responsive toy.

As shown in FIG. 1, the motion-responsive toy 10 of the embodiment has a buckle (main toy body) 20 and rings (secondary toy bodies) 40A, 40B. The buckle 20 and rings 40A, 40B can be attached to the body of a user 11 (in this example, the waist and fingers), respectively, and are configured to be able to move toward and away from each other in response to the movements of the user 11 wearing them. The motion-responsive toy 10 has a belt portion 12 for attaching the buckle 20 to the waist of the user 11.

The rings 40A and 40B consist of a transformation ring 40A worn on one hand of the user (in this example, the left hand 13L) and a special move ring 40B worn on the other hand of the user (in this example, the right hand 13R). In the following explanation, the components of the transformation ring 40A are distinguished by adding an "A" to the reference numerals, and the components of the special move ring 40B are distinguished by adding a "B" to the reference numerals. In addition, when referring to the transformation ring 40A and the special move ring 40B collectively, they are referred to as "rings 40A and 40B".

In the motion-responsive toy 10, when the transformation ring 40A or the special move ring 40B approaches or moves away from the buckle 20 in response to the user's 11 movements, sound and light effects are produced, allowing the user 11 to virtually experience the transformation or activation of a special move.

(Configuration of buckle 20)
The structure of the buckle 20 will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 2, the buckle 20 has a buckle body 21 to which the belt portion 12 is attached, and a relief 22 formed in relief on the front surface of the buckle body 21.

As shown in FIG. 3(a), a disk portion 23 is provided at the center of the front surface of the buckle body 21. The relief 22 is provided on the front surface of this disk portion 23. The relief 22 is formed in a shape that imitates a human hand, and is composed of a relief body 25 that imitates four fingers other than the thumb, and two thumb portions 26C and 26D on the left and right that imitate the thumbs. The relief body 25 is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the disk portion 23, and at least a portion of it is made of a material that is translucent. A light-emitting portion 27 is provided at the center of the inside of the relief body 25, and light from this light-emitting portion 27 can be seen from the outside through the relief body 25.

The relief 22 is the portion over which the user holds the rings 40A, 40B (see FIG. 1). The relief 22 can be reversibly transformed between a transformation form (first form) and a special move form (second form). The transformation form is a form for encouraging the user to hold the left hand 13L (see FIG. 1) over the relief 22, and is a form that imitates a human left hand. On the other hand, the special move form is a form for encouraging the user to hold the right hand 13R (see FIG. 1) over the relief 22, and is a form that imitates a human right hand. In FIG. 3, (a) shows the relief 22 in the transformation form, and (b) shows the relief 22 in the special move form.

As shown in FIG. 3(a), in the transformation form relief 22, the right thumb 26D is exposed and the left thumb 26C is hidden by the relief body 25, and the exposed right thumb 26D and the relief body 25 form a model of the left hand. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3(b), in the special move form relief 22, the left thumb 26C is exposed and the right thumb 26D is hidden by the relief body 25, and the exposed left thumb 26C and the relief body 25 form a model of the right hand.

3, the means for changing the form of the relief 22 from (a) to (b) or from (b) to (a) is arbitrary, but here, levers 28L, 28R for rotating the relief body 25 are provided on both the left and right sides of the relief 22 so as to be movable in the up and down direction, and the left and right levers 28L, 28R are moved in opposite directions to change the form of the relief 22. For example, to change the relief 22 in the transformation form shown in (a) to the relief 22 in the special move form shown in (b), the right lever 28R is raised (arrow (1)) and at the same time the left lever 28L is lowered (arrow (2)), causing the relief body 25 to rotate counterclockwise (arrow (3)). On the other hand, to change the relief 22 in the form for a special move shown in (b) to the relief 22 in the form for transformation shown in (a), the right lever 28R is lowered (arrow (4)) and at the same time the left lever 28L is raised (arrow (5)) to rotate the relief body 25 clockwise (arrow (6)).

The mechanism for transmitting the operating force applied to the left and right levers 28L, 28R as a rotational force to the relief body 25 can be selected from various power transmission mechanisms. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the power transmission means 33 is composed of left and right drive gears 31L, 31R that rotate in conjunction with the vertical movement of the left and right levers 28L, 28R, and a driven gear 32 that is provided on the back surface of the relief body 25 and meshes with the left and right drive gears 31L, 31R. With this power transmission means 33, the operating force of the user applied to the left and right levers 28L, 28R (see FIG. 3) is transmitted to the relief body 25 via the left and right drive gears 31L, 31R and the driven gear 32. This allows the user to rotate the relief body 25 in any direction to change the form of the relief 22 (see FIG. 3) into a transformation form or a special move form.

The buckle body 21 has a pair of left and right microswitches 35L, 35R built in. The back side of the relief body 25 is provided with a pressing portion 36 capable of pressing the left and right microswitches 35L, 35R. The microswitch 35R is pressed by the pressing portion 36 when the relief 22 (see FIG. 3(a)) is in the transformation form. On the other hand, the microswitch 35L is pressed by the pressing portion 36 when the relief 22 (see FIG. 3(b)) is in the special move form.

(Configuration of rings 40A and 40B)
The configuration of the rings 40A and 40B will be described with reference to Figs.
As shown in Figs. 5(a) to (c), the transformation ring 40A is composed of a decorative part 41A and a mounting part 42A. The decorative part 41A is composed of any shape, pattern, and color, and at least a part of it is composed of a material having translucency. The decorative part 41A has a built-in light-emitting part 43A, and light from the light-emitting part 43A can be seen from the outside through the decorative part 41A. The mounting part 42A is formed in a ring shape so that it can be worn on the finger of the user's left hand 13L (see Fig. 1). In addition, the mounting part 42A is formed in a C-shape with a part (in this example, the lower part) open, and can be elastically deformed into a shape that expands in diameter. This allows even a user with thick fingers to expand the mounting part 42A and wear it on their finger. In addition, the mounting part 42A may be configured to be detachable from the decorative part 41A, and multiple mounting parts 42A of different sizes may be manufactured and prepared so that the user can replace the mounting part 42A of the optimal size from among these multiple mounting parts 42A.

As shown in Figures 6(a) to (c), the special move ring 40B is made up of a decorative part 41B and a mounting part 42B. The decorative part 41B can be of any shape, pattern, and color. The mounting part 42B is formed in a circular ring shape so that it can be worn on the finger of the user's right hand 13R (see Figure 1). The mounting part 42B is also formed in a C-shape with an open portion (in this example, the lower part), and can be elastically deformed into a shape that expands in diameter. The mounting part 42B can also be configured to be detachable from the decorative part 41B, and multiple mounting parts 42B of different sizes can be manufactured and prepared so that the user can change the mounting part 42B to the size that is most suitable.

Each of the transformation rings 40A and the special move rings 40B has a built-in so-called RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag, and is given identification information to identify the type. In this embodiment, multiple types of transformation rings 40A are set, and each of these multiple types of transformation rings 40A is given unique identification information. Furthermore, multiple types of special move rings 40B are set, and each of these multiple types of special move rings 40B is also given unique identification information. The identification information is broadly divided into information given to the transformation rings 40A (hereinafter referred to as "information belonging to the first group") and information given to the special move rings 40B (hereinafter referred to as "information belonging to the second group").

(Internal Configuration of Motion Response Toy 10)
The internal configuration of the buckle 20 and the finger rings 40A and 40B will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in Fig. 7, the action-responsive toy 10 employs a non-contact data carrier system using an RFID tag, in which the buckle 20 corresponds to the interrogator, and the rings 40A and 40B correspond to the responders. The buckle 20 incorporates a main control unit 51 and a performance memory unit 52. The main control unit 51 and the performance memory unit 52 are included in a one-chip microcomputer incorporated in the buckle 20. The buckle 20 also incorporates a question signal transmitting unit 53, an identification information receiving unit 55, a form detecting unit 56, and a main output unit 57. The main control unit 51 has a ring state determining means (state determining means) 58 and an identification information determining means 61. The buckle 20 also includes a battery 62, which is connected to the main control unit 51 via a power switch 63. When the power switch 63 is turned on, a current flows through the main control unit 51, and control begins.

The transformation ring 40A has a sub-control unit 71A, a transmission/reception unit 72A, an identification information storage unit 73A, and a sub-output unit 75A built in. The special move ring 40B has a sub-control unit 71B, a transmission/reception unit 72B, and an identification information storage unit 73B built in.

The question signal transmitting unit 53 and the identification information receiving unit 55 can be configured with antenna coils, and are provided behind the relief 22 (towards the user when worn by the user). The question signal transmitting unit 53 can transmit a question signal inquiring about identification information to the transformation ring 40A or the special move ring 40B within a predetermined range (for example, within a range of about 10 cm from the question signal transmitting unit 53, i.e., in the vicinity of the relief 22). The identification information receiving unit 55 can receive the identification information transmitted from the transceiver unit 72A or the transceiver unit 72B.

The ring state determination means 58 can determine whether the transformation ring 40A or the special move ring 40B is in a state of approaching or away from the buckle 20. Here, the ring state determination means 58 determines that the transformation ring 40A or the special move ring 40B is in a state of approaching the buckle 20 (relief 22, question signal transmission unit 53) when the identification information receiving unit 55 receives identification information as a response to the question signal from the question signal transmission unit 53, and if the same identification information continues to be received thereafter, it determines that the same transformation ring 40A or the special move ring 40B continues to be in a state of approach. In addition, the ring state determination means 58 determines that the transformation ring 40A or the special move ring 40B is away from the buckle 20 (relief 22, question signal transmission unit 53) beyond a predetermined range when the identification information that was received in the identification information receiving unit 55 as a response to the question signal from the question signal transmission unit 53 is no longer received.

The identification information determination means 61 determines whether the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit 55 is information belonging to the first group or information belonging to the second group.

The main output unit 57 outputs effects by at least one of light emission and sound emission. In this example, the main output unit 57 is composed of a sound emission unit 65 such as a speaker, and the above-mentioned light emission unit 27. It is preferable that the light emission unit 27 is composed of a full-color LED (light-emitting diode) that can selectively emit a plurality of light colors (e.g., red, green, blue, yellow).

The performance memory unit 52 stores first performance information, second performance information, first form change instruction information, and second form change instruction information.

The first performance information is information for outputting a ring reading performance (first performance) when identification information of the transformation ring 40A or identification information of the special move ring 40B is received (i.e., when the ring state determination means 53 determines that the transformation ring 40A or the special move ring 40B is in close proximity), and includes information for causing the main output unit 57 to perform a light emission performance and a sound emission performance. More specifically, the first performance information is control information for causing the sound generation unit 65 to output a ring reading sound and for causing the light emission unit 27 to emit light in a predetermined light color and pattern. The first performance information is stored in association with each of the identification information of the multiple types of transformation rings 40A or each of the identification information of the multiple types of special move rings 40B.

The performance memory unit 52 also stores a plurality of pieces of first performance information, each of which has a different light emission color when the light-emitting unit 27 emits light, in association with each piece of identification information. Here, the performance memory unit 52 stores a plurality of pieces of first performance information for making the light-emitting unit 27 emit light in accordance with the light emission color (e.g., red, green, blue, yellow, etc.) of the light-emitting unit 43A of the transformation ring 40A described below.

The second performance information is information for outputting a transformation performance (second performance) or a special move performance (second performance), and is control information for outputting a transformation sound or special move sound from the sound generating unit 65 and for causing the light emitting unit 27 to emit light in a predetermined light color and pattern. Of the second performance information, information for outputting a transformation performance is stored in association with each of the identification information of the multiple types of transformation rings 40A. Furthermore, of the second performance information, information for outputting a special move performance is stored in association with each of the identification information of the multiple types of special move rings 40B. Furthermore, the second performance information for outputting a special move performance includes information for outputting a normal special move performance, and information for outputting a special special move performance when the combination of the identification information of the transformation ring 40A and the identification information of the special move ring 40B is a specific combination.

When the relief 22 (see FIG. 3) is in a transformation form, the first form change instruction information is information for outputting from the main output unit 57 a performance (first form change instruction) that prompts the user to operate the left and right levers 28L, 28R (see FIG. 3) to change the form of the relief 22 (see FIG. 3) to a form for a special move when information belonging to the second group is received by the identification information receiving unit 55.

The second form change instruction information is information for outputting from the main output unit 57, when information belonging to the first group is received by the identification information receiving unit 55 when the relief 22 (see FIG. 3) is in a form for a special move, an effect (second form change instruction) that prompts the user to change the form of the relief 22 (see FIG. 3) to a form for transformation by operating the left and right levers 28L, 28R (see FIG. 3).

The form detection unit 56 detects whether the relief 22 (see FIG. 3) is in a transformation form or a special move form. The form detection unit 56 may be configured as desired, but here the two microswitches 35L, 35R described above are used. That is, the form detection unit 56 is connected to the microswitches 35L, 35R, and detects which of the microswitches 35L, 35R is pressed by the pressing unit 36 (see FIG. 4) or whether neither microswitch is pressed, thereby detecting the current form of the relief 22 (see FIG. 3).

The transmitter/receiver 72A of the transformation ring 40A can transmit and receive signals to and from the outside, and can be composed of an antenna coil. The identification information memory 73A stores identification information for identifying the type of transformation ring 40A. The sub-controller 71A is a control IC chip, and is driven by an induced electromotive force generated in the transmitter/receiver 72A upon receiving a question signal from the question signal transmitter 53. In response to receiving a question signal at the transmitter/receiver 72A, the sub-controller 71A reads out identification information from the identification information memory 73A, and transmits this read identification information from the transmitter/receiver 72A to the identification information receiver 55.

The secondary output unit 75A of the transformation ring 40A is a part that outputs secondary performances by at least one of light emission and sound production. In this example, the secondary output unit 75A is composed of the light emitting unit 43A, and the secondary performances include light emission performances. The light emitting unit 43A is composed of, for example, an LED (light emitting diode), and the light emission color of the light emitting unit 43A can be selected from multiple colors (for example, red, green, blue, yellow, etc.). In this embodiment, the light emission color during the light emission performance in the secondary performance (the light emission color of the light emitting unit 43A) is set to a color of the same type as the light emission color of the light emitting unit 27 in the ring reading performance (first performance) associated with each identification information. The light emitting unit 43A is driven by induced electromotive force generated in the transmitting/receiving unit 72A by receiving a question signal. For this reason, the transformation ring 40A does not require a power source.

When the question signal is received by the transceiver unit 72A, the sub-control unit 71A controls the sub-output unit 75A to output a sub-performance based on the read-out identification information.

The transmitter/receiver 72B of the special move ring 40B can transmit and receive signals to and from the outside, and can be composed of an antenna coil. The identification information memory 73B stores identification information for identifying the type of special move ring 40B. The sub-controller 71B is a control IC chip, and is driven by an induced electromotive force generated in the transmitter/receiver 72B upon receiving a question signal from the question signal transmitter 53. For this reason, the special move ring 40B does not require a power source. Then, in response to receiving a question signal at the transmitter/receiver 72B, the sub-controller 71B reads out identification information from the identification information memory 73B, and transmits this read identification information from the transmitter/receiver 72B to the identification information receiver 55.

The amount of information stored in the identification information storage units 73A, 73B can be any amount, but for example, if the amount of information is 16 bits, the first 8 bits can be used as predetermined information including company information, and the latter 8 bits can be used as identification information. In this case, a total of 256 types of rings with different identification information can be obtained by combining the transformation ring 40A and the special move ring 40B.

In addition, at least the following two pieces of information are stored in a storage device (not shown) constituting the performance storage unit 52 in the buckle 20.
(1) Information on whether the current form of the relief 22 (see FIG. 3) is a transformation form or a special move form (which of the microswitches 35L, 35R is pressed).
(2) Identification information of the transformation ring 40A that is held close to the relief 22 (see Figure 3) when the relief 22 is in the transformation form (when the microswitch 35R is pressed) and the identification information is received by the identification information receiving unit 55.

(Example of the operation of the motion-responsive toy 10)
An example of the operation of the motion responsive toy 10 under the control of the main control unit 51 will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the power switch 63 is turned ON (step S1), it is determined which form the relief 22 is in (step S2). If it is determined that the relief 22 is in a transformation form, in step S3, the question signal transmission unit 53 starts transmitting a question signal, and in step S4, the main output unit 57 outputs a ring reading standby effect for transformation.

Next, in step S5, it is determined whether the shape of the relief 22 has been changed. If the shape of the relief 22 has been changed, the process returns to step S2. On the other hand, if the shape of the relief has not been changed, the process proceeds to step S6.

In step S6, it is determined whether or not the identification information has been received by the identification information receiving unit 55 (whether or not the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the transformation ring 40A or the special move ring 40B is in close proximity). If the identification information has been received (if the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the transformation ring 40A or the special move ring 40B is in close proximity), the process proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if the identification information has not been received, the process returns to step S4.

In step S7, the type of identification information received by the identification information receiving unit 55 is determined by the identification information determining means 61. If it is determined that the identification information belongs to the first group, then in step S8, this identification information is overwritten and stored in the storage device, and the process proceeds to step S9. On the other hand, if it is determined that the identification information belongs to the second group, the main control unit 51 controls the main output unit 57 to read the first form change instruction information from the performance storage unit 52 and output the first form change instruction, and then the process returns to step S4. For example, as the first form change instruction, the sound generating unit 65 of the main output unit 57 emits the sound "Gyakusai (reverse side)". This allows the user to notice that the form of the relief 22 is not a form for a special move, but a form for transformation.

In step S9, the first performance information corresponding to the identification information of the transformation ring 40A is read from the performance memory unit 52, and the main output unit 57 is controlled to output a transformation ring reading performance (first performance) based on this read first performance information. For example, if the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit 55 is information including red light emission, the main output unit 57 emits a sound such as "Hi (fire), Hi (fire), Hi (fire)..." from the sound generating unit 65 and emits red light from the light emitting unit 27. At this time, the transformation ring 40A can also emit the same type of red light from the light emitting unit 43A, so that the performance is as if the light emission of the transformation ring 40A has been transferred to the buckle 20.

In step S11, it is determined whether the identification information is no longer being received by the identification information receiving unit 55 (whether the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the transformation ring 40A has separated). If the identification information has not been received (if the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the transformation ring 40A has separated), the process proceeds to step S12. On the other hand, if the identification information has been received (if the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the transformation ring 40A is in a close state), the process returns to step S9 and the ring reading performance for transformation is output again. In other words, while the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the transformation ring 40A is in a close state, the main control unit 51 controls the main output unit 57 to repeatedly output the ring reading performance for transformation (first performance).

In step S12, a transformation performance (second performance) corresponding to the identification information of the transformation ring 40A is output from the main output unit 57. That is, when the ring state determination means 58 determines that the transformation ring 40A has been separated by the user's action while the transformation ring reading performance (first performance) is being output, the transformation performance information (second performance information) is read from the performance memory unit 52, and the main output unit 57 is controlled to output a transformation performance (second performance) based on the read transformation performance information (second performance information) (see FIG. 10(a)). For example, as a transformation performance, in addition to the sound "please" from the sound unit 65, a performance is performed by the sound unit 65 and the light-emitting unit 27 corresponding to the identification information.

Next, in step S13, the transmission of the interrogation signal from the interrogation signal transmitting unit 53 is stopped, and in step S14, it is determined whether or not the shape of the relief 22 has changed depending on whether or not there has been a change in the pressing state of the microswitches 35L and 35R. If the shape of the relief 22 has changed (if the pressed microswitch is no longer pressed), the process returns to step S2. On the other hand, if the shape of the relief 22 has not changed (if the pressed microswitch continues to be pressed), it is determined again whether or not the shape of the relief 22 has changed.

If the relief 22 is in the form for a special move in step S2, the process proceeds to step S15 (see FIG. 9). If the relief 22 is neither in the form for a transformation nor in the form for a special move in step S2 (if neither microswitch is pressed), the process proceeds to step S16, where it is determined again whether the form of the relief 22 has changed. If the relief 22 has changed to the form for a transformation, the process proceeds to step S3. If the relief 22 has changed to the form for a special move, the process proceeds to step S15 (see FIG. 9). If the form of the relief 22 has not changed, it is determined again whether the form of the relief 22 has changed.

As shown in FIG. 9, in step S15, the question signal transmission unit 53 starts transmitting a question signal, and in step S17, a ring reading standby effect for a special move is output from the main output unit 57.

Next, in step S18, it is determined whether the shape of the relief 22 has been changed. If the shape of the relief 22 has been changed, in step S19, the identification information of the transformation ring 40A stored in the storage device is cleared. On the other hand, if the shape of the relief 22 has not been changed, the process proceeds to step S20.

In step S20, it is determined whether or not the identification information has been received by the identification information receiving unit 55 (whether or not the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the transformation ring 40A or the special move ring 40B is in close proximity). If the identification information has been received (if the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the transformation ring 40A or the special move ring 40B is in close proximity), the process proceeds to step S21. On the other hand, if the identification information has not been received, the process returns to step S17.

In step S21, the type of identification information received by the identification information receiving unit 55 is determined by the identification information determining means 61. If it is determined that the identification information belongs to the second group, the process proceeds to step S22. On the other hand, if it is determined that the identification information belongs to the first group, the process proceeds to step S23, where a second form change instruction is output from the main output unit 57, and the process returns to step S17. For example, as the second form change instruction, the sound "Gyakusai (reverse side)" is emitted from the sound generating unit 65 of the main output unit 57. This allows the user to notice that the form of the relief 22 is not a transformation form, but a special move form. In this embodiment, the first form change instruction and the second form change instruction are the same sound "Gyakusai", but in the spirit of the present invention, the first form change instruction and the second form change instruction may be the same, or of course may be different.

In step S22, a ring reading effect (first effect) for the special move corresponding to the identification information of the special move ring 40B is output from the main output unit 57.

Next, in step S24, it is determined whether the identification information is no longer being received by the identification information receiving unit 55 (whether the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the special move ring 40B has separated). If the identification information has not been received (if the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the special move ring 40B has separated), the process proceeds to step S25. On the other hand, if the identification information has been received (if the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the special move ring 40B is in a close state), the process returns to step S22 and the ring reading performance for the special move is output again. In other words, while the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the special move ring 40B is in a close state, the main control unit 51 controls the main output unit 57 to repeatedly perform the ring reading performance for the special move (first performance).

In step S25, it is determined whether the identification information of the transformation ring 40A is stored. If the identification information of the transformation ring 40A is stored, the process proceeds to step S26. On the other hand, if the identification information of the transformation ring 40A is not stored, in step S28, a normal special move effect corresponding to the identification information of the special move ring 40B is output from the main output unit 57. That is, as shown in FIG. 10(b), when the ring state determination means 58 determines that the special move ring 40B has been separated by the user's action while the special move ring reading effect (first effect) is being output, special move effect information (second effect information) is read from the effect storage unit 52, and the main output unit 57 is controlled to output a special move effect (second effect, in this case a normal special move effect) based on the special move effect information (second effect information) that has been read.

In step S26, it is determined whether the identification information of the special move ring 40B and the identification information of the transformation ring 40A are a specific combination. If the identification information of the special move ring 40B and the identification information of the transformation ring 40A are a specific combination, a special special move effect corresponding to the specific combination is output from the main output unit 57. That is, as shown in FIG. 10(b), when the ring state determination means 58 determines that the special move ring 40B has been separated by the user's action while the special move ring reading effect (first effect) is being output, special move effect information (second effect information) is read from the effect memory unit 52, and the main output unit 57 is controlled to output a special move effect (second effect, in this case, a special special move effect) based on the read special move effect information (second effect information). On the other hand, if the identification information of the special move ring 40B and the identification information of the transformation ring 40A are not a specific combination, the process proceeds to step S28, and a normal special move effect is output from the main output unit 57. That is, as shown in FIG. 10(b), when the ring state determination means 58 determines that the special move ring 40B has been separated by the user's action while a special move ring reading effect (first effect) is being output, special move effect information (second effect information) is read from the effect storage unit 52, and the main output unit 57 is controlled to output a special move effect (second effect, in this case, a normal special move effect) based on the special move effect information (second effect information) that has been read.

In a normal special move performance, for example, a sound "please" is combined with a normal special move performance based on the identification information of the special move ring 40B. In contrast, in a special special move performance, for example, a sound "like!" is combined with a special special move performance based on the identification information of the special move ring 40B. Alternatively, as a special special move performance, a performance can be performed that combines a sound "super like!" with another special special move performance based on the identification information of the special move ring 40B. Furthermore, as a special special move performance, a performance can be performed that combines a sound "great!" with yet another special special move performance based on the identification information of the special move ring 40B. In this way, various types of special move performances can be obtained based on a combination of the identification information of the special move ring 40B and the identification information of the transformation ring 40A that is held up most recently and stored in the storage device.

In step S29, the transmission of the question signal from the question signal transmitting unit 53 is stopped, and in step S30, it is determined whether or not the shape of the relief 22 has been changed. If the shape of the relief 22 has been changed, in step S31, the stored identification information of the transformation ring 40A is cleared, and the process returns to step S2 (see FIG. 8). On the other hand, if the shape of the relief 22 has not been changed, it is determined again whether or not the shape of the relief 22 has been changed.

(Effects of the Motion Response Toy 10)
According to the motion responsive toy 10 of the present embodiment described above, not only can an effect be output in response to the user's action of bringing the transformation ring 40A or the special move ring 40B closer to the buckle 20, but also an effect can be output in response to the user's action of subsequently moving the transformation ring 40A or the special move ring 40B away from the buckle 20. Therefore, a motion responsive toy 10 that is more in line with the original purpose of the motion responsive toy can be obtained.

Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. Furthermore, it is clear from the claims that forms incorporating such modifications or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, in the embodiment, the main toy body and the secondary toy body are respectively configured as a buckle 20 and finger rings 40A, 40B, but the main toy body and secondary toy body of the present invention may be toy bodies other than a buckle and finger ring, and for example, both the main toy body and secondary toy body may be set to a shape, size, and weight that can be held in the hand.

As another example, the case where the main toy body is a gun-shaped toy 220 is shown in Fig. 11, and the case where the main toy body is a sword-shaped toy 320 is shown in Fig. 12. When the main toy body is a gun-shaped toy 220, a shape portion 222 that imitates a human left hand is provided at the top of the gun handle, and a question signal transmission portion and an identification information receiving portion for the main toy body are provided within the shape portion 222. In other words, when a user shakes hands with the shape portion 222 using the hand wearing the rings 40A and 40B, which are the secondary toy bodies, the identification information of the rings 40A and 40B is received by the identification information receiving portion, and at this time the ring state determination means determines that the rings 40A and 40B are approaching the gun-shaped toy 220, and the first performance is output as in the above embodiment. Thereafter, when the user releases the grip on the shaped portion 222 and the identification information of the rings 40A and 40B is no longer received by the identification information receiving unit, the ring state determination means determines that the rings 40A and 40B have been separated from the gun-shaped toy 220, and the second performance is output, as in the previous embodiment.

In addition, when the main toy body is a sword-shaped toy 320, a shape portion 322 that imitates a human left hand is provided between the handle and the sword, and the shape portion 322 is provided with a question signal transmission portion and an identification information receiving portion for the main toy body. That is, when the user shakes hands with the shape portion 322 using the hand wearing the rings 40A and 40B, which are the secondary toy bodies, the identification information of the rings 40A and 40B is received by the identification information receiving portion. At this time, the ring state determination means determines that the rings 40A and 40B are approaching the sword-shaped toy 320, and the first performance is output as in the above embodiment. After that, when the user releases the handshaking with the shape portion 322 and the identification information of the rings 40A and 40B is no longer received by the identification information receiving portion, the ring state determination means determines that the rings 40A and 40B have moved away from the sword-shaped toy 320, and the second performance is output as in the above embodiment.

In short, the main toy body and the secondary toy body can be configured in any way as long as they are toy bodies that can be attached to the user's body or held by the user, and that can move toward or away from each other in response to the movements of the user who is wearing or holding them.

10 Motion-responsive toy 11 User 12 Belt part 20 Buckle (main toy body)
40A Transformation Ring (Secondary Toy)
40B Special Move Ring (Secondary Toy)
42A Mounting unit 42B Mounting unit 51 Main control unit 52 Performance memory unit 53 Question signal transmitting unit 55 Identification information receiving unit 56 Form detecting unit 57 Main output unit 58 Ring state determining means (state determining means)
61 Identification information determination means 71A Sub-control unit 71B Sub-control unit 72A Transmitting/receiving unit 72B Transmitting/receiving unit 73A Identification information storage unit 73B Identification information storage unit 75A Sub-output unit 220 Gun-type toy (main toy body)
320 Sword-shaped toy (main toy Gutai)

Claims (4)

A motion-responsive toy having a main toy body and a sub-toy body, the main toy body and the sub-toy body being wearable on a user's body or grippable by a user, and configured to move toward or away from each other in response to the motion of the user wearing or gripping the toy,
the main toy body has a main control unit, a main output unit that outputs effects by at least one of light emission and sound emission, an effect storage unit that stores first effect information , second effect information , and third effect information , and a storage device;
The sub-toy object has a sub-control unit, a transmitting/receiving unit capable of transmitting and receiving signals to and from the outside, and an identification information storage unit that stores identification information for identifying a type of the sub-toy object,
the main toy object has an interrogation signal transmitting unit capable of transmitting an interrogation signal to the transceiver unit to inquire about the identification information of the sub-toy objects located within a predetermined range, and an identification information receiving unit capable of receiving the identification information transmitted from the transceiver unit;
the sub-controller reads out the identification information from the identification information storage unit in response to receiving the interrogation signal at the transceiver unit, and transmits the read identification information from the transceiver unit to the identification information receiver unit;
the main toy body is reversibly changeable between a first form and a second form, and has a form detection unit that detects whether the main toy body is in the first form or the second form;
the main control unit has an identification information determination means for determining whether the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit belongs to a first group or a second group;
when the form detection unit detects that the main toy object is in the first form, and when the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is determined by the identification information determination means to belong to the first group, the main control unit reads out the first performance information from the performance storage unit, controls the main output unit to perform a first performance based on the read first performance information, and stores the received identification information in the storage unit;
Furthermore, when the form detection unit detects that the main toy object is in the second form, and when the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is determined by the identification information determination means to belong to the second group, the main control unit reads out the second performance information from the performance storage unit and controls the main output unit to perform a second performance based on the read second performance information;
Furthermore, when controlling the main output unit to perform the second performance, the main control unit determines whether or not identification information is stored in the storage device, and if identification information is stored, determines whether or not the stored identification information and the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit and determined by the identification information determination means to be information belonging to the second group are a specific combination, and if it is determined to be a specific combination, reads out third performance information corresponding to the specific combination instead of the second performance information , and controls the main output unit to perform a third performance based on the read third performance information .
Action responsive toys. The sub-toy has a sub-output unit that outputs a sub-performance by at least one of light emission and sound generation,
The action-responsive toy according to claim 1, characterized in that the sub-control unit controls the sub-output unit to output a sub-performance in response to the question signal being received by the transceiver unit. The first performance information and the second performance information include information for causing the main output unit to perform a light emission performance,
The performance storage unit stores a plurality of the first performance information and the second performance information, each of which has a different light emission color at the time of the light emission performance based on information for causing the main output unit to perform the light emission performance, in association with each of the identification information;
The sub-performance includes a light-emitting performance,
The action-responsive toy described in claim 2, characterized in that the light color emitted during the light-emitting performance in the sub-performance is a color of the same series as the light color emitted during the first performance and the second performance corresponding to each of the identification information. The main toy body has a belt part for wrapping around a user's body,
4. The motion responsive toy according to claim 1, wherein the sub-toy body has an attachment part for attachment to a user's finger.

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