BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present device relates to a toy and, more particularly, to a radio-controlled toy which performs various movements corresponding to instructions transmitted from a transmitter.

For the control of the radio-controlled toy, there has commonly been used a system in which one control signal is assigned to each action or movement. The system is preferable for cases where the movements are comparatively simple and the number of movements is restricted, as in a car toy. However, when it is desired to increase the number of movements, as in a robot or in animal toys, the number of control signals increases and, in fact, it is difficult to perform two or more movements at the same time because the circuit construction becomes more complex and expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present device is to provide a radio-controlled toy which can perform a larger number of movements without complex construction and which has functions to memorize an optional number of movements and perform the movements repeatedly whenever desired.

According to the present device, there is provided a radio-controlled robot toy, including: a transmitter having a plurality of movement instructing switches and a movement signal generating device for producing output pulse signals, each of which has a different frequency corresponding to one movement or a combination of two or more movements, in response to one or more movements which are input at the same time from said plurality of movement instructing switches; and a toy body having a control signal generating device for feeding one or more control signals corresponding to the frequency of the pulse signal received by said receiver to said drive mechanism and a recording device for recording said pulse signal received by said receiver in response to the control signal from said control signal generating device or for feeding the recorded contents to said control signal generating device.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and, in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

• FIG. 1 is a perspective view, illustrating the preferred embodiment of the toy body according to the present invention;
• FIG. 2 is a bottom view, illustrating particularly the drive portion of the toy body;
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view, illustrating the transmitter;
• FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram, illustrating the movement signal generating device; and
• FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram, illustrating primarily the receiver, etc. accommodated in the toy body shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present device is explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a radio-controlled robot toy according to the present invention and the bottom view thereof, respectively. The robot toy 1 comprises a toy body 3 having a bottom portion 2 with a shape similar to a rectangular box, two arms 4L and 4R secured to the toy body 3 at right and left sides, respectively, a head portion 5 provided on the upper surface of the toy body 3 and a semispherical transparent cover 6 with which the head portion 5 is covered.

As shown in FIG. 2, a drive mechanism is provided including three pairs of running wheels 7L and and 7R, 8L and 8R, and 9L and 9R which are rotatably mounted to the bottom portion 2 by axles 10, respectively, from front to back. The middle and rear wheels 8L, 8R, 9L and 9R are right and left driving wheels which are individually rotatably driven by a right and left pair of motors.12L and 12R mounted in a central gear box 11, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 1, the toy body 3 has an opening at the lower part of the front which protrudes forward. A cassette tape recorder 21 is accommodated through the opening. The tape recorder 21 is provided as a recording device for memorizing the movements to be performed by the robot toy 1 and performing the movements repeatedly as mentioned below. The tape recorder 21 is constructed so as to receive a cassette tape cartridge 22 at the upper surface thereof. When the cassette tape cartridge 22 is to be inserted or removed, the tape recorder 21 is pulled out frontward. Push button switches 23 through 28 for Halt, Record, Rewinding, Fast Winding, Reproduction and Pose (temporary halt), respectively, are disposed on the front surface of the tape recorder 21. When the toy 1 is moving, the tape recorder 21 is accommodated within the toy body 3 and hence, the front of the tape recorder 21 becomes a part of the front of the toy body 3.

At the upper portion of the front of the toy body 3, there are disposed: a time display portion 31, e.g., a digital readout; a group of switches 32 for setting time, etc. of a timer device mentioned later; an electric source slide switch 33 for effecting "power on/off" states and a timer mode; push button switches 34, 35 and 36 for making the toy body 3 perform movements in any of the modes of radio-control (RC), memory (PRG) and tape record (TR), respectively; and a slide switch 37 for releasing the above-mentioned tape recorder 21 from accommodation within the toy body 3. Movements concerning these various switches will be discussed later in detail. A receiving antenna 38 extends upward from the rear side of the toy body 3.

Two eyes 39L and 39R made of a light transmitting material are provided on the front surface of the head portion 5 of the toy body 3. In addition, illuminants 40L and 40R (F_IG. 5) are disposed inside of the eyes 39_L and 39_R, respectively, for flickering the eyes at the same time as the sound producing movement mentioned below occurs.

The robot toy 1 shown in the drawings performs the various movements of "GO AHEAD", "GO BACK", "TURN TO THE RIGHT", "TURN TO THE LEFT", "TAPE CONTROL", "SOUND A", "SOUND _B", and "VOICE" in response to the movement instructions transmitted from a transmitter 50 as shown in FIG. 3. Among these movements, "GO AHEAD", "GO BACK", "TURN TO THE RIGHT", and "TURN TO THE LEFT" are running movements; "TAPE CONTROL" is a movement to drive or halt the tape of the tape recorder 21; "SOUND A" and "SOUND B" are movements to produce predetermined robot sounds from a sound producing portion mentioned later; and "VOICE" means that each of the above-mentioned movements is halted, and the voice of an operator transmitted through a wireless microphone 62 built into the transmitter 50 is reproduced by a sound producing portion (a speaker built into the tape recorder 21 in the embodiments shown in the drawings) of the toy robot 1. Mechanisms for performing these movements are explained below.

First, the transmitter 50 is provided on its front with: a lever 60 for turning on or off four input switches 51, 52, 53 and 54 (FIG. 4) to determine the running direction of the toy body 3; push button input switches 55, 56, 57 and 58 for instructing movements of VOICE, TAPE CONTROL, SOUND A and SOUND B, respectively; an electric source switch 59; a pilot lamp 61 which is turned on when the electric source switch 59 is turned on, and a microphone 61. The transmitter 50 has a transmitting antenna 63 on its upper surface.

Inside of the transmitter 50 is accommodated a movement signal generating device 64 which outputs a movement signal having a predetermined frequency in response to on/off selection of the above-mentioned input switches 51 through 58 together with the other necessary circuit elements, as shown in FIG. 4. The movement signal generating device 64 comprises a one-chip microcomputer (CPU) having predetermined input and output ports, i.e., eight input port nos. 1 to 8, being operatively connected to the input switches 51 through 58, respectively. The movement signal generating device 64 is programmed so as to transmit to the frequency output port a pulse signal having a frequency set as shown in the following Table in response to the input (movement instruction) when one or more switches among the input switches 51 through 58 are turned on.

In the above Table, for example, when the input switch 52 is turned on (instruction for "TURN TO THE RIGHT"), "1" is input to the input port no. 2 of the CPU, thereby outputting "1800Hz". When the input switches 51 and 57 are turned on together ("ROBOT SOUND A" is produced with the movement of "GO AHEAD"), "1" is input to the input port nos. 1 and 7 of the CPU, thereby outputting "3200Hz".

On the other hand, inside of the toy body 3, there is accommodated, as shown in FIG. 5, a circuit comprising: a receiver 71; a control signal generating device 72; the above-mentioned running motors 12L (also referenced as Ml) and 12R (also referenced as M2); a circuit portion 73 of the tape recorder 21; a timer device 74; the time display portion 31; the group of switches 32 of the timer device 74; the slide switch 33; the push button switches 34, 35 and 36 which are disposed on the upper part of the front of the toy body 3; and the light emitting diodes 40L and 40R.

The frequency signal received by the receiver 71 in the circuit of FIG. 5 is input to a switching circuit 75 and a gate 76. Here, the signals sent from the radio-control switch 34, the memory switch 35 and the recording switch 24 of the tape recorder 21 when the respective switches are pushed are referred to as RC, PRG and R, respectively, and a voice mode changing signal from the control signal generating device 72 is referred to as V0. The switching circuit 75 is constituted so as to transmit the frequency signal from the receiver 71 into a mixing circuit 92 of the tape recorder 21 when both of RC and V0 are input or when both of PRG and R are input. On the other hand, the gate 76 is constituted so as to open and transmit the frequency signal into the input port of the control signal generating device 72 when R is input. Between the memory switch 35 and the input port of the control signal generating device 72, there is connected a second gate 77 which opens when the gate 76 closes. More particularly, the recording switch 24 is not pushed, and when the memory switch 35 is not pushed (shown in full line), the frequency signal is input into the control signal generating device 72 through the gate 77.

The control signal generating device 72 comprises a one-chip microcomputer having the same predetermined input and output ports as the above-mentioned movement signal generating device 64. The control signal generating device 72 outputs the following control signals to each of eight output port nos. 1 to 8 in response to the frequency of the signal fed to the input port.

First, output port nos. 1 and 2 are connected to a drive circuit 78 of the above-mentioned left wheel driving motor 12L, and output port nos. 3 and 4 are connected to a drive circuit 79 of the right wheel driving motor 12R. Each of the drive circuits 78 and 79 is constituted so as to rotate normally each of the motors 12L and 12R, i.e., in the direction in which the toy body 3 moves forward. When one of the two output ports, in this case output port nos. 1 and 3, outputs "1" and one of the other output port nos. 2 and 4 outputs "0", each of the motors 12L and 12R rotates in the opposite direction, i.e., in the direction in which the toy body 3 moves backward. Such a motor driving circuit is known.

Output port no. 5 outputs a voice mode changing signal which is fed to the above-mentioned switching circuit 75 and to a normally open relay 81 via an amplifier 80. The contact point of the feed relay 31 is connected to a speaker 82 of the tape recorder 21.

Furthermore, the output port nos. 6 through 8 are connected to the timer device 74 and feed output signals to direct the movements of the tape drive, the production of robot SOUND A and the production of robot SOUND B, respectively.

The timer device 74 comprises a known large scale integrated circuit (LSI), usually used with watches, for driving the time display portion 31 having a liquid crystal display. The LSI has a function which displays time in response to each switch input of the group of switches 32 or which generates a predetermined signal or an alarm sound when a properly set time arrives.

With regard to the robot toy 1 shown in the drawings, the movement of the timer device 74 is controlled by a control signal from the control signal generating device 72. More specifically, when output port no. 6 outputs "1", a signal to close a normally open relay 84 provided at an electrical supply line to a motor 83 of the tape recorder 21 is output. When output port no. 7 outputs "1", an alarm sound signal having a predetermined frequency is sent to an output port connected to a small-sized sound producing means 85 such as a pizoelectric buzzer in accordance with an alarm sound producing program. Further, when output port no. 8 outputs "1", an alarm sound signal having a frequency other than the above-mentioned frequency is sent to the same output port in accordance with the same alarm sound producing program. These alarm sound signals (hereinafter, referred to as S) are also fed to an illuminant flickering circuit mentioned later.

The corresponding relation of the above-mentioned frequency signal input into the control signal generating device 72 determined as mentioned above to the output from each output port is as shown in the above Table.

Referring in greater detail to the structure of the above-mentioned preferred embodiment, when the signal of "1800 Hz" (instruction for "TURN TO THE RIGHT") is received, the output port nos. 1 and 4 of the control signal generating device 72 output "1". Therefore, the left side motor 12L rotates normally and the right side motor 12R rotates in the reverse direction, resulting in rotation of the toy body 3 to the right. Further, when the signal of "3200 Hz" (instructions for movement of making "ROBOT SOUND A" with "GO AHEAD") is received, the output port nos. 1 and 3 of the control signal generating device 72 output "1". Therefore, both the right and left motors 12R and 12L, respectively, rotate normally and the timer device 74 outputs the alarm sound signal S, so that the toy body 3 goes ahead while the sound producing means is producing a predetermined robot sound (alarm sound usually associated with a watch). At this time, both of the eyes 39L and 39R flicker.

The circuit portion 73 of the tape recorder comprises a preamplifier 91, a mixing circuit 92 and a main amplifier 93 which send a signal to the speaker 82 to generate a voice. In this robot toy 1, when the radio-control (RC) switch 34 is pushed and the voice mode switching signal (VO) is output as mentioned above, or when the memory (PRG) mode switch 35 and the recording (R) switch 24 are pushed, the output from the receiver 71 is input to the mixing circuit 92 through the switching circuit 75. On the other hand, when the memory mode switch 35 is not pushed, the signal (PRG) of the electric source voltage is added to the third gate circuit 86 via this switch 35. The gate circuit 86 is provided between a microphone terminal to which a microphone 94 is connected, if necessary, and the mixing circuit 92, and is constituted so as to send the voice signal input through the microphone 94 to the mixing circuit 92 when the above-mentioned signal (PRG) is applied. A motor driving switch 95 interlocked with the respective switches for sound recording, sound reproduction and the like is provided in the electrical supply line to the motor 83.

Finally, the illuminants 40L and 40R disposed in the robot eyes 39L and 39R, respectively, are connected to the electric source Vdd and a transistor 96 in series. Since the output of the main amplifier 93 of the tape recorder 21 or the (+) side voltage of the alarm signal S output from the above-mentioned timer device 74 is applied intermittently via a diode 97 and a resistor 98 connected to the base of the transistor 96, the two illuminants 40L and 40R flicker simultaneously.

The movements of the radio-controlled robot toy 1 shown in the drawings and described above are as follows:

1. Radio-Control Mode (RC)

First, if the slide switch 33 for the electric source, which is positioned on the front surface of the toy body 3 of the robot toy 1, is turned on and the RC switch 34 is then pushed, the two interlocked, movable contact points are changed as shown with dotted lines in FIG. 5. Therefore, the electric source voltage Vdd applied to the RC switch 34 via the electric source slide switch 33 is fed to the receiver 71 and to the switching circuit 75 as the above-mentioned RC signal.

Then, if the switch lever 60 on the transmitter 50 is operated, any of the four frequencies from 1600 Hz to 2200 Hz as shown in the Table is transmitted. At this time, in the robot toy 1, the memory switch 35 and the sound recording switch 24 are present in the full line positions of FIG. 5, and hence none of the above-mentioned signals PRG and V0 are generated and the signal V0 from the control signal generating device 72 is not output either. Therefore, the frequency signal received by the receiver 71 is input to the control signal generating device 72 through the memory switch 35 and the second gate circuit 77 without passing through the switching circuit 75 and the gate circuit 76. The control signal generating device 72 outputs at output port nos. 1 through 4 corresponding to the frequency of the input signal. Thus, the left and right motors 12L and 12R rotate forward or backward, so that the toy body 3 is made to move in the direction instructed by the lever 60 of the transmitter 50.

On the other hand, if the sound producing switch 57 or 58 is pushed, the frequency of 2600 Hz or 2800 Hz is transmitted. In the robot toy 1, the control signal generating device 72 outputs at output port no. 7 or no. 8 corresponding to the frequency signal. The timer device 74 sends the alarm sound signal S corresponding to each frequency to the sound producing portion 85 to generate the "ROBOT SOUND A" or "ROBOT SOUND B" and makes the transistor 96 for turning on the illuminants 40_L and 40R turn on and off to flicker the robot eyes 39L and 39R, respectively. Moreover, if the sound producing switch 57 or 58 is pushed when the switch lever 60 of the transmitter 50 is moved back and forth, the frequency of 3200 Hz, 3400 _Hz, 3800 Hz or 4000 _Hz is transmitted. Hence, the control signal generating device 72 outputs at output port nos. 1 through 4 and to any of ouput port nos. 8 and 9. The left and right motors 12L and 12R are rotated and, at the same time, the robot sound is generated and the eyes 39L and 39R are flickered by respective outputs.

Next, if the voice changing switch 55 is pushed, the frequency of 4600 Hz is transmitted. When this frequency signal is input to the control signal generating device 72 through the gate circuit 76 from the receiver 71, "1" is output to output port no. 5 to turn on the feed relay 81 to the speaker 82 and to feed the switching circuit 75 as the above-mentioned signal V0. Thereafter, the control signal generating device 72 does not receive any frequency signal except the frequency of 4600 Hz.

Then, if a voice is input through the microphone 62 of the transmitter 50, the voice signal is transmitted and sent to the switching circuit 75 from the receiver 71. At this time, as the two signals RC and VO have been applied to the switching circuit 75, the above-mentioned voice signal is input to the mixing circuit 92 via the switching circuit 75, amplified by the main amplifier 93 and is output from the speaker 82 as a voice. Thus, when the voice changing switch 55 is pushed, it can be used as a wireless microphone.

2. Memorization Mode (PRG)

When the electric source slide switch 33 is turned on and the PRG switch is pushed, the four interlocked, movable contact points associated with switch 35 are changed to the positions shown by dotted lines in FIG. 5 and, at the same time, the RC switch 34 is returned to the position shown by the full line. Therefore, the electric source voltage Vdd which is applied to the PRG switch 35 via the electric source slide switch 33 is fed to the receiver 71 and is also fed to the switching circuit 75 as the PRG signal. When the sound recording button 24 of the tape recorder 21 is pushed to prepare for recording, the electric source voltage Vdd is fed to the switching circuit 75 and the gate circuit 76 as the above-mentioned signal R. As the motor driving switch 95 to the motor 83 is turned on by interlocking therewith, the tape of the cassette tape cartridge 22 begins to turn.

If the switch lever 60 for running the transmitter 50 is operated under these conditions, the frequency of 3000 Hz, 3600 Hz, 4200 Hz or 4400 Hz is transmitted. The frequency signal received by the receiver 71 of the robot toy 1 is fed to a sound recording head 99, through the mixing circuit 92, to the main amplifier 93, to the sound recording switch 24 from the switching circuit 75 and is recorded on the tape successively. On the other hand, the control signal generating device 72 outputs "1" at output port nos. 1 through 4 in response to the frequency input and the left and right motors 12L and 12R are rotated by the respective outputs. At this time, "1" is output also to output port no. 6, and hence the timer device 74 outputs a signal to close the relay 84. However, the motor 83 is not effected by the opening and closing of the relay 84 because it is electrically supplied via RC switch 34. Thus, the toy body 3 memorizes the movement while moving. This memorizing movement is finished by halting the toy body 3 and pushing the halt button 23 to stop the tape from turning.

3. Reproduction of the Memorized Movements Mode (Automatic Operation)

After the completion of the memorization mode described above in Section 2, if the sound reproduction (play) button 27 of the tape recorder 21 is pushed, the condition of the sound recording switch 24 becomes as shown in FIG. 5. At the same time, the tape begins to move and the movement recorded on the tape is input to the control signal generating device 72 through the preamplifier 91, the PRG switch 35 and the second gate circuit 77 from the tape head 99. Accordingly, the control signal generating device 72 outputs in the same manner as described above in Section 2 in response to the frequency of the input signal to make the toy body 3 move automatically.

_; 4. Tape Recorder Movement Mode (TR) _;

When the _TR switch 36 of the robot toy 1 is pushed, the RC switch 34 and the PRG switch 35 are returned to the initial unpushed condition (positions shown by the full line in FIG. 5) and, at the same time, the electrical supply line from the electric source slide switch 33 to the control signal generating device 72 is cut off. This is done because the movement of the control signal generating device 72 is not needed when the tape recorder 21 is used and because the influence of noise or the like can be eliminated. The third gate circuit 86 is then able to send an audio signal from the microphone 94 to the mixing circuit 92. Therefore, the tape recorder 21 can be used as a usual tape recorder without any ; relation to the operation of the robot toy 1.

5. Timer Mode

When the electric source switch 33 is set at the timer position, i.e., the far right, it becomes impossible to carry out the radio-control operation from the transmitter 50 because the electrical supply to the receiver 71 is cut off. In this case, an optional time is previously set by properly operating the group of the switches 32 on the front of the toy body 3 of the robot toy 1, and then the sound reproduction (play) button 27 of the tape recorder 21 is pushed. Thus, as the timer device 74 causes the relay 84 to be turned on when the preselected time comes, the tape starts rotation whereby the robot toy can be made to reproduce the memory (automatic operation) and perform the movements described above in Section 3.

As mentioned above, according to the radio-controlled robot toy 1 of the present invention, one of a plurality of frequency signals, each signal having a different frequency corresponding to one movement or a combination of two or more movements, is transmitted by a transmitter in response to one or more movements which are input at the same time from ; movement instructing switches on the transmitter. The toy body 3 includes a receiver for generating one or more control signals corresponding to the frequency of the received signal. Therefore, a small number of signals can distinguish each individual movement even if the number of the movements increases, and hence it is possible to avoid the conventional complexity usually associated with the construction of a signal generating device. Moreover, even if recording is carried out by storage means such as a magnetic tape, it is difficult to obtain accurate storage of the signal. However, with the present invention, the frequency of the signal can be reliably read at the time of reproduction. Accordingly, it is possible to record the movements in a storage device such as a tape recorder provided in a toy body and to reproduce the recorded movements for enjoying automatic operation whenever desired.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.