- Number
- 10814242
- Published
- 2020-10-27
- Filed
- 2019-10-22
- Assignee
- Disney Enterprises, Inc.
- Inventors
- Hampton; John C., Wilde; Alex Christopher
- CPC
- A63H33/22; A63H33/26; A63H5/00
- Verdict
- Medium Hardware
- Source
- Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline
The keeper's note
Buildable toy with build-time effects.
Abstract
A design for build-your-own (BYO) toys in which each build participant is provided a toy body or base part and asked to select a data key for their toy. The key has associated with it a set of build-time functions or special effects as well as post build-time functions. The toy body includes a controller that is operable to sense or detect when the key is properly installed or attached to the toy body (e.g., in a key receptacle or interface) and, in response, to read an identifier (ID) (e.g., a static code as may be provided in an RFID tag/chip). The controller may then operate onboard functional elements such as lights and a sound system to provide functions or special effects linked to that key's ID. Each key type may have different special effects associated with it for use during build time and during post build time.
Background
BACKGROUND1. Field of the Description(1) The present description relates, in general, to toys designed to be assembled or built. More particularly, the present description relates to a new toy design that has one set of functions or associated special effects during assembly or at build time and another set of functions or associated special effects after successful or proper assembly.2. Relevant Background(2) There are many environments where it is desirable to provide interactive experiences for a group of people. For example, build-it yourself experiences have recently been growing in popularity. Numerous businesses have created build your own (BYO) experiences in which participants can make their own toy that is personalized by allowing them to choose among differing toy components and by allowing the participants to accessorize their toy.(3) To date, these BYO toy experiences have been successful in meeting the goal of creating a finished product that the participants find unique because they designed and built it themselves. Unfortunately, the building experience itself is often relatively dull, and its success may rely heavily upon the skill and experience of the leader of the BYO toy experience. Hence, there remains a demand for BYO toy experiences that are more enjoyable and in which the assembly process itself is perceived by the participants as unique and exciting.SUMMARY(4) The inventors recognized that through toy design and through scripting and planning of the
Claims
1. A set of toys, comprising: two or more toys each comprising: a body with an interface; a controller provided in the body; an effects assembly on or in the body and coupled to the controller such that the controller can operate a plurality of functions of the effects assembly; a data key holding theme data for driving operations of the toy; and a receptacle configured to hold the data key, wherein the data key is interchangeable for use in all of the two or more toys, wherein the controller of each of the two or more toys includes a sensor sensing when the data key is positioned in the receptacle, wherein the controller of each of the two or more toys, in response to the sensor sensing the data key has been received in the receptacle, selects a subset of the plurality of functions and operates the effects assembly to implement the subset of the plurality of functions and to produce an effect based on the theme data, and wherein the effect produced by the controller in a first of the two or more toys is distinct from the effect produced by the controller in a second of the two or more toys.
7. A set of toys, comprising: two or more toys each comprising: a body with an interface; a controller provided in the body; an effects assembly on or in the body; a data key holding theme data for driving operations of the toy; and a receptacle configured to hold the data key, wherein the data key is interchangeable for use in all of the two or more toys, wherein the controller of each of the two or more toys includes a sensor sensing when the data key is positioned in the receptacle, wherein the controller of each of the two or more toys, in response to the sensor sensing the data key has been received in the receptacle, operates the effects assembly to produce an effect based on the theme data, wherein the effect produced by the controller in a first of the two or more toys is distinct from the effect produced by the controller in a second of the two or more toys, and wherein the controller of each of the two or more toys operates a light source in an additional add-on part attached to the body, after the sensing of the completion of assembly of the additional add-on part to the body, to illuminate the additional add-on part with colored light selected based on a color or type of the data key, the theme data, or an identification of the data key.
13. A set of toys, comprising: a set of data defined for operating the set of toys; and two or more toys each comprising: a body with an interface; a controller provided in the body; an effects assembly on or in the body; a data key holding the set of data; and a set of add-on parts configured to be assembled with the body, wherein the controller of each of the two or more toys includes a sensor sensing when the data key is coupled to the interface, wherein the controller of each of the two or more toys, in response to the sensor sensing the data key has been coupled to the interface, to operate the effects assembly to produce an effect based on the set of data, and wherein the controller of each of the two or more toys operates a light source in one of the set of add-on parts attached to the body, after the sensing of the completion of assembly of the one of set of add-on parts to the body, to illuminate the one of the set of add-on parts with colored light selected based on a color or a type of the data key.