Toy system, moving body, card set, control method, and program

Abstract

And the user can experience programming more visually. The toy system controls the travel of a moving body having a reading unit and a travel unit. When the moving body is printed with an encoded image indicating any one of a plurality of operation instructions, the moving body reads the encoded image by traveling on any one of a plurality of operation instruction cards disposed at any position by a user. The control unit controls the traveling unit according to the motion instruction indicated by the image, and when a recording instruction is acquired, the motion instruction indicated by the image and time information indicating the current time are stored in a memory each time the moving body reads the encoded image by traveling on a new motion instruction card, and the time information is stored in the memory according to the motion instruction indicated by the image and the time information indicating the current time when the moving body reads the encoded image by traveling on the new motion instruction card. When a reproduction instruction is acquired, the travel unit is controlled on the basis of the stored time information and operation instruction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a toy system, a moving body, a card set, a control method and a program. Background Art

[0002] For learning programming, a teaching material is sold that arranges physical cards with commands written on them for programming. The self-driving device reads the commands on the arranged cards and then performs an operation corresponding to the read commands.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses that a self-propelled device reads an image printed on an arranged card while traveling on the card, thereby reading a program, and then the self-propelled device travels on a maze according to the program.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2020 / 036146 Summary of the invention

[0007] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0008] In the method of pre-reading a program, reading the program and executing the program are separated. Therefore, it is difficult for some people to intuitively grasp the relationship between the program and the action, which may become an obstacle when experiencing programming.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technology that enables a more intuitive programming experience.

[0010] Means for solving problems

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the toy system according to the present invention includes: a plurality of action instruction cards, each of which is printed with a coded image indicating any one of a plurality of action instructions, and each of which is arranged at an arbitrary position by a user; and a mobile body, the mobile body including: a travel unit capable of traveling; a reading unit, which reads the image when the mobile body travels on any one of the plurality of action instruction cards; and an action control unit, which controls the travel unit according to the action instruction indicated by the read image, wherein the action control unit controls the travel unit according to the action instruction indicated by the image when the mobile body reads the coded image by traveling on any one of the plurality of action instruction cards, and when a record instruction is obtained, the action control unit stores the action instruction indicated by the image and time information indicating the current time in a storage each time the mobile body reads the coded image by traveling on a new action instruction card, and when a playback instruction is obtained, the action control unit controls the travel unit according to the stored time information and action instruction.

[0012] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the mobile body involved in the present invention includes: a traveling unit capable of traveling; a reading unit, which reads the encoded image representing any one of a plurality of action instructions when traveling on any one of a plurality of action instruction cards, each of which is printed with the encoded image and is respectively arranged by the user at an arbitrary position; and an action control unit, which controls the traveling unit according to the action instruction represented by the read image, wherein the action control unit controls the traveling unit according to the action instruction represented by the image when the mobile body reads the encoded image by traveling on any one of the plurality of action instruction cards, wherein the action control unit, when obtaining a recording instruction, stores the action instruction represented by the image and time information representing the current time in a storage each time the encoded image is read by traveling on a new action instruction card, and wherein the action control unit controls the traveling unit according to the stored time information and action instruction when obtaining a reproduction instruction.

[0013] In addition, the control method involved in the present invention is a control method for controlling the travel of a mobile body having a reading unit and a traveling unit, the control method comprising: a step of the reading unit reading the image when the mobile body travels on any one of a plurality of action instruction cards, each of which is printed with an encoded image representing any one of a plurality of action instructions and is respectively arranged by a user at an arbitrary position; and a step of controlling the traveling unit according to the action instruction represented by the read image, in the step of controlling the traveling unit, when the mobile body reads the encoded image by traveling on any one of the plurality of action instruction cards, the traveling unit is controlled according to the action instruction represented by the image, the control method further comprising: a step of storing the action instruction represented by the image and time information representing the current time in a storage device each time the mobile body reads the encoded image by traveling on a new action instruction card when a recording instruction is obtained; and a step of controlling the traveling unit according to the stored time information and action instruction when a reproduction instruction is obtained.

[0014] In addition, the program involved in the present invention causes a computer including a traveling unit to function as a reading unit and an action control unit, wherein the reading unit reads the image when traveling on any of a plurality of action instruction cards on which a coded image indicating any one of a plurality of action instructions is printed and arranged at arbitrary positions by a user, and the action control unit controls the traveling unit according to the action state indicated by the read image, and when the mobile body reads the coded image by traveling on any of the plurality of action instruction cards, the action control unit controls the traveling unit according to the action instruction indicated by the image, and when the action control unit obtains a recording instruction, each time the mobile body reads the coded image by traveling on a new action instruction card, the action control unit stores the action instruction indicated by the image and time information indicating the current time in a storage, and when the action control unit obtains a reproduction instruction, controls the traveling unit according to the stored time information and action instruction.

[0015] In addition, the card set involved in the present invention includes: a plurality of action instruction cards, each of which is printed with an image that is read when a mobile body equipped with a traveling unit and a storage device is traveling, that is, an encoded image representing any one of a plurality of action instructions, and is configured by a user at an arbitrary position; a recording instruction card, on which is printed an encoded image representing a recording instruction; and a reproduction instruction card, on which is printed an encoded image representing a reproduction instruction, in a case where the image representing the action instruction is read by the mobile body, the traveling unit is controlled according to the action instruction, in a case where the image representing the recording instruction is read by the mobile body, each time the mobile body reads the encoded image by traveling on a new action instruction card, the action instruction represented by the image and time information representing the current time are stored in the storage, in a case where the image representing the reproduction instruction is read by the mobile body, the traveling unit is controlled according to the stored time information and action instruction.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the action control unit may store the action state of the moving body when the recording instruction is obtained in a storage device when the recording instruction is obtained, and the action control unit may control the traveling unit according to the stored time information and action instruction after controlling the traveling unit to achieve the stored action state when the reproduction instruction is obtained.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the toy system may further include: a recording instruction card printed with an encoded image representing the recording instruction; and a reproduction instruction card printed with an encoded image representing the reproduction instruction, wherein the reading unit reads the images printed on the recording instruction card and the reproduction instruction card respectively when the movable body travels on the recording instruction card and the reproduction instruction card, and the action control unit, when reading the image representing the recording instruction, stores the action instruction represented by the image and time information representing the current time in a storage each time the movable body reads the encoded image by traveling on a new action instruction card, and the action control unit, when reading the image representing the reproduction instruction, controls the travel unit according to the stored time information and action instruction.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the reading unit may repeatedly read the image after reading the image representing the recording instruction when the moving body is traveling on any one of the multiple action instruction cards, and the action control unit may not store the action instruction represented by the image and the time information representing the current time in the storage when the action instruction represented by the image read this time is the same as the action instruction represented by the image read last time.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the toy system may further include: a recording end card on which a coded image indicating a recording end instruction is printed, and the reading unit reads the image printed on the recording end card when the moving body travels on the recording end card, and the action control unit, when reading the image indicating the recording instruction, stores the action instruction indicated by the image and time information indicating the current time in a storage each time the moving body reads the coded image by traveling on a new action instruction card until the image indicating the recording end instruction is read.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the encoded image is not read, the traveling unit may be controlled to continue to perform the action corresponding to the action instruction represented by the previously read image until the mobile body reads a new encoded image by traveling on a new action instruction card among the multiple action instruction cards, and when the new encoded image is read, the traveling unit is controlled according to the action instruction represented by the new image.

[0021] Effects of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, the user can experience programming more intuitively. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing an example of a toy system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the toy system.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of a moving object as viewed from below.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between information printed on a card and a moving object.

[0027] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the functions implemented by the toy system.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a diagram for explaining an example of control of a moving object based on an action instruction card.

[0029] Figure 7 This is a diagram for explaining another example of the control of a moving object based on an action instruction card.

[0030] Figure 8 This is a diagram for explaining another example of the control of a moving object based on an action instruction card.

[0031] Fig. 9 This is a diagram for explaining an example of recording of action instructions.

[0032] Fig.10 This is a diagram for explaining an example of the reproduction of recorded action instructions.

[0033] Fig.11 This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the moving object.

[0034] Fig.12 This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the moving object.

[0035] Fig.13 This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the moving object.

[0036] Fig.14 This is a diagram showing an example of stored action instructions and the like.

[0037] Fig.15 This is a flowchart showing an example of the travel processing by the travel processing unit.

[0038] Fig.16 This is a flowchart showing an example of action processing by an action processing unit.

[0039] Description of Reference Numerals

[0040] 20: moving body, 21: processor, 22: storage, 23: communication unit, 24: camera, 25: motor, 26: speaker, 222: switch, 223: power switch, 254: wheel, 30, 30a, 30b, 30d, 30g, 30h, 30j, 30p, 30q, 30r: card, 51: card information acquisition unit, 52: action control unit, 53: card determination unit, 54: parameter update unit, 55: driving processing unit, 56: action processing unit, 57: recording control unit, 58: reproduction control unit, 71: pattern. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. Among the components that appear, components having the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0042] Figure 1 1 is a diagram showing an example of a toy system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The toy system according to the present invention includes at least a moving body 20 and a plurality of cards 30. The moving body 20 has a cube-shaped outer shape, and its corners are chamfered. In addition, a plurality of protrusions are provided on the upper surface to enable it to be mounted with other toys.

[0043] The plurality of cards 30 include a plurality of action instruction cards, a recording start card, a recording end card, and a playback card. An image indicating an action instruction (action instruction) of the moving body 20 is printed on each of the plurality of action instruction cards. A coded image indicating any one of the plurality of action instructions of the moving body 20 is printed on each of at least a portion of the plurality of action instruction cards. A coded image indicating the start or end of recording and the playback instruction is printed on the recording start card, the recording end card, and the playback card, respectively.

[0044] At least a part of the plurality of cards 30 is placed by the user at any position on a plane (eg, a table or a floor). When the moving body 20 travels on any card 30, the image is read and an action corresponding to the instruction indicated by the image is performed.

[0045] The action instructions based on multiple action instruction cards are classified into multiple categories (groups). The multiple categories include a state change system, an action system, and a forced system. The state change system is a group consisting of instructions that change the action of the mobile body 20 (for example, the driving state). The action system is mainly a group consisting of instructions that cause the mobile body 20 to perform a predetermined action. In the instructions of the action system, the previous action can be restarted after the execution of the action. In addition, in the instructions of the action system, there is also a case where the result of the action is a change in the driving state. The forced system is a group consisting of instructions that stop the mobile body 20 immediately. The details of the recording start card, the recording end card, and the playback card will be described later.

[0046] Figure 2 2 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a toy system. A moving body 20 includes a processor 21 , a storage 22 , a communication unit 23 , a camera 24 , two motors 25 , and a speaker 26 .

[0047] The processor 21 operates according to the program stored in the memory 22, and controls the communication unit 23, the camera 24, the motor 25, the speaker 26, etc. The above program can be provided from another computer through communication via the communication unit 23, or can be provided to another computer by being stored in a computer-readable storage medium such as a flash memory or an optical disk.

[0048] The memory 22 is composed of a DRAM and a nonvolatile memory, etc. The memory 22 stores the above-mentioned program. In addition, the memory 22 stores information input from the processor 21, the communication unit 23, etc., and calculation results.

[0049] The communication unit 23 is composed of an integrated circuit, an antenna, etc. for communicating with other devices. The communication unit 23 has a function of communicating with other devices (such as a computer) according to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) protocol or the wireless LAN protocol. Based on the control of the processor 21, the communication unit 23 inputs information received from other devices to the processor 21 and the storage 22, and sends the information to other devices. In addition, the communication unit 23 can also communicate with other devices via a wired network.

[0050] The camera 24 is configured to capture the image of the bottom of the moving body 20 and the image of the pattern 71 printed on the card 30 on which the moving body 20 is placed (see FIG. Figure 4 ). In the present embodiment, a pattern 71 that is recognized in the frequency domain of infrared rays is printed on the card 30, and the camera 24 captures an image of the infrared rays.

[0051] The motor 25 is a so-called servo motor whose rotation direction, rotation amount, and rotation speed are controlled by the processor 21 .

[0052] The speaker 26 outputs sound based on the control of the processor 21 and the like.

[0053] Figure 3 2 is a diagram showing an example of a moving body 20 viewed from below. The moving body 20 further includes a switch 222, a power switch 223, and two wheels 254. A motor 25 is assigned to each of the two wheels 254, and the motor 25 drives the assigned wheel 254. The driving mechanism including the motor 25 and the wheel 254 constitute a driving device for driving the moving body 20.

[0054] Figure 4 : is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the information printed on the card 30 and the moving body 20. On the card 30, a plurality of patterns 71 as images that can be read by the camera 24 are printed together with an image that can be visually recognized by the user. On the card 30, the patterns 71 of a predetermined size (for example, 0.2 mm square) are arranged in a matrix. The size of each pattern 71 is smaller than the size of the card 30 and the moving body 20. The information printed on the plurality of patterns 71 on a certain card 30 may be the same. A pattern 71 indicating a position within the card 30 may also be printed on a certain card 30. In addition, when the moving body 20 passes over the card 30, the patterns 71 printed at different positions are usually read as time goes by.

[0055] In the toy system involved in this embodiment, the camera 24 of the moving body 20 captures the pattern 71 printed on the card 30, and the moving body 20 decodes the pattern 71 to obtain information. The information obtained from the pattern 71 printed on the action instruction card is the action instruction. Thus, the moving body 20 recognizes the type of the action instruction card. The information obtained from the pattern 71 printed on the card 30 indicating the start or end of recording and reproduction is the recording start instruction, the recording end instruction, and the reproduction instruction. In addition, the moving body 20 detects the direction of the moving body 20 (for example, the angle A relative to the reference direction) by detecting the inclination of the pattern 71 located in the image captured by the camera 24.

[0056] Figure 5 : is a block diagram showing the functions realized by the toy system. The toy system functionally includes a card information acquisition unit 51 and an action control unit 52. The action control unit 52 functionally includes a card determination unit 53, a parameter update unit 54, a driving processing unit 55, an action processing unit 56, a recording control unit 57, and a reproduction control unit 58. These functions are mainly realized by the processor 21 included in the mobile body 20 executing the program stored in the storage 22 to control the camera 24, the motor 25, and the speaker 26. In addition, some of these functions can also be realized by the processor 21 sending a processing request to other computers included in the toy system via the communication unit 23 and receiving the result.

[0057] The card information acquisition unit 51 reads the pattern 71 (image) printed on the card 30 and acquires the information represented by the pattern 71. More specifically, when the mobile body 20 is traveling on any one of the plurality of cards 30, the card information acquisition unit 51 reads the pattern 71 printed on the card 30 and decodes the information (action instruction, recording start instruction, recording end instruction, or playback instruction) based on the pattern 71. In addition, the card information acquisition unit 51 acquires the orientation of the mobile body 20 relative to the card 30 based on the inclination of the pattern 71 captured by the camera 24.

[0058] When an action instruction is acquired as information, the action control unit 52 controls the travel device, the speaker 26, etc. according to the acquired action instruction. When the action instruction is information indicating a change in the state of travel, the action control unit 52 controls the travel device (motor 25) according to the information after acquiring the acquired pattern 71. In addition, when the encoded pattern 71 is not read, the action control unit 52 controls the travel device so that the action corresponding to the action instruction indicated by the previously read pattern 71 continues until the moving body 20 reads a new encoded pattern 71 by traveling on a new card 30 among the multiple cards 30. When the new encoded pattern 71 is read, the action control unit 52 controls the travel device according to the new action instruction indicated by the new pattern 71.

[0059] When the action control unit 52 obtains a recording start instruction, each time the moving body 20 reads the encoded image by traveling on a new action instruction card, the action instruction represented by the image and the time information representing the current time are additionally stored in the storage 22 until the conditions for ending recording are met.

[0060] When the reproduction instruction is obtained, the motion control unit 52 controls the travel device according to the time information and the motion instruction stored in the storage 22. In addition, when the reproduction instruction is obtained, the motion control unit 52 may control the travel device according to the time information and the motion instruction stored in the storage 22 after controlling the travel device to be in the initial state stored in the storage 22.

[0061] The card determination unit 53 determines the group to which the action instruction of the card 30 acquired by the processing of the card information acquisition unit 51 belongs. Then, when the action instruction belongs to the state change system, the card determination unit 53 causes the execution parameter update unit 54 to process. On the other hand, when the action instruction belongs to the action system, the action processing unit 56 is caused to execute the processing.

[0062] The parameter updating unit 54 updates the driving parameters based on the action instructions belonging to the state change system. Here, the action instructions belonging to the state change system are further classified into multiple subgroups. The multiple subgroups include a handle subgroup, a speed subgroup, and a brake subgroup. The handle subgroup includes an instruction to change the state of the steering wheel to the right or left, and an instruction to change the state of the steering wheel to go straight. Changing the state of the steering wheel to the right or left means continuously changing the direction of travel of the mobile body 20 to the right or left. The speed subgroup includes an instruction to set the speed to a specified value. The specified value can be any one of a plurality of predetermined candidate values ​​(for example, slow, fast, and very fast), and each of the plurality of instructions included in the speed subgroup can also represent mutually different candidate values. The brake subgroup includes a brake instruction to continuously reduce the speed. According to the brake instruction, the mobile body 20 performs a braking action to continuously reduce the speed. Here, each of the plurality of action instructions belonging to the state change system can also be classified (labeled) into one or more subgroups. For example, a certain action indication may also be marked as both a speed subgroup and a direction dial group.

[0063] The parameter updating unit 54 updates the driving parameters of the subgroups into which the action instructions indicated by the read pattern 71 are classified, among the plurality of subgroups, to the information (e.g., value) indicated by the action instructions. By setting driving parameters for each subgroup and controlling driving by the plurality of driving parameters, the movement of the moving body 20 can be further diversified. In the case where the action instructions indicated by the read pattern 71 are classified into a plurality of subgroups of the state change system, the parameter updating unit 54 may update each of the driving parameters of the plurality of subgroups to which the action instructions belong to the information of the driving parameters of each subgroup corresponding to the action instructions.

[0064] The driving processing unit 55 controls the driving device (e.g., the motor 25) based on the action instructions (e.g., driving parameters) set in each of the plurality of subgroups. The driving processing unit 55 controls the driving device so that the moving body 20 drives according to the driving parameters. The driving processing unit 55 continuously changes the moving direction of the moving body 20 to the right or left, or drives the moving body 20 straight, based on the driving parameters of the steering wheel state. The driving processing unit 55 drives the moving body 20 at a speed corresponding to the parameters of the speed subgroup. In addition, when the parameters of the braking state are set, the driving processing unit 55 continuously reduces the speed of the moving body 20.

[0065] When the recording control unit 57 obtains the recording start instruction, each time the mobile body 20 reads the encoded image by driving on a new action instruction card, the action instruction represented by the image and the time information representing the current time are additionally stored in the storage 22 until the condition for the end of recording is met. The recording start instruction can also be obtained by reading the image representing the recording start instruction from the pattern 71 printed on the recording start card. The condition for the end of recording can also be to obtain the recording end instruction from the pattern 71 printed on the recording end card. The condition for the end of recording can be that the mobile body 20 stops or that a specified time has passed. When the recording start instruction is obtained from the pattern 71 printed on the recording start card, the action control unit 52 can also store the action state (e.g., driving parameters) of the mobile body 20 at this time in the storage 22 as the initial state.

[0066] When the playback instruction is obtained, the playback control unit 58 controls the travel device according to the time information and the action instruction stored in the memory 22. The playback instruction can be obtained by reading an image representing the playback instruction from the playback card. When the playback instruction is obtained, the travel device can be controlled to be in the initial state stored in the memory 22, and then the travel device can be controlled according to the time information and the action instruction stored in the memory 22.

[0067] Here, a specific example of the travel of the mobile body 20 based on the change of the travel parameter will be described. Figure 6 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of controlling the moving body 20 based on the action instruction card. Figure 6 In the example of FIG. 1 , a “Slow” card 30a, a “Fast” card 30b, a rightward card 30d, and a goal card 30j are arranged as action instruction cards. Figure 6 In the example, the moving body 20 first reads the pattern 71 on the card 30a, sets the parameters of the speed subgroup to the first speed, and moves straight at the speed. Then, the moving body 20 reads the pattern 71 on the card 30b, updates the parameters of the speed subgroup to the second speed that is faster than the first speed, and moves straight at the second speed. Then, the moving body 20 reads the pattern 71 on the card 30d, updates the parameters of the direction plate group to "right", and moves in a right-turning manner while maintaining the speed. Then, if the moving body 20 reaches the card 30j, the moving body 20 that has read the pattern 71 on the card 30j makes a sound and stops.

[0068] Here, for example, a pattern 71 indicating a combination of "Fast" and rightward movement may be printed on one card 30. In this case, there is a card 30 obtained by integrating the card 30b and the card 30d. When the moving body 20 reads the pattern 71 on the card 30, the parameters of the speed subgroup are updated to the second speed, and the driving parameters of the steering wheel group are further updated to "right". Then, the moving body 20 can travel in a right-turning manner at the second speed. In addition, there may be a card 30 printed with a pattern 71 indicating a combination of other speeds and steering wheel states.

[0069] Figure 7 FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining another example of the control of the moving body 20 based on the action instruction card. Figure 7 In the example of , a "Fast" card 30b and a "Brake" card 30g are configured as action instruction cards. Figure 7 In the example, the moving body 20 first reads the pattern 71 on the card 30b, updates the parameters of the speed subgroup to the second speed, and moves straight at the speed. Then, the pattern 71 on the card 30g is read, and the parameters of the brake subgroup are updated to the brake state. Then, the moving body 20 continuously decelerates the speed of the moving body 20 according to the parameters of the brake state. Finally, the speed of the moving body 20 becomes 0 and stops.

[0070] The action processing unit 56 controls the moving body 20 to perform the action indicated by the action instruction based on the action instruction belonging to the action system. When the action processing unit 56 obtains an instruction to change to the direction specified by the card 30, in other words, when the action processing unit 56 obtains an instruction to change the moving body 20 to a state of traveling in the specified direction, the moving body 20 is controlled to change to the specified direction.

[0071] Figure 8 FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining another example of the control of the moving body 20 based on the action instruction card. Figure 8 In the example of , a "Fast" card 30b and an arrow card 30h indicating the direction of travel are arranged as action instruction cards. Figure 8 In the example, the mobile body 20 first reads the pattern 71 on the card 30b, updates the parameters of the speed subgroup to the second speed, and moves straight at the speed. Then, the pattern 71 on the card 30g is read, and the mobile body 20 performs a transformation (direction change) action so that the direction indicated by the pattern 71 and the moving direction of the mobile body 20 become a predetermined angle (actually the direction of the arrow). When the direction change is completed, the mobile body 20 moves straight in the moving direction at the second speed.

[0072] In this way, according to the action instruction of the card 30, the driving state such as driving parameters and travel direction is changed, and then the moving body 20 continues to move according to the action instruction until it reaches the next card 30, and the driving state is repeatedly changed according to the action instruction. As a result, the reading of the card 30 and the action based on it become interactive, and the user can experience more intuitive and easy programming. In addition, there is no restriction on arranging the cards 30 inseparably, so the user can place the cards 30 at any position, and the degree of freedom of the action of the moving body 20 in the programming experience becomes higher.

[0073] Next, the case where a record start card, a record end card, and a playback card are used will be described. Fig. 9 FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of recording an action instruction. Fig. 9 In the example of , a "Fast" card 30b and two arrow cards 30h indicating direction change are arranged as action instruction cards. In addition, a card 30r is arranged as a recording start card, and a card 30q is arranged as a recording end card. Fig. 9 In the example, after the moving body 20 changes the speed to the second speed through the "Fast" card 30b, it reads the card 30r indicating the start of recording and starts recording the subsequent action instruction cards. The driving parameters including the second speed are recorded as the initial state. After the recording starts, the moving body 20 reads the card 30h that changes the direction to the lower left in the figure and changes the direction, and further reads the card 30h that changes the direction to the right in the figure and changes the direction. Then, the moving body 20 goes straight and reads the card 30q that indicates the end of recording, and ends the recording. The recording control unit 57 can stop the moving body 20 together with the end of recording.

[0074] Fig.10 FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of reproducing a recorded action instruction. Fig.10 In the example of , a card 30p is arranged as a playback card, and an arrow card 30h indicating a direction change is arranged as an action instruction card. Fig.10 In the example of FIG. 1 , if the moving body 20 reads the card 30p indicating the reproduction instruction, the moving body 20 becomes the second speed as the initial state, and Fig. 9 When the movement is finished, the moving body 20 stops. In addition, in addition to the card 30p indicating the reproduction instruction, there may also be a card 30 indicating the repeated reproduction instruction. When the moving body 20 reads the card 30 indicating the repeated reproduction instruction, Fig.10 When the action described in the above is finished, the recorded action is repeated without stopping.

[0075] Next, the processing for realizing the operation described so far will be described in more detail. Figures 11 to 13 This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the moving object 20 . Figures 11 to 13 Mainly shown are the processes of the card information acquisition section 51 , the card determination section 53 , the parameter update section 54 , the recording control section 57 , and the reproduction control section 58 . Figures 11 to 13 The indicated processing is repeatedly executed periodically (for example, every 0.1 seconds). Figures 11 to 13 In the example of FIG. 1 , in addition to a mode for performing normal driving, there are a recording mode for recording an action instruction while driving, and a reproduction mode for reproducing the recorded action instruction.

[0076] First, the playback control unit 58 determines whether the playback mode is on ( S101 ). If the playback mode is on (Yes (Y) in S101 ), the playback control unit 58 executes the processing from S109 onwards, but the details of the processing will be described later.

[0077] When the playback mode is OFF (No (N) in S101), the card information acquisition unit 51 acquires the image read by the camera 24 of the mobile body 20 (S102). The card information acquisition unit 51 determines whether an instruction (action instruction, recording start instruction, recording end instruction, or playback instruction) can be obtained from the acquired image (S103). More specifically, the card information acquisition unit 51 determines whether the pattern 71 exists in the acquired image. When the instruction cannot be obtained (No (N) in S103), Figures 11 to 13 If the instruction can be obtained (Yes (Y) in S103 ), the card information acquisition unit 51 acquires the instruction of the card 30 and the angle A of the moving body 20 relative to the card 30 from the image ( S104 ). The process using the angle A will be described later.

[0078] If the instruction of the card 30 is obtained, the card information acquisition unit 51 determines whether the instruction is obtained from the same card 30 as the previous one (S105). If the instruction is obtained from the same card 30 (Yes (Y) in S105), the process ends. Figures 11 to 13 Whether the instruction is obtained from the same card 30 can be determined based on whether the same instruction is read during the reading. Here, when no information was read during the last reading, or the read information did not indicate any instruction, and the instruction for this action was read, it is determined that the instruction was not read from the same card 30 as the last time. According to this processing, the problem caused by repeatedly performing the same processing and the waste of processing resources can be prevented.

[0079] If the acquired action instruction is different from the action instruction acquired last time (No (N) in S105 ), the card determination unit 53 determines whether the acquired instruction is an action instruction ( S106 ). The processing when the acquired instruction is not an action instruction will be described later.

[0080] When the acquired instruction is an action instruction (Yes (Y) in S106), the recording control unit 57 determines whether the recording mode is on (ON) (S107). When the recording mode is on (ON) (Yes (Y) in S107), the recording control unit 57 adds the action instruction acquired by the card information acquisition unit 51, the angle A, and the time information indicating the current time to the storage 22 (S108). When the recording mode is off (No (N) in S107), the processing of S108 is skipped.

[0081] Fig.14 22. Fig. 9 The "Time" column indicates time information. Fig.14 In the example, the time information is the difference between the time when the action instruction is read and the time when the recording starts. The time information can also be the current time. In this case, the time when the recording start instruction is obtained can be recorded as the initial state. The action instruction is expressed in the form of a command, but in fact it can be either a binary code equivalent to the command or the information obtained by decoding the pattern 71 itself. Fig.14 In the example, the angle is expressed in the form of -180 degrees to +180 degrees, but it can also be expressed in the form of 0 to 360 degrees, or it can be expressed in the form of angles where one cycle is set to n levels (for example, n is an integer greater than 8). In addition, when the recording control unit 57 obtains the recording end instruction, it can also store the time information in the storage 22. Fig.14 In the example of , a row in which "recording end" is written in the action instruction is shown as the example. In addition, the storage 22 storing the action instruction and the like may be a memory included in the moving body 20, for example.

[0082] In the case where the playback mode is turned on (ON) in S101 (Y in S101), the processing of S102 to S108 is not performed. In addition, the playback control unit 58 obtains the earliest action instruction (next action instruction) among the unread action instructions, and the time information and angle stored in association with the action instruction from the storage 22 (S109). In the processing of S111 to S118, the action instruction and angle are processed in the same way as the action instruction and angle obtained in S104. The playback control unit 58 waits until the time indicated by the time information (S110). In addition, although not shown in the figure, in the case where the information indicating the end of recording is read from the storage 22 in S109, the playback control unit 58 controls the travel unit so that the moving body 20 stops. In addition, in the case where the playback mode becomes on (ON) by reading the image indicating the instruction from the repeatedly played card 30, if the information indicating the end of recording is read from the storage 22, the processing of S127 can be performed instead of stopping.

[0083] If S107 is No (N), and the processing of S108 and S110 is completed, the card determination unit 53 determines whether the acquired action instruction belongs to the state change system group (S111). If the acquired action instruction belongs to the state change system (S111 is Yes (Y)), the parameter update unit 54 updates the driving parameters according to the action instruction (S112).

[0084] More specifically, the parameter updating unit 54 updates the driving parameter of the subgroup into which the action instruction is classified to the value indicated by the action instruction. When the action instruction belongs to the speed subgroup, the parameter updating unit 54 sets the speed parameter to a value corresponding to the action instruction. When the action instruction belongs to the steering wheel group, the parameter updating unit 54 updates the steering wheel state parameter to the value indicated by the action instruction (for example, any one of right, left, and straight). When the action instruction belongs to the braking subgroup, the parameter updating unit 54 updates the braking parameter to the braking state (or non-braking state).

[0085] When the action instruction belongs to a plurality of subgroups, the parameter updating unit 54 updates the driving parameters of each of the plurality of subgroups to the value indicated by the action instruction. For example, when the action instruction belongs to the speed subgroup and the steering wheel subgroup, the parameter updating unit 54 sets the speed parameter to the value corresponding to the action instruction and updates the steering wheel state parameter to the value indicated by the action instruction. In this case, there may be a plurality of action instructions corresponding one-to-one to each combination of a candidate value of the speed parameter (e.g., slow, fast, very fast) and a candidate value of the steering wheel state parameter (e.g., right, left, straight). There may also be a card 30 corresponding one-to-one to each of the plurality of action instructions.

[0086] On the other hand, when the acquired action instruction does not belong to the state change system (No (N) in S111), the card determination unit 53 determines whether the acquired action instruction indicates an instruction to stop the moving body 20 (S113). When the action instruction indicates an instruction to stop the moving body 20 (Yes (Y) in S113), the driving processing unit 55 ends the driving processing and stops the moving body 20 (S114).

[0087] On the other hand, if the action instruction does not indicate an instruction to stop the moving body 20 (No (N) in S113), the card determination unit 53 determines whether the acquired action instruction belongs to the action system group (S115). If the action instruction does not belong to the action system group (No (N) in S115), the card determination unit 53 ends. Figures 11 to 13 . When the action instruction belongs to the action system group (Yes (Y) in S115), the card determination unit 53 determines whether the travel processing of the travel processing unit 55 or the action processing of the action processing unit 56 is currently being executed (S116). When the travel processing or the action processing is being executed (Yes (Y) in S116), the travel processing or the action processing being executed is stopped (S117). When the travel processing and the action processing are not being executed (No (N) in S116), the processing of S117 is skipped. Then, the action processing unit 56 starts the action processing according to the action instruction (S118). An example of the action processing will be described later.

[0088] In S106, when the instruction acquired by the card information acquisition unit 51 is not an action instruction (No (N) in S106), the card determination unit 53 determines whether the acquired instruction is a recording start instruction (S121). When the acquired instruction is a recording start instruction (Yes (Y) in S121), the recording control unit 57 sets the recording mode to ON (S122), and stores the current driving parameters as the initial state in the memory 22 (S123). Then, the process ends. Figures 11 to 13 processing.

[0089] If the acquired instruction is not a recording start instruction (No (N) in S121), the card determination unit 53 determines whether the acquired instruction is a recording end instruction (S124). If the acquired instruction is a recording end instruction (Yes (Y) in S124), the recording control unit 57 sets the recording mode to OFF and stops the motor 25 (S125). Then, the recording ends. Figures 11 to 13 processing.

[0090] When the acquired instruction is not a recording end instruction (No (N) in S124), the card determination unit 53 determines whether the acquired instruction is a playback instruction (S126). When the acquired instruction is a playback instruction (Yes (Y) in S126), the playback control unit 58 acquires the information of the initial state from the storage 22, and controls the motor 25 according to the acquired initial state (for example, driving parameters) (S127). More specifically, the playback control unit 58 updates the driving parameters according to the acquired initial state, and further controls the rotation of the motor 25 so that the driving state of the moving body 20 becomes the initial state, in other words, the rotation state of the wheel 254 is equivalent to the speed and the direction of the steering wheel indicated by the driving parameters. Then, the playback control unit 58 sets the playback mode to ON (S128).

[0091] exist Figures 11 to 13 In the above, the processing of S106, S121, S124, and S126 may also be performed in another order. In addition, the processing of S111, S113, and S115 may also be performed in another order.

[0092] In the embodiments described so far, the positions of the arranged cards 30 are not recorded, but the action instructions and time information read during the actual travel of the moving body 20 are recorded and reproduced, thereby enabling the action to be reproduced simply and faithfully. In addition, the reproduction of the recorded content can also be handled as a subroutine, which can make the programming experience brought by the arranged cards 30 more diverse and advanced.

[0093] exist Figures 11 to 13 In the example, regardless of whether the recording mode is on (ON) or off (OFF), if the new action instruction is the same as the previous action instruction, it is ignored (refer to the sequence of S105 and S107). Through these processes, the capacity of the storage 22 accompanying recording can be more concisely reduced, and the difference between the action when recording or not recording and the action when reproducing can be suppressed.

[0094] Next, the details of the travel processing by the travel processing unit 55 will be described. Fig.15 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the travel processing by the travel processing unit 55. Fig.15 The processing shown is executed periodically except for the period when the stop state or the action processing is executed.

[0095] First, the driving processing unit 55 determines whether the braking state is set in the driving parameter (S201). If the braking state is set (Yes (Y) in S201), a predetermined value is subtracted from the value of the speed stored as the driving parameter (S202). On the other hand, if the braking state is not set (No (N) in S201), S202 is skipped.

[0096] Here, when the speed value is 0 (Y in S203), the travel processing unit 55 stops the travel of the moving body 20 and shifts the state of the moving body 20 to the stopped state (S204). In addition, when the recording mode is on (ON), the same processing as when the recording end instruction is obtained can also be performed (refer to S125).

[0097] On the other hand, when the speed value is not 0 (No (N) in S203), the driving processing unit 55 determines the rotation speed of the left and right wheels 254 based on the current speed value and the parameter of the steering wheel state (S205). The driving processing unit 55 controls the rotation of the left and right motors 25 based on the determined rotation speed (S206).

[0098] In this embodiment, the two wheels 254 are driven by different motors 25, so the moving body 20 can be made to go straight, turn right continuously, or turn left continuously by controlling the rotation speed of the wheels 254 (motor 25). In the case of going straight, the difference in the rotation speed between the left and right is approximately 0. In the case where the moving body 20 includes a steering mechanism, the travel processing unit 55 can also control the moving body 20 to go straight, turn right, or turn left by setting the direction of some wheels 254.

[0099] In this way, by driving according to the driving parameters set by the card 30, even if the driving device leaves the card 30, it is possible to control the driving device to continue to perform the action corresponding to the action indication indicated by the previously read pattern 71 until the moving body 20 reads a new pattern 71 by driving on a new card 30.

[0100] Fig.16 This is a flowchart showing an example of action processing by the action processing unit 56. Fig.16 The processing executed by the action instruction for changing the traveling direction to a designated direction, such as the card 30h, among the action instructions for a plurality of action systems is shown. Fig.16 The processing shown is done by Fig.12 Start from S118.

[0101] First, the action processing unit 56 reduces the rotation speed of the two motors 25 and temporarily stops the rotation of the wheels 254 (S301). Next, based on the angle read from the card 30 (or acquired in S109), the direction and amount of rotation of the left and right motors 25 are determined (S302). The direction and amount of rotation are determined so that the direction of the rotating moving body 20 becomes a predetermined direction relative to the card 30 (for example, the direction of the arrow on the card 30h). In addition, the action processing unit 56 determines the direction and amount of rotation so that the directions of rotation of the left and right wheels 254 become opposite and the moving body 20 rotates in the predetermined direction with the minimum rotation.

[0102] Here, when the value of the speed of the driving parameter is 0 (Yes (Y) in S304), the action processing unit 56 stops the moving body 20 and transfers the state of the moving body 20 to the stopped state (S305). When the value of the speed of the driving parameter is not 0 (No (N) in S304), the action processing unit 56 restarts the driving processing of the driving processing unit 55 (S306), and ends Fig.16 processing.

[0103] In this process, the traveling direction is physically changed by the action set by the card 30. In addition, after the action, the driving process is restarted, and the moving body 20 drives according to the driving parameters set before. Through this, the driving device can be controlled to continue the action corresponding to the previous action instruction until the moving body 20 reads a new pattern 71 by driving on a new card 30.

[0104] The processing performed by the action processing unit 56 is not limited to the above. For example, in other action instructions belonging to the subgroup of the action system, the time series motor control information stored in the storage 22 may be reproduced instead of the processing represented by S301 to S303, thereby performing a fixed action such as winding driving or spinning. In addition, in other action instructions, the processing of playing the sound stored in the storage 22 in advance from the speaker 26 may be performed instead of the processing represented by S301 to S303.

Claims

1. A toy system comprising: a plurality of action instruction cards, each of which is printed with a coded image representing any one of a plurality of action instructions, and each of which is arranged at an arbitrary position by a user; and Mobile body, The mobile body comprises: A travel unit capable of traveling; a reading unit configured to read the image when the moving body travels on any one of the plurality of action instruction cards; as well as an action control unit for controlling the travel unit according to an action instruction indicated by the read image, When the mobile body reads the encoded image by traveling on any one of the plurality of action instruction cards, the action control unit controls the travel unit according to the action instruction indicated by the image. When the motion control unit obtains the recording instruction, each time the moving body reads the encoded image by traveling on a new motion instruction card, the motion instruction represented by the image and time information representing the current time are stored in the storage. The motion control unit controls the travel unit according to the stored time information and the motion instruction when a reproduction instruction is acquired.

2. The toy system of claim 1, wherein: When the motion control unit obtains the recording instruction, the motion state of the moving body when the recording instruction is obtained is stored in a storage. When the reproduction instruction is acquired, the motion control unit controls the travel unit to be in the stored motion state, and then controls the travel unit according to the stored time information and the motion instruction.

3. A toy system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The toy system further comprises: a recording instruction card on which a coded image representing the recording instruction is printed; and a reproduction instruction card on which a coded image representing the reproduction instruction is printed. The reading unit reads the images printed on the recording instruction card and the reproduction instruction card respectively when the movable body travels on the recording instruction card and the reproduction instruction card. When the motion control unit reads the image representing the recording instruction, each time the moving body reads the encoded image by traveling on a new motion instruction card, the motion instruction represented by the image and time information representing the current time are stored in the memory. The motion control unit controls the travel unit based on the stored time information and the motion instruction when the image indicating the reproduction instruction is read.

4. The toy system of claim 3, wherein: The reading unit repeatedly reads the image indicating the recording instruction when the moving body travels on any one of the plurality of action instruction cards after reading the image indicating the recording instruction. The action control unit does not store the action instruction represented by the image and the time information representing the current time in the memory when the action instruction represented by the image read this time is the same as the action instruction represented by the image read last time.

5. The toy system of claim 3, wherein: The toy system further comprises: a recording end card having a coded image printed thereon indicating a recording end instruction; The reading unit reads the image printed on the recorded card when the movable body travels on the recorded card. When the action control unit reads the image representing the recording instruction, each time the moving body reads the encoded image by traveling on a new action instruction card, the action instruction represented by the image and the time information representing the current time are stored in the storage until the image representing the recording end instruction is read.

6. The toy system of claim 1, When the encoded image is not read, the traveling unit is controlled to continue to perform the action corresponding to the action instruction represented by the previously read image until the mobile body reads a new encoded image by traveling on a new action instruction card among the multiple action instruction cards. When the new encoded image is read, the traveling unit is controlled according to the action instruction represented by the new image.

7. A mobile object, comprising: A travel unit capable of traveling; a reading unit for reading the image when traveling on any one of a plurality of action instruction cards on which a coded image representing any one of a plurality of action instructions is printed and arranged at arbitrary positions by a user; as well as an action control unit for controlling the travel unit according to an action instruction indicated by the read image, When the mobile body reads the encoded image by traveling on any one of the plurality of action instruction cards, the action control unit controls the travel unit according to the action instruction indicated by the image. When the action control unit obtains the recording instruction, each time it reads the encoded image by driving on a new action instruction card, it stores the action instruction represented by the image and the time information representing the current time in the storage. The motion control unit controls the travel unit according to the stored time information and the motion instruction when a reproduction instruction is acquired.

8. A control method for controlling the travel of a mobile body having a reading unit and a travel unit, the control method comprising: When the moving body is traveling on any one of a plurality of action instruction cards, each of which is printed with a coded image indicating any one of a plurality of action instructions and is arranged at an arbitrary position by a user, the reading unit reads the image; and The step of controlling the travel unit according to the action instruction indicated by the read image, In the step of controlling the travel unit, when the mobile body reads the encoded image by traveling on any one of the plurality of action instruction cards, the travel unit is controlled according to the action instruction represented by the image, The control method further comprises: When the recording instruction is acquired, each time the mobile body reads the encoded image by traveling on a new action instruction card, the action instruction represented by the image and time information representing the current time are stored in a memory; and The step of controlling the travel unit according to the stored time information and action instruction when the playback instruction is acquired.

9. A program for causing a computer including a travel unit to function as a reading unit and an action control unit, The reading unit reads the image when traveling on any one of a plurality of action instruction cards, each of which is printed with a coded image indicating any one of a plurality of action instructions and is arranged at an arbitrary position by a user. The motion control unit controls the travel unit according to the motion state represented by the read image, When the mobile body reads the encoded image by traveling on any one of the plurality of action instruction cards, the action control unit controls the travel unit according to the action instruction indicated by the image. When the motion control unit obtains the recording instruction, each time the moving body reads the encoded image by traveling on a new motion instruction card, the motion instruction represented by the image and time information representing the current time are stored in the storage. The motion control unit controls the travel unit according to the stored time information and the motion instruction when a reproduction instruction is acquired.

10. A card set, comprising: A plurality of action instruction cards are printed on a movable body having a travel unit and a storage device capable of traveling, and the image read when the movable body travels is a coded image representing any one of the plurality of action instructions, and are arranged at arbitrary positions by the user; a recording instruction card having printed thereon an encoded image representing the recording instruction; as well as The playback instruction card is printed with a coded image indicating the playback instruction. When the image indicating the motion instruction is read by the moving body, the travel unit is controlled according to the motion instruction. When the image representing the recorded instruction is read by the mobile body, each time the mobile body reads the encoded image by traveling on a new action instruction card, the action instruction represented by the image and time information representing the current time are stored in the storage, When the image indicating the reproduction instruction is read by the moving body, the travel unit is controlled based on the stored time information and the operation instruction.

Images