Maintenance of rechargeable electronic devices

Abstract

The invention relates to a system (100) comprising a charging device (20) defining a charging area (22), and an electronic device (10) comprising a chargeable power source (12) and a charging circuit (11) for non-contact reception of electrical energy and charging of the chargeable power source (12) when the electronic device (10) is located at the charging area (22) of the charging device (20), wherein the system (100) is configured to initiate and / or allow a maintenance action selected from a predetermined group of maintenance actions for the electronic device (10) in response to the electronic device (10) being located at the charging area (22).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] In one aspect, this invention relates to the maintenance of electronic devices including rechargeable power supplies, particularly to troubleshooting and / or firmware-related maintenance. In one specific aspect, the electronic device is an interactive toy, such as modular interactive toy components. In another aspect, the invention relates to a system comprising a charging device and one or more electronic devices, each including a rechargeable power supply. In yet another aspect, the invention relates to a method for initiating or permitting maintenance of electronic devices including rechargeable power supplies. Background Technology

[0002] Rechargeable electronic devices are used in a variety of applications. One example of an electronic device is an interactive toy.

[0003] In many cases, such as in the context of providing interactive games involving interactive toys, it is desirable to provide a maintenance process that is simple and intuitive, even for untrained users. It is also desirable to provide a maintenance process in the form of a firmware update process (and / or checking its availability) and / or a troubleshooting process that is simple and intuitive, even for untrained users.

[0004] There is also a desire to provide a maintenance process that is as "screenless" as possible, especially when rechargeable electronic devices are (and will be) used by relatively young users.

[0005] Interactive toys perform user-perceived functions in response to user interaction, typically allowing for an enhanced play experience for toy users. Modular interactive toy components take this enhanced play experience to a new level, allowing modular interactive toy components to be combined with each other to build a wider variety and more complex range of user-perceived functions, as well as other functionalities.

[0006] To support the freedom and flexibility of interactive games, especially when using modular interactive toy components, each component can be equipped with its own power source, including energy storage devices such as rechargeable batteries. Furthermore, contactless charging for recharging these energy storage devices is a convenient technology in this context because it is easy for users to use and avoids the need for a wired connection between the charger and the electronic device being charged.

[0007] One challenge in this context is supplying or supporting the maintenance process of interactive toy components (if problems arise or are anticipated) in a safe, efficient, user-friendly, reliable, and durable manner, especially considering their use by children of all ages and the fact that toys must be easy and intuitive to use, build, and play with.

[0008] Modular interactive toys incorporating rechargeable energy storage devices have been previously disclosed, for example, international patent application PCT / EP2019 / 084779, which is incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore, for example, international patent application PCT / EP2019 / 084808 discloses a contactless energy transfer system for transmitting power to one or more electronically enhanced toy building elements or other electronic devices, which is also incorporated herein by reference. The same patent application also discloses a wireless inductive charging toy, comprising a transmitting induction coil or loop that generates an alternating magnetic field, and a toy body, wherein the toy body includes a rechargeable battery, an electrical load, and an inductive charging circuit including a receiving induction coil for converting the alternating magnetic field into current to charge the rechargeable battery.

[0009] WO 2010 / 059884 A1 discloses an inductively powered toy vehicle and an associated track with an inductively powered charging section. The vehicle may include a secondary coil, a drive motor, an energy storage device connected between the secondary coil and the drive motor, and a wireless communication unit. The charging section may include a primary coil operable to transfer power to the secondary coil as the vehicle passes through the charging section. The vehicle drive motor can operate at a first speed setting and a second speed setting, and a remote control device can provide operating commands to the vehicle's wireless communication unit. In one embodiment, the vehicle's speed setting may be automatically controlled based on detection signals associated with a portion of the track (e.g., an inductively powered track section), rather than interactively controlled.

[0010] Despite previous efforts, there remains a desire to supply or support an easy-to-use, flexible, and efficient electronic device maintenance process. In particular, it is desirable to provide such a maintenance process applicable to systems with multiple electronic devices. It is also desirable to provide a maintenance process that is easy to perform even for untrained users, particularly children of different ages. Summary of the Invention

[0011] One object of the present invention is to overcome at least some of the above and / or other disadvantages (at least to a certain extent), or at least to provide an alternative to existing solutions.

[0012] According to one aspect, embodiments of the system according to independent claim 1 are disclosed herein, as well as advantageous embodiments defined by the dependent claims and disclosed herein. A particular aspect relates to embodiments where the electronic device is an interactive toy (e.g., an interactive modular toy element) that can be releasably connected to other modular toy elements to construct a model with interactive functionality, or to add interactive functionality to a toy model constructed from conventional modular toy elements. A further aspect relates to charging devices and embodiments thereof disclosed herein. A still further aspect relates to electronic devices and embodiments thereof disclosed herein.

[0013] Based on the foregoing, this document discloses an embodiment of a system including a charging device as disclosed herein and one or more electronic devices.

[0014] More specifically, the system includes a (contactless) charging device defining a charging area (or defining one or more charging areas), and an electronic device including a rechargeable power supply and a charging circuit for receiving electrical energy and charging the rechargeable power supply contactlessly when the electronic device is located in the charging area of ​​the charging device (or, in the case of more than one charging area, in at least one charging area). The system is configured to initiate and / or allow a maintenance action (or a series of maintenance actions) selected from a predetermined group of maintenance actions in response to the electronic device being located in the charging area (or, in the case of more than one charging area, in at least one charging area). It should be understood that, in this context, a maintenance action is distinct from charging the electronic device or any action related to charging the electronic device. Accordingly, the maintenance actions disclosed herein are not and do not involve charging the electronic device or any charging-related action, or are for charging the electronic device or any charging-related action; that is, maintenance actions are non-charging actions or actions unrelated to charging.

[0015] In this way, maintenance of electronic devices can be performed only when the device is near the charging station (or at least naturally / more naturally), or more specifically, when the device is in the charging area. This facilitates a clear and intuitive distinction between the use space or play space and the maintenance space (such as the maintenance space defined by or associated with the charging area), making it intuitive and easy to learn and understand even for untrained users, young children, etc. When the electronic device is in the charging area, it is a maintenance space (even if the maintenance action is unrelated to charging), while when the electronic device is outside the charging area, it is a use space / play space. Accordingly, the charging device acts as a physical trigger, gating, or condition to switch the (operating state) of the electronic device from normal use / play to non-use / non-play, and more specifically, to maintenance (unrelated to charging). In other words, the charging device has a dual function, as its charging area serves both as a space or area for charging electronic devices and (solely) as a maintenance space or area for maintenance actions unrelated to charging the electronic devices. This visually and physically separates the operating modes of the electronic device into gaming / use (outside the charging area) and maintenance (and separate charging) (within the charging area). The system can automatically or semi-automatically initiate one or more maintenance actions in response to the electronic device being in the charging area. Additionally or alternatively, the system can allow one or more maintenance actions in response to the electronic device being in the charging area, while such maintenance actions are not allowed or disabled when the electronic device is outside the charging area. Regarding initiating and / or allowing one or more maintenance actions, it should be understood that the system can initiate one or more maintenance actions while allowing others. Allowing a maintenance action can be understood as enabling a maintenance action.

[0016] This also ensures that when the electronic device is not in the charging area but in operation, normal use or gaming of the electronic device will not be interfered with, interrupted or otherwise diminished by maintenance actions, tasks, inspections, etc.

[0017] Preferably and most preferably, the charging area is three-dimensional, but alternatively, it is only two-dimensional. The three-dimensional nature of the charging area allows for the maintenance (and charging, of course, separately) of the electronic device, even if the electronic device is part of a build model that allows it to be placed in "any location," i.e., it does not require placing the electronic device directly on the surface of the charging device. Furthermore, when the electronic device is incorporated into the model as part of the build model, maintenance (and charging) of the electronic device as part of the build model is provided without removing the electronic device from the model.

[0018] The charging zone can (and preferably) be defined as an area (preferably a three-dimensional area) in which the intensity of the charging field of the charging device is higher than a predetermined threshold, and / or as an area in which the electronic devices of the system can be fully charged within a predetermined time period. The extent of the charging zone may be the same for all electronic devices in the system, or may vary slightly depending on the device. The threshold can be determined as a boundary that defines a limit where the charging field is too weak to allow the electronic device to be fully charged within an effective time range. This time range may vary depending on the application. In one embodiment, the threshold is set such that full charging at any location within the charging zone can be completed, for example, within 10 hours, while outside the charging zone, it requires at least more than 10 hours. It is understood that other limits can be set according to the desired user experience. The size of the charging zone may depend, in particular, on the size of the conductive ring, etc., of the charging device relative to the conductive coil, etc., of the receiving electronic device. The charging zone can be dynamic and may change, for example, due to the presence (and / or location) of one or more electronic devices therein, such as changing its shape and / or extent. For example, adding and / or removing electronic devices can (and will generally) change the charging field, thereby changing the charging zone.

[0019] In some embodiments, the system is configured to initiate and / or allow maintenance actions in response to an electronic device being in the charging area for at least a predetermined duration (e.g., 5 seconds, 10 seconds, or 20 seconds or less). This readily allows for ignoring “accidental” events, such as “brief” entry of the electronic device into the charging area, for example, due to gaming or other use. The predetermined duration can be specific to individual maintenance actions, allowing some maintenance actions to require a longer time before initiation or permission.

[0020] In some embodiments, the system, charging device, and / or electronic device are configured to prevent the execution (e.g., initiation) of any maintenance actions when the electronic device is outside the charging area (even if the electronic device is otherwise capable of performing such actions). In this way, it is even impossible for the electronic device to (substantially) perform maintenance actions outside the charging area; these actions can only be performed within the charging area (i.e., maintenance occurs only when the electronic device is in the charging area, rather than at least naturally). This conserves resources such as battery power and prevents interruptions to the user's use of the electronic device due to maintenance-related events or actions, thus achieving a greater sense of immersion. It should be understood that (at least in some embodiments), presenting or providing information about maintenance actions (e.g., presenting or indicating an error or similar situation that has occurred or is expected to occur) is not considered a maintenance action in this context and typically (at least in some embodiments) occurs when the electronic device is outside the charging area, i.e., while being used or playing a game. However, (in such embodiments) maintenance actions to handle such errors or similar situations are prevented (until the electronic device is brought into the charging area as disclosed herein).

[0021] In alternative embodiments and depending on the use case, a specific subset of maintenance actions may still be permitted when the electronic device is outside the charging area, but these should be limited to very critical actions (if permitted).

[0022] In some embodiments, the electronic device is configured to: When an electronic device enters the charging area of ​​a charging device, it changes from a first state (or first operating mode), such as or preferably an interactive use state (e.g., a gaming state), to a second state (or second operating mode) as a maintenance state, and / or When an electronic device exits the charging area of ​​a charging device, it changes from the second state (or second operating mode), which is a maintenance state, to the first state (or first operating mode).

[0023] In this way, the electronic device more substantially changes its operating state depending on whether it is in the charging zone. For example, or preferably, the maintenance state is also additionally (simultaneously or overlappingly) placed in the charging state, at least if the maintenance does not interfere with charging or cause charging problems. It should be noted that the first state (or first operating mode), for example, or preferably an interactive use or gaming state, does not necessarily require the electronic device to actually be used or played, but can be. For example, the electronic device (at least in some embodiments) may still enter one or more sleep states in the first state (or first operating mode) to save power, etc.

[0024] In some embodiments, the first state is a usage state, or more specifically a game state or game mode.

[0025] In some embodiments, the electronic device is configured to perform or participate in selected maintenance actions only when it is in the second state.

[0026] In some embodiments, multiple functions and / or actions (e.g., all or a subset thereof) associated with use or play outside the charging area, such as multiple functions and / or actions associated with a first state (for such embodiments), can still be performed when the electronic device is in the charging area, while maintenance actions can still be prevented outside the charging area. In alternative embodiments, multiple functions and / or actions (e.g., all or a subset thereof, or even none) associated with use or play outside the charging area, such as multiple functions and / or actions associated with a first state (for such embodiments), are prevented from being performed when the electronic device is in the charging area.

[0027] In some embodiments, the predetermined maintenance action group includes: - At least one troubleshooting action, and / or - At least one firmware action, and / or - Establishing a wireless communication connection with an external mobile device, which, for example or preferably, includes a display, wherein the wireless communication connection is established as follows: o Directly between external mobile devices and electronic devices, or o Indirectly between external mobile devices and electronic devices via a charging device (e.g., via a wireless communication interface or circuit arranged in the charging device).

[0028] In some embodiments, the charging device includes a wireless communication interface or circuitry for communicating with an external mobile device. In alternative embodiments, the charging device does not include a wireless communication interface or circuitry for communicating with an external mobile device, making the charging device simpler and less expensive to manufacture. In some such embodiments (where the charging device lacks a wireless communication interface or circuitry), a wireless communication connection can still be established between the electronic device and the external mobile device using the electronic device's wireless communication interface or circuitry (the electronic device includes such an interface or circuitry). In some embodiments, the electronic device is allowed to establish a connection with the outside world, i.e., or for example, with an external mobile device, only when it is located within the charging area; when the electronic device is outside the charging area, it is prevented from establishing a connection with the outside world.

[0029] External mobile devices can be configured to assist users with maintenance, troubleshooting, device configuration (of electronic devices and / or charging devices), parental controls, etc. This allows maintenance processes (such as troubleshooting, firmware actions, etc.) to utilize the richer resources and capabilities of external mobile devices, especially their displays and user interface elements, as well as other advantages disclosed herein. This also allows the complexity of electronic devices (and charging devices) to be reduced or kept (relatively) low, for example, they can be kept screenless and have fewer and simpler user input interface elements. This is a further advantage for electronic devices used in the form of modular toy elements to create models, as the electronic device can be located within the model, causing it to be completely or partially hidden or obscured by other modular toy elements, making it difficult or even impossible to view and access its user interface elements.

[0030] Furthermore, it is conceivable that electronic devices (at least in some embodiments, particularly in embodiments where the electronic device is an interactive modular toy) will have relatively small external dimensions, making it difficult to provide good or even sufficient user interface elements for maintenance (especially for troubleshooting).

[0031] Such external mobile devices may include, for example, a display and a user interface, and may be, for example, a smartphone, tablet, laptop, personal computer, etc., which include their own wireless communication interface or circuitry for communicating with a charging device and / or at least one electronic device.

[0032] Regarding maintenance actions related to firmware updates, the advantage is that these maintenance actions are performed while the electronic device is being charged, because the typical firmware update process is relatively power-intensive.

[0033] In some embodiments, the maintenance action is a firmware action, and the system is configured to: - Establish a wireless communication connection between the charging device and the external mobile device. - Check if the firmware data for updating the electronic device is available at or via an external mobile device, and if so, o Establish a wireless communication connection between the charging device and the electronic device, and provide updated firmware data from the external mobile device to the electronic device for installation (e.g., after integrity checks), or o Establish a wireless communication connection between an electronic device (i.e., directly, for example, without via a charging device) and an external mobile device, and provide updated firmware data from the external mobile device to the electronic device for installation in the electronic device (e.g., after an integrity check, etc.).

[0034] This enables efficient firmware updates for electronic devices, where the charging device "bridges" communication (thus simplifying the communication capabilities of the electronic device), or alternatively, facilitates the establishment of a direct connection (between the electronic device and an external mobile device). Both alternatives reduce the complexity required for the charging device; for example, it does not require memory or storage (at least not for this purpose).

[0035] In some embodiments, the maintenance action is a firmware action, and the system is configured to: - Establish a wireless communication connection between the charging device and the external mobile device. - Check whether firmware data for updating the electronic device is available at or via an external mobile device, wherein this check is performed before or in response to the electronic device being in a charging area, and if available, o Provides updated firmware data from the external mobile device to the charging device's memory, and o In response to the electronic device being located in the charging area, updated firmware data (once fully stored in the memory of the charging device) is provided to the electronic device via a wireless communication connection established between the charging device and the electronic device.

[0036] This enables efficient firmware updates for electronic devices, with firmware data stored in the charging device. This has the advantage that firmware data can be provided to more than one electronic device, even if it is only downloaded once.

[0037] In some embodiments, the maintenance action is a firmware action, and the system is configured to: - Check if the firmware version of the electronic device's firmware data is newer than the firmware version of the firmware data stored in the charging device's memory, and if it is newer, o The firmware data of the electronic device is provided to the charging device via a wireless communication connection already established between the charging device and the electronic device, for storage in the charging device's memory, thereby ensuring that updated firmware data is stored in the charging device's memory, and In response to another electronic device subsequently being or already being in the charging area, check if the firmware version of that other electronic device is older than the firmware version of the newer firmware data stored in the charging device's memory (i.e., provided from / by the other electronic device at this time), and if older, Updated firmware data is provided from the charging device's memory to the other electronic device via a wireless communication connection already established between the charging device and the other electronic device.

[0038] This enables efficient firmware updates for electronic devices, where firmware data originates from another electronic device. Accordingly, an electronic device with updated firmware can "diffly" or "migrate" its updated firmware data to other electronic devices in the system (if their firmware versions are older) when those other electronic devices subsequently enter or are located in the charging area of ​​a charging device. This method also eliminates the need for any communication connection between the electronic device and any external mobile device or any other network connection to perform the firmware update.

[0039] In some embodiments, the maintenance action is a troubleshooting action, where the electronic device has been determined to have a troubleshooting-related condition that has occurred or is expected to occur, and the system is further configured to: - Establish a wireless communication connection with an external mobile device, the external mobile device including a display and one or more user interface elements, wherein the wireless communication connection is established as follows: o Directly between external mobile devices and electronic devices, or o Indirectly between external mobile devices and electronic devices via charging equipment, and - Enables users of external mobile devices and / or the display and one or more user interface elements of external mobile devices to troubleshoot electronic devices.

[0040] This allows for the use of a wider range of resources and capabilities of external mobile devices for troubleshooting, particularly their displays and user interface elements. It also enables easy access to recently updated troubleshooting information and data, as external mobile devices can and will typically be able to connect to the internet or other networks. External mobile devices can also exchange or retrieve information or data with electronic devices to obtain more information or data about the problem, and use this information to find or obtain solutions or potential solutions, and provide information to the user about this. This also allows for a reduction or (relatively) low level of complexity in electronic devices (and charging devices), for example, allowing them to remain screenless and have fewer and simpler user interface elements for receiving user input.

[0041] In some embodiments, the system is configured to provide information or data related to one or more troubleshooting issues directly or indirectly from an electronic device to an external mobile device. This increases the data and information available to the external mobile device (or system) for obtaining possible solutions.

[0042] In some embodiments, - The electronic device is configured to generate at least one user-perceptible output (e.g., via a simple light source including one or more LEDs) to indicate that the electronic device is in a troubleshooting state or requires troubleshooting, and / or - The charging device is configured to generate at least one user-perceptible output (e.g., via a simple light source including one or more LEDs) to indicate that the electronic device and / or the charging device is in a troubleshooting state or needs to be troubleshooted.

[0043] This provides an easy and intuitive prompt for users to place their electronic devices in the charging area to initiate troubleshooting. Furthermore, if one or more user-perceptible outputs are generated via a simple light source, such as one or more small-sized output generators including one or more LEDs, the footprint of the electronic devices and / or charging equipment can remain simple and small.

[0044] In some embodiments, the electronic device is configured to generate at least one user-perceptible output (e.g., via a simple light source including one or more LEDs) to indicate that the electronic device is in a maintenance state or requires maintenance.

[0045] In some embodiments, the charging device is configured to generate at least one user-perceptible output (e.g., via a simple light source including one or more LEDs) to indicate that the electronic device (and / or the charging device) is in a maintenance state or requires maintenance.

[0046] In some embodiments, the electronic device is adapted for use in a toy building system comprising a plurality of modular toy elements, wherein the housing of the electronic device includes a coupling member adapted to releasably couple the electronic device to the modular toy elements of the toy building system.

[0047] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of the electronic device, the electronic device is an interactive toy, particularly adapted as a modular toy element for a toy building system. The toy building system may include multiple modular toy elements, wherein the toy shell of the interactive toy includes a connecting member adapted to releasably connect the interactive toy to the modular toy element of the toy building system. By providing the shell of the interactive toy with a connecting member compatible with the corresponding connecting member of the modular toy element of a given toy building set, the interactive toy becomes an interactive modular toy element that can be releasably interconnected with the modular toy element of that given toy building set. Using a toy building set including one or more such interactive modular toy elements, a toy building model with interactive functionality can be constructed. As further detailed below, the multiple modular toy elements of the toy building system may include multiple interactive modular toy elements that can be interconnected to construct a toy building model, combining the interactive functions of the individual interactive modular toy elements into a synergistically improved interactive function. Alternatively or additionally, the toy building system may include other, non-interactive modular toy elements, such as passive modular toy elements that have no additional functionality other than the ability to be releasably interconnected via connecting members. Therefore, adapting interactive toys to be used in a way that is compatible with a given toy building system facilitates flexible, highly creative, and educational play experiences.

[0048] When connecting components are detachably interconnected, users can disassemble previously constructed spatial structures and reuse electronic devices to build new spatial structures. For example, electronic devices can be connected to each other by traction / friction or by interlocking connections.

[0049] In some embodiments, the electronic device may be provided with a first type of coupling member and a second type of coupling member, such as coupling tabs and tab receiving grooves for frictionally engaging the tabs, or other paired or otherwise complementary pairs of coupling members configured to engage with each other to form a physical connection. One type of coupling member may be located on one side (e.g., the top side) of the modular toy element, while another complementary type of coupling member may be located on the opposite side (e.g., the bottom side) of the modular toy element. In some embodiments, the electronic device includes tabs extending from the top surface of the electronic device and corresponding tab receiving cavities extending into the bottom surface of the electronic device for frictionally engaging the tabs by a suitable clamping force.

[0050] In some embodiments, the housing of the interactive modular toy element and / or charging device has a height (excluding protruding connecting members) between 3 mm and 10 mm, for example, between 3.2 mm and 9.6 mm, such as 3.2 mm, 6.4 mm, or 9.6 mm. The length and width of the housing of the interactive modular toy element can each be between 5 mm and 35 mm, for example, between 8 mm and 32 mm, such as 8 mm, 16 mm, 24 mm, or 32 mm. For example, the lateral dimension can be 16 mm × 16 mm, 16 mm × 24 mm, or 16 mm × 32 mm. However, it should be understood that other dimensions can be selected.

[0051] Another aspect of the invention relates to an interactive toy system comprising one or more interactive toys according to any embodiment disclosed herein. This system facilitates efficient and flexible charging in a user-friendly and intuitive manner in a similar way. Therefore, this system achieves at least similar advantages to those discussed elsewhere herein, particularly with respect to embodiments relating to electronic devices.

[0052] According to one aspect, a system, particularly an interactive toy system, includes: - Charging devices that define one or more charging areas; and - One or more electronic devices, particularly one or more interactive toys, according to any embodiment disclosed herein.

[0053] Implementations of this system may include different types of electronic devices with corresponding functional devices.

[0054] According to some embodiments, the system includes at least two electronic devices, such as at least two interactive toys, wherein the first electronic device is configured to receive interactive stimuli generated by the second electronic device and, in response to the interactive stimuli received from the second electronic device, generate a user-perceptible output indicating a secondary signal.

[0055] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of the system, the interactive stimuli generated by the second electronic device also depend on the second electronic device being in its operational charging state and the second electronic device receiving interactive stimuli (e.g., via the motion sensor of the second electronic device).

[0056] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of the system, the interaction between the first electronic device and the second electronic device also depends on whether the first electronic device and the second electronic device are located in the same charging area. For example, the stimulus provided by the second electronic device to the first electronic device may depend on whether the second electronic device is located in the charging area (and in an operational charging state) and whether the second electronic device is located in the same charging area as the first electronic device.

[0057] In some embodiments, - Electronic devices include functional devices for performing at least one user-perceptible and controllable function, and / or - The electronic device also includes one or more sensor devices for determining at least one interactive stimulus, particularly the movement of the electronic device, for example, wherein the one or more sensor devices are housed within or on the housing of the electronic device.

[0058] In some embodiments, the charging device can charge the electronic device while initiating, performing, and / or allowing maintenance.

[0059] According to some embodiments, the electronic device includes a housing and a component housed within the housing: - Functional devices used to perform one or more user-perceptible and controllable functions; - Rechargeable power supplies, particularly for providing operating power to at least functional devices; and - A charging circuit for receiving electrical energy and charging a rechargeable power source in a contactless manner when an electronic device is located in the charging area of ​​a contactless charging device, wherein the charging device is defined by a charging area of ​​a set shape and size in which multiple electronic devices are accommodated at their respective user-selectable locations within the charging area.

[0060] In some embodiments, an electronic device includes a functional device, typically an electronic functional device. A functional device can be any suitable device for performing one or more functions, including functions that at least provide user-perceptible outputs (e.g., visible, audible, and / or tactile outputs). These one or more functions can be controlled, typically in response to control signals applied to the functional device, particularly control signals from control circuitry. Examples of functional devices can include any suitable mechanical, electrical, and / or optical devices, apparatuses, and / or circuits adapted to perform one or more mechanical, electrical, and / or optical functions.

[0061] Examples of mechanical functions that can be performed by some embodiments of the functional device include: driving a rotatable output shaft, winding a rope or chain to pull an object closer to a toy module, and the hinged portion of a moving electronic device. Therefore, mechanical functions can realize opening or closing doors, ejecting objects, rotating turntables, moving linear actuators, etc. Such mechanical movements can be driven by an electric motor.

[0062] Examples of user-perceptible electrical and / or optical functions that some embodiments of the functional device may perform include: emitting continuous or flashing light, activating several lights in a predetermined sequence, emitting audible sounds (e.g., buzzing, alarming, ringing, siren, voice message, music, synthesized sounds, simulated and / or natural or mimicked sounds that stimulate gaming activities, sound playback, and / or other audio content), displaying or projecting analog or digital image information or video information, etc.

[0063] Therefore, the functional device can be selected from motors (e.g., for actuating a rotary or translational axis, a vibrating device, or any other type of mechanical actuator), light sources (e.g., one or more LEDs), image or video display devices, and sound sources (e.g., speakers). In some embodiments, the electronic device may include more than one functional device, such as a light source and a sound source, or a light source and a motor, etc. In some embodiments, the electronic device system includes multiple electronic devices, such as multiple interactive toys. In some embodiments, all electronic devices in the system may include the same type of functional device. Additionally or alternatively, different electronic devices in the system may include different types of functional devices.

[0064] In situations where user-perceptible outputs in the form of indicators and / or sounds are provided to indicate errors or faults, they have been found to be particularly useful because they are intuitive and provide a low-cost, low-complexity, and low-power solution that does not require a display or other complex electronic devices.

[0065] The control circuitry can be adapted to receive one or more input signals and, in response to the input signals, generate control signals adapted to control the device's functions. For example, the control circuitry can be an analog signal processor, a digital signal processor, and / or a programmable processor having associated memory and software implementing the specific functions required by the control circuitry according to any embodiment herein, or a combination thereof.

[0066] A rechargeable power source can be any suitable rechargeable power source. It can include energy storage devices such as rechargeable batteries. Rechargeable batteries can be stationary or replaceable rechargeable batteries, capacitors, or other energy storage devices.

[0067] The charging circuit can be any circuit adapted to receive electrical energy non-contactly, such as a circuit including a conductive ring or other resonant element configured to be excited by and harvest energy from a time-varying electromagnetic field. The conductive ring may include one or more windings, for example, in the form of one or more electromagnetic coils or otherwise. Furthermore, the charging circuit is used to charge a rechargeable power source, for example, by transferring the harvested energy to a rechargeable energy storage device of an electronic device.

[0068] For the purposes of this disclosure, the terms "contactless" or "wireless" are intended to refer to the transfer of energy from one device to another without physical conductive coupling, i.e., without physical contact via a conductive medium for conducting direct current. It should be understood that the term "contactless" characterizes energy transfer only and does not preclude devices from being physically connected to each other in other respects. In particular, two devices may be physically in contact with each other, for example, mechanically interconnected by corresponding connecting members, while the energy transfer between them is contactless, i.e., does not rely on physical contact as a carrier of energy transfer.

[0069] Embodiments of a charging device for contactless energy transfer may include a housing and an energy transfer circuit housed within the housing. The energy transfer circuit may include one or more conductive rings for wirelessly transferring electromagnetic energy to an electronic device when the electronic device is located in a charging area defined by the charging device (particularly a charging area defined by one or more conductive rings). Alternatively or additionally, the charging device may include one or more energy distribution devices, each configured to provide a corresponding one or more external conductive rings that define a corresponding charging area in their vicinity. The charging area is used to charge one or more electronic devices when placed within it.

[0070] A charging zone describes a geometrically defined area in which a charging device can provide charging power to a compatible rechargeable electronic device. The existence of a charging zone indicates that within that area, at least to a minimum extent, charging power is available for charging.

[0071] In various embodiments, the charging device is configured to provide a charging area for multiple electronic devices in a system whose shape and size are set to simultaneously accommodate electronic devices, such as two or more, three or more, four or more, or five or more electronic devices. Accordingly, the multiple electronic devices can be located within the charging area of ​​the charging device and charged simultaneously.

[0072] In various embodiments, the charging device is configured to provide a charging area whose shape and size are set to allow electronic devices to move around the charging area and be placed at different locations within the charging area. Specifically, the electronic devices can move freely throughout the charging area and are preferably placed at any location within the charging area in an unrestricted manner. For example, the charging area can define a three-dimensional charging volume such that when the electronic device is located within the charging volume, the electronic device can receive electromagnetic energy from the charging device. The charging area can define corresponding linear ranges along three dimensions, which can be referred to as length, width, and height, respectively. The linear ranges along the three dimensions can be defined as the length, width, and height of the minimum bounding box accommodating the charging area, respectively.

[0073] Similarly, an electronic device can have length, width, and height, which can be defined as the length, width, and height of the minimum bounding box that accommodates the electronic device's housing.

[0074] The linear range of the charging area in at least one dimension, preferably in at least two dimensions, and more preferably in all three dimensions, can be greater than the minimum linear range of the electronic device, preferably at least twice the minimum linear range of the electronic device, and more preferably at least five times the minimum linear range of the electronic device. Furthermore, the linear range of the charging area in at least one dimension, preferably in at least two dimensions, and more preferably in all three dimensions, can be greater than the maximum linear range of the electronic device, preferably at least twice the maximum linear range of the electronic device, and more preferably at least five times the maximum linear range of the electronic device.

[0075] Therefore, in some embodiments, electronic devices can move freely along one, two, or even three dimensions about the charging area and can be freely placed anywhere within the charging area for charging. When multiple electronic devices need to be charged simultaneously, they can move relative to each other within the charging area and can be freely arranged within the charging area for charging.

[0076] In some embodiments, the charging device may define a charging surface, such as the surface of a panel or other housing of the charging device, on which electronic devices may be placed. In some embodiments, the charging surface is a generally flat surface whose shape and size are configured to allow multiple electronic devices to be placed simultaneously and individually adjacent to each other on the charging surface, and preferably spaced apart from each other. The charging surface may define the length and width of a charging area. The charging area may also extend above the charging surface to a certain height, for example as a dome-shaped charging area above the charging surface or otherwise. In some embodiments, the charging area may even extend below the charging surface. Thus, when the charging device is raised above another surface, electronic devices may even be placed on said other surface below the charging device for charging.

[0077] In addition, electronic devices can detect whether they are inside or outside the charging area, for example, based on the detection of charging field characteristics, based on the detected proximity or location relative to the charging device, and / or in other ways.

[0078] User-perceptible outputs and / or at least one primary signal indicate one or more interactive stimuli. Interactive stimuli can be user-generated inputs or otherwise stimuli caused by user interaction with an electronic device or another electronic device. Therefore, the control circuitry is configured to respond to user inputs or other user interactions. This facilitates direct user involvement in the charging process. Interactive stimuli can be sensor signals from sensors of the electronic device, such as motion sensors, proximity sensors, magnetic field detection sensors, and / or similar sensors. Interactive stimuli can be, for example, detected movement of the electronic device, particularly movement of the electronic device within the charging area. Alternatively or additionally, interactive stimuli can indicate a detected charging field. Again, alternatively or additionally, interactive stimuli can be detected proximity to another electronic device and / or received communication signals indicating the presence of another electronic device within the charging area and / or indicating that said other electronic device has received an interactive stimuli. Furthermore, interactive stimuli can also be interactions between the electronic device and another toy element (e.g., another electronic device according to any embodiment disclosed herein). The user-perceptible function is executed in response to one or more predetermined interactive stimuli, such as in response to a combination of one or more interactive stimuli. At least one primary signal may also include a secondary signal or a signal derived therefrom.

[0079] According to some embodiments, the electronic device further includes one or more sensor devices operatively coupled to a control circuit. This allows the generation of sensor signals, which are then provided as input to the control circuit. The control circuit can then be configured to use this input to control an output function, most preferably a user-perceptible function, in response to the sensor signals. This enhances the interactive functionality of the electronic device. Preferably, the one or more sensor devices are housed within the housing of the electronic device. This provides enhanced interactive functionality within the electronic device in a self-contained or at least autonomous manner. Consequently, the electronic device facilitates enhanced intuitive gameplay or other user experiences by allowing intuitive combination with other electronic devices (particularly with other interactive toys). This supports naturally creative gameplay experiences. Furthermore, according to some embodiments of the electronic device, at least a first sensor device among the one or more sensor devices is adapted to detect interactive stimuli, generate a primary signal indicating the detected interactive stimuli, and transmit the primary signal as input to the control circuit. The first sensor device is adapted to detect interactive stimuli and generate a signal indicating the interactive stimuli. Examples of suitable sensor devices include motion sensors, proximity sensors, position sensors, magnetic field sensors, etc.

[0080] According to another aspect, an embodiment of an electronic device is disclosed herein, comprising: - A functional device for performing at least one user-perceptible and controllable function. - A rechargeable power supply and charging circuit for receiving electrical energy contactlessly and charging the rechargeable power supply when the electronic device is located in the charging area of ​​the charging device, and The electronic device is configured to initiate, participate in, and / or allow maintenance actions selected from a predetermined group of maintenance actions only when the electronic device is located in the charging area.

[0081] Further embodiments of the electronic equipment according to this aspect correspond to embodiments of the electronic equipment of the system disclosed herein, and have the same advantages for the same reasons.

[0082] According to another aspect, an embodiment of a charging device is disclosed herein, the charging device including a charging element or transmitting coil defining a charging area (at least one or more charging areas), wherein the charging device is configured to supply electrical energy non-contactly to an electronic device located in the charging area of ​​the charging device, the electronic device including a rechargeable power supply and a charging circuit for receiving electrical energy non-contactly from the charging device and charging the rechargeable power supply when the electronic device is located in the charging area, wherein the charging device is configured to initiate, participate in and / or allow maintenance actions selected from a predetermined group of maintenance actions for the electronic device only in response to the electronic device being located in the charging area.

[0083] Further embodiments of the charging device according to this aspect correspond to embodiments of the charging device of the system disclosed herein, and have the same advantages for the same reasons. Attached Figure Description

[0084] Embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference primarily to interactive toys. However, it should be understood that the various aspects disclosed herein can also be applied to other types of electronic devices, particularly interactive electronic devices capable of generating user-perceptible outputs and capable of contactless charging. Various embodiments will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 An interactive toy system according to one embodiment is illustrated schematically; Figure 2 An exploded view of an example of an electronic device in the form of modular toy components is shown; Figure 3 A charging device for contactless charging of an electronic device according to various embodiments disclosed herein is illustrated schematically. Figure 4 schematically shown Figure 3 Charging devices and external mobile devices; Figure 5A and Figure 5BThe illustration schematically depicts an external mobile device, a charging device, and an electronic device in the form of an interactive modular toy element. The electronic device is moved by a user into the charging area of ​​the charging device, thereby initiating or triggering one or more maintenance actions in the form of a firmware update process for electronic devices disclosed herein. Figure 6A and Figure 6B The illustrations schematically depict external mobile devices, charging devices, and electronic devices in the form of interactive modular toy components, as well as alternative firmware update processes for electronic devices. Figure 7 The diagram schematically illustrates a charging device and two electronic devices (both presented as interactive modular toy elements), as well as an alternative firmware update process for the electronic devices; and Figure 8A and Figure 8B Two models are schematically illustrated, each including an electronic device in the form of interactive modular toy components, an external mobile device, and a charging device, all of which are disclosed herein, as well as maintenance actions in the form of a troubleshooting process for one of the electronic devices. Detailed Implementation

[0085] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an interactive toy system 100 according to one embodiment is shown. The interactive toy system 100 includes an interactive toy 10 and a charging device 20 having a transmitting coil 21 in the form of a conductive ring, and the charging device 20 defining a charging area 22 (see also). Figure 3 The charging device 20 is contactless in that it does not require (but can) contact with the component being charged. The interactive toy 10 includes a toy housing 15 and housed within the toy housing 15: a functional device 14 for performing one or more user-perceptible, controllable functions 140; a control circuit 13 for controlling the functional device 14; a rechargeable power source 12 (e.g., an energy storage device, such as a rechargeable battery, capacitor, etc.) for providing operating power 32, 33 to the functional device 14 and the control circuit 13; and a charging circuit 11 for receiving electrical energy em contactlessly and charging the rechargeable power source 12 (as shown by reference numeral 31) when the interactive toy 10 is located in the charging area 22 of the contactless charging device 20. In some embodiments, the charging device 20 includes a memory (e.g., see...) Figure 3In other embodiments, the charging device 20 is simpler in this respect and does not include any memory. The interactive toy 10 can be adapted to determine the available charging rate as a charging zone signal, i.e., secondary signal 102. Secondary signal 102 can indicate the available charging rate at the current position of the interactive toy 10 relative to the charging zone 22 and / or the available charging rate at the current orientation of the interactive toy 10 relative to the charging zone 22. A corresponding user-aware output 140 can be selected or otherwise controlled by the control circuitry based on the secondary signal 102, wherein the user-aware output 140 indicates the currently available charging rate. The control circuitry is configured to receive a primary signal 101 indicating an interactive stimulus 110 from the stimulus source 99; receive the secondary signal 102 indicating the currently available charging rate of the interactive toy; and generate a control signal 34 based on the secondary signal 102 in response to the primary signal 101. This control signal is used to control the functional device 14 to perform a user-aware function 140, wherein the user-aware function 140 is selected or otherwise controlled based on the secondary signal 102.

[0086] As disclosed herein, the interactive toy system 100 is configured to initiate and / or allow maintenance actions (or a series of maintenance actions) selected from a predetermined group of maintenance actions in response to the electronic device 10 being located in the charging area 22. As previously stated, the maintenance actions used herein are not charging actions, nor any actions related to charging. This facilitates a clear and intuitive distinction between the use space or play space and the maintenance space, making it intuitive and easy to learn and understand even for untrained users, young children, etc. In some embodiments, when the electronic device 10 is located in the charging area 22, the electronic device 10 is placed in a maintenance mode (e.g., or preferably, also additionally placed in a charging mode). Further embodiments and aspects in this regard are discussed in conjunction with… Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 6A , Figure 6B , Figure 7 , Figure 8A and Figure 8B Please provide an explanation.

[0087] The housing 15 of the interactive toy 10 also includes connecting members 16 and 17. Connecting member 16 may be, for example, a stud or similar member, while connecting member 17 may be, for example, a corresponding cavity for receiving the stud 16, shown only schematically. Therefore, the interactive toy 10 can be used as a modular toy element, adapted to releasably interconnect with other modular toy elements (not shown here). As described above, this is useful for using the interactive toy 10 when constructing a toy building model and / or for constructing a toy building model with advanced interactive functions by including multiple modular interactive toy elements 10 in such a toy building model.

[0088] During operation of the interactive toy system 100, the interactive toy 10 can be controlled to detect a primary signal 101 indicating an interactive stimulus 110; and in response to the primary signal 101, the functional device 14 can be controlled to perform a selected user-perceptible function 140.

[0089] Figure 2 An exploded view of an example of an electronic device in the form of a modular toy element is shown, generally indicated by reference numeral 10. Modular toy element 10 is similar to... Figure 1 The interactive toy of this embodiment includes a housing, a control unit 13 and one or more conductive rings 11, a rechargeable battery 12 (or other rechargeable power source), and one or more functional devices, all housed within the housing. As described below, the modular toy element 10 also includes one or more sensors and a wireless communication interface.

[0090] exist Figure 2 In the example, the housing of the modular toy element 10 includes an upwardly opening bottom housing member 101A and a cover member 101B. The cover member 101B is configured to connect to the bottom housing member 101A and, when connected, close the opening of the bottom housing member such that the bottom housing member and the cover member together form a housing that accommodates the remaining components of the modular toy element. The cover member can be fastened to the bottom housing member in any suitable manner, such as by snap-fit ​​connection, by welding, adhesive, or other means.

[0091] In some embodiments, the bottom housing member 101A and the cover member 101B are made of a plastic material, such as a thermoplastic polymer, or other suitable material. The housing may be made, for example, by injection molding or other suitable manufacturing processes. In this example, the cover member is made of a transparent material.

[0092] The housing is box-shaped and includes a connecting... Figure 1 The connecting members are described above. Specifically, the top surface of the cover member includes connecting protrusions 16, and the bottom surface of the bottom housing member includes corresponding cavities (in...). Figure 2 The middle indicator is 17).

[0093] The modular toy component 10 includes a rechargeable battery 12 (or other rechargeable power source) housed in the bottom housing member 101A.

[0094] Modular toy component 10 includes a support frame 420, a printed circuit board (PCB) 430, and multiple electromagnetic coils 11 forming one or more conductive rings. Figure 2 In the example, the electromagnetic coils are arranged as three pairs of electromagnetic coils. The PCB 430 is attached to the support frame 420, and the coils are wound around the frame 420, such that the support frame, the coils and the PCB form a core assembly 42 housed inside the bottom housing member 101A.

[0095] The modular toy component 10 also includes an antenna 413 and a speaker 415, both mounted to the cover member 101B to form a top assembly 41. The top assembly 41 also includes a colored insert 412 sandwiched between the cover member 101B and the antenna 413. The top assembly 41 also includes an opaque insert 414 sandwiched between the antenna 413 and the speaker 415. Inserts 412 and 414 are provided with sound-exhaust holes to allow high-frequency sound from the speaker to pass through, while obscuring the antenna and other electronic components so that they are not visible through the transparent cover member 101B.

[0096] PCB 430 is electrically connected to antenna 413, speaker 415, rechargeable battery 12, and coil 11 of three coil pairs. PCB 430 also includes several electronic components. Specifically, the PCB includes control unit 13, LED 14, side-emitting LED 438, microphone 432, coil interface circuitry 433, memory 435, accelerometer 436, and wireless communication circuitry 437. The top assembly also includes an acoustic seal 416 located on top of microphone 432.

[0097] The control unit 13 can be implemented as a single integrated circuit or a combination of multiple components, such as an ASIC and a microprocessor, or otherwise. The control unit 13 is coupled to the coils 11 of three coil pairs via a coil interface circuit 433. The coil interface circuit 433 can be implemented as a single unit or multiple components. At least a portion of the coil interface circuit can be implemented by an ASIC, for example, an ASIC that also implements a portion of the control unit 13. The control unit 13 is also coupled to the remaining electronic components and implements suitable drivers and / or other control functions for operating the respective electronic components. A wireless communication circuit 437 is coupled to the antenna 413 and the control unit 13 for implementing a suitable wireless communication protocol, such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) based or otherwise. The communication circuit 437, or at least a portion thereof, can be integrated with the control unit 13, such as... Figure 2 As shown schematically in the diagram.

[0098] LED 14 is arranged at the corresponding opposite ends of the PCB, such that light from the LED is visible through the transparent cover member 101B. When the modular toy module is in its operational charging state, LED 14 can be used to provide a visual output indicating error or fault diagnosis (see, for example, [link to relevant documentation]). Figure 8A and Figure 8B (140' in the middle). The side-emitting LED 438 is arranged at one end of the PCB so that the light from the side-emitting LED is output through the side 1011 of the transparent cover member 101B.

[0099] The electromagnetic coil 11 is arranged as three pairs of corresponding coils, such that the coils in each pair are arranged coaxially with each other and orthogonal to the coils in the other pairs. The coils in each pair are arranged spaced apart from each other, close to the corresponding opposite sides of the box-shaped housing. The coils in each pair are electrically connected in series with each other, specifically such that they are cumulatively coupled. One or more coils 11 can be used for wireless charging of a rechargeable battery, for example as described in WO 2020 / 156721 or otherwise. In addition, one or more coils can be used for other magnetic operations, such as reading wireless tags—for example as described in WO 2020 / 156720 or otherwise—and / or for position and / or orientation sensing of other modular toy components of the system—for example as described in WO 2020 / 156719 or otherwise.

[0100] Figure 3 A charging device for contactless charging of electronic devices according to various embodiments disclosed herein is schematically illustrated. The charging device is generally indicated by reference numeral 20, similar to... Figure 1 The embodiment of the charging device includes at least one conductive ring 21, which in this embodiment is embedded in a flat panel-type housing defining a charging surface 24 on which an electronic device can be placed for charging. Although in Figure 3 For ease of illustration, the conductive ring is schematically shown as a single elliptical ring, but it should be understood that the conductive ring may have different shapes and / or sizes, and / or the charging device may include more than one ring, such as one or more electromagnetic coils, etc.

[0101] The charging device 20 also includes a charging control circuit 23 operable to energize the conductive ring 21 to generate an electromagnetic charging field for contactless charging of the electronic device. For this purpose, the charging device can be connected via cable 26 or otherwise to a suitable power supply to provide power to the charging circuit. The charging device 20 may include one or more additional components, such as those for connection to the electronic device being charged and / or other external mobile devices (see e.g., see [link to documentation]). Figure 4 , Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 6A and Figure 8B (The 300 in the example provides some examples) The wireless communication interface or circuitry can utilize any suitable communication technology, such as Bluetooth (e.g., Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)), Wi-Fi, etc. The charging device 20 may also include a suitable user interface 27, such as one or more LEDs, for providing feedback to the user regarding the operating status of the charging device and / or other information related to the maintenance process (e.g., including the charging process).

[0102] Although Figure 3 The diagram is schematically shown, but it should be understood that in most embodiments, the conductive ring 21 and the charging control circuit 23 are not visible to the user during normal operation of the charging device, as they may be incorporated into the internal cavity of the charging device housing or otherwise obscured from view.

[0103] During operation, control circuit 23 energizes conductive ring 21 to generate a charging field at and above charging surface 24. The charging field defines a charging area 22 within which an electronic device can receive sufficient power to non-contactly charge its corresponding rechargeable power source. Preferably, the charging area extends across at least a major portion of charging surface 24, preferably across the entire charging surface 24 or even extending beyond the charging surface 24. Furthermore, a suitable height at which the charging area extends above charging surface 24 is preferred, such as... Figure 2 The dashed line 22 is schematically shown. Accordingly, the electronic device can be placed at a certain height above surface 24 and still be able to receive power from the charging device without contact. Although in Figure 3 While not explicitly shown, it should be understood that the charging area may also extend below the charging surface 24. It should also be understood that the extent of the charging area 22 is generally not visible to the user. Furthermore, the boundaries of the charging area may depend on the characteristics of the electronic device being charged; some devices may be able to receive sufficient power from the charging field at a greater distance than others. Additionally, the charging area may be altered due to the presence (and / or location) of one or more electronic devices therein, for example, by changing its shape and / or extent. For instance, adding and / or removing electronic devices can (and will typically) alter the charging field, thereby changing the charging area.

[0104] Typically, the charging area of ​​the various embodiments of the charging devices disclosed herein is three-dimensional and extends beyond the surface 24 of the charging device. The charging field is strongest at the center of the charging surface 24 and directly on that surface. The charging field may gradually weaken as the electronic device being charged moves further away from this location. However, despite the gradual weakening of the charging field, a bounded charging area can be defined. For this purpose, the charging area can be defined as a region where the charging field strength is above a predetermined threshold, and / or as a region where the electronic devices of the system can be fully charged within a predetermined time period. The extent of the charging area may be the same for all electronic devices in the system, or it may be slightly device-dependent (considering one electronic device at a time). The threshold can be determined as a boundary that defines a limit where the charging field is too weak to allow the electronic device to be fully charged within an effective time range. This time range may depend on the application. In one embodiment, the threshold is set such that a full charge can be completed, for example, within 10 hours at any location within the charging area, while outside the charging area, it requires at least more than 10 hours. It is understood that other boundaries can be set according to the desired user experience.

[0105] Typically, embodiments of the charging device allow for the simultaneous charging of multiple electronic devices without requiring the devices to be placed in a specific location. Instead, they can be freely positioned and oriented within the charging area. The charging device is operable to charge an electronic device when it is near but offset from the charging surface 24, i.e., without contacting it. The charging of the electronic device within the charging area varies gradually depending on the position and / or orientation of the electronic device relative to the charging device; that is, the charging performance is not binary (charging / not charging), but rather the charging efficiency varies gradually depending on the position and / or orientation of the electronic device in the charging field.

[0106] The size of the charging area can depend in particular on the size of the conductive ring of the charging device relative to the conductive coil of the receiving electronic device. The charging device 20 may also include multiple (e.g., two, three, etc.) charging areas, rather than "only" a single charging area.

[0107] As disclosed herein, a system (e.g., see 100 elsewhere) including a charging device 20 and at least one electronic device (e.g., see 10 elsewhere) is configured to: initiate and / or allow maintenance actions (or a series of maintenance actions) for the electronic device in response to the electronic device being located in a charging area.

[0108] Now refer to Figure 3 The charging equipment and reference Figure 1 and Figure 2The electronic devices described herein are examples illustrating various aspects of the maintenance process for electronic devices according to the various embodiments disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that other embodiments may use different types of charging devices, such as charging devices providing different charging area geometries, charging devices without communication capabilities, charging devices with different (or even no) user interfaces, etc. Similarly, it should be understood that other embodiments may use different types of electronic devices, such as electronic devices having only a single conductive ring or otherwise having different numbers or forms of conductive rings, electronic devices with different form factors, electronic devices with different numbers or types of functional devices, electronic devices with different numbers or types of sensors, electronic devices with different or no communication capabilities, etc.

[0109] In some embodiments, and as described above, the charging device 20 includes features for use with other external mobile devices (e.g., see [link]). Figure 4 , Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 6A and Figure 8B (Some examples are provided) a wireless communication interface or circuit for communication. Such an external mobile device may include, for example, a display and a user interface, which includes its own wireless communication interface or circuit for communicating with charging device 20 and / or at least one electronic device (e.g., see 10 elsewhere). External mobile devices may be, for example, smartphones, tablets, laptops, personal computers, etc., or other computing devices that include a suitable user interface.

[0110] In some embodiments, the charging device 20 includes a memory 28 and / or other suitable data storage, such as flash memory, wherein firmware data may be stored and provided to one or more electronic devices as disclosed herein. The memory 28 is connected to suitable control circuitry or components, which are typically also connected in some way to a wireless communication interface or circuitry (if present).

[0111] In an alternative embodiment, the charging device 20 does not include memory, making the charging device 20 simpler, thereby saving costs and reducing complexity. Even in such embodiments, firmware data can still be provided to the electronic device as further described elsewhere.

[0112] Figure 4 schematically shown Figure 3 The figure shows a charging device 20 (at least corresponding to a charging device and an external mobile device). Figure 3The charging device 20 and the external mobile device 300 include a wireless communication interface or circuitry for establishing wireless communication therebetween to exchange data, as indicated by double arrow 405. The external mobile device 300 is preferably capable of connecting to the Internet and / or any other suitable network.

[0113] The external mobile device 300 preferably includes a display 310 and one or more user interface elements, for example (at least some of which) implemented via the display 310, as is generally known (see, for example, see...). Figure 5A The external mobile device 300 can be configured to establish wireless communication with the electronic device (see 10 elsewhere) via its suitable wireless communication interface or circuitry (via its wireless communication interface or circuitry). Using an external mobile device 300 with a display 310 allows more complex information to be conveyed to the user without requiring other components (such as charging device 20 and electronic device 10) to include a display themselves. Furthermore, electronic device 10 can remain computationally simpler, for example, by having “limited” networking capabilities (e.g., not being able to connect to the internet).

[0114] As described above, the external mobile device includes, for example, or preferably includes a display and a user interface, and may be, for example, a smartphone, tablet, laptop, personal computer, or similar device.

[0115] As disclosed herein, this includes charging device 20 and electronic device ( Figure 4 A system (not shown in the image) (e.g., see 100 elsewhere) is configured to: respond to an electronic device being located in the charging area of ​​the charging device 20 (e.g., see...) Figure 3 In section 22), maintenance actions are initiated and / or permitted (one or more) for electronic devices.

[0116] Maintenance actions may include, for example, one or more of the following: checking for updated firmware, retrieving / downloading updated firmware data in various ways, providing / uploading updated firmware to charging device 20 and / or electronic devices, providing troubleshooting in various ways, and as disclosed elsewhere herein.

[0117] Advantageously, the external mobile device 300 can be used entirely and / or partially for maintenance actions (at least some of them).

[0118] In some alternative embodiments, the charging device 20 does not include a wireless communication interface or circuitry, simplifying its operation. In such embodiments, wireless communication with an external mobile device can still be established via the wireless communication interface or circuitry of the electronic device (which in this case includes such an interface or circuitry) to perform maintenance actions as disclosed herein (e.g., firmware updates, troubleshooting, etc.). In some further embodiments, the electronic device is only allowed to connect to an external mobile device when it is in the charging area, thus preventing it from connecting when outside the charging area (whereby the wireless communication interface or circuitry of the electronic device can be turned off or placed in a sleep state to conserve power).

[0119] Various embodiments of maintenance actions performed in the form of firmware update processes for electronic devices (some using external mobile devices 300) are, for example, in Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 6A and Figure 6B The diagram is shown and explained in conjunction with it.

[0120] Various embodiments of maintenance actions performed in the form of troubleshooting procedures for electronic devices (using external mobile device 300) are, for example, in Figure 8A and Figure 8B The diagram is shown and explained in conjunction with it.

[0121] Figure 5A and Figure 5B The illustrations depict an external mobile device, a charging device, and an electronic device in the form of an interactive modular toy element. The electronic device is moved by a user into the charging area of ​​the charging device, thereby initiating or triggering one or more maintenance actions, here in the form of a firmware update process for the electronic device disclosed herein.

[0122] Figure 5A and Figure 5B The document shows an electronic device 10 (here exemplified as an interactive modular toy element), a charging device 20, and an external mobile device 300, all of which are disclosed herein.

[0123] As shown in the figure, when a user brings electronic device 10 into the charging area of ​​charging device 20, this triggers one or more maintenance actions among a plurality of maintenance actions. Electronic device 10 and charging device 20 are included in a system as disclosed herein.

[0124] It should be noted that—at least in some embodiments—the system is configured to allow maintenance actions only when the electronic device 10 is in the charging area of ​​the charging device 20, that is, when the electronic device 10 is outside the charging area, the system prohibits maintenance actions—for example, preferably all of them, or alternatively at least some or most of them, even if the devices 10, 20 are otherwise in principle able to perform maintenance actions / perform some of them outside the charging area.

[0125] In addition to initiating or allowing maintenance actions, a charging process can also be initiated (by the charging device 20 to the rechargeable power supply of one or more electronic devices 10 located in the charging area (see, for example)). Figure 1 (12) Charging), for example as described in the applicant’s co-pending patent application “Rechargeable Electronic Device”, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0126] In the illustrated scenario / embodiment, bringing electronic device 10 into the charging area triggers a maintenance process in the form of a firmware update for electronic device 10, or at least checks whether such a firmware update is available. In some embodiments, the firmware update process is automatically initiated when the electronic device enters the charging area (or after at least a predetermined time has elapsed in the charging area, for example, ignoring “accidental” events such as the electronic device 10 “briefly” entering the charging area due to gaming or other use). Alternatively, the firmware update process is initiated in response to user actions, signals from control circuitry (e.g., control circuitry of electronic device 10 and / or charging device 20), elapsed time periods (e.g., a predetermined number of hours or days since the last firmware check / update was initiated, and / or any combination thereof), etc.

[0127] In some embodiments (where a firmware update process is initiated in response to the electronic device 10 entering the charging area), the charging device 20 establishes (or at least attempts to establish) a communication connection with the external mobile device 300 within a suitable communication range, for example or preferably as in combination. Figure 4 The process then (if the connection is successfully established) checks if an updated firmware version is available. Before this check, the charging device 20 typically already has information or data (such as firmware version number, date, etc.) about the current firmware data in the electronic device 10. This information or data may become available to the charging device 20, for example, via a (wireless) connection between the charging device 20 and the electronic device 10.

[0128] If no newer firmware version is available, the firmware update process terminates (e.g., by communicating this information to the user via one or more user interfaces). Other maintenance processes may still be performed, initiated, or at least permitted.

[0129] If a newer firmware version is available, the process of downloading the appropriate firmware data is initiated. Typically, the firmware data can be accessed via the internet or another type of network.

[0130] In some embodiments (such as) Figure 5B As shown), the charging device 20 directly transmits or forwards the downloaded firmware data (e.g., continues upon receipt) to the electronic device 10 to update its firmware data, such as... Figure 5B As indicated by the two arrows in the diagram. Therefore, the charging device 20 "only" serves as a communication "bridge" between the external mobile device 300 and the electronic device 10. In this way, the charging device 20 does not require any internal memory for storing firmware data, thus allowing for a simpler manufacturing process.

[0131] The received firmware data is stored in a suitable memory inside the electronic device 10 (see, for example, see...). Figure 2 (435) Preferably, storage is performed upon receipt, as this allows for resumption in case of interruption, such as if the download is interrupted. The download may be interrupted, for example, due to a communication failure or, for example (in at least some embodiments), because the user removes the electronic device 10 from the charging area. The download can then be resumed, for example, when the user next moves the electronic device 10 back into the charging area or when communication is re-established.

[0132] Once all firmware data has been received and stored, it can be installed on electronic device 10, for example, after proper verification. After installation, electronic device 10 can be rebooted or similarly operated to end the firmware update process.

[0133] In an alternative embodiment of the firmware update process, the charging device 20 may still initiate the process, but instead of establishing a connection between the external mobile device 300 and the electronic device 10 via the charging device 20, a direct connection is established between the external mobile device 300 and the electronic device 10, thereby avoiding further involvement of the charging device 20 in the firmware update process (in this respect).

[0134] For example in Figure 6A , Figure 6B and Figure 7 Other firmware update processes are shown and illustrated, which may be complete alternatives (i.e., implemented in lieu of each other) or may be run separately as appropriate (i.e., implemented simultaneously).

[0135] It should be noted that the firmware of the charging device 20 can also be updated in a similar manner using an external mobile device 300, in which case the electronic device will not be involved.

[0136] The system can also be configured to download other data or information besides firmware data, such as content data for installation and use in electronic device 10.

[0137] Figure 6A and Figure 6B The illustrations depict electronic devices in the form of external mobile devices, charging devices, and interactive modular toy components, as well as alternative firmware update processes for electronic devices.

[0138] Figure 6A and Figure 6B The document shows an electronic device 10 (here exemplified as an interactive modular toy element), a charging device 20, and an external mobile device 300, all of which are disclosed herein.

[0139] The charging device 20 of the illustrated embodiment includes an internal memory for storing firmware data (and other data) (see, for example, see...). Figure 3 29 in the middle.

[0140] The firmware update process shown corresponds to the combination Figure 5A and Figure 5B The process described differs from the following explanation.

[0141] In this embodiment, the charging device 20 checks the availability of updated firmware versions for electronic devices 10 that may subsequently come into contact with it (by entering its charging area). Typically, the charging device 20 will store one version of the firmware data (and, for example, the most recently retrieved or obtained version). If no firmware is currently stored, the latest available version can be retrieved. It should be understood that the memory of the charging device 20 may include different firmware versions (e.g., checking for updates for each version), for example, for different types of electronic devices 10.

[0142] and Figure 5A and Figure 5B The firmware update process (downloading the new firmware data to the electronic device—directly or indirectly via a charging device) varies depending on the implementation method. Figure 6A and Figure 6B The firmware update process will download the updated firmware data and store it in the charging device 20.

[0143] According to this embodiment, the check for a newer firmware version can (also) be triggered by the electronic device 10 entering the charging area of ​​the charging device 20, just as... Figure 5A and Figure 5BAs in the previous embodiment. However, since the newer firmware data—at least as a first step—is only downloaded to the charging device 20, the check for the newer version can be performed according to other criteria (e.g., the time elapsed since the last firmware check / update was initiated), so that when one or more electronic devices subsequently enter the charging area, the latest version of the firmware data can be ready. On the other hand, it is still advantageous to trigger the check for the newer version only when the electronic device 10 enters the charging area, as that is a convenient time to update the electronic device 10, especially if the electronic device 10 will also be charged by the charging device 20, or so it will be anyway. It can also be a combination of both (other criteria and when the electronic device 10 enters the charging area).

[0144] Figure 6A and Figure 6B The embodiments relative to Figure 5A and Figure 5B The embodiments also have the following advantages: new firmware data only needs to be downloaded to the charging device 20 once, and then can be provided to multiple different electronic devices 10 multiple times.

[0145] If the check for the availability of the updated firmware version is yes, then download the updated firmware data, such as... Figure 6A As indicated by the middle arrow, data is downloaded from or via an external mobile device 300 to the memory of the charging device 20.

[0146] When electronic device 10 enters the charging area, the version of its installed firmware data is checked against the version of the firmware data stored in the memory of charging device 20. If the firmware data of charging device 20 is newer, then (e.g.) Figure 6B (As indicated by the middle arrow) The firmware data of the charging device 20 is wirelessly copied to the electronic device 10 for storage in a suitable memory of the electronic device 10 (see, for example, see...). Figure 2 (435 in the original text), preferably stored upon receipt, as this allows for recovery in the event of an interruption. Once fully stored and, for example, verified for integrity, the updated firmware data can be installed.

[0147] If the firmware data of the charging device 20 is not newer than the firmware data of the electronic device 10, then nothing happens (in this respect).

[0148] In some embodiments, the charging device 20 is configured to check for (and potentially provide) updated firmware data to multiple electronic devices 10 that are simultaneously located in the charging area or at least overlap in time. As described above, this can involve checking and providing different types of firmware to different types of electronic devices.

[0149] Figure 7The diagram schematically illustrates a charging device and two electronic devices (both presented as interactive modular toy components), as well as an alternative firmware update process for the electronic devices.

[0150] Figure 7 The diagram shows a charging device 20 and two electronic devices 10 (here the two electronic devices are exemplified as interactive modular toy elements), as well as an external mobile device 300, all of which are disclosed herein.

[0151] The firmware update process shown corresponds to the combination Figure 6A and Figure 6B The process described differs from the following explanation.

[0152] Instead of receiving updated firmware data from an external mobile device for storage in the charging device 20, updated firmware data can be received from an electronic device 10 that enters the charging area (such as...). Figure 7 The arrow marked 1 points away from the electronic device (10 shown).

[0153] When electronic device 10 is in the charging area, its firmware version can be checked to see if it is newer than the firmware currently stored in the memory of charging device 20. If newer, a copy of the firmware data of electronic device 10 is provided to the memory of charging device 20 for storage. In this way, the firmware (for the electronic device) stored in charging device 20 can be updated without any connection to an external mobile device. This may occur, for example, if electronic device 10 was purchased later (and therefore contains more recent firmware than that contained in charging device 20 (or other electronic devices), or if electronic device 10 has been updated to newer firmware by other means. If the firmware data of electronic device 10 is older than the firmware data already stored in charging device 20, the firmware of electronic device 10 can be updated using the firmware data of charging device 20, as described below (or according to any other suitable firmware update process described herein). If the firmware data of electronic device 10 is up-to-date (i.e., the same version as that stored in charging device 20), nothing happens in this regard.

[0154] Subsequently, when another electronic device 10 is brought into the charging area of ​​the charging device 20, its firmware is checked to see if it is older than the firmware data currently stored in the charging device 20. If it is older, the firmware of the electronic device 10 is updated by copying the firmware data of the charging device 20 to the internal memory of the electronic device 10. Figure 7 The arrow with the number 2 points to the electronic device 10, so that subsequent installation can be carried out after full receipt (and possibly after data integrity checks).

[0155] In fact, introducing an electronic device 10 with updated firmware (compared to the firmware data of such electronic devices originally stored in the charging device 20) can correspondingly "diffly" or "migrate" its firmware data to other electronic devices (if their firmware versions are older) when they all enter the charging area of ​​the charging device 20.

[0156] It should be emphasized that the two electronic devices 10 shown do not need to be present in the charging area at the same time, and there can even be a considerable time interval between their existence.

[0157] In alternative embodiments, a similar firmware update process can be provided without requiring the charging device 20 to include memory. In such cases, and in at least some embodiments requiring the relevant electronic devices to be simultaneously located in the charging area, it can be checked whether one of the present electronic devices 10 has a more recent or updated firmware version than the others; if so, it can be distributed to them as described above. The firmware can be transmitted indirectly via the charging device 20 (e.g., as in combination with...). Figure 5A and Figure 5B (as described above) or directly transmitted between related electronic devices 10.

[0158] It should be pointed out that, ( Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 6A , Figure 6B and Figure 7 Different firmware update processes (or some of them) can be combined or coexist in the system. For example, Figure 6A + Figure 6B (or Figure 5A + Figure 6B The firmware update process can be easily integrated with... Figure 7 The process combination allows for the use of external mobile devices as well as through another electronic device (if an electronic device with newer firmware is introduced (and enters the charging zone at some point)) to obtain updated firmware.

[0159] It should be noted that, because the charging area is three-dimensional, even if the illustrated electronic device 10 (in the form of modular toy components) is part of the corresponding toy construction model (therefore, even if the model leans against or stands upright on the charging surface, the electronic device may not be able to lean against the charging surface of the charging device), combined with Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 6A , Figure 6B and Figure 7 The functionality described will not change.

[0160] Figure 8A and Figure 8BTwo models are schematically illustrated, each including an electronic device in the form of interactive modular toy components, an external mobile device, and a charging device, all as disclosed herein, as well as maintenance actions in the form of a troubleshooting process for one of the electronic devices.

[0161] Figure 8A The image shows two toy building models 1 being used / played with. Each model—in this example—includes an electronic device 10 as part of the corresponding model 1, while it should be understood that a single model may include more than one electronic device 10. A charging device 20 is also shown, corresponding to charging devices shown and described elsewhere (e.g., combined with...). Figure 3 ).

[0162] In the example shown ( Figure 8A The upper part of the electronic device 10 of a model 1 (the one on the right in the figure) has determined that certain functions are not working properly or not working at all, or are expected to (soon) be not working in some aspects, i.e., error or similar condition 400, or in other words, a troubleshooting-related condition has occurred or is expected to occur. It can also determine that something requires (specific) user attention or is expected to require user attention soon. The electronic device 10 experiencing error or similar condition 400 also signals the need for troubleshooting by providing at least one user-perceptible output 140', i.e., providing error or troubleshooting output 140'.

[0163] The user can perceive an output of 140° (to signal or indicate that troubleshooting may be necessary), for example, or preferably, is... Figure 1 One or more of the user-aware outputs (see 140). For example, error or troubleshooting output 140' may be provided by a functional device performing one or more user-aware functions (see [reference]). Figure 1 14) is generated by the control circuitry (see, for example, 14). Figure 1 13) Control.

[0164] Electronic device 10 with an error or similar condition 400 may (depending on the error type and / or severity) continue to operate, at least with one or more possible capabilities. Possible errors can be categorized, for example, according to different levels, such as warnings, temporary problems, and malfunctions of a function or component. In addition to outputting user-perceptible output 140', electronic device 10 may or may not (depending on the embodiment) be placed in a troubleshooting state, such as a simple troubleshooting state (e.g., simply signaling that it has entered that state) or a more advanced troubleshooting state (e.g., changing one or more corresponding functions of electronic device 10 in response to this).

[0165] The user-aware output 140' generated in response to determining that an error or similar situation 400 has occurred (or is likely to occur) can be, for example, very simple (e.g., simply indicating that an error or similar situation 400 has occurred or is expected to occur), or alternatively can be more advanced (e.g., also indicating the type, severity, degree of severity, etc. of the error or similar situation 400 that has occurred or is expected to occur).

[0166] User-perceptible output 140' may include, for example, one or more of the following: physical motion and / or vibration (e.g., generated by a motor, vibrating device, or any other type of mechanical actuator that actuates a rotating or translating axis), emitted light (e.g., from a light source (e.g., one or more LEDs), output from an image or video display device), emitted sound (e.g., from a speaker), etc., and may also include, for example, variations in such outputs, such as by modifying LED light emission (intensity / color / flicker frequency) and / or changing sound output (volume / pitch / Gig counter sound).

[0167] In some preferred embodiments, the user-perceived output 140' is very simple and intuitive, even for untrained users. This might involve simply emitting light (e.g., from one or more LEDs) in a specific predetermined color (e.g., red), and, for example, according to a predetermined pattern and / or intensity (flickering, brightening / dimening, etc.). Therefore, this type of user interface (i.e., "error indication" or "troubleshooting required" user interface) can be integrated into surprisingly small form factors (e.g., along with many other interactive functions of the electronic device 10) and still provide good user feedback that is intuitive, efficient, and computationally inexpensive. For example, the error indication user interface can thus be integrated into an interactive modular toy element with the typical size of a conventional toy building block (e.g., such as...). Figure 2 (As shown).

[0168] When a user becomes aware that an error or similar situation 400 has occurred (or is expected to occur) through the perceived error or troubleshooting output 140' and chooses to take action (i.e., to learn more about what the (possible) problem is or to resolve it), at least according to some preferred embodiments, the user places the electronic device 10 (or more precisely, model 1 including the electronic device 10) that provides the error or troubleshooting output 140' in the charging area of ​​the charging device 20 (as indicated by arrow 410). Figure 8A As shown), one or more maintenance actions (more specifically, one or more troubleshooting actions) are initiated and / or at least permitted. In some embodiments, an electronic device 10 with an error or similar condition 400 is placed in a maintenance mode or state (or more specifically, a troubleshooting mode or state) by being brought into a charging area.

[0169] This provides a very simple and intuitive maintenance or troubleshooting process, even for untrained users. Simply take the model 1 (with electronics 10) that is providing the error signal to the charging device (within its charging area).

[0170] When Model 1, which includes an electronic device 10 providing error signal 140', is placed in the charging area of ​​the charging device 20, the charging device 20 and the electronic device 10 establish wireless communication (via their respective wireless communication interfaces or circuits), and information that the electronic device 10 is in a troubleshooting state or has simply output error signal 140' is provided to the charging device 20 or otherwise detected by the charging device 20. In response, the charging device 20 establishes a wireless connection with the external mobile device 300, as disclosed herein (e.g., in conjunction with...). Figure 4 The external mobile device 300 preferably includes a display 310 and one or more user interface elements, for example (at least some of which) are implemented via the display 310, and may correspond to... Figure 4 And external mobile devices 300 as disclosed elsewhere in this document.

[0171] This allows the troubleshooting process to continue, including the broader resources and capabilities of the external mobile device 300, particularly its display 310 and user interface elements. It also enables easy access to recently updated troubleshooting information and data, as the external mobile device 300 can and will typically be able to connect to the internet or other networks. The external mobile device 300 can also exchange or retrieve information or data with the electronic device 10 to obtain more information or data about the problem, and use this information or data to find or obtain solutions or potential solutions, and provide information to the user about this. This also allows the complexity of the electronic device 10 (and the charging device 20) to be reduced or kept (relatively) low; for example, it can remain screenless and can have fewer and simpler user interface elements for receiving user input.

[0172] Troubleshooting can continue via indirect communication between the relevant electronic device 10 and the external mobile device 300 (i.e. via the charging device 20), or it can be carried out directly by establishing direct wireless communication between the external mobile device 300 and the relevant electronic device 10.

[0173] Once communication (directly or indirectly) is established between the external mobile device 300 and the electronic device 10, troubleshooting continues, as described above, for example, by running a suitable troubleshooting program, application, etc. on the external mobile device 300. The user interacts with it to resolve any problems, errors, etc., and obtain suggested / potential solutions. The external mobile device 300 can also change settings in the electronic device 10 to resolve the problem.

[0174] In some embodiments, troubleshooting information (e.g., error codes or other indicators, error type, error severity, and / or other error-related data and information) is provided to the external mobile device 300, enabling it to better locate or predict solutions to be presented to the user and / or automatically initiated. As mentioned above, possible errors can be categorized according to different levels, such as warnings, temporary problems, and malfunctions of a function or component of the electronic device. Once the problem or error is properly resolved (if possible), the user can continue to use the electronic device 10 / including its model 1 in a normal manner.

[0175] It should be noted that the troubleshooting process can be performed while the electronic device 10 is being charged (unless, for example, a related error prevents this, or simultaneous charging is not advisable).

[0176] As described above, the charging device 20 may also include a suitable user interface 27, such as one or more LEDs, for providing feedback to the user. In some embodiments, the charging device 20 is configured to output one or more user-perceptible outputs 140'' to signal or indicate that the electronic device 10 located within the charging area requires troubleshooting and / or has entered a troubleshooting state. The user-perceptible output 140'' may be the same as the user-perceptible output 140' of the electronic device 10, or alternatively may be different (but of a similar kind or type). The user-perceptible output 140'' may be output by the user interface 27 of the charging device 20 and / or other suitable elements. This easily and reliably signals to the user that the charging device 20 has confirmed a problem with the relevant electronic device 10.

[0177] Once the error is properly handled, the charging device 20 can shut down the user-perceived output 140'' or switch to another suitable output.

[0178] It should be noted that even if the electronic device 10 shown (in the form of modular toy components) is not part of the corresponding toy construction model, combined with Figure 8A and Figure 8B The functions described will not change.

Claims

1. A system (100) comprising: Charging device (20), said charging device (20) is used to define a charging area (22), and An electronic device (10) includes a rechargeable power supply (12) and a charging circuit (11), wherein the charging circuit (11) is used to receive electrical energy in a non-contact manner and charge the rechargeable power supply (12) when the electronic device (10) is located in the charging area (22) of the charging device (20); The system (100) is configured to initiate and / or allow maintenance actions selected from a predetermined group of maintenance actions in response to the electronic device (10) being located in the charging area (22).

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The system (100) is configured to initiate and / or allow the maintenance action in response to the electronic device (10) being in the charging area (22) for at least a predetermined duration.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The system (100), the charging device (20), and / or the electronic device (10) are configured to prevent any maintenance actions from being performed when the electronic device (10) is outside the charging area (22).

4. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The electronic device (10) is configured to: When the electronic device (10) enters the charging area (22) of the charging device (20), it changes from a first state, such as or preferably an interactive use state, to a second state as a maintenance state, and / or When the electronic device (10) exits the charging area (22) of the charging device (20), it changes from a second state, which is a maintenance state, to a first state, such as or preferably an interactive use state.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein, The electronic device (10) is configured to perform or participate in selected maintenance actions only when it is in the second state.

6. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The predetermined maintenance action group includes: At least one troubleshooting action, At least one firmware action, and / or A wireless communication connection is established with an external mobile device (300), which, for example or preferably, includes a display (310), wherein the wireless communication connection is established as follows: o Directly between the external mobile device (300) and the electronic device (10), or o indirectly between the external mobile device (300) and the electronic device (10) via the charging device (20).

7. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The maintenance action is a firmware action, and the system is configured to: A wireless communication connection is established between the charging device (20) and the external mobile device (300). The system checks, either at or via the external mobile device (300), whether firmware update data for the electronic device (10) is available, and if available, o Establish a wireless communication connection between the charging device (20) and the electronic device (10), and provide the updated firmware data from the external mobile device (300) to the electronic device (10) via the charging device (20) for installation in the electronic device (10), or o Establish a wireless communication connection between the electronic device (10) and the external mobile device (300), and provide the updated firmware data from the external mobile device (300) to the electronic device (10) for installation in the electronic device (10).

8. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The maintenance action is a firmware action, and the system is configured to: A wireless communication connection is established between the charging device (20) and the external mobile device (300). The system checks, either at or via the external mobile device (300), whether firmware data for an update of the electronic device (10) is available, wherein the check is performed before the electronic device (10) is located in the charging area (22), or in response to the electronic device (10) being located in the charging area (22), and if available, o The updated firmware data is provided from the external mobile device (300) to the memory (28) of the charging device (20). o And once the updated firmware data is fully stored in the memory (28) of the charging device (20), in response to the electronic device (10) being located in the charging area (22), the updated firmware data is provided to the electronic device (10) via the wireless communication connection established between the charging device (20) and the electronic device (10).

9. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The maintenance action is a firmware action, and the system is configured to: Check whether the firmware version of the firmware data of the electronic device (10) is newer than the firmware version of the firmware data stored in the memory (28) of the charging device (20), and if it is newer, o Through the established wireless communication connection between the charging device (20) and the electronic device (10), the firmware data of the electronic device (10) is provided to the charging device (20) for storage in the memory (28) of the charging device (20), thereby storing updated firmware data in the memory (28) of the charging device (20), and o In response to another electronic device (10) subsequently being located in or already being located in the charging area (22), check whether the firmware version of the other electronic device (10) is older than the firmware version of the updated firmware data stored in the memory (28) of the charging device (20), and if older, The updated firmware data is provided from the memory (28) of the charging device (20) to the other electronic device (10) via a wireless communication connection established between the charging device (20) and the other electronic device (10).

10. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The maintenance action is a troubleshooting action, wherein the electronic device (10) has been determined to have a troubleshooting-related condition that has occurred or is expected to occur, and the system is further configured to: A wireless communication connection is established with an external mobile device (300), the external mobile device (300) including a display (310) and one or more user interface elements, wherein the wireless communication connection is established as follows: o Directly between the external mobile device (300) and the electronic device (10), or o indirectly between the external mobile device (300) and the electronic device (10) via the charging device (20), and This enables the external mobile device (300) and / or the user using the display (310) of the external mobile device (300) and one or more user interface elements to troubleshoot the electronic device (10).

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein, The system is configured to provide information or data related to one or more troubleshooting issues directly or indirectly from the electronic device (10) to the external mobile device (300).

12. The system according to claim 1, 10 or 11, wherein The electronic device (10) is configured to generate at least one user-aware output (140'), the at least one user-aware output (140') indicating that the electronic device (10) is in a troubleshooting state or needs to be troubleshooted, and / or The charging device (20) is configured to generate at least one user-perceptible output (140"), which indicates that the electronic device (10) and / or the charging device (20) are in a troubleshooting state or need to be troubleshooted.

13. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein The charging area (22) is three-dimensional. The electronic device (10) is configured to generate at least one user-aware output (140'), which indicates that the electronic device (10) is in a maintenance state or requires maintenance. The charging device (20) is configured to generate at least one user-perceptible output (140"), the at least one user-perceptible output (140) indicating that the electronic device (10) and / or the charging device (20) are in a maintenance state or require maintenance, and / or The charging device (20) is configured to initiate the maintenance action.

14. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein, The electronic device (10) is adapted for use in a toy building system comprising a plurality of modular toy elements, wherein the housing (15, 101A, 101B) of the electronic device (10) includes connecting members (16, 17) adapted to releasably connect the electronic device (10) to the modular toy elements of the toy building system.

15. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein The electronic device (10) includes a functional device for performing at least one user-perceptible and controllable function, and / or The electronic device (10) further includes one or more sensor devices for determining at least one interactive stimulus, particularly the movement of the electronic device (10), for example, wherein the one or more sensor devices are housed within or on the housing of the electronic device (10).

16. An electronic device (10), comprising: Functional devices for performing at least one user-perceptible and controllable function. A rechargeable power supply (12) and a charging circuit (11), the charging circuit (11) being used to receive electrical energy non-contactly and charge the rechargeable power supply (12) when the electronic device (10) is located in the charging area (22) of the charging device (20), and The electronic device (10) is configured to initiate, participate in, and / or allow maintenance actions selected from a predetermined group of maintenance actions only when the electronic device (10) is located in the charging area (22).

17. A charging device (20) comprising a charging element or transmitting coil (21) defining a charging area (22), wherein, The charging device (20) is configured to supply electrical energy non-contactly to an electronic device (10) located in a charging area (22) of the charging device (20), the electronic device (10) including a rechargeable power supply (12) and a charging circuit (11), the charging circuit (11) being used to receive the electrical energy non-contactly from the charging device (20) and charge the rechargeable power supply (12) when the electronic device (10) is located in the charging area (22), wherein the charging device (20) is configured to initiate, participate in and / or allow maintenance actions selected from a predetermined group of maintenance actions for the electronic device (10) only in response to the electronic device (10) being located in the charging area (22).

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