Modular toy construction system with interactive toy construction elements

Abstract

A modular toy construction system comprises: a plurality of interactive toy construction elements, each interactive toy construction element comprising a sensor and / or a functional device, the functional device being operable to perform a user-perceptible function; each interactive toy construction element further comprising first communication circuitry configured to wirelessly communicate signals and to wirelessly harvest energy to operate the functional device and / or sensor.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application number 201980039990.0 entitled "Modular toy construction system with interactive toy construction elements". Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to a modular toy construction system comprising one or more interactive toy construction elements. Background Technology

[0003] Toy construction systems have been around for decades. Over the years, simple box-shaped building blocks have been supplemented with toy construction elements that have specific appearances or mechanical or electrical functions to enhance the play value of the system. Such functions include, for example, motors, switches, and lights, as well as programmable processors that accept input from sensors and can activate functional elements in response to received sensor inputs.

[0004] There exist self-contained functional building blocks that have a functional device suitable for performing a pre-configured function, an energy source for supplying energy to the functional device to perform the function, and a trigger that activates the functional device to perform the function in response to an external triggering event. Typically, such known functional building blocks are designed for manual activation of mechanical triggers and provide only a limited set of play values.

[0005] WO2007 / 137577 discloses a toy construction system comprising functional elements and control elements. The functional and control elements are electrically interconnected via a system of wires and plugs, allowing the functional elements to receive electrical power and control signals from the control elements. Even if the system avoids storing electrical energy in the functional elements, it still requires a certain level of abstract thinking and technical insight to correctly route the wiring and interconnect the construction elements, thereby constructing a functional toy model from such a system. Furthermore, the wires between the various elements restrict the freedom of constructing the toy model and may affect its visual appearance.

[0006] WO2015 / 173246 discloses a toy construction system comprising a plurality of interactive toy construction elements, each including a connecting member configured to releasably interconnect the interactive toy construction elements with respect to each other. The system includes functional construction elements and input construction elements. Each input construction element includes at least one subgroup wireless transmitter for transmitting control signals to the functional construction element. Each functional construction element includes: a functional device adapted to perform a controllable function; a wireless receiver for receiving wireless control signals; and control circuitry connected to the wireless receiver and the functional device and adapted to control the controllable function in response to the received control signals. Each interactive toy construction element includes a user-operable selector, allowing a user to select one of a set of predetermined group identifiers. The interactive toy construction element also includes a group indicator configured to output an indication indicating the selected group identifier.

[0007] While the existing systems described above avoid the need for wiring between interactive toy construction elements, these elements are relatively complex devices, including user-controllable selectors and indicators, as well as batteries. Consequently, the manufacturing cost of interactive devices is relatively high, and their size is difficult to reduce, thus limiting the flexibility of designing toy construction models. In particular, the size and shape of the toy construction elements restrict the design freedom when multiple functions are desired to be added to the toy construction model.

[0008] It is generally desirable to provide a modular toy construction system that offers enhanced educational and / or play activities.

[0009] A further objective is to provide a modular toy construction system that offers high flexibility in designing different toy construction models with rich functionality.

[0010] Furthermore, it is desirable to provide an interactive modular construction system that allows users, especially children, to construct multiple interactive modular construction element models in a user-friendly, efficient, yet flexible and reliable manner, without requiring detailed knowledge of control structures, data communication, and how to properly connect wires, conductors, etc.

[0011] The various aspects of the toy construction system embodiments disclosed herein address one or more of the aforementioned needs and / or other needs existing in the field of toy construction systems. Summary of the Invention

[0012] This document discloses aspects of a modular toy construction system. The modular toy construction system includes multiple interactive toy construction elements, each interactive toy construction element including sensors and / or functional devices operable to perform user-perceptible functions; each interactive toy construction element also includes a first communication circuit configured to wirelessly transmit signals and wirelessly harvest energy to operate the functional devices and / or sensors.

[0013] In some embodiments, the modular toy construction system further includes at least one control toy construction element, which includes a rechargeable energy storage device, processing circuitry, and a second communication circuitry; the second communication circuitry is configured to communicate with one or more of the plurality of interactive toy construction elements, and optionally, to wirelessly transfer energy to the one or more interactive toy construction elements. The processing circuitry may be configured to receive sensor data from the one or more interactive toy construction elements and generate control signals for controlling user-perceptible functions of the one or more interactive toy construction elements.

[0014] The first and second communication circuits can be configured for contactless, ultra-short-range communication, such as near-field communication; and for contactless, such as inductive energy transfer. Alternatively, the communication circuits can be configured for other forms of contactless energy transfer, such as ultrasound-based transfer.

[0015] Here, the term non-contact is intended to refer to the transfer of data and / or energy from one device to another without conductive coupling, i.e., the transfer of electrical energy without physical contact via a conductive medium that is conductive to direct current. It will be understood that the term non-contact only characterizes communication and power transfer and does not preclude devices from being physically connected to each other in other ways. In particular, two toy construction elements may be physically in contact with each other, for example, mechanically interconnected by means of their respective connecting members, while communication and energy transfer between them are non-contact, i.e., do not rely on physical contact as a carrier for the transfer of energy or data.

[0016] The term "ultra-short-range communication" is intended to refer to wireless communication technologies used for non-contact communication, particularly within a communication range of no more than 10 cm, such as no more than 5 cm, no more than 2 cm, no more than 1 cm, or even less than 1 cm. Herein and below, the reference to communication range refers to the communication range under normal operating conditions and in a normal operating environment (e.g., in a child's room).

[0017] In some embodiments, at least one, such as each, of the interactive toy construction elements is a passive interactive toy construction element, i.e., an interactive toy construction element that does not include its own battery or other energy storage. Instead, the passive interactive toy construction element uses energy received non-contactly via a first communication circuit at its sole power source to drive the functional devices and the communication circuitry. Thus, the passive interactive toy construction element is only operable to activate its functional devices, and is coupled to receive energy non-contactly from the control toy construction element. Therefore, in the toy construction system, only some toy construction elements, particularly the control toy construction element, include their own energy storage devices, thus reducing the number of components requiring their own energy storage devices. This reduces manufacturing costs, facilitates recycling, and helps extend the overall lifespan of the system. In an alternative embodiment, at least one, such as each, of the interactive toy construction elements includes its own energy storage device, such as its own battery. At least one, such as each, of the interactive toy construction elements can therefore be a self-powered or energy-assisted passive toy construction element. The interactive toy construction element is operable only when communicatively coupled to the control toy construction element, but includes its own energy storage device, such as its own battery.

[0018] The functional device can be any suitable device for performing a function (such as a function that provides user-perceptible effects, such as visual and / or auditory effects).

[0019] Examples of functional devices may include any suitable mechanical and / or electrical devices, arrangements and / or circuits adapted to perform one or more mechanical and / or electrical functions.

[0020] Examples of mechanical functions that certain embodiments of the functional device described herein can perform include driving a rotatable output shaft, tightening a rope or chain that can pull an object closer to a toy construction element, moving a hinged portion of an interactive toy construction element, etc. These mechanical functions can thus enable the opening or closing of doors, ejecting objects, rotating turntables, moving linear actuators, etc. Such mechanical movements can be driven by an electric motor.

[0021] Examples of electronic functions that certain embodiments of the functional device described herein may perform include emitting constant or flashing light, activating multiple lights in a predetermined sequence, emitting audible sounds such as buzzers, alarms, siren sounds, voice messages, music, synthesized sounds, natural or imitative sounds that simulate and / or stimulate gaming activities, sound playback and / or other audio content, etc.

[0022] Therefore, the functional device can be selected from a motor, a light source (e.g., one or more LEDs), and a sound source (e.g., a speaker). In some embodiments, the plurality of interactive toy construction elements include: - A first interactive toy construction element, which includes a first type of functional device, such as a motor; - A second interactive toy construction element, which includes a second type of functional device that is different from the first type of functional device, such as a light source or a sound source (e.g., for providing physical effects different from the first functional device).

[0023] Typically, a sensor can be any suitable device that responds to a predetermined sensor input (e.g., a physical quantity) and is operable to generate a sensor signal corresponding to, representing, and / or reflecting the predetermined sensor input. One example of a sensor is a sound recording sensor for detecting the presence of sound. The sensor can be relatively simple, such as a sensor that simply records sound when it exceeds a predetermined sound level or threshold. Other examples of sensors can be more advanced, such as sensors for measuring the sound level of the recorded sound.

[0024] Sensors can be selected from: position or rotation sensors (e.g., linear or rotary encoders), light detectors, and sound detectors (e.g., microphones). Other examples of sensors may respond to other sensor inputs, such as mechanical force, ultrasound, push, pull, rotation, tilt, human manipulation, touch, electrical signals, radio frequency signals, optical signals, visible light signals, infrared signals, magnetic signals, temperature, humidity, radiation, etc. For example, other examples of sensors include proximity sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc. Sensors can be configured to provide binary signals, such as indicating the presence or absence of an input. Alternatively or additionally, sensors can be configured to generate multi-level or even continuous signals indicating multiple different inputs and / or indicating activation levels or magnitudes. Thus, the resulting sensor signals can indicate properties of the received sensor inputs, such as the direction of rotation or tilt or the degree of detected quantity, such as the speed of rotation or motion, force, sound pressure, light intensity, tilt angle, etc.

[0025] In some embodiments, the plurality of interactive toy construction elements include: - A first interactive toy construction element, which includes a first type of sensor, such as an encoder; - A second interactive toy construction element, which includes a second type of sensor, different from the first type of sensor, such as a light sensor or a sound sensor (e.g., for sensing physical quantities different from the first sensor).

[0026] In some embodiments, at least one of the interactive toy construction elements includes a functional means configured to perform a user-perceived function, which is perceivable as a first physical quantity. The interactive toy construction element may also include a sensor operable to sense the first physical quantity. For example, the interactive toy construction element may include: - Motors and encoders, or - Light source and photodetector, or - Sound source and sound detector.

[0027] Typically, in some embodiments, each interactive toy construction element may include a single functional device and / or a single sensor. Therefore, the function of each interactive toy construction system is easily understood by the user and can be combined in a modular manner.

[0028] Embodiments of a toy construction system may include different types of interactive toy construction elements, particularly multiple interactive toy construction elements with corresponding sensors and / or corresponding functional devices.

[0029] Each interactive toy construction element may include a housing. Functional devices and / or sensors are housed within the housing, and a first communication circuit is also housed within the housing. The housing may be box-shaped, for example, in the form of a relatively flat, plate-like box, such as a square or rectangular plate. The housing may define a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface. At least some connecting members may extend from the top surface. The housing may also include one or more sides extending between the top and bottom surfaces. In some embodiments, all interactive toy construction elements are configured to be interchangeably and detachably connected to other toy construction elements of the toy construction system. In particular, the interactive toy construction elements may all have the same size and shape and corresponding connecting members, at least to a certain extent, such that they can be interchangeably connected within the toy construction model, thereby selectively substituting for each other at any given location in the toy construction model to which at least one interactive toy construction element may be attached.

[0030] Similarly, the control toy construction element may include a housing; an energy storage device, a processing unit, and a second communication circuit may be housed within the housing. The housing may be box-shaped as described in the interactive toy construction element. The housing may include one or more connecting members, also as described in the interactive toy construction element. In some embodiments, the control toy construction element has the same shape and size as the interactive toy construction element, at least to a certain extent, such that they can be interchangeably connected within the toy construction model, thereby selectively replacing each other at any given location in the toy construction model.

[0031] Each interactive toy construction element and / or each controllable toy construction element may include one or more connecting members for detachably attaching the interactive or controllable toy construction element to other toy construction elements of the toy construction system, such as one or more other interactive toy construction elements and / or one or more other controllable toy construction elements and / or one or more non-interactive and non-controllable toy construction elements of the toy construction system, i.e., the toy construction element does not include functional devices, sensors, or processing units. Therefore, the toy construction system may include multiple toy construction elements, including multiple interactive toy construction elements, one or more controllable toy construction elements, and one or more other toy construction elements, particularly non-interactive and non-controllable toy construction elements, such as conventional toy construction elements, for example, those composed of molded plastic elements without any electronic components.

[0032] Typically, each toy construction element of a toy construction system, particularly each interactive toy construction element and / or each control toy construction element, includes a connecting member for detachably interconnecting the toy construction elements to create a coherent spatial structure (also known as a toy construction model). Thus, toy construction elements already interconnected by means of connecting members can be separated again, allowing them to interconnect again, or to interconnect with other toy construction elements of the system, for example, to form different spatial structures. In some embodiments, the toy construction element is provided with first and second types of connecting members, such as connecting bolts and bolt receiving recesses for frictionally engaging the bolts, or other pairs of mating or complementary connecting members configured to engage with each other to form a physical connection. One type of connecting member may be located on one side of the toy construction element, such as the top side, while another complementary type of connecting member may be located on the opposite side of the toy construction element, such as the bottom side. In some embodiments, the toy construction element includes a bolt extending from the top surface of the toy construction element and a corresponding bolt receiving cavity extending into the bottom surface of the toy construction element to frictionally engage the bolt by a suitable clamping force. Connecting components can be positioned at grid points of a regular grid; specifically, connecting components of toy construction elements can be arranged such that the connecting components of a group of interconnected toy construction elements are positioned at grid points of a three-dimensional regular grid. The dimensions of a toy construction element can be defined as integer multiples of the unit length defined by the regular grid. It will be understood that a three-dimensional grid can be defined by a single unit length, two unit lengths, for example, one unit length for two spatial dimensions and another unit length for a third spatial dimension. Alternatively, a three-dimensional grid can be defined by three unit lengths, one for each spatial dimension.

[0033] When the connecting components are detachably interconnectable, users can deconstruct previously constructed spatial structures and reuse toy construction elements to build new spatial structures. For example, toy construction elements can interconnect with each other via traction / friction or through interlocking connections. Toy construction elements can be configured such that two toy construction elements can be connected to a toy construction model, such that corresponding faces of the toy construction elements are opposite each other or at least adjacent and facing each other. For this purpose, two toy construction elements can be directly interconnected with each other via their respective connecting components, or they can both be interconnected with a portion of the toy construction model, each directly adjacent to the other.

[0034] Embodiments of the toy construction system described herein provide a distributed control system in which functional devices and sensors are disposed within interactive toy construction elements, which can be separated from control toy construction elements, including control electronics and power storage devices. The system also provides contactless communication and energy transfer between different types of toy construction elements. Therefore, the individual toy construction elements can be made compact and relatively inexpensive. Moreover, in this way, a wide variety of functional interactions can be created using only a relatively small number of different types of toy construction elements. Compactness and modularity further increase flexibility, where interactive and control toy construction elements can be combined into even relatively small toy construction models. In some embodiments, the height of the housing of the interactive and / or control toy construction elements (excluding protruding connecting members) is 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 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 horizontal dimensions can be 16mm × 16mm, 16mm × 24mm, or 16mm × 32mm. However, it will be understood that other dimensions can also be selected.

[0035] Controlling toy components may include energy receiving circuitry for charging an energy storage device. In some embodiments, the energy receiving circuitry is configured to wirelessly receive energy, for example, by harvesting energy from an electromagnetic field, such as from an RF communication signal. Controlling toy components may include a third communication circuitry (e.g., integrated into or separate from a second communication circuitry) operable for short-range wireless communication, such as short-range RF communication, for example via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or similar suitable short-range communication technologies.

[0036] Here, the term short-range communication is intended to refer to communication technologies with a larger communication range than ultra-short-range communication, such as a communication range greater than 10 cm, for example, greater than 50 cm, or for example, greater than 1 m. The communication range of short-range communication may not exceed 100 m, for example, not more than 10 m, or for example, not more than 5 m. In most cases, a communication range of less than 10 m, and in most cases even less than 5 m, is sufficient, even though longer ranges are acceptable or even desirable in some embodiments.

[0037] The control toy construction element can be configured to detect the presence of one or more other control toy construction elements in its vicinity, such as within communication range and / or a predetermined range. In some embodiments, the control toy construction element can even be configured to detect the distance to one or more detected other control toy construction elements, for example, based on the signal strength of short-range communication, based on a proximity sensor, etc.

[0038] Controlling toy constructs can be achieved through default behavior, such as having default executable instructions stored and executable by a processing unit. For this purpose, the processing unit may include or be coupled to a suitable data storage device, such as a suitable memory. The default executable instructions can define a predetermined set of rules for creating control signals in response to received sensor signals and / or other data inputs. For example, this set of rules may represent control signals created and forwarded to one or more interactive toy constructs depending on various conditions and parameters. These conditions and parameters may be selected from, for example: - The type of interactive toy construction element detected as communicating non-contactly with the control toy construction element. - Sensor types that receive sensor signals from it -Types of available functional devices, - Specific sensor input, - The proximity of one or more other control toy construction elements detected. - The detected physical topology of interactive toy construction elements that communicate non-contactly with the control toy construction elements. -etc.

[0039] In some embodiments, one or more of the control toy construction elements are operable to be programmed or configured by a user, for example, by receiving program data and / or configuration parameters. Therefore, the user may be able to modify the behavior of the control toy construction elements.

[0040] The control toy's structural components can be operable to receive program data and / or configuration parameters from a computer or another external electronic device. The external electronic device can be, for example, a desktop computer, tablet, smartphone, laptop, or other programmable computing device. For this purpose, a third communication circuit can be operable to provide a wireless communication interface for communicating program data and / or configuration parameters with one or more external electronic devices via a wireless communication protocol.

[0041] Other examples of external electronic devices include RFID tags or other data storage devices. For example, control components of a toy can be operated to read such data storage devices non-contactly via a second communication circuit.

[0042] In some embodiments, when a control toy construction element and a group of one or more interactive toy construction elements are optionally interconnected directly or indirectly with other toy construction elements of a toy construction system to form a toy construction model, the processing unit controlling the toy construction element is configured to determine the physical topology of the group of interactive toy construction elements in the toy construction model from data received from the group of interactive toy construction elements. The physical topology may represent the physical arrangement of the interactive toy construction elements relative to the control toy construction element.

[0043] To this end, the control toy construction elements and the interactive toy construction elements in the group can be configured to form a network of communication nodes, and the processing unit can be configured to determine the network topology of the network. Furthermore, the toy construction system can be configured to apply structural rules for physically interconnecting the toy construction elements of the toy construction system. In addition, ultra-short-range communication between the control toy construction and the interactive toy construction elements imposes further physical constraints on the positions of the control and interactive toy construction elements relative to each other. Therefore, in some embodiments, the processing unit is operable to determine the physical topology of the interactive toy construction elements in the group from the determined network topology.

[0044] For example, control toy construction elements and a set of interactive toy construction elements can be stacked along at least a first direction, such that the control toy construction elements and the set of interactive toy construction elements form a linear sequence of nodes, for example, starting with the control toy construction element as the root node. A second communication circuit for the control toy construction element and a first communication circuit for the corresponding interactive toy construction element can be configured to communicate only with its nearest neighbor along the sequence. Furthermore, each interactive toy construction element in the sequence is operable to receive information about downstream interactive toy construction elements in the sequence from its respective downstream nearest neighbor and to transmit the received information along the sequence toward its upstream nearest neighbor. It should be understood that in some embodiments, the control toy construction element can form the root of multiple node sequences, for example, extending in different directions. In other embodiments, the control toy construction element can form the root node of a more complex network structure, such as a tree structure, where the interactive toy construction elements form the individual nodes of the network structure and are operable to transmit information from node to node along links between nodes, for example, between adjacent nodes. In these embodiments, the processing unit of the control toy construction element can determine the network structure, including the position of each interactive toy construction element within the network. When the communication circuits of the control and interactive toy building elements employ near-field communication, limited to physically adjacent interactive or controllable toy building elements, the processing unit controlling the toy building elements can determine the physical topology of the interactive toy building elements from the determined network topology. It should be understood that when using other forms of communication, such as communication between electrical (current) contacts between adjacent toy building elements, determining the physical topology from the determined network topology can also be performed. When the interactive and controllable toy building elements are part of a coherent toy construction model constructed from the toy building elements of a toy construction system, the relative positions and / or orientations between the interconnected toy building elements follow the construction rules of the toy construction system, thus allowing the processing unit to determine an accurate model of the physical topology of the interactive toy building elements with which it communicates.

[0045] This could be useful for allowing processing units to control interactive toy constructs of a model to provide the desired model behavior. For example, when the model is a vehicle with multiple interactive toy constructs, each including its own motor, the processing unit controlling the toy construct can determine the relative position and orientation of the motors, thereby ensuring coordinated operation of the motors to propel the vehicle.

[0046] In some embodiments, at least two of the interactive toy construction elements are configured such that when the interactive toy construction elements are interconnected in a predetermined manner, such as stacking on top of each other or being connected to each other via their respective connecting members, their respective functional devices interact with each other. The respective functional devices may interact, for example, to provide a common function, such as in intensity, amplitude, or other magnitude or complexity greater than the corresponding function provided by the individual functional device. For example, two interactive toy construction elements may each include a motor for applying torque to a shaft. When the two interactive toy construction elements are interconnected in a predetermined manner, such as stacking on top of each other, their respective motors can interact with a common shaft, and they can together apply a greater torque to the common shaft. Similarly, two interactive toy construction elements, each including a light source, can interact to provide higher light intensity and / or more complex lighting effects; similarly, two interactive toy construction elements, each including a sound source, can interact to provide higher sound pressure levels and / or more complex sound effects. Thus, the interconnected toy construction elements can operate to complement each other's functions, for example, under the control of a control toy construction element whose physical topology has been detected, i.e., two interactive toy construction elements interconnected.

[0047] As described above, the processing unit controlling the toy's structural elements can be pre-programmed to exhibit predetermined behaviors, such as by selecting what function should be performed in response to what sensor input is received, depending on what interactive toy structural elements are detected. Therefore, interactive toy structural elements can be controlled to exhibit relatively complex behaviors without requiring the user to have advanced technical or programming skills. In some embodiments, the processing unit may alternatively or additionally be user-programmable, for example, via a wireless communication link.

[0048] In some embodiments, the processing unit is operable to implement a learning mode, wherein the processing unit is operable to infer one or more expected functions from one or more sensor inputs. During this learning mode, the processing unit can detect user interactions with the toy construction model based on sensor signals received from various interactive toy construction elements of the toy construction model, such as light displayed on the model, sound, motion / force applied to the model, etc. The processing unit can then infer corresponding actions, such as the output of light and / or sound in response to the received sensor data and / or the activation of one or more motors. For example, the processing unit can be configured to mirror or match physical interactions, such as clapping sounds or flashing rhythms or frequencies detected by mirroring, activating motors in response to thrust, etc.

[0049] Therefore, a simple method is provided for adding functionality to a modular toy construction system or model and controlling that functionality. One or more interactive toy construction elements are added or used only in the system or model.

[0050] In some embodiments, data communication via a first communication circuit, in addition to optional sensors, is the sole input device for the interactive toy construct, meaning the interactive toy construct does not include any buttons, displays, switches, or other user interfaces. Similarly, in some embodiments, data communication via a second and optional third communication circuit is the sole input device for controlling the toy construct, meaning the control toy construct does not include any buttons, displays, switches, or other user interfaces. Therefore, the size and manufacturing cost of the interactive toy construct and / or the control toy construct can remain small, while still allowing users rich interaction with the system controlling and interacting with the toy construct.

[0051] Each sensor and / or functional device is arranged in its own independent housing, providing intuitive use even for children, as it is easy to intuitively understand the sensors and functional devices and their functional relationships.

[0052] In some embodiments, one or more control toy construction elements include sensors and / or functional devices, such as those described in embodiments incorporating interactive toy construction elements.

[0053] In some embodiments, the modular toy construction system includes one or more additional electronic toys, such as dolls or figurines. The additional electronic toys may include rechargeable energy storage devices, processing units, and communication circuitry operable for short-range wireless communication with one or more controllable or interactive toy construction elements, such as short-range RF communication, via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or similar suitable communication technologies. The additional electronic toys may be toy construction elements including the connection components disclosed herein. The additional electronic toys may further include one or more functional devices, such as motors and / or light sources and / or sound sources. Alternatively or additionally, the additional electronic toys may further include one or more sensors, such as encoders and / or light sensors and / or sound sensors and / or accelerometers, etc.

[0054] A first additional electronic toy and / or a first control toy constructive element may be configured to detect proximity to one or more other control toy constructive elements and / or additional electronic toys. In some embodiments, the first additional electronic toy and / or the first control toy constructive element may be operable to determine distance to one or more other control toy constructive elements and / or additional electronic toys. The detected distance may be absolute or relative, such as relative to another control toy constructive element or additional electronic toy or relative to a previous position of the detected control toy constructive element or additional electronic toy. In particular, the first control toy constructive element and / or the first additional electronic toy may detect when another control toy constructive element or additional electronic toy is close to the first control toy constructive element and / or the first additional electronic toy, and when another control toy constructive element or additional electronic toy is closer to the first control toy constructive element and / or the first additional electronic toy than a certain threshold distance. Alternatively or additionally, the first control toy constructive element and / or the first additional electronic toy may detect which of a set of other control toy constructive elements and / or additional electronic toy is closest to the first control toy constructive element and / or the first additional electronic toy. Therefore, a first control toy construction element can control one or more interactive toy construction elements communicatively coupled to it to perform functions in response to detected proximity to one or more other control toy construction elements and / or additional electronic toys. Similarly, an additional electronic toy can perform functions in response to detected proximity and / or wirelessly transmit the detected proximity to another additional electronic toy or control toy construction element. Thus, a toy construction model can include two or more control toy construction elements, for example, communicatively coupled to corresponding one or more interactive toy construction elements. Control toy construction elements can be positioned anywhere within the model, not necessarily adjacent, for example, not necessarily adjacent to each other or even in direct physical contact, and outside the range of ultra-short-range communication. Two or more control toy construction elements can still detect each other and / or communicate with each other via short-range wireless communication. Therefore, the control toy construction elements are aware of each other. Furthermore, since each control toy construction element is communicatively coupled to one or more interactive toy construction elements via ultra-short-range communication, each control toy construction element is aware of the interactive toy construction element directly coupled to it. Furthermore, controlling the toy construction elements can even exchange information about the individual interactive toy construction elements to which they are communicatively coupled, thereby allowing coordinated behavior / function of the interactive toy construction elements across the entire model. Therefore, the embodiments of the toy construction system described herein provide a simple, inexpensive, yet powerful and flexible architecture for creating interactive, self-aware models.It will be understood that, in some embodiments, the control toy construction elements of one toy construction model can even wirelessly communicate with the control toy construction elements of another model, thereby providing interaction between models and allowing models to know that they are part of a game scene.

[0055] In some embodiments, the add-on electronic toy may include a camera or other image capturing device and is configured to capture one or more images of a game scene including one or more interactive toy constructs and / or controls of the toy constructs. In some embodiments, the add-on electronic toy may be configured to process the captured one or more images to detect one or more aspects of the game scene. For example, these aspects of the game scene that the add-on electronic toy may detect may include the detected relative proximity between interactive toy constructs and / or controls of the toy constructs, visible functions performed by one or more interactive toy constructs, identification of one or more toy constructs or other electronic toys, etc.

[0056] According to some embodiments, the toy construction system includes one or more relay toy construction elements, including: - A first communication circuit configured to wirelessly transmit signals and wirelessly collect energy; - Second communication circuit; The second communication circuit is configured to communicate with one or more of the plurality of interactive toy constructs and to wirelessly transmit the collected energy to the one or more interactive toy constructs.

[0057] The first and second communication circuits of the relay toy construction element can be separate circuits operatively coupled to each other, or they can be integrated into a single communication circuit, or at least share one or more components. The relay toy construction element can be a passive element or an energy-assisted toy construction element as described in conjunction with an interactive toy construction element. However, the relay toy construction element differs from the interactive toy construction element in that it does not include sensors or functional devices. Instead, the relay toy construction element relays communication signals and energy only between interactive toy construction elements or between control toy construction elements and interactive toy construction elements.

[0058] In some embodiments, the interactive toy construct element further includes a second communication circuit configured to communicate with one or more of the plurality of interactive toy construct elements and wirelessly forward collected energy to the one or more interactive toy construct elements. The first and second communication circuits of the interactive toy construct element may be separate circuits operatively coupled to each other, or they may be integrated into a single communication circuit or at least share one or more components. Attached Figure Description

[0059] Figure 1-3An example of an interactive toy construction element is shown.

[0060] Figure 4 A block diagram showing an example of an interactive toy construction element is provided.

[0061] Figure 5A -B shows an example of controlling the toy's structural components.

[0062] Figure 6A -C shows an example of a relay toy construction element.

[0063] Figure 7A -D illustrates an example of a toy construction model constructed from a toy construction system as described in this article.

[0064] Figure 8 Another example of a toy construction system is shown.

[0065] Figure 9 An example of a mechanism for transmitting data, such as configuration parameters and / or computer programs, to control toy construction elements is shown.

[0066] Figure 10 Another example of a toy construction model constructed from toy construction elements as described herein is illustrated schematically.

[0067] Figure 11-15 An example of the use of the toy construction system as described in this article is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0068] Various aspects and embodiments of a modular toy construction system comprising multiple interactive toy construction elements and one or more control toy construction elements will now be described with reference to a brick-shaped toy construction element. In this particular and corresponding embodiment, the interactive toy construction element and the control toy construction element each have a housing, which is typically shaped as an orthogonal polyhedron with flat sides and having connecting members extending from its upper surface and cavities extending to its bottom surface. However, other shapes and sizes of interactive toy construction elements can be used, such as box-shaped or brick-shaped toy construction elements with different sizes and numbers of coupling members. Moreover, although the brick shape has proven particularly useful, the invention can be applied to other forms of toy construction elements used in game applications, educational applications, etc.

[0069] Figure 1An example of an interactive toy construction element is shown, generally designated 100. Specifically, the interactive toy construction element includes a generally box-shaped housing 101 with a connecting bolt 104 extending from its top surface and a cavity extending from the bottom into the element. This cavity is defined by a sidewall 102 and a centrally extending downward tube 103. A connecting bolt of another toy construction element can be received in the cavity in a frictionally engaged manner, as disclosed in US3005282. Construction elements shown in the remaining figures have this known type of connecting member in the form of mating bolts and cavities. However, other types of connecting members may be used in addition to or in place of bolts and cavities. The connecting bolts are arranged across the top surface in a square planar grid, defining an orthogonal direction along which the sequence of connecting bolts is arranged. The distance between adjacent connecting bolts is uniform and equal in both directions. This or similar arrangement of the connecting members at the connection locations defining a regular planar grid allows the toy construction elements to interconnect in a discrete number of positions and orientations relative to each other, particularly at right angles relative to each other. Therefore, in the constructed model, the connecting components of multiple toy construction elements can be located at grid points relative to the three-dimensional mesh defined by the toy construction model.

[0070] In some embodiments, the toy construction elements are made of plastic materials, such as thermoplastic polymers or other suitable materials. The toy construction elements may be manufactured, for example, by injection molding or other suitable manufacturing processes.

[0071] The interactive toy construction element 100 includes a sensor in the form of a microphone 106 and a functional device in the form of a speaker 105 or other sound source, all housed within a housing 101 of the interactive toy construction element. Other examples of interactive toy construction elements may include another type of sensor and / or another type of functional device, as will be described in more detail below.

[0072] For example, Figure 2 It shows the relationship with Figure 1 Another example of an interactive toy construction element similar to the one shown is generally represented by 200. However, Figure 2 The interactive toy's structural components include a light sensor 206 that replaces a microphone and an LED or other suitable light source 205 that replaces a speaker.

[0073] same, Figure 3 It shows the relationship with Figure 1 Another example of an interactive toy construction element similar to the one described above, generally indicated by 300. However, Figure 3The interactive toy construction element 300 includes a tubular bore 315 extending through the housing and configured to receive a shaft, such as a shaft with a suitable cross-section, e.g., a cross-shaped cross-section. The interactive toy construction element 300 includes a motor for applying torque to the shaft extending into the bore and a rotary encoder configured to detect the angular position of the shaft. The motor and encoder are housed within the housing 101, and... Figure 3 It is not visible in the middle.

[0074] Figure 1-3 The interactive toy construction elements are similar in construction. They all have the same overall shape, allowing them to be interchangeably inserted into toy construction models and easily attached to each other. They also all include sensors, functional devices, communication circuitry, and first and second sensing elements, as referenced... Figure 4 To describe in more detail. Figure 1-3 The interactive toy construction elements differ only in the types of sensors and functional devices they include. However, it should be understood that other embodiments of the toy construction system may include interactive toy construction elements of different shapes or sizes, for example, to accommodate specific sensors of functional devices and / or to make them easier for the user to distinguish.

[0075] Figure 4 Examples are shown Figure 1-3 A schematic block diagram of an example of an interactive toy construction element, shown as one of the interactive toy construction elements, generally indicated by 400.

[0076] The interactive toy construction element includes a housing 101 defining a top surface on which the connecting member 104 as described above is provided. The interactive toy construction element also includes a communication circuit 409, a first sensing element 407 and a second sensing element 408, a sensor 406 and a functional device 405 housed within the housing 101.

[0077] The first and second sensing elements may include corresponding loops or coils of conductive wires, strips, etc. Figure 4In the example, the first sensing element 407 is arranged near the bottom surface of the toy construction element and substantially defines a plane parallel to the bottom surface. Similarly, the second sensing element 408 is arranged near the top surface of the toy construction element and substantially defines a plane parallel to the top surface. In this way, when another interactive toy construction element, control toy construction element, or relay toy construction element is adjacent to the housing 101, particularly when the other interactive toy construction element, control toy construction element, or relay toy construction element is attached to the housing 101 via a corresponding connecting member, the first sensing element can provide inductive coupling with the corresponding second sensing element of the other interactive toy construction element, control toy construction element, or relay toy construction element, as described herein. Therefore, the interactive toy construction element can communicate with and harvest energy from said other interactive toy construction element, control toy construction element, or relay toy construction element.

[0078] Similarly, the second sensing element 408 may provide inductive coupling with a corresponding first sensing element of another interactive toy construction element, control toy construction element, or relay toy construction element to communicate and allow the other interactive toy construction element, control toy construction element, or relay toy construction element to harvest energy from the second sensing element 408.

[0079] Communication via appropriate inductive coupling can utilize any suitable communication technology for ultra-short-range communication, such as near-field communication. Energy harvesting can utilize any suitable mechanism for contactless inductive energy transfer between the sensing elements. Communication and energy transfer are controlled by communication circuitry 409.

[0080] Therefore, the interactive toy's structural elements can receive electrical energy via the sensing element 407 to power the communication circuit 409, the sensor 406, and the functional device 405. Furthermore, the interactive toy's structural elements can receive control signals and control the functional device in response to the received control signals. Specifically, the control signals can represent the on / off signals and / or other operating parameters of the functional device. For example, when the functional device is a motor, the control signal can represent the direction and / or speed of rotation. Similarly, when the functional device is a speaker, the control signal can indicate the volume and / or audio content to be played; when the functional device is a light source, the control signal can indicate the brightness and / or color of the light to be emitted.

[0081] Communication can be bidirectional, allowing interactive toy constructs to communicate their identity and / or operational characteristics, for example, by transmitting unique identifiers and / or identifiers that identify the type of interactive toy construct, such as whether it includes a motor, light source, speaker, etc. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the interactive toy construct can transmit sensor signals representing quantities sensed by sensor 406. Additionally, the interactive toy construct can transmit identifiers of other interactive toy constructs that identify a chain or network of interconnected interactive toy constructs, as described below. For this purpose, the communication circuitry may include a memory for storing the IDs of the interactive toy constructs and / or identifiers received from neighboring interactive toy constructs.

[0082] The interactive toy's structural elements can further forward control signals received via one of the sensing elements to another sensing element. Similarly, the interactive toy's structural elements can inductively transmit electrical energy that the interactive toy's structural elements have already received via one of the sensing elements via another sensing element.

[0083] Data communication and / or power transfer via the sensing elements are controlled by communication circuitry 409. The communication circuitry can perform functions related to implementing appropriate communication protocols, such as data encoding / decoding, message arbitration, error correction, etc. It should be understood that in some embodiments, the interactive toy construction element may include separate communication circuitry associated with each sensing element. Furthermore, the communication circuitry can control the operation of functional devices and / or sensors, or at least receive sensor signals from sensors and forward control signals to functional devices. Alternatively, the interactive toy construction element may include separate control circuitry communicatively coupled to communication circuitry 409.

[0084] It should be understood that it is possible to... Figure 4 Several modifications are made to the interactive toy construction elements. For example, some embodiments of the interactive toy construction element may include only a single sensing element, which can be used to collect and relay electrical energy and for upstream and downstream communication. Another alternative embodiment of the interactive toy construction element may only receive electrical energy without inductively relaying it to another toy construction element. Furthermore, some embodiments of the interactive toy construction element may include one or more sensing elements near one or more sides of the interactive toy construction element to allow communication and / or energy transfer on said sides. Such sensing elements may be provided in addition to or in lieu of sensing elements adjacent to the top and bottom surfaces. Furthermore, some interactive toy construction elements may include only functional devices without sensors, and vice versa.

[0085] The sensor can be a light sensor, a sound sensor, a rotary encoder, a proximity sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and / or any other suitable sensor.

[0086] The functional device may be a light source such as an LED, a speaker, a motor, and / or another functional device operable to perform a user-perceptible function.

[0087] Figure 5A -B shows an example of control toy construction elements generally represented by 500. Specifically, Figure 5A A view showing the control of the toy's structural components is provided, while Figure 5B A schematic block diagram of a control toy construction element is shown. The control toy construction element includes a housing 101, which has a connecting... Figure 1 The connecting components 103 and 104 are mentioned above.

[0088] In addition, the control toy's structural components include a processing unit 511 housed within the housing, first and second communication circuits 517 and 518 respectively, first and second sensing elements 507 and 508 respectively, an energy storage device 514, a wireless communication circuit 512, and an antenna 513.

[0089] The processing unit 511 may include, for example, one or more microcontrollers, one or more microprocessors and / or one or more other suitable processing units or combinations thereof.

[0090] Energy storage device 514 may be a rechargeable energy storage device, such as a rechargeable battery, a rechargeable capacitor, etc. Energy storage device 514 is configured to provide electrical energy to other components controlling the toy's structural elements, including energy to be inductively transferred to other toy structural elements via sensing elements 507 and 508.

[0091] The first and second sensing elements 507 and 508 may each comprise corresponding loops or coils of conductive wire, strip, etc. In the example of FIG. 5, the first sensing element 507 is arranged near the bottom surface of the toy construction element and substantially defines a plane parallel to the bottom surface. Similarly, the second sensing element 508 is arranged near the top surface of the toy construction element and substantially defines a plane parallel to the top surface. In this way, when the interactive toy construction element or the relay toy construction element is adjacent to the housing 101, particularly when the interactive toy construction element or the relay toy construction element is attached to the housing 101 via a corresponding connecting member, the first sensing element can provide inductive coupling with the corresponding second sensing element of the interactive toy construction element or the relay toy construction element, as described herein. Therefore, the control toy construction element can communicate with the interactive toy construction element or the relay toy construction element and inductively provide energy to it.

[0092] Similarly, the second sensing element 408 may provide inductive coupling with a corresponding first sensing element of the interactive toy construction element or the relay toy construction element for communication and for inductively transmitting electrical energy to the interactive toy construction element or the relay toy construction element.

[0093] Such as combination Figure 4 As described in the interactive toy's construction elements, communication via the various inductive couplings can utilize any suitable communication technology for ultra-short-range communication, such as near-field communication. Energy harvesting can utilize any suitable mechanism for non-contact inductive energy transfer between the sensing elements.

[0094] Therefore, the control toy construction element can supply electrical power to other toy construction elements via sensing element 507 or sensing element 508. Furthermore, the control toy construction element can transmit control signals to interactive toy construction elements that are directly or indirectly inductively coupled to it, in order to control the functional devices of such interactive toy construction elements.

[0095] The control toy construction element can also receive signals from this inductively coupled interactive toy construction element, such as signals representing the identity and / or operational characteristics of this interactive toy construction element and / or sensor data representing the amount sensed by the sensors of the interactive toy construction element.

[0096] Data communication and / or energy transfer via the sensing element are controlled by corresponding communication circuits 517 and 518, respectively. The communication circuits can perform functions related to implementing appropriate communication protocols, such as data encoding / decoding, message arbitration, error correction, etc. It should be understood that in some embodiments, communication circuits 517 and 518 can be integrated into a single circuit.

[0097] The control toy construction element also includes a wireless communication circuit 512 and an antenna 513 coupled thereto. The communication circuit 512 may include, for example, a communication transceiver connected to the processing unit 511 and operable for short-range radio frequency communication with other control toy construction elements and / or with one or more other electronic devices (e.g., with one or more additional electronic toys). Short-range radio frequency communication can be achieved using Bluetooth technology or another suitable communication technology such as Wi-Fi. The wireless communication circuit 512 may also be operable to harvest energy from electromagnetic fields (e.g., RF electromagnetic fields used for communication) in the environment of the control toy construction element. The harvested energy can be used to charge the rechargeable energy storage device 514. Alternatively or additionally, the control toy construction element may be operable to be charged in different ways, such as via one of the sensing elements, via a wired connector, etc.

[0098] Processing unit 511 is configured (e.g., by means of a suitable program executed on the processing unit) to control communication circuitry and process data received from interactive toy constructs, other control toy constructs, and / or additional electronic toys or other external processing devices communicatively coupled to the control toy constructs via communication circuits 517 and 518 and / or via wireless communication circuit 512. The processing unit also creates control data and / or other data that will be sent to the interactive toy constructs, other control toy constructs, and / or additional electronic toys communicatively coupled to the control toy constructs via communication circuits 517 and 518 and / or via wireless communication circuit 512. This data may, for example, include control data for controlling functional devices of the interactive toy constructs.

[0099] Specifically, the processing unit can execute a control process that determines control data in response to received sensor data and / or other data. Furthermore, the processing unit can determine the physical topology of one or more interactive toy construction elements inductively coupled to the control toy construction elements. Additionally, the control toy construction elements can transmit identification data, information about the determined physical topology, and / or other information to other control toy construction elements and / or with one or more additional electronic toys.

[0100] The wireless communication circuit 512 may also be operated to detect the signal strength of the received wireless communication signal to allow the processing unit 511 to determine, at least within the communication range of the wireless communication circuit, an estimate of the relative distance to another control toy construct or additional electronic toy. Alternatively or additionally, the processing unit may be configured to estimate the distance to another control toy construct and / or other electronic toy in another manner (or at least detect the presence of such control toy construct or other electronic toy in the vicinity of control toy construct 500).

[0101] It should be understood that several modifications can be made to the control toy construction element of Figure 5. For example, some embodiments of the control toy construction element may include only a single sensing element. Furthermore, some embodiments of the control toy construction element may include one or more sensing elements near one or more sides of the control toy construction element to allow communication and / or power transfer on said sides. Such sensing elements may be provided in addition to or in lieu of sensing elements near the top and bottom surfaces. Additionally, some control toy construction elements may also include functional devices and / or sensors.

[0102] Figure 6A -B shows an example of a relay toy construction element generally represented by 600. Specifically, Figure 6A A view of the relay toy's structural components is shown, while Figure 6BA schematic block diagram of a relay toy construction element is shown. The relay toy construction element includes a housing 101, which has a connecting... Figure 1 The connecting components 103 and 104 are mentioned above.

[0103] In addition, the relay toy's structural components include first and second sensing elements 607 and 608, respectively housed inside the housing.

[0104] The first and second sensing elements 607 and 608 may each include corresponding loops or coils of conductive wires, strips, etc., and they may be combined as follows. Figure 4 Arranged as described. The sensing elements are optionally electrically connected to each other via suitable communication circuitry.

[0105] Therefore, a relay toy construction element can receive electrical energy and / or communication signals via one of the sensing elements, and forward (i.e., relay) the received energy and / or signals to another toy construction element via another sensing element. Thus, a control toy construction element can be inductively coupled to an interactive toy construction element via one or more relay toy construction elements, thereby allowing the interactive toy construction element and the control toy construction element to be spaced apart from each other, thereby increasing the flexibility of constructing the control structure.

[0106] As described above, interactive toy construction elements can operate as relay toy construction elements in addition to performing functions through functional devices and / or sensing physical quantities through sensors.

[0107] It should be understood that several modifications can be made to the relay toy construction elements of Figure 6, for example, in terms of the number and geometric arrangement of the sensing elements, such as as described in combination with interactive toy construction elements and / or control toy construction elements.

[0108] For example, Figure 6C Another example of a relay toy construction element with multiple sensing elements 607A-B and 608A-B is shown for relaying electrical energy and communication signals along multiple paths, thereby allowing users to construct more complex toy construction models.

[0109] Figure 7A -D illustrates an example of a toy construction model constructed from a toy construction system as described herein. Specifically, the toy construction model includes one or more controllable toy construction elements, such as those used in conjunction with... Figure 5A -B, as described, one or more interactive toy construction elements, such as those combined Figure 1-4 The aforementioned, and optionally one or more relay toy construction elements, such as those combined with Figure 6A As stated in -C. Although it is unnecessary to elaborate further for the sake of clarity... Figure 7A-D explicitly shows, but it should be understood that examples of toy construction models may include other toy construction elements, including toy construction elements other than interactive, control, and relay toy construction elements.

[0110] Figure 7A A toy construction model is schematically shown, comprising a control toy construction element 500 and an interactive toy construction element 400, stacked on top of the control toy construction element, such that the two elements are interconnected via their respective connecting members. The control toy construction element and the interactive toy construction element are inductively coupled via a first sensing element 407 of the interactive toy construction element and a second sensing element 508 of the control toy construction element. Therefore, the control toy construction element can inductively forward a portion of the electrical energy stored in the energy storage device 514 to the interactive toy construction element 400 to drive the functional device 405 of the interactive toy construction element. Furthermore, the control toy construction element can receive sensor signals from the sensor 406 of the interactive toy construction element 400, process the received sensor signals to generate control signals, and forward the generated control signals to the interactive toy construction element to control the functional device 405 of the interactive toy construction element 400.

[0111] Figure 7B Another example of a toy construction model is schematically illustrated. The toy construction model includes a control toy construction element 500, three interactive toy construction elements 400A-C, and a relay toy construction element 600. The toy construction elements are stacked on top of each other, such that adjacent elements are interconnected through their respective coupling members. The control toy construction element 500 is inductively coupled to the interactive toy construction element 400A, as if combined... Figure 7A As stated above.

[0112] Furthermore, interactive toy component 400A and interactive toy component 400B are inductively coupled via a first sensing element 407B of interactive toy component 400B and a second sensing element 408A of interactive toy component 400A. Therefore, interactive toy component 400A can forward electrical energy received from control toy component 500 to interactive toy component 400B. Additionally, interactive toy component 400A can relay sensor signals and control signals between control toy component 500 and interactive toy component 400B, meaning control toy component 500 is indirectly inductively coupled to toy component 400B.

[0113] In a similar manner, the control toy construction element 500 is indirectly and inductively coupled to the interactive toy construction element 400C, i.e., via the relay toy construction element 600.

[0114] Therefore, the control toy construction element 500 can supply electrical power to each interactive toy construction element 400A-C and receive sensor signals from each sensor 406A-C of the corresponding interactive toy construction element. Thus, the control toy construction element 500 can control the functional devices 405A-C of various interactive toy construction elements based on the various received sensor signals. For example, the control toy construction element 500 can control the functional device 405B of interactive toy construction element 400B in response to sensor signals received from sensor 406C of interactive toy construction element 400C. This allows for relatively complex interactions using only a few simple toy construction elements.

[0115] Those skilled in the art will understand that the control toy construction element 500 and the interactive toy construction elements 400A-C can implement a bus architecture to allow the control toy construction element 500 to logically address one of the interactive toy construction elements. For this purpose, each interactive toy construction element can include an ID configured to be returned when queried. The ID can then be passed along the stack to the control toy construction element, which can then establish a digital representation of the topology of the stack of toy construction elements, including information about the corresponding type of interactive toy construction elements in the stack. It should be understood that some embodiments of the toy construction model can allow users to construct more complex bus or network structures, such as using... Figure 6C The relay toy construction components shown.

[0116] Figure 7C Another example of a toy construction model is illustrated schematically. The toy construction model includes two control toy construction elements 500A-B stacked on top of each other, and two interactive toy construction elements 300A-B stacked on top of each other and on top of the control toy construction elements 500A-B.

[0117] In this example, each of the interactive toy construction elements 300A-B includes, as in combination Figure 3 The motor mentioned above.

[0118] As shown in Figure 5, each of the two control toy construction elements includes an energy storage device and a processing unit. Therefore, including two or more inductively coupled control toy construction elements in the model provides additional energy that can be used to drive various functional devices of the interactive toy construction elements inductively coupled to the control toy construction elements. Alternatively or additionally, the processing unit of the control toy construction element can implement appropriate load-sharing processes to allow for more complex control mechanisms. For example, the control toy construction element can control various subgroups of inductively coupled interactive toy construction elements of the toy construction model.

[0119] Similarly, including two or more inductively coupled interactive toy construction elements in the model allows these elements to complement each other to perform combined functions. Figure 7C In a specific example, each of the interactive toy's structural elements includes a central hole for receiving the shaft 721, as in combination Figure 3 As stated above. Figure 7C In one embodiment, the holes of the stacked interactive toy construction elements 300A-B are aligned with each other to allow a shaft to extend into both holes simultaneously. Therefore, the motors of both interactive toy construction elements are operable to drive the shaft, allowing a larger torque to be applied to the shaft.

[0120] It should be understood that other types of interactive toy construction elements can provide other types of combined functions. For example, two inductively coupled interactive toy construction elements, each with its own light source, can emit higher light intensity and / or multiple colors of light, etc.

[0121] Furthermore, the individual sensors of the inductively coupled interactive toy's structural elements can complement each other to provide combined sensor signals.

[0122] Figure 7D Two separate toy construction models are shown. The first toy construction model includes a control toy construction element 500A and an interactive toy construction element 400A, which are mechanically and inductively coupled to the control toy construction element 500A, for example, as combined Figure 7A As stated above.

[0123] The second toy construction model also includes a control toy construction element 500B and an interactive toy construction element 400B, which are mechanically and inductively coupled to the control toy construction element 500B.

[0124] The control toy components 500A and 500B include corresponding wireless communication circuits for short-range communication, such as combined with... Figure 5A-B. This allows the control toy construction elements 500A-B to detect each other's presence and communicate with each other within a short-range communication range. Therefore, the control toy construction elements 500A-B can exchange control signals and / or information related to their respective interactive toy construction elements inductively coupled to them. The exchanged information may include the type and / or identity of the respective interactive toy construction element and / or their operating status and / or sensor signals from their respective sensors. Therefore, the processing unit of the control toy construction element 500A can be configured to control the functional means of the interactive toy construction element 400A inductively coupled to it in response to the detected presence of the control toy construction element 500B. Control can even be responsive to information received from the control toy construction element 500B, such as the type of the interactive toy construction element 400B, its operating parameters, sensor signals received from it, etc. It should be understood that the interactive toy construction elements 400A-B can be of the same type (e.g., they can all include motors) or can be of different types. Similarly, one or two control toy construction elements can be connected and inductively coupled to more than one interactive toy construction element. Furthermore, in some embodiments, two or more control toy construction elements can communicate wirelessly with each other.

[0125] Although Figure 7D The examples illustrate two physically separate and unconnected toy construction models. However, it should be understood that a single, coherent toy construction model can also include multiple control toy construction elements that are not inductively coupled to each other, for example, because they are connected to the model at two corresponding locations that are far apart, thus achieving inductive coupling. Therefore, such wireless short-range communication between control toy construction elements allows for coordinated control of the functions of different parts of a larger model, such as different wheels of a larger vehicle.

[0126] Wireless communication between toy construction elements allows for more complex play scenarios involving larger toy construction models and / or multiple individual models, as the functionality of different models or different parts of a larger model can be controlled in a coordinated manner. However, this coordinated control can be achieved through a distributed control scheme without the need for a large, bulky, and expensive central controller.

[0127] Figure 8 Another example of a toy construction model is shown, which includes a control toy construction element 500 and an interactive toy construction element 400, which are physically attached to and inductively coupled to the control toy construction element 500, for example, as combined Figure 7A As stated above.

[0128] The wireless communication circuitry controlling toy construction element 500 can be configured to establish wireless communication with one or more other remote electronic devices, such as tablet computer 810, electronic toy 820, or another processing device. This wireless communication allows the remote electronic device to communicate with one or more control toy construction elements of the same or different individual toy construction models. The remote electronic device can thus receive information about the interactive toy construction element 400 inductively coupled to the control toy construction element 500, including information about its type and / or sensor signals. The remote electronic device can display or otherwise represent the received information, for example, by presenting digital content corresponding to the received information. Alternatively or additionally, the remote electronic device can be operated to control the operation of both the control toy construction element 500 and the interactive toy construction element 400.

[0129] The remote electronic device is also operable to provide a user interface to allow a user to interact with the control toy construction element 500 and thus with the interactive toy construction element 400. The remote electronic device is also operable to reprogram the control toy construction element 500 to define new behaviors of the toy construction model including the control toy construction element 500.

[0130] It will be understood that the control toy construction element 500 can be connected to and inductively coupled to one or more interactive toy construction elements. Moreover, in some embodiments, two or more control toy construction elements can simultaneously communicate wirelessly with a remote electronic device.

[0131] exist Figure 8 In the example, the control toy construction element 500 communicates with two remote electronic devices, namely a properly programmed tablet computer 810 and an electronic toy 820.

[0132] The electronic toy 820 is in the form of a doll or plush toy, and includes a processing unit 811, an energy storage device 814, a wireless communication circuit 812, and an antenna 813 housed inside the doll.

[0133] The processing unit 811 may include, for example, one or more microcontrollers, one or more microprocessors and / or one or more other suitable processing units or combinations thereof.

[0134] The energy storage device 814 can be a rechargeable energy storage device, such as a rechargeable battery or a rechargeable capacitor. The energy storage device 814 is configured to provide electrical power to other components of the electronic toy.

[0135] The wireless communication circuit 812 may include, for example, a communication transceiver connected to the processing unit 811 and operable for short-range radio frequency communication with the control toy's structural elements and / or one or more other electronic devices or additional electronic toys. Short-range radio frequency communication may be achieved using Bluetooth technology or another suitable communication technology such as Wi-Fi. The wireless communication circuit 812 may also be operable to harvest energy from electromagnetic fields (e.g., RF electromagnetic fields for communication) in the environment controlling the toy's structural elements. The harvested energy may be used to charge the rechargeable energy storage device 514. Alternatively or additionally, the electronic toy may be operable to be charged in different ways, such as inductively, via a wired connector, etc.

[0136] The processing unit 811 is configured (e.g., by means of a suitable program executed on the processing unit) to control the communication circuitry and process data received from one or more controllable toy constructs and / or from additional electronic toys or other external processing devices communicatively coupled to the electronic toy 820 via the wireless communication circuit 812. The processing unit also creates control data and / or other data to send to one or more controllable toy constructs and / or additional electronic toys communicatively coupled to the electronic toy 820 via the wireless communication circuit 812. This data may, for example, include control data for controlling the functional means of the interactive toy constructs.

[0137] Specifically, the processing unit can perform a control process that determines control data in response to received sensor data and / or other data. The wireless communication circuitry can be further operable to detect the signal strength of received wireless communication signals to allow the processing unit to determine, at least within the communication range of the wireless communication circuitry, an estimate of the relative distance to the control toy's structural element or another electronic toy. Alternatively or additionally, the processing unit can be configured to estimate the distance to the control toy's structural element and / or other electronic toy in another manner (or at least detect the presence in the vicinity of electronic toy 820). The processing unit can therefore perform processing based on such estimated distances. In some embodiments, electronic toy 820 may include one or more sensors, such as light sensors, sound sensors, proximity sensors, accelerometers, etc., and the processing unit can be configured to perform processing based on quantities sensed by such sensors. Alternatively or additionally, the electronic toy may include functional devices, such as light sources, sound sources, motors, etc., and the processing unit can be configured to control functional devices, such as in response to sensed quantities, received information, etc.

[0138] For example, the aforementioned electronic components can be housed within appropriate portions of the figure, such as the torso. The figure can consist of multiple toy construction elements, such as a central portion including the electronic components and one or more additional portions, such as a head, legs, and / or arms that can be detachably attached to the central portion.

[0139] In other embodiments, the control toy construction element 500 may communicate with a single remote electronic device or with two or more remote electronic devices. Furthermore, the one or more remote electronic devices may be different types of devices, such as different types of computers, different types of electronic toys, etc. For example, electronic toys may have different physical appearances than dolls or figurines.

[0140] As described above, the wireless communication circuitry controlling the toy construction element 500 may further include a wireless energy harvesting circuit configured to harvest electrical energy from an electromagnetic field (e.g., from an RF communication system). The energy harvesting circuitry may be configured to charge an energy storage device controlling the toy construction element. In some embodiments, this may be done continuously at a low charging rate. In some embodiments, the toy construction system includes a dedicated charger device configured to wirelessly charge one or more toy construction elements simultaneously.

[0141] Typically, control toy construction elements can be pre-programmed to respond to sensor signals and other received information in a predetermined manner. Alternatively or additionally, control toy construction elements can be configured to achieve adaptive behavior, such as time-varying behavior, or in response to received inputs.

[0142] Controlling toy components can be manufactured with pre-programmed behavior. Alternatively or additionally, the controlling toy components can be reprogrammed by the user. For this purpose, the program executed by the processing unit of the controlling toy component can be received by the controlling toy component via inductive data transmission through one of the sensing elements of the controlling toy component or via wireless short-range communication through a wireless short-range communication circuit of the controlling toy component, for example, as in combination with... Figure 8 As mentioned above, some tablets, smartphones, or other electronic devices also allow for ultra-short-range communication, such as via near-field communication.

[0143] Figure 9 Another example of a mechanism for transmitting data (such as configuration parameters and / or computer programs) to a control toy construction element is shown. In this example, the control toy construction element 500 is configured to read data from an RFID tag 923 or from another sensing-readable device (e.g., via one of the sensing elements of the control toy construction element). The RFID tag may include a memory thereon storing configuration data, program data, etc. When the control toy construction element 500 is sufficiently close to the tag 923, the control toy construction element powers the tag and reads the data stored by the tag.

[0144] Therefore, in some embodiments, the toy construction set may include multiple toy construction elements, including one or more controllable toy construction elements and one or more interactive toy construction elements. The toy construction set may further include construction instructions that provide instructions or guidance on how to construct a toy construction model from the toy construction elements of the toy construction set. The construction instructions may be provided, for example, in the form of a booklet on a suitable medium, such as paper. The medium may have a label 923 attached to or embedded therein. The construction instructions may instruct a user to place the controllable toy construction element near the label to program the controllable toy construction element by reading appropriate program or configuration data from the label. It should be understood that the label may be provided in other ways, such as embedded in a box, container, packaging, etc., that includes the toy construction element.

[0145] It should be understood that other mechanisms for transmitting data to control toy components can be used, such as reading visible codes, ultrasonic communication, infrared communication, etc.

[0146] Figure 10 Another example of a toy construction model constructed from toy construction elements as described herein is illustrated schematically. Figure 10 In the example, toy construction model 1024 is a vehicle such as a car, but it is certainly understood that toy construction models representing other objects can be constructed. Toy construction model 1024 is constructed from multiple conventional toy construction elements and multiple control and interactive toy construction elements, such that each interactive toy construction element is inductively coupled (directly or indirectly) to at least one of the control toy construction elements. Figure 10 In a specific example, the toy construction model includes four control toy construction elements 500A-D, each physically connected and inductively coupled to a corresponding interactive toy construction element 300A-D, for example, as combined with Figure 7A Each interactive toy construction element 300A-D includes a motor for driving a shaft 721A-D, which is inserted into a hole in the interactive toy construction element. Each shaft is attached to a corresponding wheel 1023A-D, such that each interactive toy construction element is operable to drive a corresponding wheel.

[0147] The control toy components are spaced apart within the model and are non-inductively coupled. However, they can communicate wirelessly with each other via their respective wireless communication interfaces over short range. This allows for coordinated control of individual motors. For example, one control toy component can act as a master controller, sending control signals to another control toy component; these control signals include, for example, on / off signals, speed and / or direction signals. Alternatively, all control toy components can communicate with and be controlled by a remote electronic device, such as a combination of... Figure 8In other embodiments, each control toy construction element can operate autonomously. For example, each control toy construction element can control a motor of an interactive toy construction element inductively coupled thereto in response to sensor signals from an encoder included in an interactive toy construction element inductively coupled thereto. Specifically, in one example, when the encoder detects that a wheel is rotating due to external torque (e.g., because a user pushes the vehicle across a surface), the control toy construction element can control the motor in the same direction as the detected rotation, for example, for a predetermined time period or for a time depending on the duration of the detected wheel rotation.

[0148] Figure 11 An example of the use of the toy construction system as described herein is shown. In particular, Figure 11 A toy assembly is shown, comprising an electronic toy 820 and toy construction elements 1110 and 1120 from which toy construction models have already been constructed. Specifically, the toy assembly includes control toy construction elements 500A-B and interactive toy construction elements 100, 200, and 300. Control toy construction elements 500A-B are combined with… Figure 5A The control toy components described in -B differ in that... Figure 11 The control toy's structural elements are instead shaped like relatively flat bricks. Similarly, the interactive toy's structural elements 100 are combined as follows: Figure 1 The interactive toy construction element 200 includes a speaker. The interactive toy construction element 200 is configured as follows: Figure 2 The interactive toy construction elements include an LED light source, but... Figure 11 The interactive toy construction element 200 is formed into a relatively flat brick instead of a solid brick. The interactive toy construction element 300 is combined as follows: Figure 3 The interactive toy construction element includes a motor for driving a shaft 1121 in a hole in a housing that can be inserted into the interactive toy construction element 300. Figure 11 Interactive toy construction element 300 and Figure 3 The difference in the example is that the hole for receiving the shaft 1121 is located on the side of the housing rather than the top surface.

[0149] The electronic toy 820 is in the form of a doll or figurine, such as a combination of... Figure 8 Specifically, the electronic toy includes a wireless communication circuit operable to communicate with corresponding wireless communication circuits controlling the toy's structural elements 500A and 500B.

[0150] Toy construction model 1110 includes a control toy construction element 500A, interactive toy construction elements 100 and 200, and additional non-interactive toy construction elements, such as conventional toy construction elements. In this particular example, the additional toy construction element includes a transparent dome-shaped cover 1111, which can be attached to the interactive toy construction element 200 to create a gap for accommodating another toy construction element 1112. Thus, light emitted from the light source of the interactive toy construction element 200 illuminates the toy construction element 1112 and provides a visible effect that can be observed by the user through the transparent dome-shaped cover. Interactive toy construction elements 100 and 200 are both physically attached and inductively coupled to the control toy construction element 500A.

[0151] The toy construction model 1120 includes a control toy construction element 500B, an interactive toy construction element 300, and additional non-interactive toy construction elements, such as conventional toy construction elements. In this particular example, the additional toy construction elements include: a shaft 1121 that inserts into a hole in the interactive toy construction element 300; and an elongated rod 1122 attached to the shaft 1121 such that the rod can pivot between a lowered position and a raised position. The interactive toy construction element 300 is physically attached to and inductively coupled to the control toy construction element 500B.

[0152] The control toy construction element 500A can be configured to detect the presence of an electronic toy 820 in the vicinity of the control toy construction element 500A. In response to such detection, the control toy construction element 500A can control the interactive toy construction element 200 to emit light and control the interactive toy construction element 100 to emit sound, such as a simulated siren. In some embodiments, the properties of the light (e.g., flashing frequency, color, intensity, etc.) and / or the properties of the sound (e.g., volume, pitch, etc.) can be controlled by the control toy construction element in response to the type of the detected electronic toy 820, in response to an estimated distance from the electronic toy, etc.

[0153] Controlling toy construction elements 500A can also communicate with controlling toy construction element 500B via their respective wireless short-range communication circuits. For example, controlling toy construction element 500A can convey information about a detected electronic toy 820 to controlling toy construction element 500B. In response to the received information, controlling toy construction element 500B can control interactive toy construction element 300 to operate a motor to raise or lower lever 1122. Alternatively or additionally, controlling toy construction element 500B can be triggered to control the operation of interactive toy construction element 300 in a different manner. For example, toy construction model 1120 may further include another interactive toy construction element that includes a sound sensor and is inductively coupled to controlling toy construction element 500B. Thus, controlling toy construction element 500B can be configured to control interactive toy construction element 300 in response to detected sound (e.g., a sound emitted by interactive toy construction element 100 of toy construction model 1110). Alternatively or additionally, the operation of the interactive toy construction element 300 can be controlled by triggering the control toy construction element 500B to control the operation of the interactive toy construction element 300 by detecting manual movement of the rod 1122, for example by movement detected by a rotary encoder included in the interactive toy construction element 300.

[0154] Therefore, the above examples demonstrate that relatively engaging game scenarios can be achieved using only some of the relatively inexpensive interactive toy construction elements and control toy construction elements described herein.

[0155] In the following sections, various examples of other game scenarios that can be implemented using embodiments of the toy construction system described herein will be described.

[0156] Figure 12 Another example of a toy construction group is shown. Figure 12 The toy construction assembly includes, for example, combinations Figure 8 and 11 The described figurines 820A-C and toy construction model 1210 include one or more controllable toy construction elements and one or more interactive toy construction elements. The figurines can be combined with... Figure 11 The similar methods described communicate and interact with each other and / or with the toy construction model. For example, toy construction model 1210 may include a door that can be opened / closed when one of the dolls is detected in its vicinity.

[0157] Figure 12 Toy construction assembly and Figure 11 The difference in the examples is that, Figure 12The toy construct assembly also includes an additional electronic toy 820D, which includes a camera 821, a processing unit, a rechargeable energy storage device, and a speaker 822. Optionally, the electronic toy 820D may further include wireless communication circuitry operable to communicate with the wireless communication circuitry of the figurines 820A-C and / or with the control toy construct elements or interactive toy construct elements of the toy construct model 1210. The electronic toy 820D is operable to capture still or video images of a play scene including the figurines 820A-D and the toy construct model 1210, process the captured images, and detect one or more aspects of the play scene. Detectable aspects of the play scene may include the presence or absence of one or more figurines, the distance between the figurines and / or with the toy construct model 1210, interactions between the figurines and / or the toy construct model, etc.

[0158] The electronic toy 820D is operable to play audio content in response to various aspects of the detected game scene. Alternatively, the electronic toy 820D can send control signals to the control toy construction elements of the electronic toy 820A-C and / or the toy construction model 1210 to induce the function of one or more of these elements.

[0159] Figure 13 Another example of a toy construction group is shown. Figure 13 The toy construction group includes toy construction models 1310-1340, each including one or more control toy construction elements and one or more interactive toy construction elements. Specifically, toy construction model 1310 is an elongated rod constructed from multiple conventional toy construction elements and an interactive toy construction element 400 physically attached to and inductively coupled to the control toy construction element 500A. The interactive toy construction element 400 includes an accelerometer and is configured to transmit motion data to the control toy construction element 500A. Alternatively, the control toy construction element 500A may include an internal accelerometer.

[0160] Toy construction model 1320 includes a control toy construction element 500B and an interactive toy construction element 200, which are inductively coupled to the control toy construction element 500B and include, for example, Figure 2 The light source shown.

[0161] Toy construction model 1330 resembles a figurine and includes control elements for the toy's construction (in... Figure 13 Not clearly visible in the middle) and interactive toy construction elements (in Figure 13 (Not clearly visible in the image), it is inductively coupled to the control toy's structural elements and includes a motor for rotating the figure.

[0162] The toy construction model 1340 is similar to a musical instrument and includes control toy construction elements 500C-E and interactive toy construction elements 100A-C, each including a speaker and each inductively coupled to a corresponding one of the control toy construction elements 500C-E.

[0163] When the user moves the stick 1310, the movement is detected by the accelerometer of the interactive toy construction element 400; alternatively or additionally, the relative positions of the stick with respect to the toy construction elements 1320-1340 can be detected by the respective control toy construction elements, for example, based on the signal strength of the short-range wireless communication between them or based on the internal accelerometer.

[0164] In response to detected motion, the control toy construction element 500A can control the control toy construction elements of toy construction models 1320-1340 to cause the corresponding interactive toy construction elements inductively coupled to the control toy construction element to perform their various functions, such as causing the doll 1330 to rotate, the interactive toy construction element 200 to emit light, and / or the interactive toy construction elements 100A-C to play music.

[0165] Alternatively or additionally, the control toy construction elements of toy construction models 1320-1340 may control individual functions based on the proximity of the detected rod 1310 and / or based on the detected sound or light and / or based on control signals received from one or more other control toy construction elements.

[0166] Figure 14 This shows yet another example of a toy construction group. Figure 14 The toy construction assembly includes a combination of Figure 8 The electronic toy 820 in the form of a doll and the toy construction model 1410 are described. The toy construction model 1410 includes a control toy construction element 500 and an interactive toy construction element 300, which includes a combination of Figure 3 The motor is described above. The interactive toy construction element 300 is inductively coupled to the control toy construction element 500 and configured to rotate the rotatable portion 1411 of the toy construction model 1410, which is shaped like the head of an animal or other creature.

[0167] The doll 820 includes an accelerometer and wireless communication circuitry for transmitting control signals indicative of user-induced doll movement to the control toy construction element 500. In response to the received control signals, the control toy construction element 500 causes the interactive toy construction element 300 to operate its motors to mimic the movement detected by the rotatable head 1411.

[0168] Therefore, similar to Figure 11 For example, the doll can therefore be operated as a stick or controller, which can be operated to control the function of the toy construction model 1410.

[0169] Figure 15 This shows yet another example of a toy construction group. Figure 15 The toy construction group includes toy construction models 1510 and 1520, each including one or more control toy construction elements and one or more interactive toy construction elements. Specifically, toy construction model 1310 is a wearable toy construction model. It includes wearable components, such as a wristband 1511, which includes connecting members to which other toy construction elements can be attached. In this example, toy construction model 1510 includes a control toy construction element 500 and an interactive toy construction element 400, which includes an accelerometer and is inductively coupled and mechanically attached to the control construction element 500.

[0170] Toy construction element 1520 resembles a car. It includes one or more controllable toy construction elements and corresponding interactive toy construction elements (not explicitly shown) for driving one or more wheels of the car, such as in combination. Figure 10 The toy construction model 1520 also includes corresponding interactive toy construction elements (not explicitly shown) for controlling the toy construction elements and for actuating the steering mechanism of the vehicle.

[0171] When the wearable component is worn on a user's wrist, the interactive toy construction element 400 of the wearable toy construction model 1510 can thus detect the movement of the user's hand. The control toy construction element 500 transmits a corresponding control signal reflecting the detected movement to the control toy construction element of the toy construction model, which can control the wheels and steering mechanism in response to the detected movement, for example, thereby pushing and steering a car.

[0172] The embodiments of the control circuitry for the interactive modular building blocks described herein can be implemented by hardware comprising multiple different components and / or at least in part by a suitably programmed microprocessor.

[0173] In claims listing multiple means, these means may be embodied by the same element, component, or hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in different dependent claims or described in different embodiments does not imply that combinations of these measures cannot be advantageously used.

[0174] It should be emphasized that when the term "comprising" is used in this specification, it is used to specify the presence of the described feature, element, step, or component, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, steps, components, or groups thereof.

Claims

1. A modular toy construction system comprising a plurality of interactive toy construction elements (100, 200, 300, 400), each interactive toy construction element comprising a sensor (106, 206, 406) and / or a functional device (105, 205, 405) operable to perform a user-perceptible function; each interactive toy construction element further comprising a first communication circuit (409) configured to wirelessly transmit signals and wirelessly harvest energy to operate the functional device and / or the sensor; The toy construction system also includes at least one control toy construction element (500), which includes processing circuitry (511) and a second communication circuitry (517, 518); the second communication circuitry is configured to communicate with one or more of the plurality of interactive toy construction elements. in, The control toy construction elements and one or more sets of interactive toy construction elements are configured to form a network of communication nodes; Its features are, The processing circuit is configured to determine the network topology of the network; The control toy construction element is configured to detect the physical topology of the group of interactive toy construction elements in the toy construction model from a determined network topology when the control toy construction element and the group of interactive toy construction elements are directly or indirectly interconnected to form a toy construction model; and The processing circuitry is configured to control the interactive toy construction elements of the toy construction model based on the detected physical topology to provide the desired model behavior.

2. The modular toy construction system according to claim 1, wherein, The modular toy construction system is configured to apply structural rules for physically interconnecting the toy construction elements of the toy construction system; and wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to use the structural rules to detect the physical topology.

3. The modular toy construction system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first communication circuit is configured for contactless ultra-short-range communication and for contactless energy transfer.

4. The modular toy construction system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The at least one control toy construction element includes a rechargeable energy storage device (514).

5. The modular toy construction system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The processing circuitry is configured to receive sensor data from one or more interactive toy constructs and generate control signals for controlling user-perceptible functions of one or more interactive toy constructs.

6. The modular toy construction system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The second communication circuit is also configured to wirelessly transmit energy to the one or more interactive toy construction elements.

7. The modular toy construction system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The first and second communication circuits are configured for contactless ultra-short-range communication and for contactless energy transfer.

8. The modular toy construction system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The control toy's structural components include energy receiving circuits (507, 517, 508, 518) for wirelessly receiving energy and charging the energy storage device.

9. The modular toy construction system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The control toy construction element is configured to detect the presence of one or more other control toy construction elements in the vicinity of the control toy construction element.

10. A modular toy construction system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The control toy construction element is configured to receive and store one or more program instructions for controlling the behavior of the control toy construction element.

11. The modular toy construction system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The processing unit of at least one of the control toy construction elements is operable to infer one or more user-selectable functions from one or more sensor inputs received by an interactive toy construction element that is communicatively coupled to the at least one control toy construction element.

12. The modular toy construction system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The control structure includes a third communication circuit (512) operable for short-range wireless communication.

13. The modular toy construction system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, One or more of the plurality of interactive toy construction elements are passive interactive toy construction elements without their own energy storage devices.

14. The modular toy construction system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, One or more of the plurality of interactive toy construction elements include an energy storage device.

15. The modular toy construction system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The plurality of interactive toy construction elements include: - At least a first interactive toy construction element (100) which includes a first type of functional device (105); - At least a second interactive toy construction element (200), which includes a second type of functional device (205) that is different from the first type of functional device.

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