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

Abstract

To allow a user to experience programming more intuitively.SOLUTION: A toy system includes: travel means that enables travel; scan means that, when a mobile body travels on any one of multiple cards which are printed with encoded images each indicating any one of multiple action instructions and which are placed at arbitrary locations, respectively, by a user, scans the image; and action control means that controls the travel means according to the action instruction indicated by the scanned image. When the encoded image is scanned by the travel of the mobile body over the action instruction card, the action control means controls the travel means according to the action instruction indicated by the image. After an image indicating a handle instruction to continuously change a traveling direction to right or left is scanned the operation control means controls the travel means so as to change the traveling direction to the right or left with a turning radius according to a current speed of the mobile body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] To learn programming, educational materials are available for sale that involve arranging physical cards with commands written on them, and programming them. A self-propelled device reads the commands on the arranged cards, and then the self-propelled device executes the actions according to the commands read.

[0003] Patent document 1 discloses that a self-propelled device travels over a set of cards and reads the images printed on the cards to read a program, and then the self-propelled device travels through a maze according to the program. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020 / 036146 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the method of reading a program in advance, reading the program and executing it are separated. Therefore, depending on the person, it may be difficult to intuitively grasp the relationship between the program and its operation, which may be an obstacle to learning programming.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a technique that enables a more intuitive programming experience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the toy system of the present invention includes a plurality of action instruction cards, each of which has an encoded image indicating one of a plurality of action instructions printed thereon and which are each placed by a user, and a moving body, the moving body including a running means that enables running, a reading means that reads the image when the moving body runs over any of the plurality of action instruction cards, and an action control means that controls the running means in accordance with the action instructions indicated by the read image, the action control means controls the running means in accordance with the action instructions indicated by the image when the encoded image is read by the moving body running over any of the plurality of action instruction cards, the plurality of action instructions including steering instructions to continuously change the direction of travel to the right or left, and the action control means controls the running means to change the direction of travel to the right or left with a turning radius corresponding to the current speed of the moving body after the image indicating the steering instruction is read.

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, the mobile body of the present invention includes a traveling means that enables traveling, a reading means that reads an encoded image indicating one of a plurality of operation instruction cards printed on each of the plurality of operation instruction cards and placed by a user, when the mobile body travels over any of the plurality of operation instruction cards, and an operation control means that controls the traveling means in accordance with the operation instructions indicated by the read image, wherein when the encoded image is read by traveling over any of the plurality of operation instruction cards, the operation control means controls the traveling means in accordance with the operation instructions indicated by the image, and the plurality of operation instructions include steering instructions to continuously change the direction of travel to the right or left, and the operation control means controls the traveling means to change the direction of travel to the right or left with a turning radius corresponding to the current speed after the image indicating the steering instruction is read.

[0009] In addition, the control method of the present invention is a control method for controlling the traveling of a mobile body having a reading means and a traveling means, and includes a step of reading the image by the reading means when the mobile body travels over one of a plurality of operation instruction cards, each of which has an encoded image indicating one of a plurality of operation instructions printed on it and which are placed by a user, and a step of controlling the traveling means in accordance with the operation instructions indicated by the read image, in which, in the step of controlling the traveling means, when the encoded image is read by the mobile body traveling over one of the plurality of operation instruction cards, the traveling means is controlled in accordance with the operation instructions indicated by the image, and the plurality of operation instructions include steering instructions to continuously change the direction of travel to the right or left, and in the step of controlling the traveling means, after the image indicating the steering instruction is read, the traveling means is controlled to change the direction of travel to the right or left with a turning radius corresponding to the current speed.

[0010] In addition, the program of the present invention causes a computer including a traveling means to function as a reading means for reading an encoded image indicating one of a plurality of operation instruction cards printed on the image when the traveling means travels over one of a plurality of operation instruction cards placed by a user, and as an operation control means for controlling the traveling means in accordance with the operation instructions indicated by the read image, wherein when the encoded image is read by traveling over one of the plurality of operation instruction cards, the operation control means controls the traveling means in accordance with the operation instructions indicated by the image, and the plurality of operation instructions include a steering instruction to continuously change the direction of travel to the right or left, and the operation control means controls the traveling means to change the direction of travel to the right or left with a turning radius corresponding to the current speed after the image indicating the steering instruction is read.

[0011] In addition, the card set of the present invention includes a plurality of operation instruction cards, each of which is printed with an encoded image indicating one of a plurality of operation instructions, which is an image that is read when a mobile body equipped with a traveling means that enables traveling moves, and which are placed by a user, the plurality of operation instructions including a steering instruction to continuously change the direction of travel to the right or left, and when an image indicating one of the plurality of operation instructions is read, the traveling means is controlled in accordance with the operation instruction indicated by the image, and after the image indicating the steering instruction is read, the traveling means is controlled to change the direction of travel to the right or left with a turning radius that corresponds to the current speed of the mobile body.

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible for a user to have a more intuitive programming experience.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of operation instructions further include a speed at which the moving object travels, The operation control means may, after the image indicating the speed is read, control the traveling means so that the moving body travels in accordance with the speed.

[0014] In one form of the present invention, the multiple operation instructions further include a braking instruction for continuously reducing the speed of the moving body, and the operation control means may continuously reduce the speed of the moving body so as to stop it within a braking distance corresponding to the speed after an image indicating the braking instruction is read.

[0015] In one form of the present invention, the operation control means may control the traveling means so that after the image indicating the braking instruction and the image indicating the steering instruction are read, the traveling means changes direction to the right or left while the turning radius monotonically decreases. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a toy system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a toy system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a moving object as viewed from below. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a relationship between information printed on a card and a moving object. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functions realized by the toy system. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of control of a moving object by a card. [Figure 7] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of a moving body. [Figure 8] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of a moving body. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of driving processing by a driving processing unit. [Figure 10] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of differences in the movement of a moving object depending on its speed. [Figure 11] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating another example of differences in the movement of a moving object depending on its speed. [Figure 12] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating another example of differences in the movement of a moving object depending on its speed. [Figure 13] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating another example of differences in the movement of a moving object depending on its speed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Among the components appearing, those having the same functions are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0018] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a toy system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The toy system according to the present invention includes at least a moving body 20 and a plurality of cards 30. The moving body 20 has a cube-like outer shape, and its corners are chamfered. In addition, a plurality of protrusions are provided on the upper surface to enable attachment of other toys.

[0019] Each of the multiple cards 30 has an instruction for the operation of the moving object 20 printed thereon. An encoded image showing one of multiple operation instructions for the moving object 20 is printed on at least some of the multiple cards 30. At least some of the multiple cards 30 are placed by the user at any location on a flat surface (e.g., on a desk or floor). When the moving object 20 travels over any of the cards 30, it reads the image and performs an operation according to the instruction shown in the image.

[0020] Operational instructions by the multiple cards 30 are classified into multiple types (groups). The multiple types include a state change type, an action type, and a forced type. The state change type is a group consisting of instructions that change the operation (e.g., the running state) of the moving body 20. The action type is a group consisting mainly of instructions that cause the moving body 20 to execute a predetermined operation. An action type instruction may resume the previous operation after the operation is executed. Note that even an action type instruction may cause the running state to change as a result of the operation. The forced type is a group consisting of instructions that cause the moving body 20 to immediately stop.

[0021] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the toy system. The moving object 20 includes a processor 21, a storage 22, a communication unit 23, a camera 24, two motors 25, and a speaker .

[0022] The processor 21 operates according to a program stored in the storage 22, and controls the communication unit 23, the camera 24, the motor 25, the speaker 26, etc. The above program may be provided from another computer by communication via the communication unit 23, or may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium such as a flash memory or an optical disk and provided to the other computer.

[0023] The storage 22 is configured with a DRAM, a non-volatile memory, etc. The storage 22 stores the above-mentioned programs. The storage 22 also stores information input from the processor 21, the communication unit 23, etc., and calculation results.

[0024] The communication unit 23 is composed of an integrated circuit, an antenna, and the like for communicating with other devices. The communication unit 23 has a function of communicating with other devices (e.g., computers) according to, for example, the Bluetooth (registered trademark) protocol or a wireless LAN protocol. Under the control of the processor 21, the communication unit 23 inputs information received from other devices to the processor 21 or the storage 22, and transmits information to other devices. The communication unit 23 may communicate with other devices via a wired network.

[0025] Camera 24 is positioned to capture an image of the area below moving object 20, and captures an image of pattern 71 (see FIG. 4) printed on card 30 on which moving object 20 is placed. In this embodiment, pattern 71 that can be recognized in the infrared frequency domain is printed on card 30, and camera 24 captures an infrared image of the pattern 71.

[0026] The motor 25 is a so-called servo motor, the direction, amount and speed of rotation of which are controlled by the processor 21 .

[0027] The speaker 26 outputs sound based on the control of the processor 21 and the like.

[0028] 3 is a bottom view of an example of the moving body 20. The moving body 20 further includes a switch 222, a power switch 223, and two wheels 254. One motor 25 is assigned to each of the two wheels 254, and the motor 25 drives the assigned wheel 254. The drive mechanism including the motor 25 and the wheels 254 constitute a traveling device that causes the moving body 20 to travel.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between information printed on card 30 and moving object 20. On card 30, a plurality of patterns 71, which are images that can be read by camera 24, are printed together with an image that can be visually recognized by the user. Patterns 71 of a predetermined size (e.g., 0.2 mm square) are arranged in a matrix on card 30. The size of each pattern 71 is smaller than the size of card 30 and moving object 20. The information printed on the plurality of patterns 71 on a certain card 30 may be the same. A pattern 71 indicating a position within card 30 may be printed on a certain card 30. When moving object 20 passes over card 30, patterns 71 printed at different positions as time progresses are usually read.

[0030] In the toy system according to this embodiment, the camera 24 of the moving object 20 captures an image of the pattern 71 printed on the card 30, and the moving object 20 decodes the pattern 71 to obtain information. Hereinafter, this information will also be referred to as an operation instruction. This allows the moving object 20 to recognize the type of the card 30. In addition, the moving object 20 detects the inclination of the pattern 71 in the image captured by the camera 24, thereby detecting the direction of the moving object 20 (for example, angle A from a reference direction).

[0031] 5 is a block diagram showing functions realized by the toy system. The toy system functionally has a card information acquisition unit 51 and an action control unit 52. The action control unit 52 functionally includes a card determination unit 53, a parameter update unit 54, a running processing unit 55, and an action processing unit 56. These functions are mainly realized by the processor 21 included in the moving object 20 executing a program stored in the storage 22 and controlling the camera 24, the motor 25, and the speaker 26. Note that some of these functions may be realized by the processor 21 transmitting a processing request to another computer included in the toy system via the communication unit 23 and receiving the result of the processing.

[0032] The card information acquisition unit 51 acquires an operation instruction for the moving object 20 based on the pattern 71 printed on the card 30. More specifically, when the moving object 20 runs on one of the multiple cards 30, the card information acquisition unit 51 reads the pattern 71 printed on the card 30 and decodes information (operation instruction) from the pattern 71. In addition, the card information acquisition unit 51 acquires the orientation of the moving object 20 with respect to the card 30 based on the inclination of the pattern 71 photographed by the camera 24.

[0033] The operation control unit 52 controls the running device, the speaker 26, etc., according to the acquired operation instruction. If the operation instruction is information indicating a change in the running state, the operation control unit 52 controls the running device (motor 25) according to the information after the acquired pattern 71 is acquired. If the encoded pattern 71 is not read, the operation control unit 52 controls the running device to continue the operation according to the operation instruction indicated by the previously read pattern 71 until a new encoded pattern 71 is read by the moving body 20 running on a new card 30 among the multiple cards 30. If a new encoded pattern 71 is read, the operation control unit 52 controls the running device according to the new operation instruction indicated by the new pattern 71.

[0034] The card determination unit 53 determines the group to which the action instruction of the card 30 acquired by the processing of the card information acquisition unit 51 belongs. If the action instruction belongs to a state change type, the card determination unit 53 causes the parameter update unit 54 to execute processing. On the other hand, if the action instruction belongs to an action type, the card determination unit 53 causes the action processing unit 56 to execute processing.

[0035] The parameter update unit 54 updates the travel parameters based on the operation instructions belonging to the state change system. Here, the operation instructions belonging to the state change system are further classified into a plurality of subgroups. The plurality of subgroups include a steering wheel subgroup, a speed subgroup, and a brake subgroup. The steering wheel subgroup includes an instruction to change the state of the steering wheel to the right or left, and an instruction to change the state of the steering wheel to go straight. Changing the state of the steering wheel to the right or left means continuously changing the traveling direction of the moving body 20 to the right or left. The speed subgroup includes an instruction to set the speed to a specified value. The specified value may be any one of a plurality of predetermined candidate values ​​(e.g., slow, fast, very fast), and each of the plurality of instructions included in the speed subgroup may indicate a candidate value different from each other. The brake subgroup includes a brake instruction to continuously reduce the speed. In response to the brake instruction, the moving body 20 performs a brake operation to continuously reduce the speed. Here, each of the plurality of operation instructions belonging to the state change system may be classified (labeled) into one or more subgroups. For example, a certain motion instruction may be labeled in both a speed subgroup and a handling subgroup.

[0036] The parameter update unit 54 updates the driving parameters of the subgroup to which the operation instruction indicated by the read pattern 71 is classified, among the multiple subgroups, to information (e.g., a value) indicated by the operation instruction. By setting driving parameters for each subgroup and controlling the driving by the multiple driving parameters, the operation of the mobile object 20 can be made more diverse. When the operation instruction indicated by the read pattern 71 is classified into multiple subgroups of state change systems, the parameter update unit 54 may update each of the driving parameters of the multiple subgroups to which the operation instruction belongs to information of the driving parameters of the respective subgroups according to the operation instruction.

[0037] The driving processing unit 55 controls the driving device (e.g., the motor 25) based on the operation instructions (e.g., driving parameters) set for each of the subgroups. The driving processing unit 55 makes the moving body 20 drive at a speed corresponding to the parameters of the speed subgroup. When the brake state parameters are set, the driving processing unit 55 continuously reduces the speed of the moving body 20 so that the moving body 20 stops at a braking distance corresponding to the set speed. The driving processing unit 55 controls the driving device so that the moving body 20 drives according to the driving parameters. The driving processing unit 55 continuously changes the traveling direction of the moving body 20 to the right or left, or drives the moving body 20 straight, according to the driving parameters of the steering wheel state. After an image indicating a steering wheel instruction to change the traveling direction to the right or left is read, the driving processing unit 55 controls the driving device so that the traveling direction is changed to the right or left with a turning radius corresponding to the current speed of the moving body 20. More specifically, when an instruction to turn the steering wheel to the right or left is set in the driving parameters of the steering subgroup, the driving processing unit 55 controls the driving device to change the direction of travel to the right or left with a turning radius according to the current speed of the moving body 20.

[0038] Here, a specific example of the running of the moving body 20 by changing the running parameters will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of the control of the moving body 20 by the card 30. In the example of FIG. 6, a "Slow" card 30a, a "Fast" card 30b, a right-facing card 30d, and a goal card 30j are arranged. In the example of FIG. 6, the moving body 20 first reads the pattern 71 on the card 30a, sets the parameters of the speed subgroup to a first speed, and moves straight at that speed. Next, the moving body 20 reads the pattern 71 on the card 30b, updates the parameters of the speed subgroup to a second speed faster than the first speed, and moves straight at that speed. Next, the moving body 20 reads the pattern 71 on the card 30d, updates the parameters of the handle subgroup to "right", and moves forward so as to turn right while maintaining the speed. Then, when the moving body 20 reaches the card 30j, the moving body 20 that reads the pattern 71 on the card 30j makes a sound and stops.

[0039] Here, for example, a pattern 71 indicating an action instruction of a combination of "Fast" and rightward facing may be printed on one card 30. In this case, a card 30 in which cards 30b and 30d are integrated exists, and when the moving body 20 reads the pattern 71 on the card 30, it updates the parameters of the speed subgroup to a second speed, and further updates the running parameters of the steering wheel subgroup to "right". Thereafter, the moving body 20 may proceed to turn right at the second speed. Also, a card 30 may exist on which a pattern 71 indicating an action instruction of a combination of another speed and steering wheel state is printed. The action by card 30g indicating a brake instruction will be described later.

[0040] The action processing unit 56 controls the moving body 20 to perform an action indicated by an action instruction based on the action instruction. When an instruction to turn in a direction indicated by the card 30 (e.g., the direction of an arrow indicated on the card 30) is acquired, the action processing unit 56 controls the running device so that the moving body 20 turns in the indicated direction.

[0041] In this way, the driving state, such as the driving parameters, is changed by the operation instruction of the card 30, and the moving object 20 continues to move according to the operation instruction until it reaches the next card 30, and the driving state is changed by the operation instruction again, and this process is repeated. This makes the reading of the card 30 and the resulting operation interactive, allowing the user to experience more intuitive and easier programming. Furthermore, by simulating real-world operations such as steering and braking, the toy system can attract the user's interest while cultivating more advanced thinking skills.

[0042] In the examples described so far, there is no restriction on arranging the cards 30 without separating them. In this case, the user can place the cards 30 in any position, which increases the degree of freedom of the movement of the moving object 20 in the programming experience, and it is possible to provide the user with a high level of experience. However, there may be restrictions on the way the cards 30 are arranged in this embodiment. For example, a sheet having a plurality of recesses may be used, and the cards 30 may be fitted into any of the plurality of recesses. Alternatively, the cards 30 may be arranged so that the edges constituting the outer periphery of the cards 30 are in contact with or adjacent to each other. When the cards 30 are arranged without separating them, the plurality of cards 30 may include cards 30 that do not change the movement of the moving object 20, and may be arranged between the cards 30 that indicate movement instructions.

[0043] Next, the process for realizing the operation of the moving body 20 according to this embodiment will be described in more detail. Figures 7 and 8 are flowcharts showing an example of the process of the moving body 20. Figures 7 and 8 mainly show the process of the card information acquisition unit 51, the card judgment unit 53, and the parameter update unit 54. The process shown in Figures 7 and 8 is repeatedly executed periodically (for example, every 0.1 seconds).

[0044] First, the card information acquisition unit 51 acquires an image read by the camera 24 of the moving object 20 (S101). The card information acquisition unit 51 determines whether it is possible to acquire an action instruction from the acquired image (S102). More specifically, the card information acquisition unit 51 determines whether a pattern 71 exists in the acquired image. If it is impossible to acquire an action instruction (N in S102), the processing of Figs. 9 and 10 ends. If it is possible to acquire an action instruction (Y in S102), the card information acquisition unit 51 acquires an action instruction of the card 30 from the image and an angle A of the moving object 20 with respect to the card 30 (S103). The processing using the angle A will be described later.

[0045] When an operation instruction for the card 30 is acquired, the card information acquisition unit 51 judges whether the operation instruction has been acquired from the same card 30 as the previous time (S104). If the instruction has been acquired from the same card 30 (Y in S104), the processing of Figs. 7 and 8 is terminated. Whether the instruction has been acquired from the same card 30 may be judged based on whether the same instruction has been read during the above-mentioned reading. Here, if no information was read during the previous reading, or the read information does not indicate any instruction, and an operation instruction is read this time, it is judged that the instruction has not been read from the same card 30 as the previous time. This processing prevents problems caused by repeating the same processing and waste of processing resources.

[0046] If the acquired operation instruction is different from the previously acquired operation instruction (N in S104), the card determination unit 53 determines whether the acquired operation instruction belongs to a state change group (S105). If the acquired operation instruction belongs to a state change group (Y in S105), the parameter update unit 54 updates the driving parameters according to the operation instruction (S106).

[0047] More specifically, the parameter update unit 54 updates the driving parameters of the subgroup into which the operation instruction is classified to values ​​indicated by the operation instruction. When the operation instruction belongs to the speed subgroup, the parameter update unit 54 sets the speed parameter to a value according to the operation instruction. When the operation instruction belongs to the steering subgroup, the parameter update unit 54 updates the steering state parameter to a value indicated by the operation instruction (e.g., right, left, or straight). When the operation instruction belongs to the braking subgroup, the parameter update unit 54 updates the brake parameter to a braking state (or a no-brake state).

[0048] When an action instruction belongs to a plurality of subgroups, the parameter update unit 54 updates the driving parameters of each of the plurality of subgroups to a value indicated by the action instruction. For example, when an action instruction belongs to a speed subgroup and a steering wheel subgroup, the parameter update unit 54 sets the speed parameter to a value according to the action instruction, and updates the steering wheel state parameter to a value indicated by the action instruction. In this case, there may be a plurality of action instructions that correspond one-to-one to each combination of a candidate value of the speed parameter (e.g., slow, fast, very fast) and a candidate value of the steering wheel state parameter (e.g., right, left, straight). There may be a card 30 that corresponds one-to-one to each of the plurality of action instructions.

[0049] On the other hand, if the acquired operation instruction does not belong to the state change system (N in S105), the card determination unit 53 determines whether the acquired operation instruction indicates an instruction to stop the moving object 20 (S111). If the operation instruction indicates an instruction to stop the moving object 20 (Y in S111), the travel processing unit 55 ends the travel processing and stops the moving object 20 (S112).

[0050] On the other hand, if the action instruction does not indicate an instruction to stop the moving object 20 (N in S111), the card judgment unit 53 judges that the acquired action instruction belongs to the action group (S113). If the action instruction does not belong to the action group (N in S113), the processing of Figs. 7 and 8 is terminated. If the action instruction belongs to the action group (Y in S113), the card judgment unit 53 judges whether the running process of the running processing unit 55 or the action process of the action processing unit 56 is currently being executed (S114). If the running process or the action process is being executed (Y in S114), the running process or the action process being executed is stopped (S115). If the running process and the action process are not being executed (N in S114), the processing of S115 is skipped. Then, the action processing unit 56 starts the action process in response to the action instruction (S116).

[0051] For example, when an instruction to turn in a direction specified by the card 30 (e.g., the direction of an arrow written on the card 30) is acquired, the action processing unit 56 determines the direction and amount of rotation of the left and right motors 25 based on the angle read from the card 30 in S103 of Fig. 7, and controls the motors 25 based on the determination. The direction and amount of rotation are determined so that the orientation of the moving object 20 after rotation will be a predetermined direction with respect to the card 30 (e.g., the direction of the arrow on the card 30h).

[0052] In response to other operation instructions belonging to the action subgroup, the action processing unit 56 may execute typical operations such as snaking or spinning by reproducing the time-series motor control information stored in the storage 22.

[0053] Next, a description will be given of details of the driving process by the driving processing unit 55. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the driving process by the driving processing unit 55. The process shown in Fig. 9 is executed periodically except during a stopped state or while an action process is being executed.

[0054] First, the driving processing unit 55 determines whether the brake state is set among the driving parameters (S201). If the brake state is set (Y in S201), a predetermined value is subtracted from the speed value stored as the driving parameter (S202). On the other hand, if the brake state is not set (N in S201), S202 is skipped.

[0055] If the speed value is 0 (Y in S203), the travel processing unit 55 stops the travel of the moving body 20 and transitions the state of the moving body 20 to a stopped state (S204).

[0056] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of the difference in the behavior of the moving body 20 depending on the speed. In the upper example of FIG. 10, a card 30a of "Slow" and a card 30g of "Brake" are arranged, and in the lower example of FIG. 10, a card 30b of "Fast" and a card 30g of "Brake" are arranged. In the upper example, the moving body 20 first reads the pattern 71 on the card 30a, updates the parameters of the speed subgroup to a first speed, and moves straight at that speed. Then, the moving body 20 reads the pattern 71 on the card 30g, and updates the parameters of the brake subgroup to a brake state. Then, the moving body 20 moves forward until the speed becomes 0 (by the braking distance ds) while continuously decelerating the speed of the moving body 20 according to the parameters of the brake state, and stops. On the other hand, in the lower example, the moving body 20 first reads the pattern 71 on the card 30b, updates the parameters of the speed subgroup to a second speed faster than the first speed, and moves straight at that speed. The moving object 20 reads the pattern 71 on the card 30g and updates the brake subgroup parameters to the brake state. The moving object 20 then reduces its speed and travels the braking distance df until it stops.

[0057] In the process of FIG. 9, when the brake state is set, the speed is periodically reduced by a certain amount. Therefore, the faster the speed, the longer it takes to reach 0, and since the average running speed is also high, the faster the braking distance becomes. This is similar to uniform acceleration motion with acceleration opposite to the direction of travel. The motor 25 of the moving body 20 is a servo motor, and it is easy to suddenly stop the rotation regardless of the speed. Here, by controlling the motor 25 so that the braking distance ds, df corresponds to the speed, the effect of the programming experience is improved by approaching physical movement.

[0058] The rest of the process is explained below. In S203, if the speed value is not 0 (N in S203), the driving processing unit 55 determines the rotation speed of the left and right wheels 254 based on the current speed value and the steering wheel state parameters (S205). The driving processing unit 55 controls the rotation of the left and right motors 25 based on the determined rotation speed (S206).

[0059] In this embodiment, the two wheels 254 are driven by different motors 25, so that the moving body 20 can be made to go straight, turn continuously to the right, or turn continuously to the left by controlling the rotation speed of the wheels 254 (motors 25). When going straight, the difference in the rotation speed between the left and right is almost zero.

[0060] Here, in S205, when the parameter of the steering wheel state is set to right or left, the driving processing unit 55 determines the rotation speeds of the left and right wheels 254 such that the faster the speed parameter among the driving parameters is, the larger the rotation radius (the rotation radius corresponds to the curvature of the trajectory). For example, the driving processing unit 55 may determine the rotation speeds of the left and right wheels 254 such that the difference between the rotation speeds of the left and right wheels 254 is constant and the sum of the rotation speeds of the left and right wheels 254 is proportional to the speed parameter. In this case, the rotation radius is approximately proportional to the speed. The rotation speed may be calculated using another formula, or the driving processing unit 55 may determine the rotation speed by referring to a table in which the rotation speeds of the left and right wheels 254 for each speed are stored.

[0061] 11 and 12 are diagrams for explaining another example of the difference in the movement of the moving object 20 depending on the speed. In the example of Fig. 11, the moving object 20 first reads the pattern 71 on the "Slow" card 30a, changes its own speed to a first speed, then reads the pattern 71 on the right-facing card 30d, updates the steering wheel state parameter to "Right", and proceeds to turn right while maintaining the speed. At this time, the moving object 20 turns right with a turning radius rs.

[0062] 12, the moving object 20 first reads the pattern 71 on the "Fast" card 30b, changes its speed to a second faster speed, then reads the pattern 71 on the card 30d, and turns right with a turning radius df, which is greater than the turning radius ds.

[0063] In conventional programming teaching materials in which cards are arranged, the area on which a device such as the moving object 20 moves is also in the form of a grid. Also, since it is not considered that the device can operate ignoring the grid, the device is turned in 90 degree increments on the card instead of changing direction like a steering wheel.

[0064] On the other hand, in the example of Figs. 11 and 12, a condition is added that when turning right or left like steering, the faster the speed, the larger the turning radius. This makes the movement of the moving object 20 more diverse, and the user has more room to devise ways to arrange the cards 30. In addition, the condition is similar to the behavior of an actual car, etc., and is easy for the user to intuitively understand. This makes it possible to attract the user's interest while allowing them to have a more advanced programming experience. Note that this condition cannot be achieved unless the number of rotations is consciously controlled in the moving object 20 used as a toy. Therefore, the driving processing unit 55 intentionally controls the number of rotations to the left and right to simulate this phenomenon.

[0065] Moreover, when combined with a braking state, an even more interesting experience is provided. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining another example of the difference in the movement of a moving object depending on the speed. In the example of FIG. 13, the pattern 71 on the card 30b of "Fast" is read first, the speed of the moving object 20 becomes a second speed, the pattern 71 on the card 30g of "Brake" is read, and the pattern 71 on the card 30d is read while the speed is continuously decreasing. The moving object 20 turns to the right while decreasing its speed, and at that time, the turning to the right is done so that the turning radius decreases monotonically according to the speed. A spiral movement is possible by simple control, providing the user with a more advanced experience.

[0066] If the moving object 20 includes a steering mechanism, the driving processing unit 55 may control the moving object 20 to go straight, turn right, or turn left by setting the orientation of some of the wheels 254.

[0067] 7 to 9, the moving object 20 moves according to the running parameters set by the card 30. The operation control unit 52 controls the traveling device so that even if the moving object 20 leaves the card 30, the moving object 20 continues to operate according to the operation instructions indicated by the previously read pattern 71 until a new pattern 71 is read as the moving object 20 moves over a new card 30. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 20 mobile object, 21 processor, 22 storage, 23 communication unit, 24 camera, 25 motor, 26 speaker, 222 switch, 223 power switch, 254 wheels, 30, 30a, 30b, 30d, 30g, 30h, 30j cards, 51 card information acquisition unit, 52 operation control unit, 53 card determination unit, 54 parameter update unit, 55 driving processing unit, 56 action processing unit, 71 pattern.

Claims

1. a plurality of action instruction cards, each of which has a coded image showing one of a plurality of action instructions printed thereon, each of which is arranged by a user; A moving object, The moving body is A means for moving that enables the vehicle to move; a reading means for reading the image when the moving object travels over any one of the plurality of action instruction cards; and an operation control means for controlling the traveling means in response to an operation instruction indicated by the read image, when the encoded image is read by the moving object traveling on any one of the plurality of action instruction cards, the action control means controls the traveling means in accordance with the action instruction indicated by the image; The plurality of operation instructions include a steering instruction for continuously changing a traveling direction to the right or left, the operation control means controls the traveling means to change a traveling direction to the right or left with a turning radius according to a current speed of the moving body after the image indicating the steering wheel instruction is read. Toy system.

2. 2. The toy system according to claim 1, The plurality of operation instructions further include a speed at which the moving object travels; the operation control means controls the traveling means so that the moving body travels in accordance with the speed after the image indicating the speed is read; Toy system.

3. 3. The toy system according to claim 1, The plurality of operation instructions further includes a brake instruction for continuously decreasing a speed of the moving object; the operation control means, after reading the image indicating the brake instruction, continuously reduces the speed of the moving object so as to stop the moving object within a braking distance corresponding to the speed; Toy system.

4. 4. The toy system according to claim 3, the operation control means controls the traveling means so that the traveling direction changes to the right or left while the turning radius decreases monotonically after the image indicating the brake instruction and the image indicating the steering instruction are read. Toy system.

5. A means for moving that enables the vehicle to move; a reading means for reading the image when the device runs over one of a plurality of action instruction cards placed by a user, the image being printed on each of the plurality of action instruction cards and indicating one of a plurality of action instructions; and an operation control means for controlling the traveling means in response to an operation instruction indicated by the read image, when the encoded image is read by running over any one of the plurality of action instruction cards, the action control means controls the running means in accordance with the action instruction indicated by the image; The plurality of operation instructions include a steering instruction for continuously changing a traveling direction to the right or left, the operation control means controls the traveling means so as to change the traveling direction to the right or left with a turning radius according to the current speed after the image indicating the steering wheel instruction is read. Mobile body.

6. A control method for controlling travel of a moving body having a reading means and a travel means, comprising the steps of: A step in which a coded image showing one of a plurality of operation instructions is printed on each of the plurality of operation instruction cards placed by a user, and when the moving object travels over one of the plurality of operation instruction cards, the reading means reads the image; and controlling the traveling means in response to an operation instruction indicated by the read image, In the step of controlling the traveling means, when the encoded image is read by the moving body traveling on any one of the plurality of operation instruction cards, the traveling means is controlled in accordance with the operation instruction indicated by the image; The plurality of operation instructions include a steering instruction for continuously changing a traveling direction to the right or left, In the step of controlling the traveling means, after the image indicating the steering wheel instruction is read, the traveling means is controlled so as to change a traveling direction to the right or left with a turning radius according to a current speed. Control methods.

7. A computer including a vehicle, a reading means for reading the image when the device runs over one of a plurality of operation instruction cards placed by a user, the image being printed on each of the plurality of operation instruction cards and indicating one of a plurality of operation instructions; an operation control means for controlling the traveling means in response to an operation instruction indicated by the read image; Function as a when the encoded image is read by running over any one of the plurality of action instruction cards, the action control means controls the running means in accordance with the action instruction indicated by the image; The plurality of operation instructions include a steering instruction for continuously changing a traveling direction to the right or left, the operation control means controls the traveling means so as to change the traveling direction to the right or left with a turning radius according to the current speed after the image indicating the steering wheel instruction is read. program.

8. a plurality of operation instruction cards each having an encoded image printed thereon, the encoded image being an image to be read when a moving body having a traveling means that enables traveling is traveling, the encoded image indicating one of a plurality of operation instructions, and each being placed by a user; The plurality of operation instructions include a steering instruction for continuously changing a traveling direction to the right or left, When an image showing any one of the plurality of operation instructions is read, the traveling means is controlled in accordance with the operation instruction shown by the image, After the image indicating the steering wheel instruction is read, the traveling means is controlled so as to change the traveling direction to the right or left with a turning radius according to the current speed of the moving body. Card set.

Images