Device for identifying the movement of a magnet support, in particular a control device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (1), in particular a control device (1), for identifying the movement of a magnet support (20), the device comprising a control unit (62), the device comprising a first sensor (9), the first sensor being able to determine the direction of the magnetic field with respect to a preferred direction (A) acting on the first sensor (9), the control unit (62) being configured to output an output signal and / or a control signal based on the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction (A) acting on the first sensor (9).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for identifying the movement of a magnet support, particularly a control apparatus. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a system comprising such an apparatus and a magnet support.

Background Art

[0002] An apparatus for identifying the movement of a magnet support, particularly a control apparatus, is used to convert the position of the magnet support into an output signal and / or a control signal.

[0003] For example, for this purpose, the deflection angle of the magnet support relative to the initial position is measured. The measurement of the deflection angle is performed without wear by means of a potentiometer or via an optical sensor, or by measuring the magnetic field strength. For this purpose, a rotary potentiometer, a light barrier or a magnetic sensor is usually used. In this case, such apparatuses based on a rotary potentiometer, a light barrier or a magnetic sensor have a complex structural form. A rotary potentiometer is a particularly expensive and complex structural member. To determine the deflection angle of the magnet support using a light barrier or a magnetic sensor, a large number of light barriers or magnetic sensors are required, which makes the structure more complex.

[0004] Furthermore, in order to ensure the perfect functioning of the apparatus including the magnet support, the magnet support must be fixedly assembled to the apparatus. This has the disadvantage that the magnet support cannot be easily replaced in any application and the entire apparatus including the magnet support has to be replaced.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which enables a simple structure and can be used with various magnet supports.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The above problems are solved by the device according to claim 1, the system according to claim 10, the method according to claim 14, and the use according to claim 16. Advantageous embodiments are described in each dependent claim and in the following description.

[0007] The present invention is based on the basic idea of equipping a device with a first sensor that can determine the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction and acts on itself. By developing a device known from the prior art in this way, an action on the first sensor is caused by a magnet approaching the device from the outside, and by selecting a specific position of the magnet with respect to the device, a means is obtained that can cause the first sensor to form a signal that depends on the position of the magnet with respect to the preferred direction. Such a signal formed by the first sensor can be used for the control of the control unit. In this case, the control unit can be configured to output an output signal and / or a control signal based on the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction acting on the first sensor.

[0008] According to a first embodiment, the above problems are solved by a device for identifying the movement of a magnet support, in particular a control device, wherein the device includes a control unit, and here, the device includes a first sensor, and the first sensor can determine the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction acting on the first sensor, and the control unit is configured to output an output signal and / or a control signal based on the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction acting on the first sensor.

[0009] The device has the advantage that the position of the magnet support with respect to the device can be determined particularly easily. Furthermore, the magnet support can be removed from the device and reinstalled without impairing the function of the device. By doing so, the replaceability of the device, in particular the magnet support, can be facilitated.

[0010] The device can be configured in particular to transmit the movement of the magnet support as an output signal and / or a control signal. The device can be configured in particular to control equipment such as, for example, an aircraft or a gripper arm. Alternatively or additionally, the device can be configured to control, for example, a game, in particular a computer game. The device can be configured in particular to transmit the movement of a joystick as an output signal and / or a control signal. The magnet support can in particular be a joystick.

[0011] The direction of the magnetic field acting on the first sensor can be the direction of the magnetic field lines. Being relative to the preferred direction can mean that the direction of the magnetic field lines of the magnetic field is relative to the orientation of the magnetic field lines of the magnetic field in the preferred direction. The direction of the magnetic field acting on the first sensor can be rotatable about the normal vector of the device and / or tiltable with respect to the normal vector. The normal vector can be a direction that can be perpendicular to the surface formed for placing the magnet support.

[0012] The magnet support can be means including a magnet. The magnet can here in particular be arranged to be interactable with the first sensor of the device. The magnet can in particular be a joystick provided with a magnet and is provided on the contact surface with respect to the device.

[0013] The control unit can be a computer. The first sensor can be configured to send a signal to the control unit, and the signal here can depend on the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction acting on the first sensor. The control device can include, for example, a memory and a processor.

[0014] The control unit can be configured to output an output signal and / or a control signal based on the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction acting on the first sensor. The output signal and / or the control signal may include information regarding the position of the magnet support obtained from the direction of the magnetic field acting on the first sensor with respect to the preferred direction. Alternatively or additionally, the output signal and / or the control signal can include information for assigning the control device to the direction of the magnetic field acting on the first sensor with respect to the preferred direction. The information can be stored in the memory of the control device.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the first sensor is configured to detect only the direction of the magnetic field having a magnetic field strength exceeding the geomagnetic field strength at the first sensor among the directions of the magnetic field acting on the first sensor. Here, it is assumed that at the equator, the geomagnetic field has a magnetic field strength of about 30 microtesla (μT), at the north and south poles, the geomagnetic field has a magnetic field strength of about twice the value (about 60 μT), and about 48 μT is applied in central Europe. In order not to be impaired by the geomagnetism, the first sensor is particularly preferably configured such that it can determine the direction of the magnetic field acting on itself with respect to the preferred direction only when the magnetic field here has a magnitude exceeding 100 μT, preferably exceeding 1000 μT, preferably exceeding 0.01 T. Therefore, the development of the device according to the invention from the prior art is not used for determining the direction of the geomagnetic field with respect to the preferred direction, but for determining a magnet that generates a magnetic field stronger than the geomagnetism to a recognizable degree brought about in the vicinity of the device.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the first sensor is a Hall sensor. A preferred direction can typically be obtained from the structural form of the Hall sensor. Particularly preferably, the Hall sensor has a casing that can be connected to a circuit board. The Hall sensor supplies a signal that depends on how the magnetic field acting on the sensor from the outside is oriented with respect to the casing. Therefore, when the casing of the Hall sensor is fixedly positioned and assembled within the device, for example, when the circuit board on which the Hall sensor is fixedly positioned and assembled is fixedly positioned and installed within the device, the Hall sensor can supply a signal that depends on how the magnetic field acting on itself from the outside is oriented with respect to the device.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the device has a mounting portion. In a preferred embodiment, the outer surface of the mounting portion forms a part of the outer surface of the device. In a preferred embodiment, the outer surface of the mounting portion is different from another surface of the device surrounding the mounting portion. In a preferred embodiment, the mounting portion is manufactured from a material different from the material used to form the surface portion of the device surrounding the mounting portion. For example, a preferred embodiment can be considered where the device has a foam jacket, the foam is further covered by a jacket, and the jacket is a leather or synthetic leather or soft plastic cover, while the mounting portion is formed of solid plastic and is preferably inserted into a notch in the foam. By the mounting portion and another surface portion of the device surrounding this mounting portion being different, the mounting portion can be emphasized to the operator. With such a different configuration, it becomes clear to the operator where the mounting portion is located. By doing so, the positioning of the magnet support becomes easier. In another embodiment, the mounting portion can be emphasized by a different surface structure compared to the surface portion surrounding the mounting portion, for example, by a rough surface structure when the surface portion surrounding the mounting portion is smooth, or by a smooth surface structure when the surface portion surrounding the mounting portion is rough. Similarly, it is also conceivable to emphasize the mounting portion by coloring. Also, the mounting portion can be made easier to grasp by shaping the surface portion of the device surrounding this mounting portion, for example, by making the mounting portion the bottom surface of a recessed portion, for example, making the mounting portion the bottom surface of a recess.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the first sensor is disposed below the mounting portion. In a preferred embodiment, the mounting portion is formed by the outer surface of a plate-shaped body, where the first sensor is fixed to the plate-shaped body. In an alternative embodiment, a substrate (circuit board, printed circuit, printed circuit board (PCB)) is provided below the mounting portion, and in this case, the first sensor is disposed on the substrate.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the device has a head plate. In a preferred embodiment, the head plate forms the upper end of the device. In a preferred embodiment, the placement part is formed as part of the head plate. In a preferred embodiment, the substrate on which the first sensor is arranged in the preferred embodiment is connected to the head plate. The use of the head plate has advantages during the manufacture of the device according to the present invention. By doing so, the base body of the device can be manufactured in a separate working step, the head plate can be manufactured in a separate manufacturing step, and in this case, the head plate can be placed on the base body from above in the assembly step.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the placement part is a recessed part. In an embodiment where the device according to the present invention has a head plate, the head plate may have an indented part or a notch, and the indented part or the notch can be used as a recess. In a preferred embodiment, the placement part has a diameter or maximum cross-section of 15 mm to 150 mm, preferably 30 mm to 100 mm, preferably 50 mm to 100 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the placement part is formed as a recessed part. Preferably, the recess is circularly formed. Preferably, the recess has a diameter of 15 mm to 150 mm, preferably 30 mm to 100 mm, preferably 50 mm to 100 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the recess has a depth of 0.3 mm to 5 mm, preferably 0.3 mm to 3 mm, preferably 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the placement portion has a notch or a depression. In a preferred embodiment, when the notch or the depression is circular, the diameter of the notch or the depression, or when the notch or the depression is not circular, the maximum cross-section of the notch or the depression, is smaller by a plurality of coefficients, particularly by a factor of 5, more preferably by a factor of 10, and most preferably by a factor of 15, compared to the diameter of the placement portion when the placement portion is circular or the maximum cross-section of the placement portion when the placement portion is not circular. The notch or the depression can be used to position a magnet support, such as a disk, to be placed on the placement portion at a corresponding position on the placement portion. When the magnet support, such as a disk, to be placed on the placement portion has a protrusion that can engage with the notch or the depression, such engagement between the protrusion and the notch or the depression can set the relative position of the magnet support, such as a disk, with respect to the placement portion.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, the first sensor is disposed below the placement portion so as to be in the same plane as the notch or the depression. In a preferred embodiment, an axis extending in a direction perpendicular to the outer surface of the placement portion extends through the notch or the depression and the first sensor, whereby the first sensor is disposed below the placement portion so as to be in the same plane as the notch or the depression. The notch may be a hole. However, preferably, the notch is a blind hole or a groove, which can prevent dirt from reaching the inside of the device from the outside.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, a metal plate is disposed below the placement portion. Such a metal plate can be used to provide means for holding a magnet support, such as a disk and / or a joystick, placed on the placement portion on the placement portion. When the magnet support includes a magnet, by providing a metal plate below the placement portion, a holding force can be generated between the magnet and the metal plate by the magnet, and means for holding the magnet support on the placement portion by this holding force can be provided.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the metal plate has holes. In a preferred embodiment, the holes in the metal plate are configured to be in the same plane as the first sensor. By providing holes in the metal plate, the metal plate can be provided directly below the placement portion, and the first sensor can be provided below the metal plate. Also, by providing the holes, it is ensured that the first sensor can determine the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction formed by the magnet support placed on the placement portion. The holes can optionally be formed to be in the same plane as a notch or a recess provided in the placement portion.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the metal plate is provided below the placement portion but above the first sensor. This allows the metal plate to be placed as close as possible to the placement portion. Furthermore, with such an arrangement configuration, the first sensor can be placed on a substrate that can be placed below the metal plate. In a preferred embodiment, the existing substrate is placed below the metal plate, and thus the metal plate is placed between the substrate and the placement portion.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, the metal plate is formed in a circular shape. In a preferred embodiment where holes are provided in the metal plate, the holes are formed in a circular shape and are preferably provided at the center point of the circular metal plate. In a preferred embodiment, the diameter of the hole is smaller than the diameter of the circular metal plate by a plurality of coefficients, particularly a coefficient of 5, particularly preferably a coefficient of 10, and particularly preferably a coefficient of 15.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, the placement portion is surrounded by an LED ring. When the placement portion is a flat outer surface portion of a plate-shaped object, the LED ring can be finished to be flat with the outer surface. When the placement portion is formed as a recessed portion, the LED ring can be arranged at the upper edge of the recess, that is, at the starting position where the recess begins to descend inward. The LED ring may be a portion of the side wall of the recess. The LED ring may be arranged at the bottom of the recess.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the LED ring is formed from LED columns that can be individually driven and controlled. In a preferred embodiment, each individual LED can be driven and controlled such that each individual LED emits light in a different color in different operating states. Such a configuration of the LED ring enables an operating situation in which the LED ring emits light in a single color as a consistent ring. In another operating situation, the LED ring configured in this way enables the formation of a dynamic image sequence. For example, such an LED ring can form "circulating pixels".

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the control unit can drive and control the LED ring, particularly the individual LEDs of the LED ring, according to the measurement signal of the first sensor. For example, by driving and controlling the LED ring according to the signal of the first sensor, the orientation of the magnetic field acting on the first sensor can be visualized, that is, for example, only the LEDs located on the same line as the line to which the magnetic field acting on the first sensor is oriented among the LED rings can be made to emit light.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, the LED ring has individual LEDs capable of generating light and an optical waveguide (hereinafter referred to as an optical waveguide ring) formed as a ring for propagating the light generated by the LEDs. In a preferred embodiment, the LEDs are arranged in a circular shape, and the optical waveguide ring is arranged above the circularly arranged LEDs, whereby each LED preferably, and most preferably completely, directs at least a majority of the light generated by each LED into the arc segment arranged corresponding to each LED within the optical waveguide ring. In a preferred embodiment, the optical waveguide ring is manufactured integrally and has a consistently equal light transmissivity. In an alternative embodiment, by forming the optical waveguide ring from arc-shaped optical waveguides connected to each other on the end sides to form the optical waveguide ring, segmentation performed by individual LEDs can be captured, where each arc-shaped optical waveguide has a reduced light transmissivity at the interconnected ends, whereby the light incident into each arc-shaped optical waveguide is emitted through the optical waveguide but not into the adjacent arc-shaped optical waveguides. Alternatively, in an integrally manufactured optical waveguide ring, segmentation can be performed afterwards to form regions with reduced light transmissivity on the inside.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, the individual LEDs of the LED ring are arranged on a substrate (circuit board, printed circuit, printed circuit board (PCB)) below the mounting portion, and the optical waveguide ring is arranged above the LEDs. In a preferred embodiment, the mounting portion is surrounded by the optical waveguide ring. When the mounting portion is a part of the flat outer surface of a plate-shaped object, the optical waveguide ring can ultimately be finished to be flat on the outer surface. When the mounting portion is formed as a recessed portion, the optical waveguide ring can be arranged at the upper edge of the recess, i.e., at the starting position where the recess begins to descend inward. The optical waveguide ring may be a part of the side wall of the recess. The optical waveguide ring may be arranged at the bottom of the recess.

[0032] In one embodiment, the device can include a second sensor, where the second sensor can detect ambient characteristics or characteristic changes within its surrounding area. In particular, the second sensor can be a reader device that communicates with a passive RFID transponder and / or an active RFID transponder. The control unit can be configured to output another output signal and / or another control signal when the second sensor can detect a specific ambient characteristic or a specific characteristic change within its surrounding area, or when the control unit can detect a specific characteristic change detected by the second sensor.

[0033] By doing so, another information can be provided by detecting a characteristic or a specific characteristic change. For example, the second sensor can be configured to detect information regarding the magnet support by detecting a characteristic or a specific characteristic change. Therefore, not only the movement of the magnet support but also another information regarding the magnet support can be determined.

[0034] When the second sensor can be a reader device that communicates with a passive RFID transponder and / or an active RFID transponder, the information regarding the magnet support can be determined particularly easily and reliably.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment, at least a part of the second sensor is disposed below the placement portion. In a preferred embodiment, the placement portion is formed by the outward-facing surface of the plate-shaped body, and at least a part of the second sensor is fixed to the plate-shaped body. In an alternative embodiment, a substrate (circuit board, printed circuit, printed circuit board (PCB)) is provided below the placement portion, and in this case, at least a part of the first sensor is disposed on the substrate.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, the second sensor has an antenna and an evaluation unit connected to the antenna. In a preferred embodiment, the evaluation unit of the second sensor is arranged below the placement part. In a preferred embodiment, the placement part is formed by the outer surface of a plate-shaped body, and here, in a preferred embodiment, the evaluation unit of the second sensor is fixed to the plate-shaped body. In an alternative embodiment, a substrate (circuit board, printed circuit, printed circuit board (PCB)) is provided below the placement part, and the evaluation unit of the second sensor is arranged on the substrate. In a preferred embodiment, the antenna of the second sensor is provided on the plate-shaped body, and the evaluation unit of the second sensor is arranged on a substrate provided below the plate-shaped body, where the antenna is preferably provided on the plate-shaped body so as to at least partially surround the placement part, preferably completely surround the placement part.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, a substrate (circuit board, printed circuit, printed circuit board (PCB)) is provided below the placement part, where the first sensor and the second sensor, preferably the first sensor, the second sensor and the control unit are arranged on this substrate. In a similarly preferred alternative embodiment, · A first substrate (circuit board, printed circuit, printed circuit board (PCB)) is provided below the placement part, and at least a part of the second sensor, preferably the evaluation unit of the second sensor having an antenna and an evaluation unit, is arranged on the first substrate. · A second substrate (circuit board, printed circuit, printed circuit board (PCB)) is provided below the placement part, and the first sensor is arranged on the second substrate.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the second substrate is disposed closer to the mounting portion than the first substrate. In a preferred embodiment, the first substrate is disposed at a predetermined angle, preferably at an angle of 75° to 105°, preferably perpendicularly, with respect to the second substrate. In a preferred embodiment, the mounting portion is formed by the outer surface of the plate-shaped body, the second substrate extends parallel to the outer surface of the plate-shaped body, and the first substrate extends at an angle of 75° to 105°, preferably perpendicularly, with respect to the outer surface of the plate-shaped body.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, the control unit is provided on a substrate (circuit board, printed circuit, "printed circuit board" (PCB)), and on the printed circuit board, at least a part of the second sensor, preferably the evaluation unit of the second sensor having an antenna and an evaluation unit, is also provided. Preferably, the control unit can be disposed on the first substrate.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment, the individual LEDs of the LED ring are mounted on a substrate (circuit board, printed circuit, printed circuit board (PCB)) below the mounting portion, and the first sensor is disposed on the same substrate or on another substrate connected to the substrate on which the individual LEDs are disposed. In a preferred embodiment, these LEDs are not disposed on the substrate on which the first sensor or the evaluation unit of the first sensor is disposed.

[0041] The field of application of the present invention is, in particular, the use of a device equipped with a speaker for reproducing audio information, in particular music, spoken text or a combination of music and spoken text, and in particular the use in toys. Such audio information preferably has a playback duration of at least 10 seconds, more preferably more than 15 seconds, particularly preferably more than 20 seconds, and particularly preferably more than 25 seconds. Rather, in a particularly preferred embodiment, the playback duration of the audio information lasts at least 30 seconds and may particularly preferably last more than 1 minute. For example, the audio games reproduced by the present invention preferably have a length of more than 5 minutes in many cases and may in some cases be more than 30 minutes. The audio information reproduced by the present invention is not a confirmation signal in particular. In particular, the audio information reproduced by the present invention is not a confirmation response sound that can be output, for example, when the first object is correctly oriented with respect to the second object. Similarly, the audio information is particularly preferably not a jingle that is reproduced when the first object is brought near the second object or when it is brought to a specific relative position with respect to the second object that has been preset. The present invention relates to audio information with a relatively long playback duration, such as music or spoken text. The audio information is particularly preferably information in which various sounds are reproduced in an aperiodic order during its playback.

[0042] The speaker of the device of the present invention is particularly preferably a transducer that can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical vibration (sound). The device of the present invention may have speaker terminals, for example, spicon terminals, XLR terminals or, for example, a 6.35 mm jack socket, instead of or in addition to the speaker. Since the control unit drives and controls the speaker terminals, the control unit can also drive and control the speaker if a speaker is connected to the speaker terminals.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment, the device of the present invention has at least two speakers, whereby stereo playback of the audio information is possible.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment, the device has a memory in which data is stored, and based on the data, the control unit can drive and control the speaker to play audio information. The device can contain data, particularly preferably audio information, in a specific data format, such as the MP3 format or the WAV format. Embodiments are also conceivable in which the memory has only the data of a single audio information. In such an embodiment, the toy of the present invention is used to play the only audio information when the characteristics of the surrounding area of the sensor occur correspondingly or when the characteristic change of the surrounding area of the sensor occurs correspondingly, and the playback duration of the audio information is particularly preferably at least 10 seconds. In a preferred embodiment, data of various audio information is stored in the memory. Particularly preferably, in such an embodiment, when the second sensor detects a specific first characteristic or a specific first characteristic change in its surrounding area, or when the control unit detects a specific first characteristic change detected by the second sensor, the control unit drives and controls the speaker to play the first audio information whose playback lasts particularly preferably at least 10 seconds, while when the second sensor detects a specific second characteristic or a specific second characteristic change in its surrounding area, or when the control unit detects a specific second characteristic change detected by the second sensor, the control unit drives and controls the speaker to play the second audio information whose playback lasts particularly preferably at least 10 seconds. Thus, by controlling the specific characteristics of the surrounding area of the second sensor or by controlling the specific characteristic changes around the second sensor, it is possible to set which audio information among a plurality of audio information is played in the device. For example, when the presence of a first RFID transponder is detected in the surrounding area of the second sensor, the device can play specific first audio information, and when the presence of a second RFID transponder is detected in the surrounding area of the second sensor, the device can play the second audio information.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment, for example, in order to play an audio book in the form of individual chapters or to make the individual chapters of an audio book controllable, the data of the audio information is stored as a data set having a data sequence that can be separately read out. Each data sequence of the data set is preferably read out separately and can be used for driving and controlling a speaker.

[0046] In a preferred embodiment, the device has a unit for receiving data from and / or transmitting data to the Internet, particularly preferably an antenna for a wireless local area network (WLAN), an antenna for mobile data radio technologies such as LTE, UMTS or their predecessors or successors, or a connection socket for connecting a cable of a local network, which connection socket also has a connection socket for an Internet connection, for example for an Ethernet cable. The presence of a unit for receiving data from the Internet provides means by which the control unit can download from the Internet information that can be assigned to the direction of the magnetic field relative to the preferred direction acting on the first sensor and that can be output as an output signal and / or a control signal. For example, data for a game of the device according to the invention and the magnet support can be downloaded. The presence of a unit for receiving data from the Internet enables the control unit to download from the Internet data containing audio information to be reproduced in a specific data format. By doing so, the device can reproduce audio information that was not stored in the device before the second sensor detected a specific characteristic or a change in a specific characteristic in its surrounding area, or before the control unit detected a specific change detected by the second sensor. In this case, the control unit can be configured to receive data from the Internet, continuously store it in the memory, and drive and control the speaker to reproduce the audio information based on the data stored in the memory. Additionally or alternatively, the control unit can directly use the data received from the Internet (so-called streaming) to drive and control the speaker to reproduce the audio information, and the embodiments herein can also include temporary storage of the data received from the Internet in a buffer memory.

[0047] In an embodiment where data containing audio information in a specific data format is received from the Internet, for example, the control unit can hold in memory the specific server address of a server connected to the Internet and hold in memory a table in which each specific characteristic or each specific characteristic change is assigned to each identification number. In such an embodiment, when a specific characteristic or a specific characteristic change is identified, the control unit communicates with a specific server and uses the identification number assigned to the specific characteristic or the specific characteristic change to download a specific data set from the server and is configured to use it to drive and control a speaker to play the audio information obtained from these data. For example, on the server, the title of a piece of music can be stored as data having a specific data format, where the title of each piece of music or the data including the corresponding title of the music is stored on the server with a specific identification code attached. In a preferred embodiment, the device of the present invention already includes an assignment table. In some or multiple or rather preferred embodiments, the assignment table assigns all specific characteristics or specific characteristic changes in the surrounding area of the sensor to all identification numbers, and the identification numbers are also used on the database of the server. Thereby, the control unit can download a data set from the server according to the purpose. Alternatively, it is also conceivable to configure the control unit to transmit information including the specific characteristic or the specific characteristic change detected by the control unit to a specific server connected to the Internet. In this case, the assignment of the identified specific characteristic or the identified specific characteristic change to the specific audio information can be performed on the server. Here, the control unit is configured to receive from the server data including the audio information to be played. The server transmits to the device the data assigned to the specific characteristic transmitted from the control unit to itself or the specific characteristic change transmitted from the control unit to itself.In this embodiment, the need to hold an allocation table within the device is avoided, thereby enhancing the flexibility of receiving specific data including audio information based on specific characteristics detected in the surrounding area of the second sensor or detected specific characteristic changes. Such an embodiment enables, for example, increasing the number of data sets supplied to the server without the need to adjust the allocation table in the control unit of the device.

[0048] In a preferred embodiment, the control unit is configured to directly drive and control the speaker so as to reproduce the audio information. Particularly preferably, there is no need to supply another start signal to the control unit for driving and controlling the speaker so as to reproduce the audio information. Also, here, the driving control of the speaker for reproducing the audio information by the control unit can be delayed by a delay element.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment, the device is formed in a cubic shape. The device of the present invention may have other shapes, for example, a spherical shape or the shape of a large object particularly preferred by children. This may be, for example, the shape of an animal such as a ship, a locomotive, a house or an elephant.

[0050] In a preferred embodiment, the device has an operating member in the form of a seesaw switch, and the seesaw switch transmits a first signal, for example, a signal for increasing the playback volume of audio information, to the control unit in the first position and transmits a second signal, for example, a signal for decreasing the playback volume of audio information, to the control unit in the second position, thereby controlling, for example, the playback volume of audio information. Further, such a seesaw switch may have a neutral intermediate position, and in this intermediate position, no signal for controlling the volume is sent to the control unit. Alternatively, the device may have a first operating member capable of transmitting a signal for increasing the playback volume of audio information to the control unit and a second operating member capable of transmitting a signal for decreasing the playback volume of audio information to the control unit. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the operating member for controlling the increase in volume is formed larger than the operating member for controlling the reduction in the playback volume of audio information. In a particularly preferred embodiment, these two operating members have an ear shape attached to the casing of the base body of the device and, for example, protrude from the casing. Such an ear-shaped operating member can output a signal for controlling the playback volume of audio information, formed by the operating member, when performing a pressing or bending movement. This has the advantage that the user can recognize the function of the operating member without relying on language knowledge.

[0051] In a preferred embodiment, the device of the present invention has a display. The display may particularly be an E-Ink display. The display may also be a touch panel display. Additionally or alternatively, the device may have an LED or an LED sequence.

[0052] In a preferred embodiment, the device has a proximity sensor, a motion sensor (acceleration sensor), an ambient light sensor, a humidity sensor, an inclination sensor, a GPS sensor and / or a gyro sensor. With such sensors, another operation command for the control unit can be formed. For example, the device configured in this way can identify vibrations, from which an operation signal for the control unit can be formed. For example, the vibrations of the device are used to play the data of various audio information in a random order. Similarly, the device configured in this way can identify whether a light impact is applied to the left side or the right side of the device. This can be used, for example, to jump to the next chapter or the previous chapter in the dataset. Similarly, the device configured in this way can identify whether it has been thrown. From this, an operation signal can also be formed.

[0053] In a preferred embodiment, the device has a sensor, which can form a signal depending on the distance from an object arranged in the area of the receiving part to the receiving part, for example an ultrasonic sensor. Thereby, in a preferred embodiment of the device, the drive control of the speaker can be made signal-dependent, for example depending on whether the object is in contact with or almost in contact with the receiving part. Furthermore, thereby, in additional or alternative embodiments, another operation command can be formed according to the change of the distance. For example, the short-term removal and reinstallation of the magnet support can be used for jumping to the next chapter in the dataset. Alternatively, the short-term removal and reinstallation of the magnet support can also be used to form an output signal and / or a control signal.

[0054] The device oriented in this way can identify whether it is tilted in the vertical direction or in the horizontal direction. The signal here can also be used to form an operation signal for the control unit. For example, the tilt in the vertical direction is used for navigation in the playback list, and the tilt in the horizontal direction enables switching between applications.

[0055] In a preferred embodiment, the device of the present invention has a data terminal, such as a USB terminal. Through such a terminal, for example, in a preferred embodiment, data including audio information is provided to a memory provided as part of the device. Similarly, the device of the present invention can be connected to a computer through such a terminal, for example, to configure the software of a toy. Further, a game can be played on the screen through such a terminal.

[0056] In a preferred embodiment, the device is surrounded by a foamed material or other elastic material. Particularly preferably, the device of the present invention is completely surrounded by a foamed material or other elastic material, or in an embodiment with a display, it is not surrounded by a foamed material or elastic material only in the area of the display. On the one hand, other components of the device are protected by such a jacket. On the other hand, the child is protected from injury by the jacket.

[0057] In a preferred embodiment, the device of the present invention has an energy accumulator, particularly a battery, and particularly preferably a rechargeable battery. In a preferred embodiment, the device is configured such that the battery can be charged by wireless charging, for example, by inductive energy transmission. This has the advantage that a charging station for children can be configured in the form of a charging stand where the device can simply be placed inside for charging. This eliminates the need for a child to operate an electrical cable to charge the battery of the device.

[0058] In a preferred embodiment, the device can generate light, for example to function as a night light. In a preferred embodiment, the device has a casing, and a second sensor is arranged within the casing, where the surrounding area of the second sensor, which can detect surrounding characteristics or characteristic changes, extends beyond the surface of the casing by 1 m or less, particularly preferably 150 mm or less, particularly preferably 100 mm or less, particularly preferably 50 mm or less, particularly preferably 10 mm or less, particularly preferably 5 mm or less. This provides the advantage that the characteristics or characteristic changes to be detected by the second sensor, for outputting another output signal and / or another control signal and / or for driving and controlling a speaker to reproduce audio information, are identified only within a narrow area centered on the casing of the device. Thereby, malfunction is avoided.

[0059] In a preferred embodiment, the device is manufactured from a non-combustible material or a flame-retardant material.

[0060] In a preferred embodiment, the device has a microphone or connection means for an audio signal coming from, for example, a microphone. Thereby, the device can be voice-controlled or can record sound.

[0061] Particularly preferably, the device is incorporated into a wireless local area network via a WLAN antenna, and further, control commands can be received via the WLAN antenna, and it can be controlled, for example, via a smartphone or a PC. Here, the control command is not, in a preferred embodiment, a control command by which a user can control the start of the reproduction of audio information. Similarly, the device can also be configured to be operated via remote control. In a preferred embodiment, the device has a camera. When the device is formed, for example, as a night light, the camera can assume a monitoring function for a child next to the device, which is achieved by the fact that the camera can be driven and controlled, for example, from a smartphone, and the image taken by the camera can be reproduced on a display, for example, a TV, a smartphone, or another mobile display. Additionally or alternatively, the audio information collected by a microphone or supplied through a connection means can thus be reproduced by a speaker or a smartphone. Similarly, a device incorporated into a wireless local area network via a WLAN antenna can transmit the audio information to be reproduced to other subscribers of the network, which is, for example, transmission to a TV or another speaker.

[0062] On the one hand, the present invention relates to a device according to the present invention. The device according to the present invention is an article already in circulation. By preparing the device according to the present invention, a third party can achieve the advantages of the present invention by adding a magnet.

[0063] The present invention also relates to a system comprising an apparatus according to the present invention and a magnet support, wherein the magnet support has a rotation axis about which the magnet support is rotatable and has a magnet magnetized in the radial direction, where the magnetic axis of the magnet is positioned perpendicular to the rotation axis. In a preferred embodiment, the magnet support is a disk. In a further preferred embodiment, the magnet support may be a joystick. A radially magnetized magnet, in which the magnetic axis of the magnet is positioned perpendicular to the rotation axis, is understood to be a magnet in which the magnetic axis of the radially magnetized magnet intersects the plane containing the rotation axis. In a preferred embodiment, the magnetic axis of the radially magnetized magnet intersects the rotation axis.

[0064] In a preferred embodiment of the system according to the present invention, the magnet support, in particular the disk and / or joystick provided in a particularly preferred embodiment, is placed on a placement portion, in particular on a placement portion formed as a recess portion of the apparatus according to the present invention.

[0065] By providing a magnet support, in particular a disk and / or joystick, an object can be obtained that can form a magnetic field and act on the first sensor, and determine its orientation with respect to the preferred direction of the first sensor.

[0066] The magnet support provided in the system according to the present invention, in particular the disk and / or joystick, has a rotation axis and a magnet magnetized in the radial direction, whereby the magnet support, particularly preferably the disk and / or joystick, can be rotated about the rotation axis, thereby changing the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction acting on the first sensor. Therefore, in the system of the present invention, by rotating the magnet support, in particular the disk and / or joystick, a signal detectable by the first sensor or a signal change detectable by the first sensor can be generated, and the signal or signal change can be used for the control of the control unit, or can be used for the output of an output signal and / or a control signal by the control unit.

[0067] In a preferred embodiment, the magnet support, particularly preferably a disk and / or a joystick, is formed by a geometric body, and the shape of this geometric body is rotationally symmetric with respect to the axis of rotation. In a preferred embodiment, the disk is coin-shaped or ellipsoidal. The body of the magnet can also be formed by two cones or truncated cones arranged adjacent to each other at their respective bottom surfaces.

[0068] In a preferred embodiment, the disk has a diameter of more than 15 mm, particularly preferably more than 20 mm, and particularly preferably more than 25 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the disk has a diameter of less than 150 mm, particularly preferably less than 120 mm, and particularly preferably less than 100 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the disk is large enough not to be lost. The application field of the system of the present invention is as a toy. In this case, if the disk is too small, there is generally a risk that the disk will be lost among all the items placed on a children's bed. On the other hand, in a preferred embodiment, the disk is small enough to be easily handled by the hand of a child, for example, a two-year-old or three-year-old child. It should also be noted that the disk can also be used to form an operation command for the control unit by rapid rotation on the placement portion or in the recess. For such an operation, the disk must be large enough to be easily gripped and rotated rapidly on the one hand, and small enough not to generate an excessive moment of inertia about the axis of rotation on the other hand.

[0069] In a preferred embodiment, the disk has an upper surface and a lower surface, in which case the radially magnetized magnet is preferably disposed at the center between the upper surface and the lower surface. In an alternative embodiment, the disk has an upper surface and a lower surface, and further has a first radially magnetized magnet disposed in the vicinity of the lower surface and a second radially magnetized magnet disposed in the vicinity of the upper surface. In a preferred embodiment, the magnetic axis of the first radially magnetized magnet is parallel to the magnetic axis of the second radially magnetized magnet. In an alternative embodiment, the magnetic axis of the first radially magnetized magnet is not parallel to the magnetic axis of the second radially magnetized magnet. In an alternative embodiment, the disk has an upper surface and a lower surface, and further has a radially magnetized magnet disposed in the vicinity of the lower surface.

[0070] In a preferred embodiment, the magnet support is a joystick. The joystick may preferably have a radially magnetized magnet on the lower surface, and the lower surface may be placed on the device.

[0071] Embodiments are conceivable in which the radially magnetized magnet protrudes from or is attached to, for example, adhered to the upper surface or the lower surface of the disk. By the radially magnetized magnet protruding beyond the upper surface or the lower surface of the disk, the protruding portion of the magnet can be used to insert into a notch or a recess in the mounting portion of the toy.

[0072] The disk may particularly preferably be formed of plastic, or may be made of wood, or may be made of metal, preferably non-magnetic metal.

[0073] In a preferred embodiment, the magnet support, in particular the disk and / or the joystick, has in addition to the radially magnetized magnets at least one axially magnetized magnet, and the magnetic axes of the magnets extend through the axis of rotation or parallel to the axis of rotation. In a preferred embodiment, at least two, particularly preferably at least three, particularly preferably at least four axially magnetized magnets are provided. In a preferred embodiment, fewer than 100, particularly preferably fewer than 50, particularly preferably fewer than 20, particularly preferably fewer than 10 axially magnetized magnets are provided. In a preferred embodiment, the magnets present in the axially magnetized state are arranged equidistantly from each other about the axis of rotation. In a preferred embodiment, all the magnets present in the axially magnetized state are arranged along a circle about the axis of rotation, and in a particularly preferred embodiment they have equal intervals in the circumferential direction. For example, if three axially magnetized magnets are provided, these magnets particularly preferably have an angle of 120° with respect to each other. If four axially magnetized magnets are provided, these magnets have, for example, an angular interval of 90° with respect to each other. The axially magnetized magnets can be used to preferably fix the magnet support, in particular the disk and / or the joystick, to a metal plate of a toy arranged below the mounting part. In a preferred embodiment, the axially magnetized magnets hold the disk and / or the joystick in the mounting part and are selected to be strong enough to hold, for example, the device according to the invention with the disk and / or the joystick placed in the mounting part above the head without dropping the disk and / or the joystick. On the other hand, the strength of the axially magnetized magnets is selected to be small enough to allow rotation of the disk and / or the joystick about the axis of rotation.

[0074] In a preferred embodiment, the magnet magnetized in the radial direction is configured in a rectangular shape, particularly preferably a square shape, or an elliptical shape or a polygonal shape. Such a magnet can be mounted in a correspondingly shaped notch of the disk and / or the joystick, where the shaping prevents the magnet magnetized in the radial direction from rotating within the notch. Thereby, the orientation of the magnetic field of the magnet magnetized in the radial direction with respect to the disk and / or the joystick is determined.

[0075] In a preferred embodiment, the magnet magnetized in the radial direction has an N50 magnetization. In a preferred embodiment, the magnet magnetized in the radial direction has a residual magnetization of 1.00 T to 1.5 T.

[0076] In a preferred embodiment, the magnet magnetized in the axial direction is formed in a disk shape, and the magnetization direction is brought about by the thickness of the disk. In a preferred embodiment, the magnets magnetized in the axial direction each have a residual magnetization of 1.00 T to 1.5 T.

[0077] In a preferred embodiment, the disk and / or the joystick have a passive RFID transponder or an active RFID transponder. By providing the RFID transponder, not only can the disk and / or the joystick cause a magnetic field acting in a specific direction to act on the first sensor, but it is also possible to provide information that can be read by the second sensor. The information here can exist only in the attribution information for the system according to the present invention. Therefore, only when the second sensor derives specific information from a passive RFID transponder or an active RFID transponder provided in the disk at the same time, the control unit of the device can further process the signal formed by the first sensor, or derive a control command from the signal, and / or form an output signal and / or a control signal. For example, when there is no RFID transponder in the disk and / or in the joystick, and thus there is no corresponding signal from the second sensor, the control unit can be configured not to further process the signal of the first sensor. Alternatively, the presence of the RFID transponder can be used to trigger a specific program in the control unit. For example, various games can be operated by the device using the disk and / or the joystick. By the specific coding of each RFID transponder, the device can be notified which game each disk and / or joystick belongs to.

[0078] For example, the coding of each RFID transponder can transmit the functions of the magnet support, in particular the functions of a disk and / or a joystick. For example, various magnet supports equipped with devices can be used. By doing so, magnet supports with various functions can be utilized, and the functions can be transmitted by the coding of each RFID transponder. For example, a magnet support, such as a disk and / or a joystick, can have various sensors such as push buttons. The coding of each RFID transponder can transmit each function of the magnet support.

[0079] In a preferred embodiment, inside the system of the present invention, in addition to the magnet support, in particular a disk, an identifier support is provided, and the identifier support has characteristics that can be detected by a second sensor, that is, it has a passive RFID transponder or an active RFID transponder. Therefore, the device according to the present invention can realize the functions known from WO 2015 / 104222. When the identifier support is placed on the placement part instead of the magnet support, in particular a disk and / or a joystick, the second sensor reads its passive RFID transponder or its active RFID transponder, and using this information, as described in WO 2015 / 104222, the control unit can identify the data file to be played back via the speaker or the speaker terminal. In such an application case, even if a magnet support, in particular a disk and / or a joystick, is present in the system, in a specific operating situation, they should not be placed on the placement part. Similarly, it is also possible to create an operating situation in which both a magnet support, in particular a disk and / or a joystick, and an identifier support are present. For example, it is also possible to place a disk on the placement part and set the identifier support on the disk.

[0080] In a preferred embodiment, within the system, · A first magnet support, in particular a first disk and / or a first joystick, is provided. The first magnet support has a rotatable axis of rotation and a magnet magnetized in the radial direction. The magnetic axis of the magnet is positioned perpendicular to the axis of rotation. Further, · A second magnet support, in particular a second disk and / or a second joystick, is provided. The second magnet support has a rotatable axis of rotation and a magnet magnetized in the radial direction. The magnetic axis of the magnet is positioned perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

[0081] By providing the first magnet support and the second magnet support, various forms of interaction with the toy become possible.

[0082] In a preferred embodiment, the first disk and / or the first joystick and the second disk and / or the second joystick each have a passive RFID transponder or an active RFID transponder. By providing the RFID transponder, not only can a magnetic field acting in a specific direction be applied to the first sensor by the disk and / or the joystick, but it is also possible to provide information that can be read by the second sensor. Thereby, the second sensor can detect which magnet support is located on the device. Depending on the magnet support, the control unit can drive and control, for example, a speaker or a speaker terminal and / or an LED ring that may be provided in various ways. The game, aircraft, or gripper arm can be controlled by the output signal and / or the control signal.

[0083] In a preferred embodiment, the contour of the magnet support, in particular the contour of the disk, is circular, elliptical, or polygonal when viewed in a plan view along the axis of rotation, particularly preferably pentagonal, hexagonal, or octagonal. In a preferred embodiment of the embodiment having the first magnet support and the second magnet support, the contour of the first magnet support in the plan view along the axis of rotation is different from the contour of the second magnet support in the plan view along the axis of rotation.

[0084] In a preferred embodiment of the embodiment having the first magnet support and the second magnet support, · The first magnet support has a lower surface and an upper surface, and the lower surface is provided for placing the first magnet support on the placement portion. · The second magnet support has a lower surface and an upper surface, and the lower surface is provided for placing the second magnet support on the placement portion. Here, the lower surface of the first magnet support has the same shape as the lower surface of the second magnet support, and is particularly preferably formed flat. The upper surface of the first magnet support is shaped differently from the upper surface of the second magnet support. For example, the upper surface of the first magnet support can be formed flat in the same manner as the lower surface of the first magnet support, while the upper surface of the second magnet support is formed in a wave shape or has protruding pins.

[0085] The method according to the present invention for operating the system according to the present invention is · The first sensor is formed by a magnet magnetized in the radial direction and determines the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction acting on the first sensor. · The control unit is formed by a magnet magnetized in the radial direction and acts on the first sensor, and outputs an output signal and / or a control signal based on the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction determined by the first sensor. It is configured as follows.

[0086] For example, the output signal and / or the control signal can output an output signal and / or a control signal for driving and controlling a speaker or a speaker terminal that reproduces music or an oral story.

[0087] In a preferred embodiment, the control unit drives and controls the speaker or the speaker terminals so that music or an orally recited story is played. The content of the music or the orally recited story, which is formed by a magnet magnetized in the radial direction and acts on the first sensor, depends on the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction determined by the first sensor. Therefore, for example, in the first direction, music or an orally recited story having the first content can be played, and in a second direction different from the first direction, music or an orally recited story having a second content different from the first content can be played.

[0088] In a preferred embodiment, the method is executed in a device in which the mounting portion of the device is surrounded by an LED ring having LEDs. In a preferred embodiment, the control unit drives and controls the LEDs of the LED ring based on the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction, which is formed by a magnet magnetized in the radial direction and acts on the first sensor and is determined by the first sensor. The LED ring may have a plurality of LEDs that are driven and controlled differently in a specific one direction.

[0089] In a preferred embodiment, the type of driving control of the LEDs depends on the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction, which is formed by a magnet magnetized in the radial direction and acts on the first sensor and is determined by the first sensor. Thereby, for example, the LEDs can be driven and controlled in the first direction, and the LEDs cannot be driven and controlled in a second direction different from the first direction. Alternatively, for example, the LEDs can be driven and controlled to play light of a first color in the first direction, and the LEDs can be driven and controlled to play light of a second color different from the first color in a second direction different from the first direction.

[0090] In a preferred embodiment, the method is executed in a system comprising a magnet support having a passive RFID transponder or an active RFID transponder. In a preferred embodiment, the content of the music or the spoken story, for which the speaker or the speaker terminals are driven and controlled by the control unit to reproduce the music or the spoken story, is · Formed by a radially magnetized magnet and acting on a first sensor, the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction determined by the first sensor, and · Information read by a second sensor from a passive RFID transponder or an active RFID transponder depends on.

[0091] In a preferred embodiment, the method is executed in a system comprising a magnet support having a passive RFID transponder or an active RFID transponder. In a preferred embodiment, the output signal and / or the control signal is · Formed by a radially magnetized magnet and acting on a first sensor, the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction determined by the first sensor, and · Information read by a second sensor from a passive RFID transponder or an active RFID transponder depends on.

[0092] In a preferred embodiment, the method is · A first magnet support having a first passive RFID transponder or a first active RFID transponder, and · A second magnet support having a second passive RFID transponder or a second RFID transponder is executed by a system comprising.

[0093] In a preferred embodiment, the content of the music or the spoken story, for which the speaker or the speaker terminals are driven and controlled by the control unit to reproduce the music or the spoken story, is ·The direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction, which is formed by a magnet magnetized in the radial direction and acts on the first sensor and is determined by the first sensor depends on whether the second sensor identifies the first passive RFID transponder or the first RFID transponder, or whether the second sensor identifies the second passive RFID transponder or the second RFID transponder.

[0094] In a preferred embodiment, the output signal and / or the control signal is ·The direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction, which is formed by a magnet magnetized in the radial direction and acts on the first sensor and is determined by the first sensor depends on whether the second sensor identifies the first passive RFID transponder or the first RFID transponder, or whether the second sensor identifies the second passive RFID transponder or the second RFID transponder.

[0095] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings that specifically illustrate embodiments of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0096]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0097] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a system including a device 1 and a joystick 20. The device 1 for identifying the movement of the magnet support 20, particularly the control device 1, includes a control unit 62. The magnet support is a joystick 20 here. The device includes a first sensor 9, and the first sensor here can detect the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the priority direction A acting on the first sensor 9. The control unit 62 is configured to output an output signal and / or a control signal based on the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the priority direction A acting on the first sensor 9.

[0098] The output signal and / or the control signal can be configured to control, for example, devices such as an aircraft or a gripper arm. The output signal and / or the control signal can be configured to operate, for example, a computer game.

[0099] The joystick 20 has a magnet 121 to form a magnetic field. Further, the joystick has a plurality of sensors 122 in the form of push buttons 122.

[0100] FIG. 2 shows a device 1 for playing music or an orally told story. The device 1 is formed in a cubic shape in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and has speakers 2 on its side walls.

[0101] The device has a jacket 3 made of a foam material surrounded by leather on its side walls and a part of its upper and lower surfaces (the lower surface is not visible in the perspective view of FIG. 1). In the region of the speakers 2, the jacket 3 has a plurality of holes through which sound waves can be emitted to the outside better.

[0102] On the upper surface of the device 1, the head plate 4 is equipped in the notch of the jacket 3. The possible structure of the head plate 4 is shown in the exploded view of FIG. 12. The head plate 4 has a frame 5. Below the frame 5, a second circuit board 6 in the form of a "printed circuit board (PCB)" is provided. The first circuit board 60 is arranged below the second circuit board 6 at an angle of 90° with respect to the second circuit board 6. On the first circuit board 60, an evaluation unit 61 of the second sensor is arranged, where the second sensor can detect the surrounding characteristics or characteristic changes within its surrounding area. Here, the second sensor is a reader device that communicates with a passive RFID transponder and / or communicates with an active RFID transponder. The second sensor has an antenna and an evaluation unit not shown in detail. The antenna can be configured in a ring shape and can be configured to surround and be embedded around the mounting portion 8 within the frame 5, particularly around the recess 16. A control unit 62 is further provided on the circuit board 60. When the second sensor detects a specific characteristic or a specific characteristic change in its surrounding area, or when the control unit 62 detects a specific characteristic change detected by the second sensor, the control unit 62 can drive and control the speaker 2 to play music or a spoken story.

[0103] The control unit 62 can have, as a processor, a TI CC3200 microcontroller with 80 MHz and 256 kB of RAM, a flash memory ISSI IS25LQ032B 4 MB, a memory SanDisk Edge 8 GB, a DAC / amplifier TI TLV320DAC3100, and an acceleration sensor NXP MMA8451Q.

[0104] On the circuit board 6, a first sensor 9 is provided, and the first sensor 9 can detect the direction of the magnetic field acting on the first sensor in the priority direction A. The priority direction A in the embodiment shown here extends parallel to the bottom surface 7 of the mounting portion 8 provided in the head plate 4. The priority direction A extends perpendicularly, that is, radially with respect to the rotation axis B. The first sensor 9 in the embodiment shown here is a Hall sensor. The priority direction A is a feature resulting from the structure of the Hall sensor. The position of the priority direction A with respect to the circuit board 6 depends on the orientation in which the Hall sensor is attached to the circuit board 6. The position of the priority direction A with respect to another component of the head plate 4, or the position of the priority direction A with respect to the frame 5, for example, with respect to the operating elements 13, 14 provided on the frame 5, depends on the orientation when the circuit board 6 is assembled in the frame 5. In the structural form shown in FIG. 12, the Hall sensor is attached to the circuit board 6 such that the priority direction A extends between and below both of the two operating elements 13, 14, and the circuit board 6 is attached to the frame 5.

[0105] The first sensor 9 is arranged at the center on the circular disk-shaped circuit board 6. The rotation axis B extends through the first sensor 9 and intersects the circular disk-shaped circuit board 6 at its center point.

[0106] The head plate 4 further includes an optical waveguide ring 71 of an LED ring. The optical waveguide ring 71 has individually drivable and controllable LEDs 70. Each individual LED 70 can be individually driven and controlled such that the color of the light emitted from each LED 70 can be individually controlled. The LEDs 70 of the LED ring can be driven and controlled on the circuit board 6 by the control unit 62. The LEDs 70 are arranged below the optical waveguide ring 71 on the circuit board 6, and the light generated by the LEDs 70 is incident on the optical waveguide ring 71, and the optical waveguide ring 71 conveys the light from the LEDs 70 to the region of the mounting portion 8 below the mounting portion 8. This can be seen in a plan view of the head plate 4 looking from above.

[0107] The head plate 4 further has a circular disk-shaped metal plate 10. A hole 12 is provided at the center of the metal plate 10. The relative arrangement of the metal plate 10 with respect to the first sensor 9 is selected such that the first sensor 9 is disposed below the hole 12. Thereby, the magnetic field formed by the disk 20 disposed above the metal plate 10 can be better perceived by the first sensor 9. In an alternative embodiment, the first sensor 9 is disposed not below the hole 12 of the metal plate 10 but within the hole 12 of the metal plate 10. The relative position of the metal plate 10 with respect to the first sensor 9 can be adjusted by attaching the metal plate 10 to the frame 5, attaching the first sensor 9 to the circuit board 6, and attaching the substrate 6 to the frame 5.

[0108] The head plate 4 further has a label 15 adhesively attached to the metal plate 10 on the upper side.

[0109] The operating elements 13, 14 are connected to a control unit on the circuit board 6, and the control unit can form control instructions used on the circuit board 6. For example, the operating elements 13, 14 can adjust the playback volume of music or a spoken story.

[0110] The toy 1 has a placement portion 8. The placement portion 8 may be a portion of a recess 16 formed within the head plate 4. For example, the placement portion 8 is formed by the bottom surface 7 of the recess 16 (see, for example, FIG. 9). By providing the recess 16, the positioning of the disk 20 and / or the joystick 20 on the placement portion 8 becomes easy, particularly when the diameter of the recess 16 has only a slight excess dimension with respect to the diameter of the disk 20.

[0111] However, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, another configuration of the mounting portion 8 and the disk 20 is also possible. FIGS. 2, 3, 6 to 9, and 13 show the disk 20 in the arrangement on the mounting portion 8 where the magnetic axis D of the magnet lies in the same plane as the priority direction A. By rotating the disk 20 about the rotation axis C, the relative position of the magnetic axis D with respect to the priority direction A can be changed. The second sensor 9 configured as a hall sensor can determine the position of the magnetic axis D with respect to the priority axis A.

[0112] The device 1 may be a part of a system that also has the disk 20 in addition to the device 1. The disk 20 has a rotation axis C and a magnet 21 magnetized in the radial direction, and in the magnet 21, its magnetic axis D is positioned perpendicular to the rotation axis C (see, for example, FIGS. 3, 4, and 10).

[0113] In addition to the magnet 21 magnetized in the radial direction, the disk 20 further has four other magnets 22 magnetized in the axial direction, and the magnetic axes E of these magnets 22 extend parallel to the rotation axis C of the disk 20. Due to the magnetic action of the magnets 22, the disk 20 can be held on the metal plate 10.

[0114] The headphone terminal 17 is provided in the head plate 4.

[0115] A passive RFID transponder 23 capable of reading from the first sensor is provided in the disk 20.

[0116] FIG. 14 shows that the system consisting of the device 1 and the disk 20 shown in FIG. 2 can be extended by an identifier support 30 in the form of a toy. A passive RFID transponder that can be read by the second sensor is provided in the identifier support 30.

[0117] The system of the present invention is operable, for example, such that a first disk 20 provided with a first RFID transponder 23 is placed on the placement section 8. The second sensor identifies the RFID transponder 23 and transmits a corresponding signal to the control unit 62. In response, the control unit 62 calls a program routine stored in itself or in a memory. As part of the program routine, the speaker 2 is driven and controlled to reproduce text, and for example, the LEDs 70 of the LED ring are driven and controlled in a predetermined color. For example, the red LED can be driven and controlled, and the speaker can be driven and controlled such that a story such as "Let's rotate the disk until it reaches the red light" is output. At this time, the operator rotates the disk so that the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the priority direction A acting on the second sensor 9 from the magnet 21 magnetized in the radial direction occupies a predetermined position (which is recognized by the second sensor 9), and based on the corresponding signal of the second sensor 9, the control unit 62 can drive and control the speaker 2 such that a story such as "That's correct. You are now placing the disk in the correct orientation" is reproduced.

[0118] When another disk having another RFID transponder is used, the operator can be requested to rotate the disk as quickly as possible. In this case, the first sensor detects the frequency with which the magnetic field of the magnet 21 magnetized in the radial direction occupies the priority direction A within a predetermined time unit.

[0119] When another disk having another RFID transponder is used, the operator can be requested to move the disk to a specific series of relative positions, for example, in the manner of opening a safe.

Claims

1. A device (1) for identifying the motion of a magnetic support (20), particularly a control device (1), The aforementioned apparatus includes a control unit (62) in apparatus (1), The apparatus includes a first sensor (9), and the first sensor can determine the direction of the magnetic field with respect to a preferred direction (A) that acts on the first sensor (9). The apparatus (1) is characterized in that the control unit (62) is configured to output an output signal and / or a control signal based on the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction (A) acting on the first sensor (9).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor (9) is a Hall sensor.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a mounting portion (8) is provided, and the first sensor (9) is located below the mounting portion (8).

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the mounting portion (8) is part of the recess (16).

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the mounting portion (8) has a notch or a recess, and the first sensor (9) is positioned below the mounting portion (8) so as to be on the same plane as the notch or the recess.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a metal plate (10) is positioned below the mounting portion (8).

7. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the mounting portion (8) is surrounded by an LED ring.

8. The device includes a second sensor, The second sensor is capable of detecting ambient characteristics or changes in characteristics within its own surrounding area, and the second sensor is a reader device that communicates with a passive RFID transponder (31) and / or an active RFID transponder. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (62) is configured to output a different output signal and / or a different control signal when the second sensor detects a specific characteristic or a specific change in characteristic within its surrounding area, or when the control unit (62) detects a specific change in characteristic detected by the second sensor.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a circuit board (6) is provided, and the second sensor, the first sensor (9), and the control unit are arranged on the circuit board (6).

10. A system comprising the apparatus described in claim 1 and a magnetic support, particularly a disk (20), The system comprises a magnetic support having a rotation axis (C) on which the magnetic support can rotate, and a radially magnetized magnet (21), wherein the magnetic axis (D) of the magnet (21) is located perpendicular to the rotation axis (C).

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the magnetic support, in particular the disk (20), has at least one axially magnetized magnet (22) in addition to the radially magnetized magnet (21), and the magnetic axis (E) of the magnet (22) extends through the axis of rotation or parallel to the axis of rotation (C).

12. The system according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the magnetic support, in particular the disk (20), has a passive RFID transponder (23) or an active RFID transponder.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein an identifier support (30) is provided in addition to the magnetic support, and in particular in addition to the disk (20), and the identifier support has characteristics that can be detected by a second sensor, namely a passive RFID transponder (31) or an active RFID transponder.

14. A method for operating the system described in claim 10, - The first sensor (9) is formed by a radially magnetized magnet (21), and the direction of the magnetic field acting on the first sensor (9) is determined with respect to the preferred direction (A). - The control unit (62) is formed by a radially magnetized magnet (21) and acts on the first sensor (9), outputting an output signal and / or control signal based on the direction of the magnetic field relative to the preferred direction (A) determined by the first sensor (9). A method characterized by the following features.

15. The mounting portion (8) of the device is surrounded by an LED ring having LEDs (70), The method according to claim 14, wherein the control unit (62) is formed by a radially magnetized magnet (21) and acts on the first sensor (9), and drives and controls the LEDs (70) of the LED ring based on the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the preferred direction (A) determined by the first sensor (9).

16. A use of a magnetic support, particularly a disk (20), for forming the system according to claim 10, or for carrying out the method according to claim 14 or 15, The use of the magnetic support comprising a rotation axis (C) on which the magnetic support can rotate and a radially magnetized magnet (21), wherein the magnetic axis (D) of the magnet (21) is located perpendicular to the rotation axis (C).

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