Motion-responsive toys

Abstract

To provide an action response toy capable of outputting a performance in response to action in which a user approaches toy bodies each other, and subsequently, capable of outputting a performance according to action in which a user separates the toy bodies each other.SOLUTION: An action response toy 10 comprises a buckle 20 and rings 40A, 40B. The buckle 20 and the rings 40A, 40B can be attached to a body of a user 11 respectively, and can be made to approach and separate each other, according to action performed by the user to which they are attached. A main control part included in the buckle 20 controls a main output part in the buckle 20 to output a first performance, when it is determined that, the ring 40A or 40B is made to approach the buckle and ring, and controls the main output part in the buckle 20 to output a second performance when it is determined that, the ring 40A or 40B is made to separate from the buckle and ring by the user's action in outputting the first performance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to motion response toys and toy bodies, and more particularly to motion response toys that output effects in response to motions performed by a user, and toy bodies used therefor.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a combination toy that outputs sound or the like by bringing two figure toys close to each other is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The combination toy described in Patent Document 1 includes two figure toys related to each other. One figure toy includes a response means for storing predetermined information in advance and transmitting the stored information. The other figure toy includes a reading means for causing the response means to transmit the information stored in one figure toy and reading the transmitted information, and a voice output means for outputting a predetermined voice based on the information read by the reading means.

[0004] According to this combination toy, not only can sound be output by bringing the two figure toys close to each other, but the other figure toy can read the information that one figure toy has in advance, and play by reacting the other figure toy according to the read information.

[0005] By the way, the motions of a user who uses a motion response toy include not only bringing an article close, but also a motion of separating the article after bringing the article close. It is required as a function of the motion response toy to be able to respond to such a motion of separating the article, which also conforms to the original purpose of the motion response toy.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0007] However, the combination toys described in Patent Document 1 only function (produce sound) when the figurative toys are in close proximity to each other, making them less functional and less interesting. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention is understood through the following configuration. The motion-responsive toy of the present invention comprises a main toy body and a sub-toy body, the main toy body and the sub-toy body being able to be attached to or grasped by a user, and being configured to move closer to or further away from each other in response to the user's actions while attached to or grasped, the main toy body comprising a main control unit, a main output unit that outputs a performance by at least one of light emission and sound emission, and a performance storage unit that stores first performance information and second performance information, the main control unit being able to determine whether the sub-toy body is in a state of approaching or moving away from the main toy body. The device has a state determination means, and the main control unit controls the main output unit to output a first performance based on the read first performance information while the state determination means determines that the auxiliary toy body is in an approaching state, and the state determination means determines that the auxiliary toy body has moved away due to the user's actions while the first performance is being output, and controls the main output unit to output a second performance based on the read second performance information. Furthermore, the motion-responsive toy according to the present invention comprises a main toy body and a sub-toy body, the main toy body and the sub-toy body being able to be attached to the user's body or grasped by the user, and being configured to move closer to and further away from each other in accordance with the user's actions while attached or grasped, the main toy body comprising a main control unit, a main output unit that outputs a performance by at least one of light emission and sound emission, a performance storage unit that stores first performance information, second performance information, and third performance information, and a storage device, the sub-toy body comprising an identification information storage unit that stores identification information for identifying the type of the sub-toy body, the main toy body comprising an identification information receiving unit that can receive the identification information of the sub-toy body, being able to reversibly change its form between a first form and a second form, and having a form detection unit that detects which of the first and second forms it is in, the main control unit comprising an identification information determination means that determines whether the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit belongs to the first group or the second group, and the main control unit comprises,When the form detection unit detects that the main toy body is in the first form, and the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is determined by the identification information determination means to be information belonging to the first group, the main control unit reads the first performance information from the performance storage unit, controls the main output unit to perform the first performance based on the read first performance information, and stores the received identification information in the storage device. Furthermore, when the form detection unit detects that the main toy body is in the second form, and the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is determined by the identification information determination means to be information belonging to the second group, the main control unit reads the first performance information from the performance storage unit, controls the main output unit to perform the first performance based on the read first performance information, and stores the received identification information in the storage device. The main control unit reads the second performance information from the performance storage unit and controls the main output unit to perform the second performance based on the read second performance information. When the main control unit controls the main output unit to perform the second performance, it determines whether or not identification information is stored in the storage device. If identification information is stored, it determines whether the stored identification information and the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit and determined by the identification information determination means to belong to the second group are a specific combination. If it determines that they are a specific combination, it reads the third performance information corresponding to the specific combination in place of the second performance information. of The main output unit is controlled to perform a third effect based on the performance information.

[0009] In the motion-responsive toy of the above invention, the sub-toy body comprises a sub-control unit, a transmitting / receiving unit capable of sending and receiving signals to and from the outside, and an identification information storage unit that stores identification information for identifying the type of the sub-toy body; the main toy body comprises a question signal transmitting unit capable of transmitting a question signal to the transmitting / receiving unit to inquire about the identification information of the sub-toy body within a predetermined range, and an identification information receiving unit capable of receiving the identification information transmitted from the transmitting / receiving unit; the sub-control unit reads the identification information from the identification information storage unit in response to receiving the question signal in the transmitting / receiving unit, and transmits the read identification information from the transmitting / receiving unit to the identification information receiving unit; the state determination means determines that the sub-toy body is approaching the predetermined range when the identification information is received in the identification information receiving unit, and determines that the sub-toy body has moved away from the predetermined range when the identification information that was being received in the identification information receiving unit is no longer being received.

[0010] In the motion-responsive toy of the above invention, the secondary toy body has a secondary output unit that outputs a secondary effect by emitting light and sound, and the secondary control unit controls the secondary output unit to output the secondary effect in response to the reception of the question signal by the transmitting / receiving unit.

[0011] The motion-responsive toy of the above invention is characterized in that the first performance information includes information to cause the main output unit to perform a light-emitting performance, the performance storage unit stores a plurality of first performance information items, each with a different light-emitting color during the light-emitting performance by the main output unit, associated with each identification information, and the sub-performance includes a light-emitting performance, and the light-emitting color during the light-emitting performance in the sub-performance is a color of the same type as the light-emitting color in the first performance associated with each identification information.

[0012] The motion-responsive toy of the above invention is characterized in that the main toy body has a belt portion for wrapping around the user's body, and the secondary toy body has an attachment portion for attaching to the user's finger.

[0013] The motion-responsive toy of the above invention is characterized in that the main toy body is a gun-shaped toy that can be grasped by the user, and the secondary toy body has an attachment part for being attached to the user's finger.

[0014] The motion-responsive toy of the above invention is characterized in that the main toy body is a sword-shaped toy that can be grasped by the user, and the secondary toy body has an attachment part for being attached to the user's finger.

[0015] In the motion-responsive toy of the above invention, the main toy body is reversibly changeable between a first form and a second form, and has a form detection unit that detects which of the first and second forms it is in, the performance memory unit stores first form change instruction information for outputting a first form change instruction from the main output unit to prompt the user to change the form of the main toy body from the first form to the second form, and second form change instruction information for outputting a second form change instruction from the main output unit to prompt the user to change the form of the main toy body from the second form to the first form, the main control unit has identification information determination means for determining whether the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit belongs to the first group or the second group, and when the form detection unit detects that the main toy body is in the first form, the main control unit, when the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is determined by the identification information determination means to belong to the first group, the sub-toy body approaches While the state determination means determines that the toy is in a certain state, the main output unit is controlled to perform the first performance. However, when the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is determined by the identification information determination means to be information belonging to the second group, the main output unit is controlled to read the first form change instruction information from the performance storage unit and output the first form change instruction. Furthermore, when the form detection unit detects that the main toy is in a second form, and the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is determined by the identification information determination means to be information belonging to the second group, the main output unit is controlled to perform the first performance while the state determination means determines that the sub-toy is in an approaching state. However, when the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is determined by the identification information determination means to be information belonging to the first group, the main output unit is controlled to read the second form change instruction information from the performance storage unit and output the second form change instruction.

[0016] Furthermore, it is a toy that can be used as a secondary toy in motion-responsive toys.

[0017] Further, the toy body is in a ring shape having a decoration part and a mounting part for mounting on a user's finger.

[0018] Also, a plurality of mounting parts having different sizes are prepared for the toy body, and the mounting parts can be detachably attached to and detached from the decoration part.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing an operation response toy and its usage mode according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view of a buckle. [Figure 3] It is a front view of a buckle, (a) is a diagram showing a relief in a transformation form, and (b) is a diagram showing a relief in a special move form. [Figure 4] It is a diagram for explaining a power transmission mechanism for changing the form of a relief, and is a diagram in which a relief main body, a disk part, etc. are removed from the buckle shown in FIG. 3(a). [Figure 5] It is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a transformation ring, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a side view. [Figure 6] It is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a special move ring, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a side view. [Figure 7] It is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of a buckle and a ring. [Figure 8] It is a flowchart showing an operation example of an operation response toy. [Figure 9] It is a flowchart showing the continuation of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] It is a front view of a buckle, (a) is an action diagram in a relief in a transformation form, and (b) is an action diagram in a relief in a special move form. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing the case where the main toy body is a gun-shaped toy. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing the case where the main toy body is a sword-shaped toy. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Throughout the description of the embodiments, the same elements are given the same numbers. The drawings should be viewed in the direction of the reference numerals. "Left" and "right" indicate directions as viewed from the user wearing the motion-responsive toy.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the motion-responsive toy 10 of this embodiment has a buckle (main toy body) 20 and rings (sub-toy bodies) 40A and 40B. The buckle 20 and rings 40A and 40B can be attached to the user's body (in this example, the waist and fingers), and are configured to move closer to and further away from each other in response to the user's movements. The motion-responsive toy 10 has a belt portion 12 for attaching the buckle 20 to the user's waist.

[0022] The rings 40A and 40B consist of a transformation ring 40A, worn on one of the user's hands (in this example, the left hand 13L), and a special attack ring 40B, worn on the user's other hand (in this example, the right hand 13R). In the following explanation, the components of the transformation ring 40A will be denoted with "A," and the components of the special attack ring 40B will be denoted with "B" to distinguish them. When referring to the transformation ring 40A and the special attack ring 40B together, they will be written as "rings 40A, 40B."

[0023] In the motion-responsive toy 10, when the transformation ring 40A or the special attack ring 40B moves closer to or further away from the buckle 20 in response to the user's actions 11, sound and light effects are activated, allowing the user 11 to have a simulated experience of transforming or activating a special attack.

[0024] (Buckle 20 configuration) The configuration of buckle 20 will be explained based on Figures 2 to 4. As shown in Figure 2, the buckle 20 has a buckle body 21 to which the belt portion 12 is attached, and a relief 22 formed in relief on the front surface of the buckle body 21.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3(a), a disc portion 23 is provided in the center of the front of the buckle body 21. The relief 22 is provided on the front of this disc portion 23. The relief 22 is formed in the shape of a human hand and consists of a relief body 25 that mimics the four fingers other than the thumb, and two thumb portions 26C and 26D that mimic the thumb. The relief body 25 is rotatably mounted relative to the disc portion 23 and is made of a material that is translucent in part. A light-emitting portion 27 is provided in the center of the inside of the relief body 25, and the light from this light-emitting portion 27 is visible from the outside through the relief body 25.

[0026] Relief 22 is the part where the user holds the rings 40A and 40B (see Figure 1). Relief 22 can reversibly change form between a transformation form (first form) and a special attack form (second form). Here, the transformation form is a form that prompts the user to hold their left hand 13L (see Figure 1) over relief 22, and is modeled after a human left hand. On the other hand, the special attack form is a form that prompts the user to hold their right hand 13R (see Figure 1) over relief 22, and is modeled after a human right hand. In Figure 3, (a) shows the relief 22 in the transformation form, and (b) shows the relief 22 in the special attack form.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3(a), in the transformation form of the relief 22, the right thumb portion 26D is exposed, and the left thumb portion 26C is hidden by the relief body 25, forming a model of the left hand with the exposed right thumb portion 26D and the relief body 25. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 3(b), in the special attack form of the relief 22, the left thumb portion 26C is exposed, and the right thumb portion 26D is hidden by the relief body 25, forming a model of the right hand with the exposed left thumb portion 26C and the relief body 25.

[0028] In Figure 3, the means for changing the form of the relief 22 from (a) to (b), or from (b) to (a), are arbitrary. However, here, levers 28L and 28R for rotating the relief body 25 are provided on both the left and right sides of the relief 22 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. By moving these left and right levers 28L and 28R in opposite directions, the form of the relief 22 is changed. For example, to change the relief 22 in the transformation form shown in (a) to the relief 22 in the special attack form shown in (b), the right lever 28R is raised (arrow (1)) and the left lever 28L is lowered (arrow (2)), and the relief body 25 is rotated counterclockwise (arrow (3)). On the other hand, to change the relief 22 in the special attack form shown in (b) to the transformation form shown in (a), lower the lever 28R on the right (arrow (4)) and at the same time raise the lever 28L on the left (arrow (5)) to rotate the relief body 25 clockwise (arrow (6)).

[0029] The mechanism for transmitting the operating force applied to the left and right levers 28L and 28R as rotational force to the relief body 25 can be selected from various power transmission mechanisms. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the power transmission means 33 is composed of left and right drive gears 31L and 31R that rotate in conjunction with the vertical movement of the left and right levers 28L and 28R, and a driven gear 32 provided on the back surface of the relief body 25 that meshes with the left and right drive gears 31L and 31R. With this power transmission means 33, the operating force applied by the user to the left and right levers 28L and 28R (see Figure 3) is transmitted to the relief body 25 via the left and right drive gears 31L and 31R and the driven gear 32. This allows the user to rotate the relief body 25 in any direction and change the form of the relief 22 (see Figure 3) to a transformation form or a special attack form.

[0030] The buckle body 21 contains a pair of microswitches 35L and 35R, one on the left and one on the right. The relief body 25 has a pressing section 36 on its back side that can press the left and right microswitches 35L and 35R. Microswitch 35R is pressed by the pressing section 36 when the relief 22 (see Figure 3(a)) is in the transformation form. On the other hand, microswitch 35L is pressed by the pressing section 36 when the relief 22 (see Figure 3(b)) is in the special attack form.

[0031] (Composition of rings 40A and 40B) The configurations of rings 40A and 40B will be explained based on Figures 5 and 6. As shown in Figures 5(a) to (c), the transformation ring 40A consists of a decorative part 41A and a wearable part 42A. The decorative part 41A is composed of any shape, pattern, and color, and at least a portion of it is made of a translucent material. The decorative part 41A has a light-emitting part 43A built into it, and the light from the light-emitting part 43A is visible from the outside through the decorative part 41A. The wearable part 42A is formed in an annular shape so that it can be worn on the finger of the user's left hand 13L (see Figure 1). The wearable part 42A is also formed in a C-shape with a portion (the lower part in this example) open, and is elastically deformable into an expandable shape. This allows even users with thick fingers to expand the wearable part 42A and wear it on their finger. Alternatively, the mounting portion 42A may be configured to be detachable from the decorative portion 41A, and multiple mounting portions 42A of different sizes may be manufactured and prepared so that the user can replace the mounting portion 42A of the optimal size from among these multiple mounting portions 42A.

[0032] As shown in Figures 6(a) to (c), the special move ring 40B consists of a decorative part 41B and a mounting part 42B. The decorative part 41B can be made of any shape, pattern, and color. The mounting part 42B is formed in an annular shape so that it can be attached to the finger of the user's right hand 13R (see Figure 1). The mounting part 42B is also formed in a C-shape with a portion (the lower part in this example) open, and is elastically deformable into an expanding shape. The mounting part 42B may also be made detachable from the decorative part 41B, and multiple mounting parts 42B of different sizes may be manufactured and prepared so that the user can replace the mounting part 42B of the optimal size.

[0033] Each of these transformation rings 40A and special attack rings 40B has a built-in RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, and identification information is assigned to it to identify its type. In this embodiment, multiple types of transformation rings 40A are set up, and each of these multiple types of transformation rings 40A is assigned unique identification information. Similarly, multiple types of special attack rings 40B are set up, and each of these multiple types of special attack rings 40B is also assigned unique identification information. The identification information is broadly divided into information assigned to the transformation rings 40A (hereinafter referred to as "information belonging to the first group") and information assigned to the special attack rings 40B (hereinafter referred to as "information belonging to the second group").

[0034] (Internal configuration of the motion-responsive toy 10) The internal configuration of buckle 20 and rings 40A and 40B will be explained based on Figure 7. As shown in Figure 7, the motion-responsive toy 10 employs a contactless data carrier system using RFID tags, with the buckle 20 acting as the interrogator and the rings 40A and 40B acting as the responders. The buckle 20 houses a main control unit 51 and a performance memory unit 52. The main control unit 51 and the performance memory unit 52 are included in a one-chip microcontroller built into the buckle 20. The buckle 20 also houses an interrogation signal transmission unit 53, an identification information receiving unit 55, a shape detection unit 56, and a main output unit 57. The main control unit 51 has a ring state determination means (state determination means) 58 and an identification information determination means 61. A battery 62 is also provided inside the buckle 20, and this battery 62 and the main control unit 51 are connected via a power switch 63. When the power switch 63 is turned ON, current flows to the main control unit 51 and control begins.

[0035] The transformation ring 40A incorporates a sub-control unit 71A, a transmitting / receiving unit 72A, an identification information storage unit 73A, and a sub-output unit 75A. The special attack ring 40B incorporates a sub-control unit 71B, a transmitting / receiving unit 72B, and an identification information storage unit 73B.

[0036] The question signal transmitting unit 53 and the identification information receiving unit 55 can be made of antenna coils and are located behind the relief 22 (towards the user when worn by the user). The question signal transmitting unit 53 can transmit a question signal to inquire about identification information to the transformation ring 40A or the special move ring 40B within a predetermined range (for example, within a range of about 10 cm from the question signal transmitting unit 53, i.e., in the vicinity of the relief 22). The identification information receiving unit 55 can receive identification information transmitted from the transmitting / receiving unit 72A or the transmitting / receiving unit 72B.

[0037] The ring state determination means 58 can determine whether the transformation ring 40A or the special attack ring 40B is in a state of being close to or far from the buckle 20. Here, the ring state determination means 58 determines that the transformation ring 40A or the special attack ring 40B is in a state of being close to the buckle 20 (relief 22, question signal transmission unit 53) when identification information is received in the identification information receiving unit 55 as a response to a question signal from the question signal transmission unit 53. If the same identification information continues to be received thereafter, the ring state determination means 58 determines that the same transformation ring 40A or special attack ring 40B continues to be in a state of being close. Also, the ring state determination means 58 determines that the transformation ring 40A or the special attack ring 40B is farther away from the buckle 20 (relief 22, question signal transmission unit 53) than a predetermined range when the identification information that was previously received in the identification information receiving unit 55 as a response to a question signal from the question signal transmission unit 53 is no longer received.

[0038] The identification information determination means 61 determines whether the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit 55 belongs to the first group or to the second group.

[0039] The main output unit 57 outputs a performance consisting of at least one of light emission and sound emission. In this example, the main output unit 57 is composed of a sound emission unit 65, which consists of a speaker or the like, and the light emission unit 27 described above. Preferably, the light emission unit 27 is composed of a full-color LED (light-emitting diode) that can selectively produce multiple light emission colors (for example, red, green, blue, and yellow).

[0040] The performance memory unit 52 stores the first performance information, the second performance information, the first form change instruction information, and the second form change instruction information.

[0041] The first performance information is information for outputting a ring reading performance (first performance) when identification information for the transformation ring 40A or the special attack ring 40B is received (that is, when the ring state determination means 53 determines that the transformation ring 40A or the special attack ring 40B is in close proximity), and includes information for causing the main output unit 57 to perform a light emission performance and a sound emission performance. More specifically, the first performance information is control information for causing the sound emission unit 65 to output a ring reading sound and for causing the light emission unit 27 to emit light in a predetermined light emission color and pattern. The first performance information is stored in association with the identification information of each of the multiple types of transformation rings 40A or the identification information of each of the multiple types of special attack rings 40B.

[0042] Furthermore, the performance memory unit 52 stores multiple first performance information items, each associated with identification information, that have different light colors when the light-emitting unit 27 is used for the light-emitting performance. Here, multiple first performance information items for causing the light-emitting unit 27 to light up in accordance with the light-emitting color (for example, red, green, blue, yellow, etc.) of the light-emitting unit 43A of the transformation ring 40A, which will be described later, are stored in the performance memory unit 52.

[0043] The second performance information is information for outputting a transformation performance (second performance) or a special attack performance (second performance), and is control information for causing the sound-emitting unit 65 to output a transformation sound or a special attack sound, and for causing the light-emitting unit 27 to light up in a predetermined light color and pattern. Of the second performance information, the information for outputting the transformation performance is stored in association with the identification information of each of the multiple types of transformation rings 40A. Furthermore, of the second performance information, the information for outputting the special attack performance is stored in association with the identification information of each of the multiple types of special attack rings 40B. In addition, the second performance information for outputting the special attack performance includes information for outputting a normal special attack performance and information for outputting a special special attack performance when the combination of the identification information of the transformation ring 40A and the identification information of the special attack ring 40B is a specific combination.

[0044] The first form change instruction information is information for which, when the relief 22 (see Figure 3) is in a transformation form, and information belonging to the second group is received by the identification information receiving unit 55, the main output unit 57 outputs a signal (first form change instruction) prompting the user to operate the left and right levers 28L and 28R (see Figure 3) to change the form of the relief 22 (see Figure 3) to a special attack form.

[0045] The second form change instruction information is information for outputting a message (second form change instruction) from the main output unit 57 to prompt the user to change the form of the relief 22 (see Figure 3) to the transformation form by operating the left and right levers 28L and 28R (see Figure 3) when the relief 22 (see Figure 3) is in the form for special moves and information belonging to the first group is received by the identification information receiving unit 55.

[0046] The form detection unit 56 detects whether the relief 22 (see Figure 3) is in transformation form or special attack form. The configuration of the form detection unit 56 is arbitrary, but here, the two microswitches 35L and 35R described above are used. That is, the form detection unit 56 is connected to the microswitches 35L and 35R, and the form detection unit 56 detects which of the microswitches 35L and 35R is pressed by the pressing unit 36 ​​(see Figure 4), or whether neither microswitch is pressed, and thereby detects the current form of the relief 22 (see Figure 3).

[0047] The transceiver unit 72A of the transformation ring 40A is capable of sending and receiving signals to and from the outside and can be composed of an antenna coil. The identification information storage unit 73A stores identification information for identifying the type of transformation ring 40A. The sub-control unit 71A is a control IC chip and is driven by the induced electromotive force generated in the transceiver unit 72A when it receives a question signal from the question signal transmission unit 53. In response to the reception of a question signal in the transceiver unit 72A, the sub-control unit 71A reads the identification information from the identification information storage unit 73A and transmits this read identification information from the transceiver unit 72A to the identification information receiving unit 55.

[0048] The sub-output unit 75A of the transformation ring 40A is the part that outputs a sub-effect consisting of at least one of light emission and sound emission. In this example, the sub-output unit 75A is composed of a light emission unit 43A, and the sub-effect includes a light emission effect. The light emission unit 43A is composed of, for example, an LED (light-emitting diode), and the light emission color of the light emission unit 43A can be selected from a plurality of colors (for example, red, green, blue, yellow, etc.). In this embodiment, the light emission color during the light emission effect in the sub-effect (the light emission color of the light emission unit 43A) is set to a color of the same type as the light emission color of the light emission unit 27 in the ring reading effect (first effect) associated with each identification information. The light emission unit 43A is driven by the induced electromotive force generated in the transmitting / receiving unit 72A by receiving a question signal. For this reason, the transformation ring 40A does not require a power supply.

[0049] The sub-control unit 71A controls the sub-output unit 75A to output a sub-performance based on the read identification information, in response to the reception of a question signal by the transmitting / receiving unit 72A.

[0050] The transmitting / receiving unit 72B of the special move ring 40B is capable of transmitting and receiving signals to and from the outside and can be constructed with an antenna coil. The identification information storage unit 73B stores identification information for identifying the type of special move ring 40B. The sub-control unit 71B is a control IC chip and is driven by the induced electromotive force generated in the transmitting / receiving unit 72B when it receives a question signal from the question signal transmission unit 53. For this reason, the special move ring 40B does not require a power supply. The sub-control unit 71B reads the identification information from the identification information storage unit 73B in response to the receiving / receiving unit 72B receiving a question signal and transmits this read identification information from the transmitting / receiving unit 72B to the identification information receiving unit 55.

[0051] The amount of information stored in the identification information storage units 73A and 73B is arbitrary, but for example, if the amount of information is 16 bits, the first 8 bits can be used as predetermined information including company information, and the latter 8 bits can be used as identification information. In this case, a total of 256 different rings with different identification information can be obtained by combining the transformation ring 40A and the special attack ring 40B.

[0052] Furthermore, the memory device (not shown) that constitutes the performance memory unit 52 in the buckle 20 stores at least the following two pieces of information. (1) Information on whether the current form of relief 22 (see Figure 3) is a transformation form or a special attack form (which of microswitches 35L or 35R is pressed). (2) Identification information of the transformation ring 40A that was held over the relief 22 (see Figure 3) in the most recent position when the relief 22 is in the transformation form (when the microswitch 35R is pressed) and whose identification information was received by the identification information receiving unit 55.

[0053] (Example of operation of the motion-responsive toy 10) An example of the operation of the motion-responsive toy 10 controlled by the main control unit 51 will be explained based on Figures 8 to 10.

[0054] As shown in Figure 8, when the power switch 63 is turned ON (step S1), the form of the relief 22 is determined (step S2). If it is determined that the relief 22 is in the transformation form, in step S3, the question signal transmission unit 53 starts transmitting a question signal, and in step S4, the main output unit 57 outputs a transformation ring reading standby animation.

[0055] Next, in step S5, it is determined whether or not the form of the relief 22 has changed. If the form of the relief 22 has changed, the process returns to step S2. On the other hand, if the form of the relief has not changed, the process proceeds to step S6.

[0056] In step S6, the identification information receiving unit 55 determines whether or not identification information has been received (whether or not the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the transformation ring 40A or the special attack ring 40B is in a close proximity state). If identification information has been received (if the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the transformation ring 40A or the special attack ring 40B is in a close proximity state), the process proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if identification information has not been received, the process returns to step S4.

[0057] In step S7, the identification information receiving unit 55 determines the type of identification information received by the identification information determination means 61. If the identification information is determined to belong to the first group, in step S8, this identification information is overwritten and stored in the storage device, and the process proceeds to step S9. On the other hand, if the identification information is determined to belong to the second group, the main control unit 51 reads the first form change instruction information from the performance storage unit 52 and controls the main output unit 57 to output the first form change instruction, and the process returns to step S4. For example, as the first form change instruction, the sound output unit 65 of the main output unit 57 emits the sound "Gyakusai (reverse side)". This makes the user realize that the form of the relief 22 is not a form for special moves, but a form for transformation.

[0058] In step S9, the first performance information corresponding to the identification information of the transformation ring 40A is read from the performance memory unit 52, and the main output unit 57 is controlled to output the transformation ring reading performance (first performance) based on this read first performance information. For example, if the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit 55 is information that includes red light emission, the main output unit 57 emits sounds such as "Hi (fire), Hi (fire), Hi (fire)..." from the sound generation unit 65 and emits red light from the light emission unit 27. At this time, the transformation ring 40A also emits the same type of red light from the light emission unit 43A, so that it appears as if the light emission of the transformation ring 40A has been transferred to the buckle 20.

[0059] In step S11, the identification information receiving unit 55 determines whether or not identification information has been received (whether or not the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the transformation ring 40A has separated). If identification information has not been received (if the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the transformation ring 40A has separated), the process proceeds to step S12. On the other hand, if identification information has been received (if the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the transformation ring 40A is in a state of proximity), the process returns to step S9 and outputs the transformation ring reading animation again. In other words, the main control unit 51 controls the main output unit 57 to repeatedly output the transformation ring reading animation (first animation) as long as the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the transformation ring 40A is in a state of proximity.

[0060] In step S12, the main output unit 57 outputs a transformation sequence (second sequence) corresponding to the identification information of the transformation ring 40A. That is, if the ring state determination means 58 determines that the transformation ring 40A has separated due to the user's actions while the transformation ring reading sequence (first sequence) is being output, it reads transformation sequence information (second sequence information) from the sequence memory unit 52 and controls the main output unit 57 to output a transformation sequence (second sequence) based on this read transformation sequence information (second sequence information) (see Figure 10(a)). For example, as a transformation sequence, in addition to the sound "please" from the sound generation unit 65, a sequence is performed by the sound generation unit 65 and the light-emitting unit 27 corresponding to the identification information.

[0061] Next, in step S13, the transmission of the interrogation signal from the interrogation signal transmission unit 53 is stopped, and in step S14, it is determined whether the shape of the relief 22 has changed, depending on whether there has been a change in the pressed state of the microswitches 35L and 35R. If the shape of the relief 22 has changed (the microswitch that was pressed is no longer pressed), the process returns to step S2. On the other hand, if the shape of the relief 22 has not changed (the microswitch that was pressed continues to be pressed), it is determined again whether the shape of the relief 22 has changed.

[0062] In step S2, if the relief 22 is in the special attack form, proceed to step S15 (see Figure 9). Also, in step S2, if the relief 22 is neither in the transformation form nor the special attack form (i.e., neither microswitch is pressed), proceed to step S16 to determine again whether the form of the relief 22 has changed. If the relief 22 has changed to the transformation form, proceed to step S3. Also, if the relief 22 has changed to the special attack form, proceed to step S15 (see Figure 9). Also, if the form of the relief 22 has not changed, determine again whether the form of the relief 22 has changed.

[0063] As shown in Figure 9, in step S15, the question signal transmission unit 53 starts transmitting a question signal, and in step S17, the main output unit 57 outputs a ring reading standby animation for the special move.

[0064] Next, in step S18, it is determined whether or not the form of the relief 22 has changed. If the form of the relief 22 has changed, in step S19, the identification information of the transformation ring 40A stored in the memory device is cleared. On the other hand, if the form of the relief 22 has not changed, the process proceeds to step S20.

[0065] In step S20, the identification information receiving unit 55 determines whether or not identification information has been received (whether or not the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the transformation ring 40A or the special attack ring 40B is in a close proximity state). If identification information has been received (if the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the transformation ring 40A or the special attack ring 40B is in a close proximity state), the process proceeds to step S21. On the other hand, if identification information has not been received, the process returns to step S17.

[0066] In step S21, the type of identification information received by the identification information receiving unit 55 is determined by the identification information determination means 61. If the identification information is determined to belong to the second group, the process proceeds to step S22. On the other hand, if the identification information is determined to belong to the first group, in step S23, the second form change instruction is output from the main output unit 57, and the process returns to step S17. For example, as the second form change instruction, the sound output unit 65 of the main output unit 57 emits the sound "Gyakusai (reverse side)". This makes the user realize that the form of the relief 22 is not the form for transformation, but the form for special attacks. In this embodiment, the first form change instruction and the second form change instruction are both the same sound "Gyakusai", but in the spirit of the present invention, the first form change instruction and the second form change instruction may be the same, or they may be different.

[0067] In step S22, the main output unit 57 outputs a ring reading animation (first animation) for special moves that corresponds to the identification information of the special move ring 40B.

[0068] Next, in step S24, the identification information receiving unit 55 determines whether or not identification information has been received (whether or not the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the special move ring 40B has separated). If identification information has not been received (if the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the special move ring 40B has separated), the process proceeds to step S25. On the other hand, if identification information has been received (if the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the special move ring 40B is in a state of proximity), the process returns to step S22 and outputs the special move ring reading animation again. In other words, the main control unit 51 controls the main output unit 57 to repeatedly perform the special move ring reading animation (first animation) as long as the ring state determination means 58 has determined that the special move ring 40B is in a state of proximity.

[0069] In step S25, it is determined whether or not the identification information for the transformation ring 40A is stored. If the identification information for the transformation ring 40A is stored, the process proceeds to step S26. On the other hand, if the identification information for the transformation ring 40A is not stored, in step S28, the main output unit 57 outputs a normal special attack animation corresponding to the identification information for the special attack ring 40B. That is, as shown in Figure 10(b), when the ring state determination means 58 determines that the special attack ring 40B has separated due to the user's actions while the special attack ring reading animation (first animation) is being output, the special attack animation information (second animation information) is read from the animation storage unit 52, and the main output unit 57 is controlled to output a special attack animation (second animation, in this case a normal special attack animation) based on this read special attack animation information (second animation information).

[0070] In step S26, it is determined whether the identification information of the special move ring 40B and the identification information of the transformation ring 40A are a specific combination. If the identification information of the special move ring 40B and the identification information of the transformation ring 40A are a specific combination, the main output unit 57 outputs a special special move animation corresponding to the specific combination. That is, as shown in Figure 10(b), when the ring state determination means 58 determines that the special move ring 40B has separated due to the user's actions while the ring reading animation for the special move (first animation) is being output, special move animation information (second animation information) is read from the animation storage unit 52, and the main output unit 57 is controlled to output a special move animation (second animation, in this case, a special special move animation) based on this read special move animation information (second animation information). On the other hand, if the identification information of the special attack ring 40B and the identification information of the transformation ring 40A are not a specific combination, the process proceeds to step S28, and a normal special attack animation is output from the main output unit 57. That is, as shown in Figure 10(b), when the ring state determination means 58 determines that the special attack ring 40B has separated due to the user's actions during the output of the special attack ring reading animation (first animation), special attack animation information (second animation information) is read from the animation storage unit 52, and the main output unit 57 is controlled to output a special attack animation (second animation, in this case, a normal special attack animation) based on this read special attack animation information (second animation information).

[0071] In a normal special attack animation, for example, a voice prompt such as "Please" is combined with a normal special attack animation based on the identification information of the special attack ring 40B. In contrast, in a special special attack animation, for example, a voice prompt such as "Nice!" is combined with a special special attack animation based on the identification information of the special attack ring 40B. Alternatively, as a special special attack animation, a voice prompt such as "Super nice!" is combined with another special special attack animation based on the identification information of the special attack ring 40B. Furthermore, as another special special attack animation, a voice prompt such as "Awesome!" is combined with yet another special special attack animation based on the identification information of the special attack ring 40B. In this way, various types of special attack animations can be obtained based on the combination of the identification information of the special attack ring 40B and the identification information of the transformation ring 40A that has been most recently held over the ring and stored in the memory device.

[0072] In step S29, the transmission of the question signal from the question signal transmission unit 53 is stopped, and in step S30, it is determined whether or not the shape of the relief 22 has changed. If the shape of the relief 22 has changed, in step S31, the stored identification information of the transformation ring 40A is cleared, and the process returns to step S2 (see Figure 8). On the other hand, if the shape of the relief 22 has not changed, it is determined again whether or not the shape of the relief 22 has changed.

[0073] (Effects of the motion-responsive toy 10) As described above, the motion-responsive toy 10 of this embodiment not only outputs a visual effect in response to the user bringing the transformation ring 40A or the special attack ring 40B closer to the buckle 20, but can also output a visual effect in response to the subsequent action of moving the transformation ring 40A or the special attack ring 40B away from the buckle 20. Therefore, a motion-responsive toy 10 that better conforms to the original purpose of a motion-responsive toy can be obtained.

[0074] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. Furthermore, it is clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0075] For example, in this embodiment, the main toy body and the secondary toy body are composed of a buckle 20 and rings 40A and 40B, respectively. However, the main toy body and secondary toy body according to this invention may be other toy bodies besides a buckle and rings. For example, both the main toy body and the secondary toy body may be set to a shape, size, and weight that can be grasped by hand.

[0076] As another example, Figure 11 shows the case where the main toy is a gun-shaped toy 220, and Figure 12 shows the case where it is a sword-shaped toy 320. When the main toy is a gun-shaped toy 220, a shape part 222 that mimics a human left hand is provided on the upper part of the gun grip, and a question signal transmission unit and an identification information receiving unit for the main toy are provided within this shape part 222. That is, when the user shakes hands with the shape part 222 with the hand wearing the rings 40A and 40B, which are the secondary toy parts, the identification information of the rings 40A and 40B is received by the identification information receiving unit. At this time, the ring state determination means determines that the rings 40A and 40B are approaching the gun-shaped toy 220, and the first performance is output, as in the embodiment described above. Subsequently, when the user releases their grip on the shaped part 222 and the identification information receiving unit no longer receives identification information for the rings 40A and 40B, the ring state determination means determines that the rings 40A and 40B have separated from the gun-shaped toy 220, and, as in the embodiment described above, the second effect is output.

[0077] Furthermore, when the main toy body is a sword-shaped toy 320, a shape portion 322 that mimics a human left hand is provided between the handle portion and the sword portion, and a question signal transmission unit and an identification information reception unit for the main toy body are provided within this shape portion 322. That is, when the user shakes hands with the shape portion 322 with the hand wearing the rings 40A and 40B, which are the secondary toy bodies, the identification information of the rings 40A and 40B is received by the identification information reception unit. At this time, the ring state determination means determines that the rings 40A and 40B are approaching the sword-shaped toy 320, and the first performance is output, as in the embodiment described above. Subsequently, when the user releases their handshake with the shape portion 322 and the identification information of the rings 40A and 40B is no longer received by the identification information reception unit, the ring state determination means determines that the rings 40A and 40B have moved away from the sword-shaped toy 320, and the second performance is output, as in the embodiment described above.

[0078] In short, the configuration of the main toy body and the secondary toy body is arbitrary, as long as the toy body can be attached to the user's body or grasped by the user, and is configured to move closer to or further away from each other in accordance with the user's movements while wearing or grasping it. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0079] 10 motion-responsive toys 11 User 12 Belt section 20 Buckle (Main Toy Body) 40A Transformation Ring (Secondary Toy) 40B Special Move Ring (Sub-toy) 42A Mounting section 42B Mounting section 51 Main control unit 52 Production Memory Department 53 Interrogation signal transmission unit 55 Identification Information Receiving Unit 56 Morphological detection unit 57 Main Output Section 58 Ring state determination means (state determination means) 61 Identification Information Determination Means 71A Sub-control unit 71B Sub-control unit 72A Transceiver Unit 72B Transceiver Unit 73A Identification information storage unit 73B Identification information storage unit 75A Sub-Output Section 220 Gun-shaped toy (main toy) 320 Sword-shaped toy (main toy concrete)

Claims

1. A motion-responsive toy comprising a main toy body and a secondary toy body, wherein the main toy body and the secondary toy body are each capable of being attached to the user's body or grasped by the user, and are configured to move closer to or further away from each other in response to the user's actions while attached to or grasped, The main toy body comprises a main control unit, a main output unit that outputs effects by at least one of light emission and sound emission, an effect storage unit that stores first effect information, second effect information, and third effect information, and a storage device. The auxiliary toy body has an identification information storage unit that stores identification information for identifying the type of the auxiliary toy body, The main toy body has an identification information receiving unit capable of receiving the identification information of the sub-toy body, is reversibly capable of changing its form between a first form and a second form, and has a form detection unit that detects which of the first and second forms it is in. The main control unit has identification information determination means for determining whether the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit belongs to the first group or the second group. When the shape detection unit detects that the main toy body is in the first shape, and the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is determined by the identification information determination means to be information belonging to the first group, the main control unit reads the first performance information from the performance storage unit, controls the main output unit to perform the first performance based on the read first performance information, and stores the received identification information in the storage device. Furthermore, when the main control unit detects that the main toy body is in the second form, and when the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit is determined by the identification information determination means to be information belonging to the second group, the main control unit reads the second performance information from the performance storage unit and controls the main output unit to perform the second performance based on the read second performance information. Furthermore, when the main control unit controls the main output unit to perform the second performance, it determines whether identification information is stored in the storage device, and if identification information is stored, it determines whether the stored identification information and the identification information received by the identification information receiving unit and determined by the identification information determination means to belong to the second group are a specific combination, and if it determines that they are a specific combination, it reads out third performance information corresponding to the specific combination in place of the second performance information, and controls the main output unit to perform the third performance based on the read third performance information, an action-responsive toy.

2. The motion-responsive toy according to claim 1, characterized in that the main toy body has a belt portion for wrapping around the user's body.

3. The motion-responsive toy according to claim 1, characterized in that the main toy body is a gun-shaped toy that can be grasped by the user.

4. The motion-responsive toy according to claim 1, characterized in that the main toy body is a sword-shaped toy that can be grasped by the user.

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