Effect output toy, game medium, and separate toy body

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a new mechanism for realizing an effect in an effect output toy. [Solution] This effect output toy comprises: a toy body which is configured to be able to have attached thereto a plurality of game media having unique identification information; an operator which is provided to the toy body; a first acquisition unit which is capable of acquiring the identification information of the game media attached to the toy body; and a control unit which controls an effect for the toy body. The toy body has a movement mechanism for relatively moving at least two game media attached to the toy body in response to an operation on the operator. The control unit changes an effect output pattern for the toy body to be outputted in association with the movement of the at least two game media by the movement mechanism, in accordance with a combination of the identification information of the plurality of game media acquired by the first acquisition unit.

Description

Performance output toy, game medium, and separate toy

[0001] The present invention relates to a performance output toy, a game medium, and a separate toy.

[0002] There are various known toys that perform a variety of effects using light, sound, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes an effect output toy that controls the operation of an effect output unit for outputting effects using light, sound, etc., based on operation data corresponding to the order in which first and second switches of a sub-toy body attached to a main toy body are pressed.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-168997

[0004] There is a demand for mechanisms for producing more novel effects in performance output toys.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel mechanism for realizing effects in, for example, an effect output toy.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention provides a performance output toy comprising a toy body configured to be able to accommodate a plurality of game media having unique identification information, an operator provided on the toy body, a first acquisition unit capable of acquiring the identification information of the game media attached to the toy body, and a control unit that controls the performance of the toy body, wherein the toy body has a movement mechanism that moves at least two of the game media attached to the toy body relatively in accordance with operation of the operator, and the control unit changes the performance output pattern of the toy body that is output in conjunction with the movement of the at least two game media by the movement mechanism in accordance with the combination of the identification information of the plurality of game media acquired by the first acquisition unit.

[0007] According to the present invention, a novel mechanism for realizing effects in a performance output toy can be provided.

[0008] (a) External front view and (b) external plan view of a performance output toy according to an embodiment. A diagram showing the internal configuration of the performance output toy according to an embodiment. (a) External schematic view and (b) control block diagram of a performance output toy according to an embodiment. A flowchart showing the operation of the performance output toy according to an embodiment. A flowchart showing the operation of the performance output toy according to an embodiment. A diagram for explaining the operation of the performance output toy according to an embodiment. A diagram for explaining the operation of the performance output toy according to an embodiment. A diagram showing an example of correspondence relationship information.

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0010] <External Configuration of the Presentation Output Toy> An example of the external configuration of the presentation output toy 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1(a) shows an external view (external front view) of the presentation output toy 100 when viewed from the front, and Fig. 1(b) shows an external view (external plan view) of the presentation output toy 100 when viewed from above. Note that the up / down, left / right, and front / rear arrows in Fig. 1 indicate the orientation of the presentation output toy 100 when the user wearing the presentation output toy 100 is used as a reference, and this also applies to the other drawings.

[0011] The effect output toy 100 includes a toy body 101 and an operator 102. The effect output toy 100 of this embodiment is configured as a buckle attached to a belt 105, but is not limited thereto and may be configured as any other toy.

[0012] The toy body 101 is provided with a plurality of insertion sections into which game media can be inserted, and a plurality of game media, each having unique identification information, are attached (loaded) through the plurality of insertion sections. The toy body 101 of this embodiment is configured to be able to attach two card members 201-202 as the plurality of game media, and each of the plurality of insertion sections is configured as a slot. Specifically, two slots (a first slot 103a and a second slot 103b) are provided on the top of the toy body 101, and the card members 201-202 are attached (inserted) into the toy body 101 through the two slots 103a-103b, respectively.

[0013] The first slot 103a (first insertion portion) is provided in an upper portion of the first portion 101a (right portion) of the toy body 101, and a card member 201 inserted through the first slot 103a is attached to the first portion 101a of the toy body 101. The second slot 103b (second insertion portion) is provided in an upper portion of the second portion 101b (left portion) of the toy body 101, and a card member 202 inserted through the second slot 103b is attached to the second portion 101b of the toy body 101. Hereinafter, of the two card members, one card member 201 inserted through the first slot 103a may be referred to as the "first card member 201," and the other card member 202 inserted through the second slot 103a may be referred to as the "second card member 202." Note that the game media attached to the toy body 101 are not limited to card members and may be other forms of media (members). Furthermore, the number of game media (card members) attached to the toy main body 101 is not limited to two, but may be three or more.

[0014] A front panel 104 is provided on the front of the toy body 101, covering the two card members 201-202 attached to the toy body 101 so that they can be seen. The front panel 104 is, for example, a panel (light-transmitting member) made of a translucent material, and is provided across the first portion 101a, the second portion 101b, and the central portion 101c of the toy body 101. The central portion 101c of the toy body 101 is the portion between the first portion 101a and the second portion 101b in the left-right direction. The left-right direction may be understood as a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the card members 201-202 from each slot 103a-103b of the toy body 101 and parallel to the surfaces of the card members 201-202. The front panel 104 also has an uneven pattern that reflects light irradiated from the side surface (specifically, the bottom surface) of the front panel 104. The uneven pattern on the front panel 104 is a pattern composed of uneven shapes, the details of which will be described later. Note that, although the front panel 104 of this embodiment is configured to visibly cover the two card members 201-202, if a moving mechanism (described later) is configured to move at least two card members, the front panel 104 may be configured to visibly cover the at least two card members.

[0015] The operator 102 is a mechanism operated by the user. In this embodiment, the operator 102 is configured as a lever (grip) provided on the left and right sides of the toy body 101, and is operated by the user to move outward (a first direction) and inward (a second direction opposite to the first direction) relative to the toy body 101. Note that in this embodiment, the operator 102 is provided on both the left and right sides of the toy body 101, but this is not limiting, and the operator 102 may be provided on only one of the left and right sides of the toy body 101, or on the top or bottom of the toy body 101. In the following, the operator 102 may also be referred to as a "lever 102."

[0016] In the effect output toy 100 of this embodiment, when the user operates the lever 102, two card members 201-202 move relative to each other within the toy body 101 in response, and an effect is produced on the toy body 101. Details of this will be described later, but as an example, when two card members 201-202 are attached to the toy body 101 and the lever 102 is operated outward relative to the toy body 101, the two card members 201-202 move toward each other in response, and are positioned in the center portion 101c of the toy body 101 so that portions of the two card members 201-202 are adjacent to each other. At this time, an effect is also produced on the toy body 101. Note that, if the effect output toy 100 can accommodate three or more card members, it may be configured to move two of the three or more card members 201-202 in conjunction with the operation of the lever 102.

[0017] Furthermore, in the performance output toy 100 of this embodiment, a separate toy body 203 for expanding the performance of the toy body 101 is attached to the toy body 101. Therefore, the toy body 101 further includes an attachment section 106 to which the separate toy body 203 is attached, and a separate body detection section 107 for detecting attachment of the separate toy body 203 to the attachment section 106. The attachment section 106 is a connecting section to which the separate toy body 203 is connected, and is formed on the upper part of the toy body 101 as a recess that engages with a protrusion 203a (connecting section) of the separate toy body 203. Furthermore, the separate body detection section 107 is a sensor that detects attachment of the separate toy body 203 to the attachment section 106, and in this embodiment, is configured as a button-type sensor protruding from the bottom surface of the attachment section 106, which is formed as a recess. There are multiple types of separate toy bodies 203, and each is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the toy body 101.

[0018] <Internal Configuration of the Presentation Output Toy> Next, the internal configuration of the presentation output toy 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2. Here, an example configuration of a movement mechanism that moves two card members 201-202 relative to one another in response to (in conjunction with) the operation of the lever 102 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the internal configuration of the presentation output toy 100. FIG. 2(a) illustrates a state in which the lever 102 is operated inward relative to the toy body 101, i.e., a state in which the lever 102 is pushed inward relative to the toy body 101. FIG. 2(b) illustrates a state in which the lever 102 is operated outward relative to the toy body 101, i.e., a state in which the lever 102 is pulled outward relative to the toy body 101. Note that the presentation output toy 100 illustrated in FIG. 2 differs in actual dimensions and scale. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a movement mechanism configured to move two card members 201-202 relative to one another will be described. However, the movement mechanism may be configured to move at least two card members relative to one another, rather than only two card members.

[0019] The performance output toy 100 includes a first holding unit 108a, a second holding unit 108b, a first moving mechanism 110a, and a second moving mechanism 110b. The first holding unit 108a is a first mounting unit capable of mounting a first card member 201 inserted through the first slot 103a. In this embodiment, the first holding unit 108a is configured as a stage that can slide left and right while holding the first card member 201. The second holding unit 108b is a second mounting unit that can mount a second card member 202 inserted through the second slot 103b. In this embodiment, the second holding unit 108b is configured as a stage that can slide left and right while holding the second card member 202. Furthermore, the first moving mechanism 110a is a mechanism that moves the first holding portion 108a (i.e., the first card member 201) in conjunction with the operation of the right-side lever 102, and the second moving mechanism 110b is a mechanism that moves the second holding portion 108b (i.e., the second card member 202) in conjunction with the operation of the left-side lever 102. The first moving mechanism 110a and the second moving mechanism 110b may be configured to operate in linkage with each other. Here, the first moving mechanism 110a and the second moving mechanism 110b may be understood as constituting a single moving mechanism that relatively moves the first holding portion 108a (first mounting portion) and the second holding portion 108b (second mounting portion) in response to the operation of the lever 102.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2A , the first movement mechanism 110a may include a first linear gear 111, a second linear gear 112, a first rotary gear 113, and a second rotary gear 114. The first linear gear 111 is a component that engages with the first rotary gear 113 and is attached to the right lever 102. The second linear gear 112 is a component that engages with the second rotary gear 114 and is attached to the first holding portion 108a. The first rotary gear 113 and the second rotary gear 114 are configured to be rotatable around the same axis 115. Note that the second movement mechanism 110b has a similar configuration to the first movement mechanism 110a, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here. In the example of FIG. 2 , the first rotary gear 113 and the second rotary gear 114 have different numbers of teeth, but this is not limiting and the number of teeth may be the same.

[0021] 2(a), in the performance output toy 100 configured in this manner, the card members 201-202 are inserted from the respective slots 103a-103b with the lever 102 pressed into the toy body 101. As a result, the first card member 201 inserted from the first slot 103a is held (attached) by the first holding portion 108a, and the second card member 202 inserted from the second slot 103b is held (attached) by the second holding portion 108b.

[0022] When the user operates the lever 102 (first operation) outward (first direction) relative to the toy body 101, the first moving mechanism 110a and the second moving mechanism 110b move the first card member 201 and the second card member 202 relatively in the left-right direction in response to the first operation, bringing them closer to each other and adjacent to each other. Specifically, when the first operation is performed, in each of the moving mechanisms 110a to 110b, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the first linear gear 111 moves together with the lever 102, causing the first rotary gear 113 to rotate accordingly. The second rotary gear 114 is attached to the same shaft 115 as the first rotary gear 113, and therefore rotates together with the first rotary gear 113. Then, the second linear gear 112 engaged with the second rotary gear 114 moves inward. By this operation, a portion (e.g., the left half) of the first card member 201 held by the first holding portion 108a and a portion (e.g., the right half) of the second card member 202 held by the second holding portion 108b are positioned adjacent to each other in the central portion 101c.

[0023] Furthermore, when the user operates the lever 102 (second operation) inward (second direction) relative to the toy body 101, the first moving mechanism 110a and the second moving mechanism 110b, in conjunction with the second operation, relatively move the adjacent first card member 201 and second card member 202 in the left-right direction so as to move them away from each other. As a result, the first card member 201 is removed from the central portion 101c and positioned in the first portion 101a (below the first slot 103a), and the second card member 202 is removed from the central portion 101c and positioned in the second portion 101b (below the second slot 103b). Note that the operation of each of the moving mechanisms 110a to 110b due to the second operation is simply the opposite of the operation of each of the moving mechanisms 110a to 110b due to the first operation, and therefore will not be described in detail here.

[0024] <Detailed Configuration of the Performance Output Toy> Next, the detailed configuration of the performance output toy 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3(a) shows a schematic front view of the exterior of the performance output toy 100, and Fig. 3(b) shows a block diagram of the control configuration of the performance output toy 100.

[0025] 3(a), the effect output toy 100 includes, as components related to effect output, a plurality of light-emitting units 121a-121e, attachment detection units 122a-122b, information acquisition units 123a-123b, and an operation detection unit 124. Furthermore, light-reflecting uneven patterns 104a-104c are formed on the front panel 104 of the effect output toy 100. The uneven pattern 104a is formed so as to overlap the first card member 201 attached to the first portion 101a of the toy body 101. The uneven pattern 104b is formed so as to overlap the second card member 202 attached to the second portion 101b of the toy body 101. Furthermore, the uneven pattern 104c is formed so as to overlap with a part of the design of the first card member 201 and a part of the design of the second card member 202, which are arranged in the central portion 101c, and to cooperate with these designs to generate a single pattern or design (for example, a pattern or design showing a character's face). These uneven patterns 104a to 104c have the function of reflecting (scattering) light irradiated by the plurality of light-emitting elements 121a to 121e, and creating a visual effect as if they are floating out from the front panel 104.

[0026] The light-emitting units 121a-121e are arranged below the front panel 104 of the toy body 101 so as to illuminate the underside of the front panel 104. Specifically, the two light-emitting units 121a-121b on the right side are arranged to illuminate the concave-convex pattern 104a of the front panel 104 in the first portion 101a from below. The two light-emitting units 121c-121d on the left side are arranged to illuminate the concave-convex pattern 104b of the front panel 104 in the second portion 101b from below. The central light-emitting unit 121e is arranged to illuminate the concave-convex pattern 104c of the front panel 104 in the central portion 101c from below. Each of the light-emitting units 121a-121e can emit light in multiple colors, and for example, a full-color LED (Light Emitting Diode) can be used. The light-emitting units 121a-121e are controlled by a control unit 131, which will be described later. The number of light emitting parts is not limited to five, but may be one to four, or six or more.

[0027] The attachment detection units 122a-122b are sensors that detect the attachment of the card members 201-202 to the toy body 101, and are configured by, for example, button-type sensors. The right attachment detection unit 122a detects that the first card member 201 has been attached to the first part 101a (first holding part 108a) of the toy body 101 through the first slot 103a. The left attachment detection unit 122b detects that the second card member 202 has been attached to the second part 101b (second holding part 108b) of the toy body 101 through the second slot 103b. The detection results of the attachment detection units 122a-122b are transmitted to the control unit 131, which will be described later.

[0028] The information acquisition units 123a-123b (first acquisition units) are configured to be able to respectively acquire identification information of the card members 201-202 attached to the toy body 101. Each of the card members 201-202 attached to the toy body 101 is provided with unique identification information 204 (see FIG. 1(a)). The right information acquisition unit 123a acquires (reads) the identification information 204 of the first card member 201 attached to the first portion 101a of the toy body 101 from the first slot 103a. The left information acquisition unit 123b acquires (reads) the identification information 204 of the second card member 202 attached to the first portion 101b of the toy body 101 from the second slot 103b. The identification information of the card members 201-202 acquired by the information acquisition units 123a-123b is transmitted to the control unit 131, which will be described later.

[0029] Here, each card member used in the effect output toy 100 is configured to be attachable to the toy body 101 from either the first slot 103a or the second slot 103b. Therefore, the identification information 204 of each card member is arranged on each card member so that it can be read by the effect output toy 100, whether it is attached to the toy body 101 from the first slot 103a or from the second slot 103b. In other words, the identification information 204 of each card member is arranged on each card member so that it can be read by the information acquisition unit 123b when it is attached to the toy body 101 from the first slot 103a, and can be read by the information acquisition unit 123b when it is attached to the toy body 101 from the second slot 103b. In addition, in this embodiment, a barcode is used as the identification information 204 of each card member, but this is not limited thereto, and an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, a concave-convex mark, or the like may also be used. Furthermore, the identification information 204 may be provided on either the front surface or the rear surface of each card member.

[0030] The operation detection unit 124 detects the operation of the lever 102 by the user. Specifically, the operation detection unit 124 detects a first operation in which the lever 102 is pulled outward relative to the toy body 101, a second operation in which the lever 102 is pushed inward relative to the toy body 101, and a third operation in which the lever 102 is further pushed inward after the second operation has been performed. Note that in this embodiment, the operation detection unit 124 is configured to detect movement (operation) of the lever 102, but is not limited thereto. For example, the operation detection unit 124 may be configured to detect movement of the first holding portion 108a and the second holding portion 108b. Furthermore, the effect output toy 100 of this embodiment is configured to mechanically pop up the first card member 201 from the first slot 103a and mechanically pop up the second card member 202 from the second slot 103b when the user performs the third operation.

[0031] 3(b), the effect output toy 100 includes, as a control configuration, a control unit 131, a memory unit 132, a power supply unit 133, a communication unit 134, a sensor group 135, an LED group 136, a switch group 137, and a speaker 138. The sensor group 135 includes attachment detection units 122a to 122b, information acquisition units 123a to 123b, and a separate body detection unit 107. The LED group 136 includes a plurality of light emitting units 121a to 121e.

[0032] The control unit 131 is configured with a microprocessor or the like, and controls the effect output of the effect output toy 100 by reading and executing programs stored in the storage unit 132. The storage unit 132 includes various types of memory, such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), and stores programs executed by the control unit 131 and various types of data, such as audio data to be output from the speaker 138. The storage unit 132 also stores information (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as correspondence information) indicating a correspondence relationship between a combination of identification information of two card members attached to the toy main body 101 and an effect output pattern of the toy main body 101. The correspondence information may be understood as information indicating an effect output pattern of the toy main body 101 to be executed in accordance with a combination of identification information of two card members attached to the toy main body 101.

[0033] Here, the effect output pattern of the toy body 101 may be understood as the content or mode (mode) of the effect output of the toy body 101, and includes at least one of the light-emitting modes from the light-emitting units 121a-121e and the sound output mode from the speaker 138. The light-emitting modes include at least one of the light-emitting color and blinking speed of each of the light-emitting units 121a-121e. The sound output mode includes at least one of the type and volume of sound, such as sound effects. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3( a), if a plate 125 capable of protruding from the top of the toy body 101 is provided, the effect output pattern of the toy body 101 may include whether or not the plate 125 protrudes. Furthermore, if the plate 125 is configured to emit light in multiple colors, the effect output pattern of the toy body 101 may further include at least one of the light-emitting mode and light-emitting color of the plate 125. The plate 125 may be decorated with predetermined characters or patterns.

[0034] The power supply unit 133 supplies power to the toy main body 101. The power supply unit 133 is preferably implemented by a battery to maintain portability, but is not limited to this and any type of power supply can be used. The power supply unit 133 may be rechargeable. Furthermore, when the toy separate body 203 is attached to the toy main body 101, i.e., when the attachment of the toy separate body 203 to the toy main body 101 is detected by the separate body detection unit 107, the communication unit 134 communicates with the toy separate body 203. In this embodiment, the communication can be performed by infrared rays, but is not limited to this and any communication method can be used.

[0035] The sensor group 135 outputs a detection signal to the control unit 131 in response to detection by each sensor (detection unit). The LED group 136 emits light of a predetermined color at a predetermined timing in accordance with instructions from the control unit 131. The switch group 137 outputs a signal indicating that each switch has been pressed to the control unit 131. The speaker 138 is controlled by the control unit 131 and outputs sound in accordance with sound data stored in the storage unit 132. The speaker 138 is an example of an audio output unit.

[0036] <Operation Flow of the Presentation Output Toy> Next, the operation flow of the presentation output toy 100 of this embodiment will be described. Figures 4A to 4B are flowcharts showing the operation of the presentation output toy 100 of this embodiment. The flowcharts shown in Figures 4A to 4B can be executed by the control unit 131. Figures 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the operation of the presentation output toy 100 of this embodiment.

[0037] In step S11, the control unit 131 determines whether or not the attachment detection unit 122a has detected the attachment of the first card member 201 from the first slot 103a to the toy main body 101 (first part 101a). If the attachment of the first card member 201 has been detected, the process proceeds to step S12, and if the attachment of the first card member 201 has not been detected, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0038] In step S12, the control unit 131 executes a performance output of the toy main body 101 related to the attachment of the first card member 201 to the toy main body 101. For example, as shown in Fig. 5A(a), the control unit 131 executes a performance output of the toy main body 101 by causing the light-emitting units 121a to 121b on the right side to emit light and outputting sound from the speaker 138 in accordance with a predetermined performance output pattern.

[0039] In step S13, the control unit 131 determines whether or not the attachment detection unit 122b has detected the attachment of the second card member 202 from the second slot 103b to the toy body 101 (second part 101b). If the attachment of the second card member 202 is detected, the process proceeds to step S14, and if the attachment of the second card member 202 is not detected, the process returns to step S11. Note that if the first card member 201 is already attached to the toy body 101, step S13 may be executed repeatedly.

[0040] In step S14, the control unit 131 executes a performance output of the toy main body 101 related to the attachment of the second card member 202 to the toy main body 101. For example, as shown in Fig. 5A(b), the control unit 131 executes a performance output of the toy main body 101 by causing the light-emitting units 121c to 121d on the left side to emit light and outputting sound from the speaker 138 in accordance with a predetermined performance pattern.

[0041] In step S15, the control unit 131 uses the information acquisition units 123a and 123b to acquire identification information of each of the card members 201 and 202 attached to the toy main body 101. Specifically, the control unit 131 acquires the identification information of the first card member 201 using the information acquisition unit 123a, and acquires the identification information of the second card member 202 using the information acquisition unit 123b.

[0042] In step S16, the control unit 131 determines whether or not a separate toy object 203 is attached to the toy main body 101. This determination is made based on the detection result of the separate object detection unit 107. If a separate toy object 203 is attached, the process proceeds to step S17, where the control unit 131 acquires identification information of the separate toy object 203 attached to the toy main body 101. As described above, there are multiple types of separate toy objects 203, so the control unit 131 communicates with the separate toy object 203 attached to the toy main body 101 via the communication unit 134 to acquire identification information (type) of the separate toy object 203. In this case, the communication unit 134 can function as an acquisition unit (second acquisition unit) that acquires the identification information of the separate toy object 203. On the other hand, if a separate toy object 203 is not attached, the process proceeds to step S18.

[0043] In step S18, the control unit 131 determines an effect output pattern of the toy main body 101 related to the operation of the lever 102 based on the identification information of each of the card members 201-202 acquired in step S15. In the present embodiment, the control unit 131 changes the effect output pattern of the toy main body 101 related to the operation of the lever 102 in accordance with the combination of identification information of the multiple card members (first card member 201, second card member 202) attached to the toy main body 101. The effect output pattern is determined using correspondence information between the combination of the identification information of the two card members 201-202 and the effect output pattern of the toy main body 101. Note that the effect output pattern related to the operation of the lever 102 is an effect output pattern that is output in conjunction with the movement of the first card member 201 by the first moving mechanism 110a and the movement of the second card member 202 by the second moving mechanism 110b.

[0044] Furthermore, in the effect output toy 100 of this embodiment, when the separate toy item 203 is attached to the toy main body 101, the control unit 131 determines an effect output pattern related to the operation of the lever 102 further based on the identification information of the separate toy item 203 acquired in step S17 above. In other words, the control unit 131 changes the effect output pattern of the toy main body 101, which is determined according to the combination of the identification information of the multiple card members attached to the toy main body 101, according to the identification information of the separate toy item 203.

[0045] Fig. 6 shows an example of correspondence information. Fig. 6 shows an example in which four types of cards A to D and two types of separate toy bodies 203 are used as card members. Here, the combinations of card A and card B, card A and card C, card B and card D, and card C and card D are assumed to be correct combinations (matched cards). Furthermore, the combinations of card A and card D and card B and card C are assumed to be incorrect combinations (mismatched cards).

[0046] Here, "card matching" and "card mismatch" will be explained. Each card member used in the effect output toy 100 of this embodiment has a part of a pattern that cooperates with a part of a pattern on other card members adjacent to each other within the toy body 101 to form a predetermined pattern. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , a first card member 201 has a part of a pattern 205a that cooperates with a part of a pattern 205b on a second card member 202, which is another card member adjacent to each other within the toy body 101, to form a predetermined pattern. More specifically, the part of a pattern 205a on the first card member 201 cooperates with a part of a pattern 205b on the second card member 202b and a pattern 104c on the front panel to form a predetermined pattern. The predetermined pattern may be a pattern representing a character's face. In other words, "card matching" refers to a combination of card members (a correct combination) in which a predetermined pattern is formed by the parts of the patterns on adjacent card members. On the other hand, a "card mismatch" refers to a combination of card members in which the pictures on parts of adjacent card members do not form a predetermined pattern (an incorrect combination).

[0047] In the correspondence information shown in Figure 6, the performance output pattern of the toy body 101 regarding the operation of the lever 102 is determined (changed) depending on the combination of the type (identification information) of the first card member 201 and the type (identification information) of the second card member 202.

[0048] For example, as shown in (Case 1), when the toy separate body 203 is not attached and card A is used as the first card member 201 and card B is used as the second card member 202, pattern A is determined as the effect output pattern. When card A (first game medium) and card B (second game medium) are moved so as to be adjacent to each other in response to a first operation of the lever 102, at least a portion of the image on card A and at least a portion of the image on card B cooperate to form a predetermined first pattern. The predetermined first pattern may be, for example, a pattern showing a first "character's face." Pattern A determined in this case is set as the effect output pattern related to (corresponding to) the first pattern. In other words, the effect of the toy main body 101 output when the predetermined first pattern is formed in response to the first operation of the lever 102 is the effect output pattern related to the first pattern.

[0049] On the other hand, as shown in (Case 2), when the toy separate body 203 is not attached and card C is used as the first card member 201 and card D is used as the second card member 202, pattern G is determined as the effect output pattern. When card C (third game medium) and card D (fourth game medium) are moved so as to be adjacent to each other in response to a first operation of the lever 102, at least a portion of the image on card C and at least a portion of the image on card D cooperate to form a predetermined second pattern. The predetermined second pattern is a pattern different from the first pattern, and may be, for example, a pattern showing a second "character face" different from the first "character face." Pattern G determined in this case is set as the effect output pattern related to (corresponding to) the second pattern. In other words, the effect of the toy main body 101 output when the predetermined second pattern is formed in response to the first operation of the lever 102 is an effect output pattern related to the second pattern.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in (Case 3), even when the same cards A and B as in (Case 1) are used, if card B is used as the first card member 201 and card A is used as the second card member 202, pattern D, which is different from pattern A, is determined as the effect output pattern. In this way, even when the same two cards are used, the effect output pattern changes depending on which of them is used as the first card member 201 or the second card member 202. In other words, the effect output pattern also changes depending on the relationship between the type of first card member 201 inserted through the first slot 103a and the type of second card member 202 inserted through the second slot 103b.

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in (Case 4), when toy separate item A is attached to toy main body 101, and card A is used as first card member 201 and card B is used as second card member 202, pattern A', which is an extended version of pattern A, is determined as the effect output pattern. On the other hand, as shown in (Case 5), even when the same cards A and B are used, if toy separate item B different from toy separate item A is attached to toy main body 101, pattern A" different from pattern A' is determined as the effect output pattern. In other words, the effect output pattern of toy main body 101 determined according to the combination of multiple card members is changed according to the type (identification information) of toy separate item 203. In this way, even when the same two cards are used, the effect output pattern is changed depending on whether toy separate item 203 is present in toy main body 101 or not, and the type of toy separate item 203 attached to toy main body 101.

[0052] Here, as shown in (Case 6), when card A is used as the first card member 201 and card D is used as the second card member 202, as described above, card A and card D are an incorrect combination (card mismatch), and therefore pattern C for notifying card mismatch is determined as the effect output pattern. Note that in the correspondence relationship information shown in Fig. 6, the same pattern C is determined as the effect output pattern in the case of card mismatch, but even in the case of card mismatch, the effect output pattern may be changed depending on the combination of the first card member 201 and the second card member 202.

[0053] In this way, in the effect output toy 100 of this embodiment, the effect output pattern of the toy body 101 output in response to the operation of the lever 102 (i.e., the movement of the two card members 201-202 by the moving mechanisms 110a-110b) is changed depending on the combination (relationship) of the first card member 201 and the second card member 202. This makes it possible to realize effects with more novel mechanisms.

[0054] Once the effect output pattern of the toy main body 101 is determined in step S18, the process proceeds to Fig. 4B. Steps S21 to S26 in Fig. 4B are processes for controlling the effect output of the toy main body 101 based on the effect output pattern determined in step S18.

[0055] In step S21, the control unit 131 determines whether or not a first operation on the lever 102 has been detected by the operation detection unit 124. As described above, the first operation is an operation in which the lever 102 is pulled outward relative to the toy body 101. This first operation causes a portion of the first card member 201 and a portion of the second card member 202 to move to the central portion 101c of the toy body 101, as shown in FIG. 5B(a). If the first operation has been detected, the process proceeds to step S22; if the first operation has not been detected, the process proceeds to step S25.

[0056] In step S22, the control unit 131 executes a performance output related to the first operation. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5B(a), the control unit 131 executes the performance output of the toy main body 101 by causing the central light-emitting unit 121e to emit light and outputting sound from the speaker 138 in accordance with the performance output pattern determined in step S18. At this time, the control unit 131 may cause the plate 125 to protrude from the top of the toy main body 101, or may even cause the plate 125 to emit light. The control unit 131 may also execute the performance output of the toy main body 101 by further controlling the light emission of the right-side light-emitting units 121a to 121b and the left-side light-emitting units 121c to 121d.

[0057] In step S23, the control unit 131 determines whether or not a second operation on the lever 102 has been detected by the operation detection unit 124. As described above, the second operation is an operation in which the lever 102 is pushed inward with respect to the toy body 101. This second operation causes a portion of the first card member 201 and a portion of the second card member 202 to be removed from the central portion 101c of the toy body 101, as shown in FIG. 5B(b). If the second operation has been detected, the process proceeds to step S24; if the second operation has not been detected, the process returns to step S23.

[0058] In step S24, the control unit 131 executes a performance output related to the second operation. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5B(b), the control unit 131 stops light emission from the central light-emitting unit 121e and leaves only the other light-emitting units 121a to 121d emitting light, in accordance with the performance output pattern determined in step S18. At this time, sound may be output from the speaker 138.

[0059] In step S25, the control unit 131 determines whether a third operation on the lever 102 has been detected by the operation detection unit 124. As described above, the third operation is an operation in which the lever 102 is further pushed inward after the second operation has been performed. This third operation causes the first card member 201 to pop up from the first slot 103a and the second card member 202 to pop up from the second slot 103b, as shown in FIG. 5B(c). If the third operation has been detected, the process proceeds to step S26; if the third operation has not been detected, the process returns to step S21.

[0060] Here, if the third operation is not detected in step S25 and the process returns to step S21, and if the first operation is detected in step S21, step S22 is performed for the second or subsequent times. In the "effect output related to the first operation" performed in step S22 for the second or subsequent times, the effect output may be changed from the "effect output related to the first operation" performed in step S21 for the first time. For example, if the "effect output related to the first operation" in step S21 for the first time is performed in a first pattern, the "effect output related to the first operation" in step S21 for the second or subsequent times may be performed in a second pattern different from the first pattern. The first pattern and the second pattern are included in the effect output pattern of the toy main body 101 determined in step S18.

[0061] In step S26, the control unit 131 executes a performance output related to the second operation. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5B(c), the control unit 131 stops light emission from the light-emitting units 121a to 121e in accordance with the performance output pattern determined in step S18. At this time, sound may be output from the speaker 138.

[0062] As described above, the effect output toy 100 of this embodiment changes the effect output pattern of the toy body 101 that is output in response to the operation of the lever 102 (i.e., the movement of the two card members 201-202 by the moving mechanisms 110a-110b) in accordance with the combination of identification information of the first card member 201 and the second card member 202 attached to the toy body 101. This makes it possible to realize effects with more novel mechanisms.

[0063] Summary of the Embodiments The above-described embodiments disclose at least the following effect output toys, game media, and separate toy items.

[0064] (1) A performance output toy comprising: a toy body configured to be able to accommodate a plurality of game media having unique identification information; an operator provided on the toy body; a first acquisition unit capable of acquiring the identification information of the game media attached to the toy body; and a control unit that controls the performance of the toy body, wherein the toy body has a movement mechanism that moves at least two of the game media attached to the toy body relatively in accordance with an operation on the operator, and the control unit changes the performance output pattern of the toy body that is output in accordance with the movement of the at least two game media by the movement mechanism in accordance with the combination of the identification information of the plurality of game media acquired by the first acquisition unit.

[0065] (2) The toy body has a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion to which the game medium can be attached, and the moving mechanism is configured to move the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion relative to each other in response to operation of the operator, as described in (1).

[0066] (3) The at least two game media include a first game medium and a second game medium, and the moving mechanism is configured to move the first game medium and the second game medium relative to each other in response to an operation on the controller, as described in (1) or (2).

[0067] (4) The performance output toy described in (3) is characterized in that the moving mechanism moves the first game medium and the second game medium closer to each other so that they are adjacent to each other in response to a first operation on the operator, and moves the first game medium and the second game medium that are adjacent to each other so that they are separated from each other in response to a second operation on the operator.

[0068] (5) The toy body has a first portion to which the first game medium is attached, a second portion to which the second game medium is attached, and a central portion between the first portion and the second portion, and the moving mechanism moves the first game medium and the second game medium in response to the first operation on the operator so that a portion of the first game medium and a portion of the second game medium are positioned in the central portion, and moves the first game medium and the second game medium in response to the second operation on the operator so that a portion of the first game medium and a portion of the second game medium are removed from the central portion, as described in (4).

[0069] (6) The toy body includes a panel that visibly covers the at least two game media and has a light-reflecting, uneven pattern, and the uneven pattern of the panel includes a pattern that overlaps with a portion of the image of the first game medium and a portion of the image of the second game medium located in the central portion.

[0070] (7) A performance output toy described in any one of (4) to (6), characterized in that when the first game medium and the second game medium are moved so as to be adjacent to each other in response to the first operation, at least a portion of the image on the first game medium and at least a portion of the image on the second game medium cooperate to form a predetermined first pattern.

[0071] (8) A performance output toy as described in (7), characterized in that the performance output when forming a predetermined first pattern in response to the first operation is a performance output pattern related to the first pattern.

[0072] (9) The at least two game media include a third game medium and a fourth game medium, the moving mechanism is configured to move the third game medium and the fourth game medium closer to each other so that they are adjacent to each other in response to an operation on the operator, and when the third game medium and the fourth game medium are moved so that they are adjacent to each other in response to the first operation, at least a portion of the image on the third game medium and at least a portion of the image on the fourth game medium cooperate to form a predetermined second pattern different from the predetermined first pattern, as described in (7) or (8).

[0073] (10) A performance output toy as described in (9), characterized in that the performance output when forming a predetermined second pattern in response to the first operation is a performance output pattern related to the second pattern.

[0074] (11) A performance output toy described in any one of (4) to (10), characterized in that the first operation is an operation of the operator in a first direction, and the second operation is an operation of the operator in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

[0075] (12) A performance output toy described in any one of (4) to (11), characterized in that the operator is a lever provided on the side of the toy body, the first operation is an operation of pulling the lever relative to the toy body, and the second operation is an operation of pushing the lever relative to the toy body.

[0076] (13) A performance output toy described in any one of (1) to (12), further comprising a second acquisition unit that acquires identification information of a separate toy that can be attached to and detached from the toy main body, wherein the control unit further changes the performance output pattern of the toy main body according to the identification information of the separate toy acquired by the second acquisition unit.

[0077] (14) The control unit of the effect output toy described in (13) is characterized in that it changes the effect output pattern of the toy main body, which is determined according to the combination of identification information of the multiple game media acquired by the first acquisition unit, according to the identification information of the separate toy parts acquired by the second acquisition unit.

[0078] (15) A performance output toy described in any one of (1) to (14), characterized in that the toy body has a plurality of light-emitting units, and the control unit changes the light-emitting mode from the plurality of light-emitting units as a performance output pattern of the toy body.

[0079] (16) The toy for outputting a performance described in (15), characterized in that the light-emitting mode includes at least one of the light-emitting color and blinking speed of each of the plurality of light-emitting elements.

[0080] (17) The toy body includes a panel that visibly covers the plurality of game media and has a textured pattern that reflects light, and each of the plurality of light-emitting units is arranged to irradiate light onto the textured pattern of the panel, as described in (15) or (16).

[0081] (18) A performance output toy described in any one of (1) to (17), characterized in that the toy main body has an audio output unit, and the control unit changes the audio output from the audio output unit as a performance output pattern of the toy main body.

[0082] (19) A performance output toy described in any one of (1) to (18) that includes a plate that can protrude from the toy body, and the control unit changes whether or not the plate protrudes as a performance output pattern of the toy body.

[0083] (20) The toy with performance output described in (19) is characterized in that the plate is configured to be able to emit light in multiple colors, and the control unit further changes at least one of the light emission mode and light emission color of the plate as a performance output pattern of the toy body.

[0084] (21) A performance output toy according to any one of (1) to (20), characterized in that each of the plurality of game media is a card member.

[0085] (22) A gaming medium used in a performance output toy described in any one of (1) to (21), characterized in that the gaming medium is attachable to the toy body of the performance output toy and has unique identification information that is read by the performance output toy to determine the performance output pattern of the toy body.

[0086] (23) The game medium described in (22) is characterized in that the toy body has a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion to which the game medium can be respectively mounted, and the identification information is arranged on the game medium so as to be readable by the performance output toy, whether the game medium is mounted on the first mounting portion or the second mounting portion.

[0087] (24) The game medium described in (22) or (23) is characterized in that the game medium has a part of a pattern that cooperates with a part of a pattern on another game medium adjacent to it within the toy body to form a predetermined pattern.

[0088] (25) The game medium described in (24) is characterized in that the toy body includes a panel that visibly covers multiple game media attached to the toy body and has a pattern, and a pattern on one of the game media cooperates with a pattern on one of the other game media and the pattern on the panel to form the predetermined pattern.

[0089] (26) The gaming medium according to (24) or (25), wherein the predetermined pattern is a pattern showing the face of a character.

[0090] (27) The gaming medium according to any one of (22) to (26), characterized in that the gaming medium is a card member.

[0091] (28) A separate toy used in a performance output toy described in any one of (1) to (21), characterized in that the separate toy is detachable from the toy body of the performance output toy and has unique identification information that is read by the performance output toy to determine the performance output pattern of the toy body.

[0092] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

[0093] 100: performance output toy, 101: toy body, 102: operator (lever), 103a: first slot, 103b: second slot, 104: front panel, 131: control unit, 201: first card member, 202: second card member, 203: separate toy, 204: identification information

Claims

1. A performance output toy comprising: a toy body configured to be able to attach multiple game media having unique identification information; an operator provided on the toy body; a first acquisition unit capable of acquiring the identification information of the game media attached to the toy body; and a control unit that controls the performance of the toy body, wherein the toy body has a movement mechanism that relatively moves at least two of the game media attached to the toy body in response to an operation of the operator, and the control unit changes the performance output pattern of the toy body that is output in association with the movement of the at least two game media by the movement mechanism in response to the combination of the identification information of the multiple game media acquired by the first acquisition unit.

2. The toy with performance output described in claim 1, characterized in that the toy body has a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion to which the game medium can be attached, and the moving mechanism is configured to move the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion relatively in response to operation of the operator.

3. The presentation output toy described in claim 1, characterized in that the at least two game media include a first game medium and a second game medium, and the moving mechanism is configured to move the first game medium and the second game medium relatively in response to operation of the operator.

4. The presentation output toy described in claim 3, characterized in that the moving mechanism moves the first game medium and the second game medium closer to each other so that they are adjacent to each other in response to a first operation on the operator, and moves the first game medium and the second game medium, which are adjacent to each other, away from each other in response to a second operation on the operator.

5. The toy body has a first portion to which the first game medium is attached, a second portion to which the second game medium is attached, and a central portion between the first and second portions, and the moving mechanism moves the first game medium and the second game medium in response to the first operation of the controller so that a portion of the first game medium and a portion of the second game medium are positioned in the central portion, and moves the first game medium and the second game medium in response to the second operation of the controller so that a portion of the first game medium and a portion of the second game medium are removed from the central portion.

6. The toy body includes a panel that visibly covers the at least two game media and has a light-reflecting uneven pattern, and the uneven pattern of the panel includes a pattern that overlaps a portion of the image of the first game medium located in the central portion and a portion of the image of the second game medium.

7. The toy with performance output described in claim 4, characterized in that when the first game medium and the second game medium are moved so as to be adjacent to each other in response to the first operation, at least a portion of the image on the first game medium and at least a portion of the image on the second game medium cooperate to form a predetermined first pattern.

8. A performance output toy as described in claim 7, characterized in that the performance output when forming a predetermined first pattern in response to the first operation is a performance output pattern related to the first pattern.

9. The at least two game media include a third game medium and a fourth game medium, the moving mechanism is configured to move the third game medium and the fourth game medium closer to each other so that they are adjacent to each other in response to an operation on the control element, and when the third game medium and the fourth game medium are moved so that they are adjacent to each other in response to the first operation, at least a portion of the pattern on the third game medium and at least a portion of the pattern on the fourth game medium cooperate to form a predetermined second pattern different from the predetermined first pattern.

10. A toy with performance output as described in claim 9, characterized in that the performance output when forming a predetermined second pattern in response to the first operation is a performance output pattern related to the second pattern.

11. A toy with performance output as described in claim 4, characterized in that the first operation is an operation of the operator in a first direction, and the second operation is an operation of the operator in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

12. The toy with performance output described in claim 4, characterized in that the operator is a lever provided on the side of the toy body, the first operation is an operation of pulling the lever relative to the toy body, and the second operation is an operation of pushing the lever relative to the toy body.

13. A performance output toy as described in claim 1, further comprising a second acquisition unit that acquires identification information of a separate toy that can be attached to and detached from the toy main body, and the control unit further changes the performance output pattern of the toy main body depending on the identification information of the separate toy acquired by the second acquisition unit.

14. The toy with performance output described in claim 13, characterized in that the control unit changes the performance output pattern of the toy main body, which is determined according to the combination of identification information of the multiple game media acquired by the first acquisition unit, according to the identification information of the separate toy acquired by the second acquisition unit.

15. The toy with performance output described in claim 1, characterized in that the toy body has a plurality of light-emitting units, and the control unit changes the light-emitting state from the plurality of light-emitting units as a performance output pattern of the toy body.

16. The toy for outputting effects according to claim 15, characterized in that the light emission mode includes at least one of the light emission color and blinking speed of each of the plurality of light-emitting elements.

17. The toy with performance output described in claim 15, characterized in that the toy body includes a panel that visibly covers the multiple game media and has a light-reflecting uneven pattern, and each of the multiple light-emitting units is positioned to irradiate light onto the uneven pattern of the panel.

18. The toy according to claim 1, characterized in that the toy body has an audio output unit, and the control unit changes the audio output from the audio output unit as a performance output pattern of the toy body.

19. A toy with performance output according to claim 1, further comprising a plate capable of protruding from the toy body, wherein the control unit changes whether or not the plate protrudes as a performance output pattern of the toy body.

20. The toy with performance output described in claim 19, characterized in that the plate is configured to be able to emit light in a plurality of colors, and the control unit further changes at least one of the light emission mode and light emission color of the plate as a performance output pattern of the toy body.

21. The toy with performance output according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of game media is a card member.

22. A game medium for use with a toy that outputs a performance as described in any one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that the game medium is attachable to the toy body of the toy that outputs a performance and has unique identification information that can be read by the toy that outputs a performance to determine the performance output pattern of the toy body.

23. The game medium described in claim 22, characterized in that the toy body has a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion to which the game medium can be respectively attached, and the identification information is arranged on the game medium so as to be readable by the performance output toy, whether the game medium is attached to the first mounting portion or the second mounting portion.

24. The game medium according to claim 22, characterized in that the game medium has a part of a pattern which cooperates with a part of a pattern of another game medium adjacent to the game medium within the toy body to form a predetermined pattern.

25. The game medium described in claim 24, characterized in that the toy body includes a panel having a pattern and visibly covering the multiple game media attached to the toy body, and a pattern of a portion of the game media cooperates with a pattern of a portion of the other game media and the pattern of the panel to form the predetermined pattern.

26. The gaming medium according to claim 24, wherein the predetermined pattern is a pattern showing a character's face.

27. The game medium according to claim 22, wherein the game medium is a card member.

28. A separate toy for use with a toy that outputs a performance as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21, the separate toy being detachable from the toy body of the toy that outputs a performance, and having unique identification information that can be read by the toy that outputs a performance to determine the performance output pattern of the toy body.

Images