Toy

Abstract

Provided is a toy 10 which a user can touch with a hand or step on with a foot. The toy 10 comprises: a light-emitting unit 56 having a plurality of light-emitting bodies; and a control unit 72 for causing one or more of the light-emitting bodies arranged in an operation region operated by a user to emit light in a color corresponding to the operation region.

Description

toy

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a toy that a user can play with by touching it with their hands or stepping on it with their feet.

[0002] In recent years, the widespread use of information devices such as smartphones and tablets has made their use by children common. Prolonged use of information devices by children not only increases the risk of vision loss, but can also lead to a decline in physical strength due to lack of exercise.

[0003] It is known that exercise strengthens children's muscles and bones and also has a positive effect on their mental health. To maintain children's health, it is desirable to create an environment where children can exercise while having fun. Therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide a toy that is a device that users can play with by touching it with their hands or stepping on it with their feet.

[0004] A toy according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a toy that can be touched by a user with a hand or stepped on with a foot, and includes a light-emitting unit having a plurality of light-emitting elements, and a control unit that causes one or more light-emitting elements arranged in an operation area operated by the user to emit light in a color corresponding to the operation area.

[0005] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of a toy of an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an information processing system including a plurality of toys; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing functional blocks of an information processing device and a toy; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of electronic components inside a toy; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a game list displayed on a display; (a) and (b) are diagrams showing a state in which a plurality of toys are placed on a floor surface; (a) and (b) are diagrams showing a state in which a plurality of toys are placed on a floor surface; (a) and (b) are diagrams showing an exploded perspective view of a toy; (b) are exploded perspective views of a toy; (c) are cross-sectional views of a toy; (d) are diagrams showing the configuration of a pressure sensor; (e) are diagrams showing the top surface of a toy; (f) are diagrams showing a state in which a light-emitting element is lit; (f) are diagrams showing a state in which a light-emitting element is lit.

[0006] FIG. 1 shows an example of the appearance of a toy 10 according to an embodiment. The toy 10 is a circular electronic device configured to be touchable by a child user with their hands or stomped on with their feet, and has a substantially flat shape so that any part of the toy 10 can be easily touched with their hands or stomped on with their feet. The top surface of the toy 10 does not need to be completely flat, and may have some curvature. To make the toy 10 portable for children, it is preferable that the weight of the toy 10 be approximately 400 to 700 grams and the diameter be approximately 25 to 30 cm.

[0007] 2 shows the configuration of an information processing system 1 including a plurality of toys 10. The information processing system 1 includes a plurality of toys 10, which are devices, and an information processing device 20 having a display 40. The toys 10 and the information processing device 20 are communicatively connected to each other and have the function of transmitting and receiving necessary information and / or data. The toys 10 and the information processing device 20 are preferably connected wirelessly, but may also be connected by wire using a cable or the like.

[0008] In the embodiment, the information processing device 20 functions as a control tower in the information processing system 1, executes a game program, and controls the progress of a game played using one or more toys 10. The information processing device 20 may be a portable information device such as a smartphone or a tablet, a laptop or desktop personal computer, or a portable or console game device.

[0009] 3 shows functional blocks of the information processing device 20 and the toy 10. The toy 10 includes a processing unit 50 and a communication unit 52. The processing unit 50 includes a sensor unit 54, a light-emitting unit 56, a speaker 58, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 70, and a control unit 72. The sensor unit 54 includes multiple sensors that detect contact by the user. The sensors may be pressure sensors that detect pressure applied perpendicularly to the top surface of the toy 10, i.e., pressure applied in the thickness direction of the toy 10. The sensor unit 54 includes multiple pressure sensors that detect pressure in the thickness direction of the toy 10 at different positions, and the multiple pressure sensors may be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction below the circular top surface of the toy 10.

[0010] The light-emitting unit 56 has a plurality of light-emitting bodies capable of emitting light. The light-emitting unit 56 has a plurality of LEDs arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction at positions equidistant from the center, and lights up the side of the toy 10 and its vicinity. The plurality of LEDs can each be lit in an independent color, and lighting is controlled according to light-emitting instructions supplied from the information processing device 20. The light-emitting unit 56 may be a tape LED in which a plurality of LEDs are arranged at equal intervals on a long piece of insulating tape.

[0011] The functionality of the components in toy 10 may be implemented in circuitry or processing circuitry, including general-purpose processors, application-specific processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), a CPU (a Central Processing Unit), conventional circuitry, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the functions described herein. A processor is considered to be circuitry or processing circuitry that includes transistors and other circuitry. A processor may also be a programmed processor that executes a program stored in a memory.

[0012] In this specification, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that is programmed to realize or performs the described functions, which may be any hardware disclosed herein or any hardware known to be programmed to realize or perform the described functions.

[0013] If the hardware is a processor that is considered to be a type of circuitry, the circuitry, means, or unit may be a combination of hardware and software used to configure the hardware and / or processor.

[0014] 4 shows an example of the layout of electronic components inside the toy. In this example, the sensor unit 54 has a first pressure sensor 54a, a second pressure sensor 54b, a third pressure sensor 54c, and a fourth pressure sensor 54d, which are arranged at 90-degree intervals around the circumference, and the distance from the center point to each pressure sensor is equal. Each pressure sensor detects the pressure applied by the user to the top surface of the toy 10.

[0015] The top surface of the toy 10 is an operation surface operated by the user, and is divided into a plurality of divided regions based on the positions of a plurality of pressure sensors. In this embodiment, four pressure sensors are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction below the toy operation surface, thereby dividing the operation surface (top surface) of the toy 10 into four divided regions: a first region 60a, a second region 60b, a third region 60c, and a fourth region 60d. Here, each divided region has a fan shape with the same central angle (90 degrees), and in each divided region, the pressure sensors are arranged on a line that passes through the center point (the vertex of the fan) and divides each divided region in half.

[0016] Therefore, when the first region 60a is pressed by the user, the pressure detected by the first pressure sensor 54a is the highest compared to the pressure detected by the other pressure sensors. Similarly, when the second region 60b is pressed by the user, the pressure detected by the second pressure sensor 54b is the highest compared to the pressure detected by the other pressure sensors. When the third region 60c is pressed by the user, the pressure detected by the third pressure sensor 54c is the highest compared to the pressure detected by the other pressure sensors. When the fourth region 60d is pressed by the user, the pressure detected by the fourth pressure sensor 54d is the highest compared to the pressure detected by the other pressure sensors. By arranging multiple pressure sensors at equal intervals in the circumferential direction in this manner, the sensor unit 54 can identify the divided region pressed by the user. When the user presses multiple divided regions simultaneously, the sensor unit 54 may be able to identify the multiple divided regions pressed simultaneously. The communication unit 52 transmits the detection values ​​detected by each pressure sensor to the information processing device 20 at a predetermined sampling period.

[0017] The multiple light emitters in the light emitter 56 are arranged at positions a predetermined distance from the center point so as to surround the multiple pressure sensors. The number of light emitters may be several tens to several hundreds. The more light emitters that can be independently lit, the more various light emission patterns the light emitter 56 can generate. The lighting of the multiple light emitters is controlled according to light emission instructions supplied from the information processing device 20.

[0018] The speaker 58 is disposed in the central region and outputs sounds in accordance with sound output instructions supplied from the information processing device 20. The speaker 58 may output, for example, the results of the game.

[0019] The toy 10 has an identification number (toy ID) for uniquely identifying itself. When the power is turned on and the toy 10 becomes active, it connects to the information processing device 20 so as to be able to communicate with the information processing device 20 and notifies the information processing device 20 of its own toy ID. The information processing device 20 acquires the toy IDs from all toys 10 in the vicinity that are in an active state, and identifies the toys 10 that can be used in the game. The information processing device 20 may periodically poll the toys 10 that have acquired the toy ID to check whether they are maintaining an active state.

[0020] The information processing device 20 includes a control unit 30, a communication unit 32, a display 40, and a speaker 42. Various games that can be played by the user through physical activity are provided in the information processing system 1. When the user wishes to start a game, the user operates the information processing device 20 to cause a game list to be displayed on the display 40.

[0021] 5 shows an example of a game list displayed on the display 40. When the user selects a game from the game list, the control unit 30 starts the game program for the selected game and notifies the user by outputting information necessary for preparing for the game from the speaker 42. As an example, the following describes how to play the "Color Pattern Guessing Game" at the top of the list.

[0022] When the color pattern guessing game is selected from the game list, the control unit 30 starts a program for the color pattern guessing game. The color pattern guessing game is a game in which two users compete against each other, and each player must find a toy 10 that presents the same color pattern as the color pattern presented by the host toy 10 before his or her opponent.

[0023] The color pattern guessing game uses five toys 10, with one toy 10 being used as a host that presents a color pattern combining multiple colors. The remaining four toys 10 also present color patterns combining multiple colors, but only one toy 10 presents the same color pattern as the color pattern presented by the host, and the other three toys 10 present color patterns different from the color pattern presented by the host. In this game, the condition for victory is to find the toy 10 that presents the same color pattern as the host before the opponent. Note that the difficulty of the game can be increased by using six or more toys 10, and the difficulty can be decreased by using four or fewer toys 10. The control unit 30 proceeds with the color pattern guessing game based on the detection values ​​of the sensor unit 54 transmitted from the toys 10.

[0024] Before the game starts, the control unit 30 outputs necessary preparation information by voice from the speaker 42. In the following, it is assumed that five toys 10 are prepared on a placement surface such as the floor or the ground. FIG. 6( a) shows a state in which five toys 10 are placed randomly on the floor. In this example, toys 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10e are placed. The information processing device 20 has already acquired a toy ID from each toy and recognizes that toys 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10e are in an active state.

[0025] (Step 1) When the speaker 42 outputs a voice message saying, "Press and hold the top surface to determine the host," the user presses and holds the top surface of any one of the five toys 10a to 10e. In the toy 10 that has been pressed and held, the sensor unit 54 detects the pressure applied when the user presses and holds the top surface, and the communication unit 52 transmits the detection value of the sensor unit 54 together with its own toy ID to the information processing device 20. In this example, the user presses and holds the top surface of the toy 10a, and the communication unit 52 of the toy 10a transmits the detection value (sensor value) of the sensor unit 54 together with its own toy ID (ID_A) to the information processing device 20. In the information processing device 20, when the communication unit 32 receives the sensor value and toy ID (ID_A) of the toy 10a, the control unit 30 recognizes the toy 10a as the host.

[0026] (Step 2) Next, when a voice message saying "Please press the top surface of the first terminal" is output from the speaker 42, the user presses the top surface of any one of the remaining four toys 10b to 10e. In this case, the user presses the top surface of the toy 10b, and the communication unit 52 of the toy 10b transmits the detection value (sensor value) of the sensor unit 54 together with its own toy ID (ID_B) to the information processing device 20. In the information processing device 20, when the communication unit 32 receives the sensor value and toy ID (ID_B) of the toy 10b, the control unit 30 recognizes the toy 10b as the first terminal.

[0027] Next, when the speaker 42 outputs a voice message saying, "Please press the top surface of the second terminal," the user presses the top surface of any one of the remaining three toys 10c to 10e. In this case, the user presses the top surface of toy 10c, and the communication unit 52 of toy 10c transmits the sensor value together with its own toy ID (ID_C) to the information processing device 20. This causes the control unit 30 to recognize toy 10c as the second terminal. This preparation process is performed two more times, and the control unit 30 recognizes toy 10d as the third terminal and toy 10e as the fourth terminal.

[0028] (Step 3) When the control unit 30 recognizes the four terminals, the control unit 30 generates light-emitting instructions for lighting the light-emitting units 56 of the four terminals in two colors, and the communication unit 32 transmits the light-emitting instructions to the four toys 10b to 10e. For example, the light-emitting instructions may be instructions to light the light-emitting elements arranged in the first area 60a and the second area 60b in "red" and light the light-emitting elements arranged in the third area 60c and the fourth area 60d in "blue." When the communication unit 52 receives the light-emitting instructions in the toys 10b to 10e, the control unit 72 causes the light-emitting units 56 to emit light based on the light-emitting instructions.

[0029] Then, the control unit 30 outputs a voice message from the speaker 42 saying, "Please align the orientation of the four terminals so that red or blue is displayed in front of the players. When you are ready, press the top surface of the host." The two users competing align the orientation of the four toys 10b to 10e so that red or blue is displayed in front of each user.

[0030] FIG. 6( b) shows a state in which the orientations of the four toys 10b to 10e are aligned. In this example, the areas lit in red are directed toward user A, and the areas lit in blue are directed toward user B. Therefore, user A is on the "red team," and user B is on the "blue team." In this example, the areas lit in red are the first region 60a and the second region 60b, and the areas lit in blue are the third region 60c and the fourth region 60d. Therefore, the first region 60a and the second region 60b are located on user A's side, and the third region 60c and the fourth region 60d are located on user B's side. When the top surface of the host toy 10a is pressed with the orientations of the toys 10b to 10e aligned in this way, the control unit 30 recognizes that preparations are complete and starts the color pattern guessing game.

[0031] (Step 4) First, the control unit 30 transmits a light-emitting instruction to the host toy 10a to light up the light-emitting unit 56 in a color pattern that combines multiple colors. This light-emitting instruction may be an instruction to light up the light-emitting elements arranged in the first region 60a in "yellow," the light-emitting elements arranged in the second region 60b in "green," the light-emitting elements arranged in the third region 60c in "red," and the light-emitting elements arranged in the fourth region 60d in "blue." When the communication unit 52 of the toy 10a receives the light-emitting instruction, the control unit 72 causes the light-emitting unit 56 to light up based on the light-emitting instruction. In this game, the toy 10a first lights up in the instructed color pattern, and users A and B check the color pattern presented by the toy 10a.

[0032] Then, the control unit 30 transmits to each of the toys 10b to 10e a light-emitting instruction to light up the light-emitting unit 56 in a color pattern that combines multiple colors. When the communication unit 52 of each of the toys 10b to 10e receives the light-emitting instruction, the control unit 72 causes the light-emitting unit 56 to emit light based on the light-emitting instruction.

[0033] 7A shows five toys 10a to 10e lit up. Users A and B search for toys 10b to 10e that are lit up with the same color scheme as toy 10a. Here, toy 10c is emitting light based on a light-emitting instruction to light the light-emitting elements arranged in the first region 60a in "red," the light-emitting elements arranged in the second region 60b in "blue," the light-emitting elements arranged in the third region 60c in "yellow," and the light-emitting elements arranged in the fourth region 60d in "green." The lighting color scheme of toy 10c matches the lighting color scheme of toy 10a.

[0034] 7B shows a state in which user B has stepped on toy 10c with his / her foot. When user B determines that the lighting color pattern of toy 10c matches the lighting color pattern of host toy 10a, user B steps on the front area of ​​toy 10c, i.e., third area 60c and / or fourth area 60d. In toy 10c, communication unit 52 transmits sensor values ​​detected by sensor unit 54 to information processing device 20. The transmitted sensor values ​​include the detection values ​​of first pressure sensor 54a, second pressure sensor 54b, third pressure sensor 54c, and fourth pressure sensor 54d. Because user B is stepping on third area 60c and / or fourth area 60d with his / her foot, the pressure indicated by the detection values ​​of third pressure sensor 54c and fourth pressure sensor 54d is higher than the pressure indicated by the detection values ​​of first pressure sensor 54a and second pressure sensor 54b. Therefore, the control unit 30 in the information processing device 20 recognizes from the comparison result of the detection values ​​of each pressure sensor that the user of the blue team has touched the toy 10c, and determines that the blue team has won the game.

[0035] When the control unit 30 recognizes that the blue team has won, the control unit 30 generates a light-emitting instruction to light up the light-emitting elements of the four toys 10b to 10e in blue, and the communication unit 32 transmits the light-emitting instruction to the four toys 10b to 10e. As a result, the light-emitting units 56 of the toys 10b to 10e light up in blue, informing users A and B that the blue team has won. For example, if both users A and B step on the toy 10c with their feet at almost the same time, the control unit 30 can make it clear that user B is the winner by lighting up the light-emitting units 56 of the toys 10b to 10e in blue.

[0036] At this time, the control unit 30 may generate sound data relating to the result of the color pattern guessing game and output the sound from the speaker 42. For example, the speaker 42 may output a sound such as "The blue team wins." The control unit 30 may also cause the communication unit 32 to transmit sound data relating to the preparation, progress, and result of the color pattern guessing game to at least one of the toys 10a to 10e. In the toy 10, the communication unit 52 may receive the sound data, and the speaker 58 may output a sound based on the sound data to inform the user of the preparation, progress, and result of the game.

[0037] The structure of the toy 10 will now be described. Figures 8 and 9 show exploded perspective views of the toy 10, and Figure 10 shows a cross-sectional view of the toy 10. To facilitate understanding of the internal structure of the toy 10, illustrations of electronic components provided inside the toy 10 have been omitted where appropriate.

[0038] The toy 10 of the embodiment includes a lid 100 that forms the top surface 102 and side surfaces 106 of the toy 10, a base plate member 300 that forms the bottom surface 302 of the toy 10, and a case 200 that is placed in the internal space formed between the lid 100 and the bottom plate member 300. The bottom surface 302 of the base plate member 300 has a flat area that comes into contact with a placement surface such as a floor, the ground, or a tabletop. The lid 100 covers the top surface 202 of the case 200 and is rotatably engaged with the bottom plate member 300. The top surface 102 of the lid 100, which is operated by the user, is configured to be substantially flat, and the side surfaces 106 have a curved shape that protrudes radially outward.

[0039] The bottom plate member 300 is provided with a locking component 310 for locking the lid 100. The locking component 310 has a structure in which a lever 306 and a locking device 308 are connected by a connecting shaft. A plurality of locking components 310 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and in this embodiment, three locking components 310 are provided at 120-degree intervals in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the lever 306, which rotates around the connecting shaft, is disposed on the bottom surface 302 side, and the locking device 308 is disposed on the case mounting surface 312 side. In the state shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the locking device 308 protrudes radially outward from the outer periphery of the bottom plate member 300 and is capable of locking the inner peripheral edge 108 of the lid 100.

[0040] A speaker accommodating hole 204 for accommodating the speaker 58 is provided in the central region of the top surface 202 of the case 200, and a plurality of sound emission holes 104 for emitting sound from the speaker 58 to the outside are formed in the central region of the top surface 102 of the lid body 100.

[0041] The bottom plate member 300 has a plurality of protrusions 304a, 304b, 304c, and 304d on the case mounting surface 312, and the case 200 has a plurality of recesses 208a, 208b, 208c, and 208d on the storage surface 212. The plurality of protrusions 304a, 304b, 304c, and 304d (hereinafter referred to as "protrusions 304" unless otherwise specified) are inserted into the plurality of recesses 208a, 208b, 208c, and 208d (hereinafter referred to as "recesses 208" unless otherwise specified) to restrict horizontal movement of the case 200 relative to the bottom plate member 300. Note that the plurality of recesses 208 fit loosely into the plurality of protrusions 304, and do not restrict up-and-down (vertical) movement of the case 200 relative to the bottom plate member 300. That is, the recessed portion 208 and the protruding portion 304 may be fitted together in a loose fit state.

[0042] The multiple protrusions 304 and the multiple recesses 208 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, four protrusions 304 are provided at 90-degree intervals in the circumferential direction, and four recesses 208 are provided at 90-degree intervals in the circumferential direction. Pressure sensors are provided inside the recesses 208, and here, a first pressure sensor 54a may be provided in recess 208a, a second pressure sensor 54b in recess 208b, a third pressure sensor 54c in recess 208c, and a fourth pressure sensor 54d in recess 208d. The pressure sensors are sandwiched between the top surfaces of the protrusions 304 and the end surfaces of the recesses 208. Therefore, the pressure sensors in this embodiment are constantly subjected to pressure due to the weight of the case 200 and the lid 100.

[0043] Although not shown, a circuit board and a battery are fixed on ribs formed on the housing surface 212 of the case 200. The circuit board is equipped with electronic components such as a communication module that constitutes the communication unit 52, the IMU 70, a microcomputer for power management, a memory, and a processor that constitutes the control unit 72, and is supplied with power from the battery. Conductors that transmit sensor values ​​are provided between the pressure sensors provided in the recesses 208 and the circuit board 220, and the processor acquires the detection values ​​of the multiple pressure sensors via the conductors.

[0044] 11 shows the configuration of pressure sensor 80 in this embodiment. This pressure sensor 80 corresponds to first pressure sensor 54a, second pressure sensor 54b, third pressure sensor 54c, and fourth pressure sensor 54d provided between the upper surface of protrusion 304 of bottom plate member 300 and the end surface of recess 208 of case 200.

[0045] The pressure sensor 80 has a voltage divider circuit in which a force sensing resistor (FSR) 82, whose resistance value changes when pressure is applied, is connected in series with a variable resistor 84. The control unit 72 acquires the voltage (V_OUT) output from the voltage divider circuit and converts the acquired analog voltage (V_OUT) into, for example, an 8-bit digital signal.

[0046] In this voltage dividing circuit, a pressure sensitive resistor 82 is provided on the ground side, and a variable resistor 84 is provided on the power supply voltage side. The pressure sensitive resistor 82 in this embodiment is a sensor having a characteristic that its electrical resistance value decreases as the applied pressure increases, and the output voltage (V_OUT) changes according to the applied pressure. The power supply voltage is Vcc, and the resistance value of the pressure sensitive resistor 82 is R ＦＳＲ , the resistance value of the variable resistor 84 is R ＶＡＲ Then, the output voltage (V_OUT) is calculated as follows: V_OUT = (Vcc * R ＦＳＲ ) / (R ＶＡＲ +R ＦＳＲ In this voltage dividing circuit, as the applied pressure increases, the resistance value R ＦＳＲ becomes smaller, the output voltage (V_OUT) decreases.

[0047] The variable resistor 84 is incorporated in a digital potentiometer and changes its resistance value R ＶＡＲ The resistance value R of the variable resistor 84 is set. ＶＡＲ When the resistance value R of the variable resistor 84 is decreased, the output voltage (V_OUT) becomes higher. ＶＡＲ The output voltage (V_OUT) decreases as the resistance value R ＶＡＲ Reducing the resistance R to increase the output voltage (V_OUT) means increasing the range of change in the output voltage (V_OUT) relative to the pressure. ＶＡＲ By reducing the resistance value R ＶＡＲ Increasing the resistance R to reduce the output voltage (V_OUT) means reducing the variation range of the output voltage (V_OUT) relative to the pressure. ＶＡＲ In the embodiment, the control unit 72 controls the resistance value R of the variable resistor 84. ＶＡＲ By changing the value of the pressure sensor 80, the sensitivity of the pressure sensor 80 can be adjusted.

[0048] The lid 100 is formed of a transparent or translucent material to allow light output from the light emitter to pass therethrough. The lid 100 may be formed of a material that diffuses the light output from the light emitter, and may be subjected to a surface treatment such as embossing to diffuse the light. The light emitting unit 56 is provided on a side surface 206 of the case 200. As described above, when the light emitting unit 56 is a tape LED, the tape LED may be attached to the side surface 206 so as to surround the entire periphery of the toy. By attaching the tape LED to the side surface 206, multiple LEDs are provided concentrically around the periphery of the toy, making it possible to light up the side surface 106 of the lid 100 and its vicinity.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 4 , the top surface 102 of the toy 10 is divided into a plurality of divided areas (first area 60a, second area 60b, third area 60c, fourth area 60d) based on the positions of a plurality of pressure sensors 80 (first pressure sensor 54a, second pressure sensor 54b, third pressure sensor 54c, fourth pressure sensor 54d), and a plurality of light-emitting elements (LEDs) in the light-emitting unit 56 are arranged below each of the plurality of divided areas. In this embodiment, the control unit 72 causes one or more light-emitting elements arranged in the operation area to be operated by the user to emit light in a color corresponding to the operation area in order to indicate the location where the user should operate. For this reason, it is preferable that the operation area be set based on the divided areas.

[0050] 12 shows the top surface 102 of the toy 10. The top surface 102 of the toy 10 is divided into four areas: a first area 60a, a second area 60b, a third area 60c, and a fourth area 60d, by a first pressure sensor 54a, a second pressure sensor 54b, a third pressure sensor 54c, and a fourth pressure sensor 54d, which are arranged at 90-degree intervals in the circumferential direction. For example, when four people play a buzzer quiz, the fact that the top surface 102, which is the user operation surface, is divided into four areas allows the four people to share one toy 10 as answer buttons. For example, by assigning the first area 60a to user A, the second area 60b to user B, the third area 60c to user C, and the fourth area 60d to user D, one toy 10 can be shared by four people.

[0051] In the embodiment, since the upper surface 102 does not have lines dividing the operation areas, it is difficult for each user to recognize the extent of their own operation area. Therefore, it is preferable that the control unit 72 causes the light-emitting elements arranged in the operation areas operated by each of the multiple users to emit light in colors corresponding to the multiple operation areas.

[0052] 13 shows a state in which the operation areas operated by each user are lit in different colors. The operation areas are set based on the divided areas, and the control unit 72 controls the light emitters in the multiple operation areas to emit different colors for each operation area. In this example, the control unit 72 controls the light emitters in the first area 60a to emit red, the light emitters in the second area 60b to emit blue, the light emitters in the third area 60c to emit green, and the light emitters in the fourth area 60d to emit orange, allowing the user to identify the location of their operation area.

[0053] The control unit 72 causes the plurality of light-emitting elements to emit light in colors corresponding to the plurality of operation areas in accordance with light-emitting instructions supplied from the control unit 30 that executes the buzzer quiz application (game). After lighting up the four operation areas in different colors, the control unit 72 may output a voice message from the speaker 58 saying, "The first user should move in front of the red light, the second user should move in front of the blue light, the third user should move in front of the green light, and the fourth user should move in front of the orange light." In this way, the control unit 72 controls the light emission of the light-emitting units 56 and the output of the speaker 58, thereby enabling the users to move smoothly to the appropriate positions. Note that this voice guidance message may also be output from the speaker 42 by the control unit 30.

[0054] The control unit 30 issues a quiz (question) through the speaker 42. When the user knows the answer, they press their own operation area to gain the right to answer. At this time, the control unit 30 in the information processing device 20 monitors fluctuations in the detected values ​​of the first pressure sensor 54a, the second pressure sensor 54b, the third pressure sensor 54c, and the fourth pressure sensor 54d to identify the area that was pressed first. Specifically, the control unit 30 identifies the pressure sensor whose sensor value first exceeded a predetermined threshold, and grants the right to answer the quiz to the user assigned to the area corresponding to that pressure sensor. When the user speaks the answer, the control unit 30 may use a voice recognition function to determine whether the user's answer is correct or incorrect.

[0055] When two people play a buzzer quiz, one toy 10 can be shared by both people as an answer button. In this case, the control unit 72 may divide the top surface 102, which is the operation surface, in half by a line passing through the second pressure sensor 54b and the fourth pressure sensor 54d, and assign operation areas to users A and B. Even when the top surface 102 is divided in half in this way, it is preferable that the operation areas assigned to each user be set based on the divided areas.

[0056] 14 shows a state in which the operation areas operated by each user are lit in different colors. In the example shown in FIG. 14, the control unit 72 causes the light emitters arranged in the upper half of the operation area to emit red light and the light emitters arranged in the lower half of the operation area to emit blue light. For example, after lighting up the two operation areas in different colors, the control unit 72 may output a voice message from the speaker 58 saying, "The first user should move in front of the red light, and the second user should move in front of the blue light." By controlling the light emitted by the light emitter 56 and the output of the speaker 58 in this way, user A can smoothly move in front of the red light and user B can smoothly move in front of the blue light.

[0057] In this case, user A is expected to press the area around the position where the first pressure sensor 54a is located, and user B is expected to press the area around the position where the third pressure sensor 54c is located. The control unit 30 in the information processing device 20 monitors fluctuations in the detected values ​​of the first pressure sensor 54a, the second pressure sensor 54b, the third pressure sensor 54c, and the fourth pressure sensor 54d, and identifies the pressure sensor whose sensor value first exceeds a predetermined threshold. When the sensor value of the first pressure sensor 54a first exceeds the predetermined threshold, the control unit 30 grants user A the right to answer the quiz, while when the sensor value of the third pressure sensor 54c first exceeds the predetermined threshold, the control unit 30 grants user B the right to answer the quiz.

[0058] However, in a buzzer quiz, the user may panic and press the area around the position of the second pressure sensor 54b or the fourth pressure sensor 54d. If the sensor value of the second pressure sensor 54b or the fourth pressure sensor 54d exceeds the predetermined threshold value for the first time, the control unit 30 cannot grant the user the right to answer.

[0059] Therefore, the control unit 72 may relatively lower the sensitivity of the second pressure sensor 54b and the fourth pressure sensor 54d compared to the sensitivity of the first pressure sensor 54a and the third pressure sensor 54c, so that it is difficult for the second pressure sensor 54b and the fourth pressure sensor 54d to detect that they are being pressed. Specifically, the control unit 72 may ＶＡＲ The sensor sensitivity of the second pressure sensor 54b and the fourth pressure sensor 54d may be reduced by setting the sensor sensitivity to the maximum value. By adjusting the sensor sensitivity in this manner, the control unit 72 can manage the sensor sensitivity so that the sensor values ​​of undesired pressure sensors can be ignored.

[0060] In addition, when two people share one toy 10 as an answer button, the control unit 72 may assign an operation area consisting of the first area 60a and the second area 60b to user A, and an operation area consisting of the third area 60c and the fourth area 60d to user B. By assigning operation areas to users based on the divided areas in this way, the control unit 72 can present the operation areas to the users by lighting colors.

[0061] The present disclosure has been described above based on a number of embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of the respective components and processing processes, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure. In the embodiments, a toy 10 that a user can play with by touching it with their hands or stepping on it with their feet has been described, but the toy 10 may be one aspect of an electronic device.

[0062] In the embodiment, the bottom plate member 300 has multiple protrusions 304 on the case mounting surface 312, and the case 200 has multiple recesses 208 on the storage surface 212, but in a modified example, the bottom plate member 300 may have multiple recesses on the case mounting surface 312, and the case 200 may have multiple protrusions on the storage surface 212.

[0063] In the embodiment, the information processing device 20 functions as a control tower and controls the light emission of the light-emitting units 56 of the multiple toys 10 to manage the progress of the game. In a modified example, the control unit 72 of the toy 10 may manage the progress of the game. For example, one toy 10 may function as a host, and the control unit 72 of that toy 10 may control the light emission of the light-emitting units 56 of the multiple toys 10 to manage the progress of the game. In this case, the toy 10 serving as the host may be communicably connected to the other toys 10 and may have functions equivalent to the control unit 30 of the information processing device 20 of the embodiment.

[0064] The toy 10 may also have a function of downloading a program from the information processing device 20 and independently executing a game such as an application. In this case, since the toy 10 independently executes the game, it does not need to have a function of communicating with other toys 10. For example, the communication unit 52 may download and acquire a buzzer quiz game program from the information processing device 20, and the control unit 72 may execute the acquired buzzer quiz game program. In this case, the control unit 72 may illuminate an operation area to be operated by the user in accordance with instructions from the game program, thereby presenting the operation area to the user.

[0065] The present disclosure may include the following aspects. [Item 1] A toy that can be touched by a user with a hand or stepped on with a foot, the toy comprising: a light-emitting unit having a plurality of light-emitting bodies; and a circuit configured to: the circuit causes one or more of the light-emitting bodies arranged in an operation area operated by the user to emit light in a color corresponding to the operation area. [Item 2] The toy according to item 1, wherein the circuit causes the light-emitting bodies arranged in the operation areas operated by each of a plurality of users to emit light in a color corresponding to each of the operation areas. [Item 3] The toy according to item 2, wherein the circuit causes the light-emitting bodies arranged in the plurality of operation areas to emit light in a different color for each of the operation areas. [Item 4] The toy according to item 1, further comprising: a plurality of pressure sensors that detect pressure at different positions in a thickness direction of the toy; an operation surface of the toy operated by the user is divided into a plurality of divided areas based on the positions at which the plurality of pressure sensors are provided; and the operation areas are set based on the divided areas. [Item 5] The toy according to Item 4, wherein the pressure sensors are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction below a circular operation surface of the toy, and the divided areas have fan shapes with the same central angle. [Item 6] The toy according to Item 2, wherein the circuit causes the light-emitting elements to emit light in colors corresponding to the respective operation areas in accordance with instructions from an application. [Item 7] The toy according to Item 2, wherein the circuit causes the light-emitting elements to emit light in colors corresponding to the respective operation areas in accordance with instructions supplied from an information processing device that executes an application. [Item 8] The toy according to Item 1, wherein the circuit causes one or more light-emitting elements arranged in the operation area to emit light in colors corresponding to the operation area in order to indicate a location where the user should perform an operation. [Item 9] The toy according to Item 8, wherein the circuit causes the light-emitting elements arranged in the operation areas assigned to each of a plurality of users to emit light in different colors for each of the operation areas in order to indicate a location where each of the users should perform an operation.

[0066] The present disclosure can be used in the field of toys used in games.

[0067] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1...information processing system, 10...toy, 20...information processing device, 30...control unit, 32...communication unit, 40...display, 42...speaker, 50...processing unit, 52...communication unit, 54...sensor unit, 54a...first pressure sensor, 54b...second pressure sensor, 54c...third pressure sensor, 54d...fourth pressure sensor, 56...light emitting unit, 58...speaker, 60a...first region, 60b...second region, 60c...third region, 60d...fourth region, 70...IMU, 72...control unit, 80... Pressure sensor, 82...pressure-sensitive resistor, 84...variable resistor, 100...lid, 102...top surface, 104...sound emission hole, 106...side surface, 108...inner peripheral edge, 200...case, 202...top surface, 204...speaker accommodating hole, 206...side surface, 208a, 208b, 208c, 208d...depressions, 212...accommodating surface, 300...bottom plate member, 302...bottom surface, 304a, 304b, 304c, 304d...protrusions, 306...lever, 308...locking device, 310...locking part, 312...case mounting surface.

Claims

1. A toy that can be touched by a user with their hands or stepped on with their feet, comprising: a light-emitting unit having a plurality of light-emitting bodies; and a control unit that causes one or more of the light-emitting bodies arranged in an operation area operated by the user to emit light in a color corresponding to the operation area.

2. The toy described in claim 1, characterized in that the control unit causes the light-emitting elements arranged in the operation areas operated by each of the multiple users to emit light in colors corresponding to each of the multiple operation areas.

3. The toy according to claim 2, characterized in that the control unit causes the light-emitting elements arranged in the plurality of operation areas to emit light in different colors for each of the plurality of operation areas.

4. The toy described in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of pressure sensors that detect pressure in the thickness direction of the toy at different positions, the operation surface of the toy operated by the user being divided into a plurality of divided areas based on the positions at which the plurality of pressure sensors are provided, and the operation areas are set based on the divided areas.

5. The toy described in claim 4, wherein the pressure sensors are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction below the circular operating surface of the toy, and the divided areas have fan shapes with the same central angle.

6. The toy according to claim 2, characterized in that the control unit causes the plurality of light-emitting elements to emit light in colors corresponding to the plurality of operation areas, respectively, in accordance with instructions from the application.

7. The toy described in claim 2, characterized in that the control unit causes the multiple light-emitting elements to emit light in colors corresponding to each of the multiple operation areas in accordance with instructions supplied from an information processing device that executes the application.

8. The toy described in claim 1, characterized in that the control unit causes one or more of the light-emitting elements arranged in the operation area to emit light in a color corresponding to the operation area in order to indicate the location where the user should operate.

9. The toy described in claim 8, characterized in that the control unit causes the light-emitting elements arranged in the operation areas assigned to each of the multiple users to emit light in different colors for each of the multiple operation areas, in order to indicate the location where each of the multiple users should operate.

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